The word ‘Dalit’ is not encircled by the caste system. Is that why? It seems so.

Let’s not forget that in India, people adopted the word ‘Hindu’ – even though it was given by outsiders – so that the caste system could work as a religion. Whatever objections we may have to that, we still have to understand it as the generosity of India’s spirit.

Now the fact that India’s hundreds of taḷa (marginalised) communities – those who are cast aside, broken; who don’t accept the four-fold varna system; the fragmented and the scattered – are calling themselves ‘Dalit’ has made the Central government see red.

Why is the Central government so resentful? I don’t understand this. The word ‘Dalit’ is not encircled by the caste system. Is that why? It seems so.

I’m going to say a few words based on our community’s understanding – if a murderer comes to kill you openly, the possibility of escaping is high. It can even perhaps be fought against. But if the same killer is in disguise, it would be difficult to get away.

Now we are experiencing a similar situation. The emergency that Indira Gandhi had brought into force was straightforward. It was visible. So we could protest it. We could organise against it. What we have now is also an emergency. It’s just not being called by that name. This is an emergency in disguise. This could be called the ‘Cow-faced Tiger Emergency’. The symptoms of this ‘Cow-faced Tiger Emergency’ is being seen throughout the country today.

Link to the article here: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/gained-in-translation-whatever-happened-to-dharma-5269355/

Union Minister, Mr. Anant Kumar Hegdeji, It is frightening to have to listen to the words you have spoken at Kuknoor in Yelburga Taluk. ‘Those who are unaware of their parentage are the ones who call themselves secularists’ you say deridingly. Now we have to make you aware of your own parentage – It is hatred that is your father, intolerance your mother, illusion your ancestry, falsehood (Mithya) the source of your knowledge. I think this should be enough.

What hurts me even now, whenever I remember it, is Vajpayee, BJP’s leader, being in an insensate state. Similarly, George Fernandes, a part of the NDA and who comes from a socialist background, is also in an insensate state. It then seems that precisely because leaders like these are not active in your party the present BJP and the NDA end up making such senseless and irresponsible statements.

And then another statement of yours – ‘Every human being is an animal when he is born but it is what he does that makes him a human being’. In your case it somewhat feels quite the opposite. Even amidst the din you make, I would request you to pay attention to Kuvempu’s concept of ‘being the universal human at birth itself ….’.