Discrimination against Dalits in India

More on the murder of a Buddhist Dalit family in India, which I wrote about in this previous post, and the on-going discrimination suffered by the Dalits in India. From BBC News:

The brutal killing of a family from the lower castes – known as Dalits – in India's western state of Maharashtra has revived the community's demand to be treated as equals in a society that has labelled them as outcasts.

The incident took place in a remote village called Khairlanji in Bhandara district situated in the north-east of the state.

On 29 September, Surekha Bhotmange, her 17-year-old daughter Priyanka, and two sons, 19-year-old Roshan and 21-year-old Sudhir were at home when an upper-caste mob broke into their mud hut and murdered them.

The details are gruesome. The four were reportedly dragged out and beaten with bicycle chains, sticks and other weapons. The mother and daughter were allegedly stripped and raped by the mob, many of whom lived in the same village and were possibly their neighbours.

The father and only surviving member, Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, is a broken man but shows steely resolve when demanding justice for his family.

[...]

Thirty-year-old Baby Manohar Ramteke is a Dalit by birth and works in the fields.

She has lived in Bhabal, a village about two hours drive from the city of Nagpur, all her life and says they have always been ill-treated by others on the basis of their caste.

"First they wouldn't let us fill water from the common well, then there was an incident of someone vandalising the village temple statue so they blamed us for it. They keep calling us names and telling us we are dirty people," she said.

She finally got a separate water tap installed in the village for Dalit families.

[...]

In order to escape the caste system, many Dalits have adopted Buddhism as their new faith, as their leader, Dr Ambedkar, did.

The chief architect of the Indian constitution, Dr Ambedkar was born a Dalit but rose to a respectable position in society despite all odds. He enjoys iconic status among his people.

Retired professor and social worker Dr Rupa Kulkarni says those who followed him have forged ahead in life socially and financially. She said many of them have become top doctors, writers and bureaucrats.

"Leaving Hinduism and accepting Buddhism changed the entire mentality of Dalits, made them believe that even they were someone. They realised they had to revolt against the caste system and because of this their self-respect awakened," she said. [...]

Dr Kulkarni said discrimination in cities may not be as obvious as that in the villages, but it still exists and Dalits are not allowed to forget the caste they were born into.

"Before giving a house out on rent here, the tenant's caste is asked and Buddhists are banned completely even though their economic condition is such that they can buy the place. Inter-caste marriages are still prohibited.

"No matter how progressive people call themselves, that really progressive element – a generous and big heart – is still missing."

Mob violence, separate water taps, exclusion from certain neighbourhoods, and prohibitions against mixed marriage — why does all that sound so familiar?

南無阿彌陀佛

Buddhist Dalit family murdered in India

A horrific story from Kherlanji, India (from an editorial in The Buddhist Channel):

Like many Indians, their hopes of a good life were basic: a decent education, a life that was lived with self respect and a livelihood which disturbed no one. But in India, Surekha and her family were tortured for many years because they chose to live the "basic life". The reason – because they were Dalits, untouchables in the eyes of Hindu purists whose status are merely better than animals.

On September 29, 2006, in the town of Kherlanji, near Nagpur - a new center of Buddhist movement in India - Buddhists Surekha and her daughter Priyanka were beaten, paraded naked and gang-raped in full public view for an hour before they fell dead.

[...]

We would like to appeal to the international Buddhist community to please use your connections and networks and forward this information to all Human Rights Organizations and Government and Non-Government Agencies.

It is time that the suffering endured by the multitude of Dalits - the so called untouchable caste of India - be highlighted to the international community so that the voice of reason can be pressed upon the Government of India to put a "practical" stop to such inhumane act once and for all.

For more information on how you can help, or to enquire about the Dalit situation, please contact the following:

The Jambudvipa Trust
www.jambudvipa.org
'Manuski', Deccan College Rd
Tel/Fax +91-20-2669 6812  /  +91-98506 66479
Yerwada, Pune
411 006, India

The Ambedkar movement
www.ambedkar.org

The incident described is extremely sickening. What is there to say?

The village where this incident occurred is variously spelled Kherlanji and Khairlanji. In wonder if it's the same Khairlanji mentioned in this post?

Here is a smattering of news articles and blog posts about the crime and the protests sparked by it:

• The Times of India: Just another rape story
• Atrocity News: Kherlanji Buddhist family Massacred
• Tehelka: Dalits, Like Flies to Feudal Lords (Warning: graphic photos)
• India Daily: 4 Members of Dalit Family Gang-raped and Murdered over Land Feud in Maharastra (Warning: graphic photos)
• Times of India: Dalit killings - Nagpur to face another tense day
• Times Now: Dalit Protests Spread
• DNA India: Nagpur police cane Dalit protestors
• NDTV: Dalit killings: Protestors defy police orders
• AsiaNews: Maharashtra - police disperse Dalit rally by force

And this map from Atrocity News showing the attacks on Dalits and Buddhists in India is simply chilling:

There are 231 rapes and 51 murdered last year. The families are helpless, only hope is help from world community !
Every hour two Dalits are assaulted,
Every day three Dalit women are raped,
Every day two Dalits are murdered & two Dalit houses are burnt in India….”
(Report of the Ministry of Welfare of the Government of India, 1992-1993)

The government of India must be held accountable for these crimes, which are being committed by its own citizens against its own citizens.

南無阿彌陀佛

Buddhism gaining strength in India, maybe

A follow-up to some previous posts, from The Times of India (via The Buddhist Channel):

Around 30 lakh Dalits are estimated to have converted to Buddhism as part of 50th year celebrations of Ambedkar's deeksha, in what has again underscored a fact that Indian Buddhism has a distinct Dalit hue to it.

Reports from organisations involved in deeksha programmes around the country have come up with figures which point to a resurgent conversion activity.

Twenty lakh people are estimated to have congregated at Nagpur, Deekshabhoomi which is at the forefront of Dhammakranti, while another six lakh people attended the second biggest ceremony at Chandrapur on October 15-16.

Maharashtra, owing to Ambedkar's linkages, as also the original Dalit movement, was ahead of all other states in these conversions. Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, MP, UP and Chhattisgarh, too, conducted conversions on a largescale.

According to Y Chinna Rao, who teaches at the Centre for Dalit and Minorities Studies in Jamia Millia Islamia and has compiled a report on the nationwide activities, "The conversion ceremonies were the largest ever to be seen till now after independence. It could give a massive boost to similar activities in future."

The programmes, which started in the run-up to Dussehra through Ambedkar's birth anniversary in October, saw massive activity in Andhra Pradesh.

Since a lâkh [लाख] is one hundred thousand, 30 lâkh makes 3 million. If this estimate is true, that is quite a number of people. However, it is probable that most of the people who showed up were already Buddhists, rather than people who converted to Buddhism as part of the 50th anniversary event.

According to the Hindustan Times, Buddhists might hold the swing vote in the upcoming Assembly elections in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh:

It is believed that there are 40-45 constituencies where Buddhists are numerically strong enough to make a difference. In fact, there are constituencies in the State where Buddhist vote is as high as 45% as in Khairlanji (Balaghat), currently represented by RPI. The other constituencies with large Buddhist population includes Amla (over 40%), Katangi 30%, Lanji 25%, Barasivni and Kirnapur (30%), Saunsar, Pandurna, Multai, Betul, Parasia, Gohad, Bhander, Mhow, Paraswada and Naryavali (20%). Besides, there are two-dozen more constituencies where the community has more than 10% of the electorate, claims Dr Gajbhiye.

Though the data might appear exaggerated to some, experts feel that feeling slighted by the Congress, the community might choose Mayawati and vote for her party en masse. And the statistics are frightening enough for Congress.

[...]

The Buddhist population in the State could be much higher than suggested by the census records as the Dalit converts did not register themselves as Buddhists under the category of religion because of a past law, which stopped the facilities including reservation meant for Scheduled Castes to the neo-Buddhists.

The Buddhist converts were not deemed as Scheduled Castes until the Centre amended the law in 1990 following which the Madhya Pradesh government issued a notification in March 1994 stating that all neo-Buddhists would continue to get the privileges of their caste even after conversion. In fact, it is surmised that the Buddhist population could be well be 40-50 lakh. "Dr Ambedkar was born in Madhya Pradesh and his caste Mahar alone has a population of 38 lakh almost all of whom are Buddhists besides the other castes", said a high official in the government.

Dr. Ambedkar's belief that Dalits can become empowered through conversion to Buddhism seems to be becoming a reality.

南無阿彌陀佛

Not quite a hundred thousand

From the Ambedkar 2006 blog:

The much hyped Hyderabad conversions have proved a damp squib. The ceremony I attended today where the organisers had claimed 100,000 would convert attracted perhaps one percent of that number.

The BBC reports that:

Udit Raj, a Dalit leader, told the BBC that around 2,500 people converted to Christianity and Buddhism.

According to The Hindu:

Hundreds of Dalits on Saturday embraced Buddhism and Christianity at a programme here, where copies of the Gujarat Government's anti-conversion Bill were burnt.

The Ambedkar 2006 blog has a round-up of the media coverage in this post.

南無阿彌陀佛

Indians turn to Buddhism on the 50th anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's conversion

From the Ambedkar 2006 blog:

A hundred thousand people will become Buddhists in Hydrabad on 14th October in a huge meeting in the East Indian state of Andhra Pradesh [ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ, आंध्र प्रदेश], that will include up to 400,000 people. The chief organizer is KSR Murthy, a former member of India’s parliament, the Lok Sabha.

The event will take place at Dr. Ambedkar Statue on the Tank Bund: the spiritual center for Hydrabad’s Ambedkarites. Every year a very large gathering marks the anniversary of Dr Ambedkar’s conversion on 14 October; this year Murthi expects 3-400,000 to attend with 100,000 converting for the first time. Many similar ceremonies will take place around India on the same date, but this will probably be the largest conversion ceremony. The wave of conversions will culminate in a much larger ceremony in Bombay on 16 December.

Presiding over the ceremony will be Ven. Hsing Yun [星雲大師], President of the Buddha's Light organization, which is based in Taiwan and has 120 centers around the world. The presence of a senior figure in Chinese Buddhism is a significant development for the conversion movement, which has mainly made connections with the Theravadin Buddhism of South East Asia and Sri Lanka. Ven. Hsing Yun will administer the Buddhist refuges in Chinese (the ceremony through which one becomes a Buddhist) and the Ven. Vinayarakkhitha will translate them into Telugu, the local language. [...]

Similar events are also taking place in other states. The following article from The Hindu describes a similar event taking place in Karnataka [ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ, कर्नाटक]:

Nearly three lakh people are likely to embrace Buddhism at the "Dhamma Diksha" programme to be held in Gulbarga on October 14, International Buddhist Youth Organisation founder and president Bhante Bodhidhamma has said.

He told presspersons here on Monday that people from all faiths and from districts of north Karnataka would participate in the programme, where "diksha" would be provided to them. The "Dhamma Diksha" programme was being held at the MSK Mill Grounds in the city. [...]

He said he had taken up awareness programme on Buddhism in the State and south India since the last five years. "So far, nearly 30,000 people have embraced Buddhism in the State, and the one being held on October 14, would be the biggest," he claimed.

He said in these last five years, Hindus, Dalits and Christians had embraced Buddhism, but it was mostly the Dalits as they were the "most harassed". Moreover, some members of the Muslim community in Tamil Nadu had also expressed their desire to embrace Buddhism, he added.

He said, at present, there were nearly two crore Buddhists in the country, and of them nearly six lakh were in the State.

Note that a lâkh [लाख] is one hundred thousand, while a crore [करोड़] is ten million.

See also: "An Overview of India’s Buddhist Movement" from the Ambedkar 2006 blog.

南無阿彌陀佛

In Uttar Pradesh, Dalits turn from Brahmin priests to DIY Buddhism

In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh [उत्तर प्रदेश], Dalits are turning away from Brahmin priests to a do-it-yourself form of Buddhism inspired by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. From Hindustan Times:

Deep in the heartland of Uttar Pradesh, the underclass is doing away with centuries of dependence on Brahmins. And priests are getting sacked.

In dozens of villages across the state, Dalits have stopped depending on Brahmin priests for weddings, funerals and other ceremonies. Instead, they have turned to a Buddhism-inspired book which has rituals that can be performed by any literate person. The wide use of the Bhim Patra, named after Bhimrao Ambedkar, is part of a quiet rebellion against upper-caste domination.

"We have nothing to do with the Brahmin pandits," said Chhabi Lal of Ghunghter village, 45 km from Lucknow. "They tell us, 'Your parents died; so to make their souls happy, give us a bed and a cow as gifts.' As if it is all going to reach them." [...]

I like Chhabi Lal's attitude.

Buddhism also teaches that one can obtain merit for one's departed ancestors by making offerings to the Sangha. The rationale, however, is quite different. The Sangha does not receive these gifts on behalf of the deceased. Instead, the act of giving accrues merit to the giver, which he or she then dedicates to his or her deceased relatives.

However, in many nominally Buddhist countries, popular religious belief and practice is probably not all that different from what Chhabi Lal described above.

So, weddings are now being performed before a statue of Ambedkar. The ceremony is inexpensive and takes only a couple of hours. The bride and the groom light candles, take wedding vows and garland each other.

The Bhim Patra also has instructions on funerals and other ceremonies.

Aside from any religious justifications, inexpensive weddings and funerals are always a good idea.

The following quote is quite interesting, consider the row stirred up in Gujarat when the government declared Buddhism to be a sect of Hinduism, which I wrote about in this post.

"We are all Hindus; we have not converted," said Mohan Lal Gautam, who sells books at a traffic intersection at Hazratgunj in Lucknow. "But we have stopped following the old rituals. We follow the Bhim Patra. There is no pandit, no worship of gods and goddesses, no dowry and no auspicious time for any wedding."

Amar Pal Bharti of Jyotiba Phule Nagar district said: "This is the result of our anger against the system. What do we have to do with the gods? Why worship someone we have not seen?"

Priests are feeling the heat. "Dalits have mostly stopped coming to us. They conduct their own ceremonies," said Jagdamba Prasad Bajpai, a priest at Deora village, Lucknow.

Anger at one religion is definitely not a good reason to convert to another. On the other hand, it's a classic case of capitalism at work — if you don't like one product, switch to another.

南無阿彌陀佛