Pro-Dalit action in Una holds promise
Elements of civil society sought to be reviled as “liberal secularists†opposing this trend were attacked and maligned.
A big hole was blown in the BJP’s carefully constructed concern for the untouchables of Hindu society — the dalits as they are called in current political literature — and the saffronites’ new-found narrative of “Harijans” — the innocent Gandhian expression that today sounds quaint — being an integral part of Hindu society, when in Gujarat Hindu vigilante groups attacked dalits in Saurashtra’s Una village for pursuing their ancient vocation of skinning dead cows. Parties of vigilantes, which have behaved like the Taliban, have been active in various parts of northern India since the establishment of the Modi government since they (rightly) believed there’d be no comeuppance, that they’d be above the law.
Their aim has been to sharpen contradictions between Hindus and Muslims, and cow slaughter or the eating of cow’s meat was a handy tool. Thus we had the Akhlaq murder in UP’s Dadri and violent attacks on Muslim cattle-traders in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, and a big ruckus in Mumbai on the issue of the consumption of beef. Elements of civil society — sought to be reviled as “liberal secularists” — opposing this trend were attacked and maligned. All this was easy enough for BJP and other RSS affiliates such as the VHP. So-called “gau-raksha samitis”, or cow-protection groups, mushroomed. The Muslims do not generally vote BJP and there was no electoral angle involved. But the dalits are different. Traditionally they have not voted BJP. But lately the saffron party is pushing all limits to win them over.
The Prime Minister himself took the lead, starting with observing B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary in a big way last year. Ambedkar, who has been made fun of by the BJP-RSS for the last 70 years, was suddenly in demand in the saffron camp. Dalits, who revere him, make up nearly a fifth of the country’s population and would be crucial to BJP’s chances in the UP Assembly election. It was therefore important for the BJP to try and contain the fallout of the vigilante attack on cow-skinning dalit groups of Gujarat who went on a statewide protest, with several committing suicide.
It did not help matters that the state is ruled by the BJP. Union home minister Rajnath Singh announced in Parliament that several Una accused were in custody and a police official had been suspended. These steps should be welcomed even if they are self-serving. At least a party like the BJP, which has been traditionally partisan to upper caste Hindu interests, has at the procedural level moved against those committing violence against dalits. This is something new.