Part 6: Revolution and counter revolution in modern India

Waman Meshram, National President, Bharat Mukti Morcha

Tilak - the opponent of reservation

After this influence and effects of Jyotibha Phule’s revolutionary movement is seen in the entire Maharastra on the movements of non-brahmin people. In order to counter it through the medium of Bal Gangadhar Tilak Ganesh festival and Shivaji festival gets started. This is so because those whom we call Shudras -  Ati-Shudras are festival loving people.

Awakening based on ideology that was going on, in order to counter it Bal Gangadhar Tilak started Ganesh festival and Shivaji festival. Brahmins of that time used to say that Tilak started this festival as ‘national festival’ and even today Brahmin historian hold on to the same view. These views belong to those people who want to keep their jati interest safe, it is their views. In is necessary for us to understand those views.

After that Shivaj festival stopped and only Ganesh festival continued. What is surprising is that Shivaji Maharaja’s memorial was searched before everyone else and cleared of all the thick shrubs by Jyotibha Phule. Brahmins only take the name of Shivaj against Muslims. They are using history as an asset, and when history of insults and humiliation of Shivaji and his mother was written then these very people who used the name of Shivaji Maharaj and history against Muslims were silenced.

They have nothing to do with Shivaji Maharaj and his mother’s defamations. Why they have nothing to do here? It is because they want Shivaji Maharaj as a weapon. They have nothing to do with history of Shivaji Maharaj and his struggle.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak is said to be biggest inspiration ‘Surma’ of freedom struggle. Bal Gangadhar Tilak opposed the progressive campaigns the province of Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj. Brahmins of that time carried on the task of opposing the reservation that Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj started on 26^th July 1902 and Bal Gangadhar Tilak was its ‘Surma’ leader. In 1918 when ‘South bureau commission’ visited India that time Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj was alive.

Based on the advice of Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Bhaskar Rao Jadhav who was a president of ‘Satyashodak samaj’ submitted a written memorandum in which he demanded representation in the constituent assembly that was going to be constituted. On the advice of Shahu Maharaj he demanded that non-Brahmin people must get a representation, Balgangadhar Tilak strongly opposed this.

That time the words such as Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes were not used, the word ‘brahmanettar’ (non-brahmins) was used, he demanded representation in constituent Assembly. Lot of people are not aware that before British came to India right to make laws for entire public was with Brahmins. When British began thinking of leaving India there the question arose in front of them: who will perform the task of making laws to the entire public here? With this question hanging in front of them they developed thinking of forming Constituent Assembly. Before British came to India Brahmin organization were making laws; then British thought that ‘after we leave there must be an organization that will perform the function of making law’. For this purpose British had made an attempt to constitute Constituent Assembly, in this our people must get representation, for this reason on the advice of Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Bhaskar Rao Jadhav submitted a written memorandum to South bureau commission.

This written memorandum is available even today. Babasaheb Dr.Ambedkar also submitted one written memorandum. Bal Gangadhar Tilak took special efforts to oppose Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj promoted initiative that our people must get representation in the Constituent Assembly. In between Kolhapu and Belgaum there is a village named Athni that is located just outside the border of Kolhapur Province. Tilak went there and organized a public meeting, and in this public meeting Tilak made a public speech. What did he say in his public speech? He said “Are Teli, Tamboli and Kunbhats want to enter Parliament to plough?” He not only said this but it got published in his newspaper ‘Kesri’ whose editor is Bal Gangadhar Tilak and what is special is that Brahmins only gave him the title of ‘Lokmanya’.

They are such a strange people that instead of giving him the title of ‘Bhatmanya’ they gave him the title of ‘Lokmanya’, and they did not even consult us. This is because these are not people, and they are animals, what is the need to consult them! In this way Tilak gave made statement that are Teli, Tamboli and Kunbhats want to enter Parliament to plough? Is Parliament a land which can be ploughed? Will Teli extract oil by entering Parliament; will dargi stitch clothes by entering Parliament? Kunbis meaning Kurmis must keep in mind that they are not referred as even Kunbi but referred as Kunbhat. When Brahmin is called ‘Bamon’ then it is bad word and when Kunbi is called ‘Kunbhat’ it is a bad word.

Tilak said in public meeting that “do Kunbhats want to enter Parliament to plough?” This sentence, is it taught in history? Only ‘Freedom is my birthright and I will attain it’ is taught in history, but is it taught that he said that “do Kunbhats want to enter Parliament to plough?” You teach this and teach that also. If both are taught and both are jointly read then it will be known that freedom struggle of Tilak was not freedom struggle, this gets proved. Babasaheb Dr.Ambedkar addressed written memorandum to South Bureau commission, so also Bhaskar Rao Jadhav, but Bal Gangadhar Tilak objecting to the memorandum of Bhaskar rao Jadhav organized public meeting in Athni village and in his public speech he opposed demand for representation. Bal Gangadhar Tilak refrained from uttering the name of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar who submitted the memorandum to demand representation for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes people. Why did he refained? He refrained because if he had to utter the words ‘Mahar-Mang then his personality would have been polluted from the untouchables. Perhaps he must have thought this way that he would have been come under the impact of untouchability.

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.