by Dunkin Jalki
Conclusion
The contemporary popular writings on caste violence basically focus on the violence, and treat them as manifestations of the caste system. But the clarity on the overarching system of caste is lacking in these writings. So, it causes several confusions. They fail to deal with the incidents of violence within the Dalit castes or the violence inflicted by the dalits on non-dalits. Opinion raising and lobbying has taken prominence over scientific analysis. As a result, even when some people belonging to Dalit groups are at fault, it has been ignored. Due to this the NGO and Government Commission reports on the caste violence loose not just the status of being scientific analysis but also fail to get the respect of the national and international community on the whole.
The need of the day is to get a scientific understanding of the phenomenon of violence. What we should avoid is this kind of sensational writing.
[Dalit] women are raped, their breast cut off, men and children are shot at random, and, since Dalits live in segregated ghettos, all their houses are attacked simultaneously so that no one gets away. (Soumitro Das in The Statesman “Dalit Challenge – II: A Cultural Revolution in the Making?” 2001, 5 September)
My claim is that ‘caste system’, for whatever reason, has not and by extension cannot serve as an explanation for the violent incidents taking place in our society. This does not in any way deny the existence of some of the phenomena which have been addressed through ‘caste system’ or ‘casteism’, and which definitely require not only explanation but also definite solutions. The purpose of this study was to show this discrepancy in our understanding of the violent incidents in our society and the incidents themselves. If we realise this discrepancy and try to re-theorise these violent incidents, I hope, we will be able to come up with a better understanding of such phenomena and also adequately deal with it. This paper has also not suggested that Buddha or Basavanna’s understanding of the caste system is theoretically wrong. Our untheoretical understanding of caste system has also hampered our understanding of the nature of their work. So re-theorization of caste system will also help us understand our own past and our tradition, that Buddha and Basavanna represent, in a better way, and make use of their knowledge in the present circumstances.
I will conclude this essay by quoting from, the message of the National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NacDor), organised in Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) in 2002:
Stop being obsessed with reservations, and holding up a begging bowl in front of the government. Stop lingering over the details of beastly atrocities on Dalits. Stop abusing rascal politicians, or governments of scoundrels, who we all know have repeatedly let us down. We have very few resources, including time, and we just cannot afford to waste them on tearful, emotional appeals for justice. Let us, instead, begin sensitisation of non-Dalits on a massive scale. ... Let us start work to face the challenges of the future. Let us launch a Self Help Movement. (“A statement of self-confidence” The Hindu 2002, 3 November).
Of course, let me add, sensitisation is required, not just of the non-Dalits but of the entire society. But, we have to take care that such sensitisation will not happen on the lines of our unscientific theories of caste system.
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[* Dunkin Jalki is a Research Scholar at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore. This research is part of the doctoral research of the author. Not to be reproduced or published without the permission of the author.]
