It's Time To Speak💙

Part-1-ரோஹித் வெமுலாவின் கட்டுரை:- கம்யுனிஸ்டுகள் பசியைப் பற்றி ஆய்வு செய்தார்கள் ஆனால் ஒருபோதும் பசியை அனுபவித்ததில்லை.ஒடுக்குமுறையின் வரலாற்றைப் படித்தார்கள் ஆனால் ஒருபோதும் சாதிய ஒடுக்குமுறைக்கு உள்ளானதில்லை.சமூக மாற்றத்தை விரும்பினார்கள்; ஆனால் தங்களுடைய சொகுசான நாற்காலிகளை விட்டு நகரக்கூடத் தயாராக இல்லை.சாதிப் பிரச்சினையை எதிர்கொள்வதற்கான வழிமுறையை உருவாக்கிய அவர்கள் ஒரு விசித்திரமான முடிவுக்கு வந்தார்கள்: 'சாதியைப் பற்றிப் பேசாதீர்கள். சாதியைப் பற்றிப் பேசாமல் இருப்பதன் மூலம் நாம் சாதி சார்ந்த பிரச்சினையை தவிர்க்கலாம்.' The Left, Caste and Dalits: A Triangular Tale -Rohit Vemula(July 8, 2014) Not disregarding the genuine efforts of some eminent communists like Singaravelu, Ramachandra Babaji, Annabhau Sathe, Kalekuri Prasad and Gaddar who questioned the caste system, it is not reductionist to say that the Left in India, at an organisational level, has always given the cold shoulder to the Dalit conscience. The people who called themselves ‘Dalit-communists’ were never allowed top positions in the Left leadership, which is self-explanatory. They were either suspended, ignored and sometimes even demonised. Dalit thought from its inception was seen as revisionist and even counter-revolutionary by the communist parties in India. Even a person like Ambedkar failed to convince (impress) the Left in this matter. The intelligentsia of Indian Left portrayed Ambedkar as pro-British, separatist and opportunist. But today we know that Ambedkar and Left intellectuals stand poles apart in our current society. In fact, the whole of Marxist political thought is based on European economy, German philosophy and France’s already tried and collapsed (curbed) idea of the commune. The only novel aspect in Marx’s writings is his way of combining the three of them with scientific reasoning and historical objectivity (forgive me Marxists if I have not mentioned any other important works of Marx). Even while considering this background of Marxism, Indian communism has no excuse in neglecting the caste question as the whole of our history is caste centered. And even during fair economic times (goods exchange times) caste was strong enough to impact social relationships. If Indian society is a monument, caste is its foundation. Without rebuilding from the foundation reshaping of the nation only gives a reversible progression. The actual problem with the organized Left in India is its intellectual lot who always studied hunger without ever experiencing it, studied history of oppression without being oppressed and hoped for societal change without moving their butts from cushioned chairs. They formulated the method of fighting the caste question by coming up with an out-of-box conclusion: ‘Don’t talk about caste. By not talking we are not encouraging caste’. In reality this stand resulted in covert caste discussions and made Dalit cadre furtive inside the communist parties. Even as they had the world’s largest number of volunteers, the parent, peasant and student wings, communist parties utterly failed to educate their cadres about caste structure. These organizations have deliberately directed the attention of cadres to neo-liberal policies, international affairs and utopian dreams rather than ground realities. In an article Baba Saheb wrote with sensible dismay that if Lenin was born in India, he would have not have left caste unquestioned. Indian Left will regret bypassing social questions one day. And on that day communism of a different kind will revive itself in our nation. Until then the Left which does not contribute towards bettering the lives of poor sections in the society will continue to be a factory that has as its fuel the same poor sections whom they claim to represent.