The Wretched of the State

The measures taken by successive governments since Independence to alleviate the social oppression of the Dalit community have been woefully inadequate (Dalit Dilemmas). What they need are more institutionalised political and social measures. At the same time, Dalits should distance themselves from demagogues and rabble-rousers. Opportunistic political leaders who have taken to visiting Dalit homes and eating with them trivialise their cause and reduce them to a vote bank. This brand of politics is one of the main reasons why the oppressed communities continue to be marginalised. They will cease to be useful if they stop being the oppressed. INDU SHANKAR, Varanasi I, for one, am interested in observing how smart cities find a way to cope with the entrenched biases of our caste-ridden society. ROBIN ADAVAL, Delhi Expectedly, as the graphic in your cover story shows, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are the ‘most anti-Dalit’ and ‘most dangerous for Dalits’. It’s not that Dalits are spared atrocities in the southern states, but the scale is comparatively smaller. This is perhaps because of Periyar’s radical social movements in Tamil Nadu. In Kerala and undivided Andhra Pradesh, it was the Communist movement that, albeit clumsily, incorporated caste equality in its agenda. In the past few decades, a growth in literacy and job reservations has improved the lot of Dalits. But there is still a long way to go. VALLANADU R. NAMASIVAYAM, Nagpur It is appalling that our politicians use Dalits as a ladder to scale the heights of power, and once there, push them down with the force of their characteristic prejudice. K. CHIDANAND KUMAR, Bengaluru Your cover image makes a powerful statement on upper-caste atrocities against Dalits. Politicians in starched whites (Kejriwal being the only exception) are quick to extend photo-opportunistic sympathy, but perpetuate their wretched existence by either not taking any action at all, or instituting measures that are ineffective. They continue to suffer even if the government of the day has key players who supposedly support their cause. AVINASH GODBOLEY, Dewas Apart from the Bahujan Samaj Party, no other political party has Dalit leaders of any significance or clout. That, however, does not make the BSP’s record any better than that of other political parties. Being the ruling party at the Centre, the BJP has the most to lose if its leaders continue making such irresponsible remarks. They are creating their own potholes on the road to re-election in 2019. AMBAR MALLICK, Kolkata