[WSMDiscuss] The Essence of Indian Republic on Trial

[Umakant]

DearFriends

Greetings!As the country marches into the world’s biggest democratic exercise of electingits new government the focus is slowly shifting to save the Republic, itsConstitution and its polity which is essentially democratic and secular. 

 

WhenDalits, Adivasis and other disadvantaged stake their claim to power and equalstatus there is always a backlash from the privileged caste and communities. Thecurrent election is a time to reiterate what Babasaheb Ambedkar said earlier “politicaldemocracy would always remain meaningless in the absence of social and economicdemocracy”. 

 

Itis also a time for all those who believe in fairness, justice, human rights,liberty, equality and fraternity in their true sense of the term, to stand upand be counted. 

 

Itis a battle to make inclusive democracy a reality. 

 

Dopass it on to others in your circle/network. 

 

Dalits Attacked TwoDays Before Ambedkar Jayanti: A Report from Karnataka’s Santhebennur,Davanagere 

SumedhaPal, ICF, April 17, 2019 

https://indianculturalforum.in/2019/04/17/dalits-attacked-two-days-before-ambedkar-jayanti-a-report-from-karnatakas-santhebennur-davanagere/

 

Itwas the 12th of April, ten days to go before elections in Davanagere,Karnataka. It was also two days before the birth anniversary of Dr B.R.Ambedkar. In Santhebennur town, Karnataka, poet and teacherHuchangi Prasad and other youngsters had been making plans to remember the manwhose teachings have inspired them and given them the courage to keep fighting against caste discrimination. Suddenly a group ofboys ran into the colony, relieved to be home and safe. This is what they hadescaped: one of them, a 17-year-old boy called Abhishek, was attacked by men ofthe Uppara caste (an OBC caste) for swimming in the Bhadra river. The river,they claimed, is only for upper caste men. The boy and his friends were mockedwith casteist slurs; then a man identified as Srinivas beat up Abhishek and hisfriends. More was to come. A mob of about 200 men attacked the Dalit colony inSanthebennur. 

 

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A pathway to officewith power 

SanjayHegde, Opinion, The Hindu, April 15, 2019 

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-pathway-to-office-with-power/article26836646.ece?homepage=true  

 

As Ambedkar warned, share in power at the Centre haseluded the marginalized 

 

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Pa. Ranjith,Casteless Collective release song “Thailavaa” as a tribute to Dr. Ambedkar 

TNM,April 14, 2019

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/pa-ranjith-casteless-collective-release-song-thalaivaa-tribute-dr-br-ambedkar-100013

 

Thesong speaks about the divide in society on the basis of religion and caste. 

 

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Ambedkar and the right to vote 

Gautam Bhatia, LiveMint, April 12,2019 

https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/ambedkar-and-the-right-to-vote-1555040490483.html

 

Ambedkar’sargument that voting was essential to citizenship and that voting served as ameans of political education for the historically deprived sections was key toIndia’s voting rights

 

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WithRegards 

Umakant,Ph. D 

NewDelhi 

 












My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on our side I do not see how we can lose our battle. The battle to me is a matter of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. There is nothing material or social in it. For ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is battle for freedom. It is the battle of reclamation of human personality. 
B.R.Ambedkar
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