Protestors ‘snip off’ symbols of discrimination
NEW DELHI: The caste-based mob violence in Saharanpur has brought to the fore many painful stories of Dalit suffering.
However, exploitation and discrimination is not restricted to a few states and is a pervasive phenomenon. Many Dalit families in Delhi have been grappling with the discrimination for years.
With Dalit anger boiling over the protest site at Jantar Mantar, several protestors snipped their sacred Hindu threads as a sign of protest against “upper caste tyranny”.
“We are all getting rid of all Hindu religious identifying symbols like the red thread and the Punjabi bangle. These items are used to get lower caste consent to get discriminated. We are breaking those shackles,” said Umesh, a Dalit protestor.
While talking to Millennium Post, many Dalits who had to work for years to get a degree in higher education, have to face discrimination despite their success. Many have reported not getting a hike in their salaries and are forbidden to eat their food with their higher caste colleagues.
Praveen, who completed his B Com and M Com from Delhi University, said he used to be liked by his colleagues. But one day, they got to know about his Dalit status and everything changed for the worse.
“I was surrounded by educated people. We used to eat and work together in the same place. But one day, my colleagues got to know about my caste and a fissure was created on that very day. They stopped talking to me. When I asked them about it for several days, they finally told me that I am from a lower class and would create problems in their lives,” Praveen said.
His friend, Ajay Sagar, who completed his diploma in mechanical engineering, had faced discrimination in his office after his caste status was revealed. “I work in the government sector. My seniors found that I was from a lower caste and they suddenly started to send me on punishment shifts and would make me work overtime. When I would protest, they would spew abuses at me, stopping short of caste-based slurs,” Sagar said.
With over 40 crore Indians finding themselves in the lower caste background, many from the Dalit community feel that they should not be taken lightly. “There have been incidents in the past, but this time around a concerted attack has taken place against the Dalits under this regime. If the Dalits will come together then we will become an unstoppable force,” said Jignesh Mevani, a prominent Dalit activist.
Many Dalit families have narrated how their grandfathers would make temples for everyone, but they were the only ones left out of the temple.
“Sixty years ago, we were recognised as humans. They never allowed us to even enter temples and it was a long fight. Now we are still fighting for out right to self determination. They (upper caste people), want to keep us in our place. But we will fight,” said Vimla, a Dalit protestor.