Kochi: Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani, who fired up the imagination of Dalits and minorities by mobilising them against upper caste atrocities at Una in Gujarat, on Friday said that there should be a coming together of Dalits, adivasis, and Muslims to fight fascism and the liberal policies followed by governments including the Communist-led government in Kerala.
Participating in a unique ‘Kayal Sammelanam’ (backwater conference) reminiscent of reformer Ayyankali’s massive Kayal Sammelanam in the early part of the 20th century, Mr. Mewani said that the lot of Dalits and underprivileged sections remained grim, with a Dalit facing persecution every 18 minutes in India.
The Kayal Sammelanam was organised by the Federation of SCs/STs.
He said while the Sangh Parivar forces got emboldened to do anything after the BJP’s resounding electoral win in Uttar Pradesh, successive governments failed to pass on the benefits of land reforms to Dalits in Kerala. “Communism has proved to be a disastrous model for the common people, with ownership of agrarian land still remaining a pipe dream for them,” he said. On the educational front, too, they faced neglect. While the policy of reservation was not able to erase caste, it remained vital to the survival of Dalits and oppressed sections.
“It is time the Kerala model was reinvented and reshaped through alternative politics,” he added.
