September 24, 2012 marked the 80th anniversary of the Poona Pact
The question of separate electorate for Dalits is more relevant today than it was in September 1932 when it became a flashpoint between Mahatma Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar, according to Dalit leaders who participated in a seminar on Monday.
Organised by the Karnataka Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (Ambedkar Wada), the seminar was organised to mark the 80th anniversary of the Poona Pact between Ambedkar and Gandhi. The organisers of the event observed the anniversary as a ‘Black Day’ for the oppressed in India.
Background
It was on this day that B.R. Ambedkar gave in to Mahatma Gandhi, dropping his demand for separate electorate for Dalits. They signed a pact and agreed instead to having reserved seats for Dalits.
While in the present electoral system, everybody votes to select a leader even in a reserved constituency, the system of separate electorates would have allowed Dalits and other marginalised communities to become a separate constituency of voters.
Significance
DSS State secretary Mavalli Shankar said, “The issue of separate electorates grows in relevance with each scam. It becomes relevant every time a leader from the oppressed classes lets his people down.”
Pointing to leaders from marginalised sections such as minorities, Dalits and women, he said that these elected leaders might be a Muslim or a Dalit or a woman, but they are not representatives of these groups. They are just minions of the political party to which they belong. “When the Kambalapalli Dalit atrocity occurred, the Home Minister and the Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order), the jurisdictional Police Inspector and Sub-Inspector were all Dalits, but they sold out to the dominant castes,” he pointed out.
Who decides
Rudrappa Annegowadi, former KAS officer and president of the Dalit Writers’ and Artists Association, said, “Even in reserved constituencies, dominant castes decide which Dalit should be given ticket. The Dalit leader most subservient to the “caste” Hindus are invariably chosen over the radical ones.”
Grassroots movement
Mr. Shankar, in fact, claimed that there is a grassroots movement across the country to renew the demand for separate electorates. “The oppressed sections are very angry and disillusioned with the present parliamentary system. In the last five years, I have noticed a lot of interest in the issue of separate electorates.”
‘More power to voter’
He added, “I am an advocate of separate electorate for women and minorities too and not just for Dalits. By giving more power in the hands of the voter, this system will bring about more democracy.”
Keywords: Dalits, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, separate electorate, minorities
In a country like India where people are deprived of resources, human
dignity due to caste prejudice, it is exigent that Separate Electorate
for SC/ST are provided so that they stop becoming vote bank and have
their own representatives.
Dalits do have a feeling of having been wronged all these years.They
have been discriminated against socially,politically,educationally,in
jobs etc.By separate electorates or reserved seats they cannot be
emancipated.They should fight for self-determination.They should cease
to be beggars but learn to fight.
This reporter does not understand the implications of what he is writing. What is the population of dalits in India? Will you be putting dalit candidates in each electoral constituency for dalits? The logistics of doing so is complicated. The result will be are you going to have a separate legislature? Where will you stop, a separate Prime Minister? Bharat is already split along so many lines don't add another that will be worse than balkanization of Bharat.
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