Attacks on affirmative action

Interview with dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar

Ointellectually bankrupt to address the situation.

We must remember that restlessness among dalit youth is higher than in other groups because they are twice victimised—they were traditionally left out of the mainstream and now the present government is keeping them at bay. The mechanisms that were created in the past for them to join the mainstream are today under threat.

On affirmative action:

The constitution has given us some protection which is under attack by both the administration and the judiciary. The government should get a clear message from millions of dalit people who came on the streets on April 2 to protests against the dilution of affirmative action policies.

I am all for taking stock of affirmative action policies because for the last 70 years, neither poverty has diminished, nor has there been any improvement in the financial condition of the dalits. Practically these policies might be nothing to dalits, but there is a class of people who

want to take away even these rights.

On movements in university campus:

Universities are the enlightened class. Protests are inevitable. I don’t think universities should be blamed for the shrinking of space for dissenting voices. It is the government which should be blamed. These universities are just implementing the government’s agenda. Today, you may land up in jail for just criticising the government. This fundamental change needs to be looked into. Earlier, the government paid heed to criticism. The government has not been looking into the issues raised by students. That’s why campuses across India are on a tipping point.

On global politics and the youth:

Europe as well as USA is becoming conservative. They are living under fear psychosis because they don’t have enough younger and working population. And they are afraid that foreigners might take away whatever jobs are left there. In fact, many countries have started giving benefits to citizens to have more children.

Yes some parts of the world are facing restlessness. In these countries, the population is increasing at fast rate or is stable.

On de-globlisation:

In 1990s, Western countries pushed globalisation, thinking it was in their favour. Now they realise that they do not have much to gain. That’s why they have started erecting economic barricades. Globalisation favours intermingling of populations, but this created cultural fears among Western nations. In India too, the Vedic Hindu religion barred the mingling of caste groups. If we want to come up as nation, we have to give up the Vedic religion—which propagates caste system—to mingle with the many cultures of India.