With the initiation of a programme for Valmiki Communities, BAMCEF has started a programme of Radical Change to bring out these communities out of Dismay - D. D. Kalyani, Punjab

Before expressing his views Mr. D.D. Kalyani told about the background of National conference to liberate Moolnivasi Valmiki Communities, that was organised by BAMCEF on 14-15 April,2001 in the Capital, Delhi.

He said that the ruling communities have conspired and propagated that BAMCEF is an organization of Chamars among the communities engaged is sweeping known as Valmiki communities in Northern India, particularly in Punjab. Due to this propaganda of the ruling communities, Valmiki communities, which are already under their shadow used to ask us why should we join BAMCEF, an organization of Chamars. And ruling classes have tried their level best to present them from participating in transformation movement.

An atmosphere of despair  and dismay has been created among Valmiki communities. Since BAMCEF has started a movement of awakening among them, they have coming out of this dismay. Conspiratory propaganda and use for party politics has prevented Valmiki communities to come out of dismay and participate in the radical movement of change. Not knowing the real enemy has also become the problem of these communities. National conference to liberate Valimiki Communities has lead for increasing participation of Valmiki Communities in the programme of radical change(social change).

Even the intellectuals of the country do believe that nothing is going to happen on the social transformation front. A Professor in Amritsar, belonging to this community also said to me that “Kuchh Nahin Honewala”(Nothing is going to happen). If the member of intellectual class of the community says so then what to say about common mass. It shows that intellectual class is also thoroughly depressed. How can such an individual class bring social awakening?

Babasaheb said the let the slave realize his slavery, he will revolt but if the position of our intellectuals is so pathetic who’ll do the job? That’s why to fill up this gap BAMCEF has undertaken it, without depending on others.

There is a book called untouchables written by Mulkraj Anand published in England. It mentioned that there are people in India from untouchable communists who carry night soil on their heads. When it was read by Britishers they were surprised to know and wondered how can a man carry night soil of other man? It was also discussed in British Parliament and in 1935, Britishers took a move to bring it to amend. Those who were outsiders thought it to be blot on humanity but those who inflicted upon us this slavery never thought it to be inhuman.

The practice is continuing till date the I wrote a letter to national Human Rights Commission that Punjab government decided to bring the practice to an end in 1995 on Gandhi’s birthday but in vain.

Friends, this practice is not going to end like this became we are looking at only external characteristics and treating it externally. The Brahmanism will never allow it to die but we will have to ponder on “Why did we became slaves? Why we are unable to bring change? Who made us slave and depressed? Who did put us in this position? What is the reason behind it is the fundamental question? If Mahatma Buddha accepted Sunit-a sweeper, who was illderate and made him a known Bhikshu and great intellectual. But in today’s so called independent India the educated ones are also seen to be cleaning the streets. Once boy who was doing the same, I tried to photograph him but he marked his face back. I asked him, you are an educated boy? Why do you do this job? He replied that its very good job, do work for two hours and enjoy for whole day. This is the mentally of our educated ones. It shows that they do not realize their slavery. This is his mental problem. And ideology can only solve this mental problem. Our people are mentally sick because they are suffering from Brahmanical ideology and they accept the slavery of Brahmins.

This slavery is so strong that we’ll have to wage a was against it. Gandhi did work to strengthen this slavery. In 1945, there was a strike by the sweepers and Gandhi opposed it Similarly he wrote against such strike of 1890 saying I thought  oppose such actions. And  Safai employees should never go to strike. Regarding this kind of a strike colonel Samling wrote a book known as ‘Ramblings in Avadh ! It shows that now powerful Safai employees were that made Britishers to write a book. It was period of Britrishers. But Gandhi made them “Good Bhangis” and our educated not to consider him as liberation.

The educated lot seems to be uneducated in real terms. They never thought with open mind in this regard and to consider Gandhi has harmed us a lot. Safai employees forgot the movement by Babasaheb Ambedkar and Father of the Nation Jotirao Phuley. By considering Gandhi as liberator, they did not realize their slavery. They could not differentiate between a friend and a foe. They got into enemy’s net and could not realize their slavery and did not struggle against it. History reveals that Gandhi never waged a movement to liberate exploited slaves, then now could Gandhi be our liberation.

If one reads the History then comes to know that Gandhi always opposed the movement led by Ambedkar for the liberation of exploited ones. Why Gandhi did it, because he did not want that they should be liberated from their slavery.

Some communities could not progress because they did not accept the ideology of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Jotirao Phuley bid fell into the hands of Gandhi’s ideology. Brahmanical people have always been creating conflict among us. When they go to Valmikis, they say that you have been harmed by Chamars and taken away all the benefits. And when they approach Chamars, they propagate against Valmikies. Thus preventing us to get united. Valmikies do not understand that the Gandhi’s philosophy harmed them the most. In the District of Hoshiarpur of Punjab, there are 100 I.A.S. officers from amongst Chamars whereas Valmikies are not even able to become peon. It is all due to Chamars having adopted Babasaheb Ambedkar’s ideology and Valmikies having considered Gandhi as their liberator.

Gandhi tried to save varna system in modern India and termed it God-gifted system, which cannot be removed. Efforts were being made to preserve varna system prior to Gandhi also and Gandhi gave it a final touch. In 1875, Brahmin Saint Dayanand Saraswati of Gujarat established Arya Samaj and propagated varna system all over India and particularly in Punjab. He saw that the number of Hindus was getting reduced, so he started purification movement. He wanted to bring depressed people into the Hindu fold. He did not try and purify their ideas and liberate them from filthy jobs. And he asked for Yagna and consumption of cow urine to purify people. And he strengthened the Brahmanical system.

Similarly, Gandhi did not struggle for our rights but against. He opposed reservations so that depressed Bahujans do not get rights to study and get jobs. We do not know how much conspiracy our enemy is adopting against us. You must have heard the name of Mangu Ram who is considered to be Ambedkar of Punjab. He led the Adi-dharma movement and pleaded to Britishers that we are not Hindus and thus should be numbered separately. We are old people of the land and our religion is also old. Thus we are original inhabitants of the land so we should be called, ‘Adi-Dharma and Britishers accepted it. For the first time sweeping community was termed as ‘Valmiki’. Thus those who did not struggle and tried to maintain, their own identity were bermed Valmikis. D.C.Ahir, in his book 'Punjab and Dr. Ambedkar’ writes that Chamars and Churahas led a movement to put them as Adi-dharma in 1931 census. Gandhi and the people of Arya Samaj felt that if both these communities came together and led their own movement then, it’ll become a problem for them. Thus congress Gandhi and Arya Samaj destroyed Mangu Ram led movement in Punjab. Our people also got trapped into Gandhi’s politics and forgot the history of movement. Gradually we became slaves and today who denied that we are not Hindus, even we donot want to discuss, whether we are Hindus or not. It means we have become more slaves and its very dangerous.

We need to leave the filthy profession. Take the example of Mahars of Maharashtra. Once they used to carry the dead animals and clean the village streets but today they are free from this filthy profession. They adopted Ambedkar’s ideology and transformed their conduct and they got freedom from slavery. The silver lining for us is that by adopting Phuley-Ambedkar ideology, we can liberate ourselves.

Our people get depressed and say we have worked very hard, nothing will happen, people are not going to change. This feeling in depression is also due to Brahmanism. Our people are so helpless and slave that they donot even try to come out of their slavery. They donot know that by adopting Phuley-Ambedkar ideology they can free themselves from Brahaminical ideology. To liberate themselves, Safai employees will have to get educated and conscious, become logical, only then the liberation is possible. Napoleon's words that the word ‘Impossible’ is found in the dictionary of the fools. Our liberation from Brahmanism is not impossible rather it is possible for us and we need & have patience for it

The Scavenging work is being given on contract these days where real job is done by our men but they get less for the same and major amount is transfered to Banias. This way on the one hand the job is still same but the wages are less. Now the education has become costlier, due to which we are able to teach our kids. The privatisation of education and the self-funding by universities, suggestions given by Janarthan Reddy report is a wider conspiracy to stop our people from getting education.

Today the foremost objective before us is to awaken our people and that can be done with the spread of Phuley-Ambedkar ideology. To make them understand and inculcate their ideas, when there is a strong built of Ambedkar-Phuley ideology, only then we can come out of Brahmanical Slavery. When we will accept the movement and ideology of Phuley-Ambedkar, then we will come to know that Brahminical people made castes, constructed varna system, made a rift among the castes, forced us to take up filthy job, declared us untouchables etc. If we come to understand and realise these things and aspects related to it, only then we can liberate ourselves from the clutches of Brahminical slavery. Otherwise, we shall keep fighting among ourselves. Chuhra will come into conflict with chamar and vice-versa and this is in the interest of Brahmanism. In conclusion, Brahmanism will have to be contested and defeated with the Phuley-Ambedkar ideology.