Part 5: Revolution and counter revolution in modern India

Waman Meshram, National President, Bharat Mukti Morcha

Jyotibha Phule’s revolutionary movement

We consider modern India from that moment when Rashtrpita Jyotibha Phule’s movement started. What is the meaning of the word ‘Revolution’ that is deployed here? I believe that if fundamental change comes about in the way of thinking then it is said to be revolutionary transformation. Or it can be said that creative transformation in society is revolution.

If any social system is founded on Jati, it within it fundamental system comes about then it can be believed that it is creative transformation, and why fundamentals are to be changed only then that process is can be said to be transformation. Otherwise everything else can be said as reform. Believe that there is a cage of slavery and slaves are living in slavery. One who lives in prison is slave. In order to make that cage worthy of living it is painted in golden colour.

If is iron cage then it is painted in Silver. Slave living in cage will say “now it is fun to live in cage”. This is reform. This change is meant to stop revolutionary transformation; this type of changes is brought about and after doing this its propaganda is being carried on to a very big extent so that revolutionary communities can be trapped in net. If the time of revolutionary movement of Jyotibha Phule we go about believing as Modern India then we will get to learn and understand lots. This is so because the Jyotibha Phule’s movement was against those who are established and ruling our country.

If we try to understand his agitation language then it can be explained in one sentence. Phuleji says “Sudra-  Ati-Shudra V/s Shetji-Bhatji”. This is his own agitation language.  He raised his voice against Brahmin control of the administration the he used the word ‘Kalam Kasai’ to describe Brahmins inside the administration.  ‘Kalam kasai’ means the slaughterers necks with pen like sword.

Every agitation has its own terminology. Jyotibha Phule used the word ‘Kalam Kasai’ means Brahmins were not using knives, edged weapons but definitely they were carrying the job of slaughtering. They don’t use any weapons but still slaughter, then which weapon were they using? They were using pen. Till 1970 with reference to reservation Scheduled Caste, Scheduled tribes people were available. With pen Arya Brahmins deployed the word to slaughter our throats and wrote “Representatives are not available”. Then after 1970 when the representatives were available Brahmins deployed the word ‘available representatives are not suitable’.

Brahmins are not using any weapons even then they stop us from involving ourselves in administration.  It is very important to understand as to how Brahmins used the pen as weapon to slaughter us.

The agitation language of Jyotibha Phuleji that we observe, ‘Shetji-Bhatji V/s Shudra- Ati-Shudra’. The agitation that he carried on from 1848 to 1890. By keeping this policy he always kept in mind and developed his ideology, decided on his objectives. He always described things by keeping these things in mind. He kept this on mind and developed his ideology so that target can be achieved and he achieved his targets. That’s why in the known ideology the words are important, religion is important. In Jyotibha Phule’s ideology he did not give importance to words and religion. That’s why the ideology that he developed by not making words and religion as its basis was new and was naturally, not in fashion. This is unique and it is so unique that it is dangerous ideology for the ruling people of that time. This ideology was very dangerous to the ruling people and that’s why large scale opposition is seen emerging to this ideology is observed.

Jyotibha Phule’s  movement was a revolutionary movement, that’s why the words that surface while reading his literature were inducted by keeping this movement in mind. It is not possible to decipher their meaning through the familiar language. Some people have leveled accusations against Jyotibha Phule that he was not even aware of basic grammar of Marathi language. I believe that he was not a linguist or expert of Marathi grammar but he used and deployed this language in order to express his feelings. Even if this allegation is correct that he has not studied proper grammar, even can it be denied that Jyotibha Phule was not able to complete ‘Panchar’ in best way? No one can deny this. What else we want? And wherever Phuleji use to deploy ‘Panchar’, he used to do it correctly. The revolutionary struggle of Phule that why this issue is associated with the revolutionary movement then before every thing else it is an issue of combat.

In 1875 one man named Dayanand Saraswati came to Mumbai from a village named Tankara in Rajkot district of Gujarat. This is his changed name this Brahmin, after coming to Mumbai sets up an organization called ‘Arya Samaj’. In 1873 Jyotibha Phule started an organisation named ‘Satyasodhak Samaj’. According to Brahmins saying Jyotibha Phule had no knowledge of Marathi grammar. Even then Jyotibha Phules created new words. Brahmins accuse this man who coined new words as ignorant of language.  It can possibly be said that the word ‘Satyashodak Samaj’ is coined by him. Brahmins write in their religious scriptures that they are born from the mouth of Brahma.

If you go to the house of Brahmins as really they take birth from the mouth of brahma, then you will realize that they are born just like any other human being is born in the world. But religious scriptures write that Brahmins are born from the mouth of Brahma. This is false, and like this thousands of false things are written in religious scriptures that people have faith on. This way people developed faith on falsehood, and by creating faith on falsehood society that believes in falsehood evolved with which society got degenerated, defeated. This is so because everything has its background, its context.

If we observe then what would have been the background of ‘Satyashodak Samaj’? People believe in falsehood, or they are being prepared to believe in falsehood that’s why they are degenerated, defeated, that’s why Jyotibha Phule wanted to create the society that will search out the truth. That’s why in order to search the truth ‘Satya Sodhak Samaj’ was started by Jyotibha Phule in 1873 and in 1875 Dayanand Saraswati coming to Mumbai from Gujarat sets up an organization called ‘Arya Samaj’. This must be kept in mind. The people who give slogan that ‘Hindu samaj is ancient samaj’ their own ancestor did not start the organization called ‘Hindu Samaj’ but he starts the organization named ‘Arya Samaj’. They are the people chosen by God, there is no need for people to choose them.  Who are the people to choose us?

This ideology that was formed based on superiority and based on that superiority and Domination of Varnas, believers of this ideology for thousands of years, that man comes there and sets up an organization named ‘Arya Samaj’. Jyotibha Phule that carried on the agitation in the name of ‘Satyasodhak Samaj is a revolutionary movement, if we go about believing this then towards the direction of counter revolution ‘Arya Samaj’ is the beginning, it can be said like this.