Of Rohith Vemula And Yashica Dutt : Dalit Identity Assertion As An Instrument Of Resistance

By Narendra Kumar Arya

08 February, 2016
Countercurrents.org

While the nation is aflame and furious, against the inhumane persecution caused by brahminical system prevalent in our public institutions leading to suicide of Rohith Vemula , the coverage of Yashica Dutt’s revelation as Dalit journalist has also been given importance.(NDTV,BBC Hindi, Indian Express, The Huffington Post etc.) These are two antagonistic cases of dealing with a system of prejudice and discrimination and denial of opportunity to Dalits. Rohith and Yashica both belong to talented breed of Dalits. One showed his potent brilliance in in popular science writing while other in journalism, still a highly brahministic profession. One tried to fight the brahministic traditions and its mental pathology being an organic Dalit intellectual, an epitaph conied by Gail Omvedt; the other hoodwinked the Brahmanism by its own brahministic Brahmastra- putting on a Brahmin identity to setback Brahmanism.

Donning a false Brahmin tag steered Yashica smoothly and successfully to Columbia University School of Journalism. Her journey from a call centre executive to Columbia highlights her desire to fight the odds and take success in her strides. It was very logical for Yashica to dodge the brahministic system by dosing it by its favourite caste hallucinatory drugs; but, it also raises many point as afar as Dalit movement is concerned. Yashica is not first of her kind to have done this perceptive but compelling act. It is very frustrating and depressive to succumb to conditions of persecution and discrimination only because you belong a particular identity and always be demoralised by donning it. She did not want to drain out her energies to fight odds of the system which are difficult to defeat with a Dalit identity. She avoided yielding to the common slurs like “caste", "reservation" or "bhangi" Radical Marathi writer Baburao Bagul in his trend setting collection of short stories Jevha Mi Jaat Chorli (When I had Concealed My Caste-1963) wonderfully portrayed this phenomenon. It has been said that imitation is the sincerest expressive form of submission. Submission poses no threat to a system, allowing it to continue without obstruction. It is only resistance and rebellion that present schema of deconstruction. Rohith contrasts the mental apathy to the continuation of an epidemic survive unchecked, engendering caste-based humiliation, aberration and exploitation among millions of people, assigned unfolding mission of producing demoralised minds and souls.

Success matters, but it also matter, how you achieve it. Act of individual success and its social repercussions to the whole society, matter even more. Here lies the iconic symmetry between the Dalit movement and Rohith Vemula, and ends the relevance of Yashica Dutt’s individual story of success to Ambedkarite ideology. Ambedkarite movement does not value individual emancipation at the neglect of entire community left for suffering. Ambedkar has warned during his own time that real threats will emanate from middle class Dalits who will weaken and damage the anti-caste movement, as they will be motivated by their parochial self-perpetuating interests, lacking any concerns for entire fraternity. Dalit movement has emerged as one of the most radical movement in Indian society getting inspiration from Ambedkar and other organic Bahujan thinkers and ideologues. Without any question, it leaves even the Marxist movements to shame when we deliberate its vision of transforming Indian society. It does not asserts simply the economic structures, but believes, cultural and ritual traditions and practices in a society could evolve into more powerful instrument of systematic exploitation, estrangement and deprivation. Caste has acquired the same monstrous character and obnoxious strength in Indian society. It cannot be simply reformed. It has to be simply annihilated. It stands for social democracy where humanity is seen as one unit, disproving any notions of psychological, social, cultural or economic discrimination and inequality. Caste has proved more inhumane and fatal than other categorisation of discrimination and alienation of separated people, denying any opportunity of power mobilisation.

Rohith lived by this ideology and even dared to die for it. He did not want it to be diluted by the miscreant acts of societal amnesia. He did not resist for himself but for all brethren’s of his community and societies who are being victimised by the caste based discrimination in public life, especially educational institutions. Rohith demonstrated noticeable interest in diverse field of ideas. He thought not just about his community but as an holistic thinker about the war of man against nature, degeneration of human society, role of caste as a psychological traumatic phenomenon to sections of society victimised by it, rising stature of rightists ideology in social fabric of nation and its fatal sociological consequences and of course his love for science and need for internalisation of it in society to combat irrationalism and stupidity of various categories. Besides, as an active zealot in Hyderabad University, he became a voice of subjugated, resisting against the discrimination caused by upper caste hegemony producing a demoralising atmosphere asphyxiating the potential growth of lower caste student community. The Ambedkar Student Union of which Rohith was one of the loudest voice, comprises diverse pool of marginalised groups, from Muslims to Adivasis to students from Kashmir and the North East. It is against hegemony of monolithic caste-Hindus and their mean practices to degrade the intellectual standards and academic diversity in educational institutions of India. The ASA ideology has acquired footings in other educational institutions, plagued by anti-Bahujan exploitation and caste based–biases, like Osmania University, the Pondicherry University and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. ASA also embodied dissent to the recapture and reinforcement of the Hindu Right, paraphrased ‘conservative revolution’ by Thomas Hansen

Caste has acquired adaptive skills of biological beings. From the sink holes of rural India to urban jungles. It has transformed and accommodated to keep its clutches on social strands undiminished, if any, but superficial which has been concluded by several scholarly studies as well. The democracy in India is critically ailing with elitism, and predominance of elite recruitment from certain social circles overlapping high castes make it pathetically outrageous. It does not represent and respect the people it is elected by but acts like an alien parasite nibbling the scare societal resources and wealth. Dalit ideology disapproves any privilege enjoyed and asserted on the basis of birth or ritual invocation and legitimising its heinous acts with scriptural and ontological instruments. Rohith today commands respect amidst Dalit movement because he symbolises these ideas, values, and aspirations. His tragic demise has given new impetus to anti-caste intellectuals and organisations to battle with reinvigorated force.

Narendra K. Arya is a poet, writer His work has featured in the most reputed Hindi literary journals and many international webzines. Nominated by web magazine ‘Camel Saloon’ for best poem published on net for year 2013-14.