Is New India a Better Place for Dalits, Asks Suraj Yengde

"Dalits speaking up is not acceptable to society, Dalits wearing designer suits, replying back to an argument, riding horses and having moustache can't digestible to upper caste oppressors" Suraj Yengde, research scholar in Kennedy school of Harward opens up his insights on caste violence in India. He made this argument while talking to Faye Desouza in her online talk show.

According to the official report of National Crime Records Bureau from 2016 to till now minorities are over-represented in Indian prisons which includes Dalits and Muslims in common. On annual basis NCRB releases report on Prison Statistics India (PSI), it elaborates that the lack of access to political influence and money power poses the trend. NCRB's report on 2019 shows 10 rape cases are reporting daily against Dalit women in India among that Uttar Pradesh reports 25% of crimes against people from Scheduled caste community.

From the current heinous scenario, it is evidently clear that caste has been liked with the act of brutal crimes. Suraj Yengde, a researcher in Harward University says that "The idea of Brahmanical patriarchy which endorse the act of oppression in Indian context proved to be a greater threat to religious tolerance. Dalit scholars and activists are coming forward to mainstream to share their plights and issues in academical agraharas. India can not forget Rohit Vemula, the Dalit research scholar from the University of Hyderabad and Payal Tadvi a medical student from Maharashtra. The institutional murder of young minority talents poses a big challenge to the existence of the democratic system in India".

Hathras Rape case highlights the failure of law and order system in Uttar Pradesh. When we analyze upon the case, the irreparable damage caused by caste on Dalit women can be clearly sorted out. Sadly the reality of India shows that the authoritarian governmental system gives more protection and Y plus category security to only high-profile celebrities in the nation. Suraj further added his point. In India, caste structure remains to be overthrown.

"The violence of upper caste particularly the Thakurs in UP comes from a place of deep contempt and targeting a Dalit woman is a way of exerting power over the Dalit communities overall. Historically the bodies of marginalized women have been assumed to have free access by upper or dominant castes. However, the Bahujan community particularly the Dalit community has been fighting against and raises in more rage to voice that it won't be tolerated. One can take the example of Chandra Shekar Azad of Bhim Army who fiercely battling against upper-caste dominance" Pallavi Pratibha, says an anti-caste activist from Jharkhand while speaking to Madhyamam. She shared her views with us before a day of Joint Action Committee of Ambedkarite student organisations has called for a countrywide protest on 10th of October to assert minority Dalit rights and protection in the country.

Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the man who shaped the Indian constitution always been a staunch critic against the element of Hinduism, basically Brahmanism which means hierarchy, that highlights who is above and who is below. Suraj made deep insights by claiming that Brahmanical Hindu codes adhere supremacist value to a brahmin. In the Indian context, if minorities protest for their rights the autocratic regime converts the act into riots. Before the advent of Britishers, caste system had already divided Indians. Britishers had made use of the situation and utilized it maximum by exploiting the Indian middle class and lower-class population by creating religious pressure all over the nation. Every invader who comes to India had an upper-caste left hand to control the common people.

NCRB reports officially say that crimes against women and Dalits in India are on an upward trajectory. Nature tends to be more heinous, public and brazen. The attacks are not only just about perpetrators and victims but the crimes sending a direct message to minorities in India that they are under threat. "The evident need for change in Law with respect to the pace of change in social crimes is necessary. Indian society doesn't seem to have moved on from caste-based oppression and violence. We live in a country where tradition outcast laws and consent from women is ignored. It is far time that Indian Judicial system should have the transition from the reformative theory to the preventive theory". said Advocate Raveen, from Kollam Judicial Court while speaking to Madhyamam.