Abdul Rahman
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THE Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM) organised a meeting to observe the 133rd Ambedkar Jayanti. The meeting took place at Parliament Street in New Delhi on April 14, 2024.
People from various parts of Delhi-NCR participated in the programme, which is annually organised to pay tribute to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the chair of the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution, India’s first law minister, and a great social reformer, trade unionist, and thinker. The DSMM’s day-long celebration included paying tribute to Dr Ambedkar, singing of revolutionary songs by Ratan Ghambhir, a play on women's and workers' issues by Jana Natya Manch (JANAM), and exhibitions and selling of revolutionary and other literature by Leftword and Dastak.
Brinda Karat, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, was the chief guest and keynote speaker at the meeting.
Addressing the gathering, Brinda Karat highlighted the attempts being made by the BJP-led government at the centre to dismantle India's democratic and constitutional framework, which Dr Ambedkar and other freedom fighters worked tirelessly to establish, even sacrificing their lives in the process. She urged people to unite and safeguard the constitution from the threats posed by the corrupt rule of the Manuvaadi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by defeating them in the ongoing national elections.
Brinda pointed out the increasing violence against dalits and adivasis in India under the Narendra Modi government, which is the result of the policies that promote the exploitation of people's resources by corporates and the dominance of brahminical practices and beliefs. She criticised the Modi government's actions over the past decade, which undermine equality and justice as promised in the constitution, that are essential for the emancipation of dalits, women, and other marginalided sections of society. She cited the example of the rape and murder of a dalit woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, where a BJP-led state government attempted to shield the perpetrators because of their upper-caste status. Brinda condemned the complicity of the police and judiciary in this case, which neglected their duties as mandated by the Indian constitution and laws.
Brinda Karat highlighted how the Modi government has privatised public sector to undermine reservation policy, which was instituted after a massive and prolonged struggle led by Dr Ambedkar. She warned that the BJP's attempts to end reservation would deprive dalits and other socially disadvantaged sections of society of their only opportunity to challenge unjust social and economic dominance. She stressed the need to resist such attempts and demanded that people unite to push for the implementation of reservation in the private sector, which is expanding into all areas of life. She emphasized the importance of maintaining representation in the private sector to safeguard the principles of justice cherished by the framers of the Indian constitution.
Brinda also pointed out how the Modi government is gradually eroding Indian democracy by attacking opposition and dissenting voices, particularly targeting leaders from marginalised sections. She mentioned the misuse of central agencies such as the CBI, ED, and Income Tax department to threaten opposition leaders, coerce them into leaving their parties, and compel them to join the BJP. She cited examples such as the imprisonment of leaders like Hemant Soren in Jharkhand, the only adivasi chief minister in India, and Arvind Kejriwal, whose government has benefited the poor and marginalised. She criticised the closure of cases against leaders who have joined the BJP while draconian laws like the UAPA are used to silence voices from civil society and detain people for years without charges or trial.
Brinda Karat also exposed the inherently corrupt nature of the BJP government led by Modi, which used illegal means such as electoral bonds to extort money from people. She reminded people how parties like CPI (M) fought against electoral bonds, and thanks to the Supreme Court’s intervention, we now know that the BJP was receiving thousands of crores of rupees through illegal electoral bonds and misusing its power to threaten businesses into giving money or facing action. She described this as the largest example of corruption and misuse of power in post-independent India. She urged the people to stand up against such blatant misuse of power, which undermines the constitutional values cherished by Dr Ambedkar. She appealed to the people to vote the Modi government out of power and elect people who respect and work to promote equality, harmony, and development for everyone.
The DSMM NCR committee secretary, Nathu Prasad, also spoke on the occasion, highlighting the growing need to unite and wage a struggle against the BJP and RSS to safeguard the democratic setup in the country and preserve the constitution, which was crafted with great effort by Dr Ambedkar. He reminded the people of past struggles and affirmed that DSMM is always at the forefront of fighting against social and economic injustices.
Jana Natya Munch (JANAM) performed a play "Kabhi na khatam hone wala kaam," focusing on how the present system exploits women, particularly those from dalit and marginalised sections of society, at every opportunity. The play depicted how women from dalit communities are still treated as untouchables in their workplaces and are often victimised through discrimination and even outright use of force. The play underscored the need for a struggle against exploitation and gender and caste-based discrimination in the workplace and broader society to realise the vision for which Dr Ambedkar and several others fought.
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