Part 10: Ruling Castes' betrayal of Adivasis

By Waman Meshram, National President, Bharat Mukti Morcha

Betrayal in every field of life

More or less enemy is of two types. One is open enemy and one hidden enemy. In village man is alerted the moment he notices snake. And when snake gets alerted the moment he sees man. When both are alerted then both save themselves. Man saves himself from an open enemy but it is not possible for man to save himself from hidden enemy because hidden enemy attacks through hiding. The history of invader Arya Brahmin is such that he cannot defeat mulnivasis in face to face combat but only through betrayals and mistrusts.

We get an example of this in Ramayana. In Ramayana in order to kill Ravana collaborates with his brother Vibhishan. World says that only Ram can kill Ravana but Ram knows that he cannot kill Ravana. People of the world has belief, faith and trust on Ram that he can kill Ravana but Ram knows that he cannot kill and that’s why he takes Ram’s brother with himself. In Mahabharat Krishna says to Arjun, “Arjun, wheel of Karna’s chariot is stuck in soil and he is removing it, kill him!” Arjun says, “No, no. It is already sunset and that’s why it is against dharma. I cannot kill Karna.”

Krisha says, “Dharma, you know or I? You are a fighter according to the Dharma but I am an ultimate decider of dharma. I am telling you to kill Karna.” Arjun says, “No, no…I am a soldier, I will kill Karna in face-to-face combat.” Krishna says, “I know how big soldier you are. You will survive in front of Karna. Now is the opportunity. You are facing his back, attack.” This is not an imaginary narration. Invader Aryans has written their history.  The ideal that has been written in the scriptures of the Aryans that if mulnivasis has to be kept enslaved for long terms then  carry on betrayals and mistrusts. When time comes Vishkanyas are also used. Fight breaks out between Sukracharya and Devas. Shukracharya is a Guru of Danavs, and he has a mantra of eternal life. Dev sent one of his men to Shukracharya. That man asks Sukhracharya to recite mantra. That time Sukhracharya puts condition that ‘if you are ready to marry my daughter Deviyani then I can give you my mantra.”

That man agrees to the condition of Shukracharya. After getting mantra that brahmin man says “for me my people are dear. I cannot marry your daughter.” He betrays. Puranas narrate the story of Samudra Manthan. It is told that Amrut is excavated from the Samudra Manthan. In this story Devyani is a Brahmin and Danav is mulnivasi. Through breach of trust Devas take away all the amrut.

It is written proof from all the stories told in Puranas that foreign invaders never engaged in face-to-face battle with mulnivasis. If they had to fight face-to-face then in Rigveda Arya might have not prayed that ‘Oh Indra, give us the strength to destroy the danavs. This proves that Aryas did not have face-to-face combat with us.

What is the situation today? Today, in spite of there being democracy there is no solution to our problems. Why there is no solution? What is the foundation of democracy? The foundation of democracy is representatives. County’s 100 crore people cannot go to Parliament. If those representatives do not represent us then there is democracy but we have no voice. 500 representatives of 100 crore people go as our voice. If among these representative we have no representation and that’s why we have no voice. When we have no voice then who will listen to us? If there is no hearing at all then there is there is solution to any of problem. This means that today there is democracy but without representation. 119 people who get elected to the Parliament from SC, ST reserved seats are transformed into agents (dalals and Bhadwas). 1050 MLA who get elected also faced with similar fate.

Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar was fighting to get representation to SC, ST and OBC while Gandhi was not ready to give representation to them. Dr.Ambedkar was trying to convert democracy into practical democracy while Gandhi was trying to make democracy a drama, a tamasha, a nautanki. Same drama goes on today. Today world is told that our country has biggest democracy in the world bu in reality it is drama – nautanki and tamasha. Ruling caste people has made a play of our future.

Today adivasis are granted representation only for the show, but after giving representation did they even got place in Cabinet? Congress ruled this country for  50 years, what is the state of Adivasis in this 50 years? P.A. Sangma was made the speaker of the Lok Sabha. P.A.Sangma hails from North-Eastern State where adivasis has 90% population. If in 50 years any adivasis person is made the Speaker of Lok Sabha or if another adivasis person is made Minister, it is not the big thing. But it is unlikely that other than North Eastern States anybody from other Adivasis Areas is sworn in as Cabinet Minister. Dilip Singh Bhuria, an Adivasi person from Madhya Pradesh was made the Chairman of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Commission. This is post of the rank of cabinet minister but he was not made minister only Chairman of the Commission. He was not made independent Cabinet minister.

As far as educational field is concerned there is no separate provision in the budget education of adivasis. Big projects, big dams are constructed where adivasis reside, that’s why it has become very difficult for adivasis to live in those areas.  They are displaced from there but in its place they are not rehabilitated at any different place. There are minerals in the adivasis areas, that’s why they are driven out from there and their lands are snatched. This means whatever attempts of development are made in the adivasis areas, these attempts are not for the development of Adivasis but its result have come forth as displacement of adivasis.

Adivasis who are displaced are roaming in misery to earn their daily bread but there is no one is concerned about them. Such a dangerous life adivasis are living in Independent India. Those who are saying that this is a freedom of all the people, in this country all this is happening. On basis it could be said that this freedom is freedom of all the people? This can never be said. In every field of life there has been betrayal of adivasis but the betrayal that has taken place with Water, Minerals that betrayal is connected with snatching away their land. That way Adivasis land cannot be acquired as per the constitutional provisions, yet the land is taken over.

Capitalist people have captured adivasis land. Without informing their land is being acquired, land records are changed. Wherever this land has been captured adivasis are driven away from there. The way this issue of betrayal is coming forward, adivasis stayed connected with congress and congress continuously played around with them. When BJP came to power in Centre then they carried on the work of betraying adivasis.

Biggest numbers of adivasis legislators are in Chhattisgarh but their Chief Minister is Rajput. One Adivasi is Chief Minister of Jharkhand all his administration is under Brahmin control. Wherever Chief Minister’s chief secretary will be brahmin over there even though adivasi is a Chief Minister he will not be able to do anything for adivasis. If he tries to do anything for anything then immediately he is removed from the position of Chief Minister.

When Babulal Marandi tried to do this way then he was removed from the Chief Minister’s position and Arjun Munda was made the Chief Minister. Whether it is social fiel, economic field, educational field, cultural field, political field or some other field, in every field adivasis are betrayed and this betrayal continues. This challenge in front of adivasis and how to face it is the biggest question in front of adivasis today.