Thomas Isaac warns Dalits of Sangh politics

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM leader Thomas Isaac has cautioned Dalit organisations against providing platform to the BJP and Sangh Parivar in the wake of the brutal killing of two children in Haryana.

He alleged that people in Sanped village in Faridabad had turned against the BJP because of the Sangh Parivar's backing to the assailants. In Haryana, upper caste violence had always got support from the government machinery, he said.

Isaac said the protection given to perpetrators of such heinous crimes sent out a clear message. Dalits are leaving their traditional jobs and taking employment to raise their living standard and this is what was provoking upper caste groups, he added.

The CPM leader said such attacks were aimed at confining Dalits to their traditional occupation and blocking their socio-economic development.

"Haryana incident should be a lesson for certain Dalit organisations in Kerala. I hope those who gave Narendra Modi a platform and made efforts to make Sangh Parivar acceptable among the community have understood the reality. It is the responsibility of Dalit organisations also to fight against such atrocities," he added.

However, BJP state vice-president P. P. Vava said the CPM's Dalit love was sham. "Hundreds of Dalits were killed in Nandigram in 2007 when ruling CPM workers and police joined hands to chase away poor agricultural workers from their land in the name of SEZ. There was party- and government-sponsored genocide of Dalits under Marxist rule," he added.

Vava said in Kerala, a large number of Dalits remain landless, without houses, clean drinking water, electricity, roads, employment and health facilities. So what Dalit emancipation are the Marxists talking about? he asked.

However, noted Dalit writer K. K. Kochu said the ghastly incident in Haryana would have an impact in the state since the BJP was trying hard to make inroads into the Dalit and backward communities.

Comparatively, the Left has been more favourable to marginalised sections like agricultural, cashew and coir workers. But many issues like land, livelihood means of Dalits and adivasis remain unresolved.