The Opposition parties on Thursday used the attack on Dalits in Gujarat to rap the Union Government for its failure to keep a check.
During a marathon six-hour discussion on the incidents of atrocities on Dalits, in which 34 MPs spoke, the Opposition parties attacked the Government for not checking the rise of the groups like cow-vigilant, love-jihad etc.
“New avenues of persecution and repression are brought about with Ministers comparing Dalits to dogs. A mindset is being created and now attack on academia is also taking place,” said CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri as he counted that out of 25 students who commited suicide during last one year, 23 were from Dalit community.
Terming the mindset of the ruling party as “worrisome” and that of bolstering “obscurantism”, Yechury said: “I keep wondering that when it came to Dalits, there is diarrhoea of words and constipation of action. There are voluminous speeches but no action…We need to encourage scientific temperament.”
Initiating the discussion, senior JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav sought a ban on ‘Gau Rakshaks’ (cow vigilantes) operating in some parts of the country, saying their activities has made transportation of the animal difficult even for medical reasons. “Who created these ‘Gau Rakshaks’IJ Why doesn’t the Government ban themIJ We talk about Taliban but our own caste system has a Taliban-like attitude,” Yadav said. “In Gujarat, these Gau Rakshaks say 33 crore gods and goddesses live in the cow. Such superstitions are being spread in this country,” Yadav said.
Increasing the intensity of attack on the BJP after the party’s Uttar Pradesh leader Dayashankar Singh abused her, BSP chief Mayawati said the BJP should have filed an FIR against him. She alleged that atrocities on dalits are on the rise in BJP-ruled States in the name of cow protection and the centre should call an all-party meeting to find solution to this issue. “It is happening in BJP-ruled states on a large scale. Earlier it was against Muslims and that has stopped. Now, they are targeting dalits” Mayawati said as she accused Gujarat government of being a mute spectator and trying to “suppress” the issue and sought a separate team to conduct the inquiry in fast track mode.
Congress members said the recent incident in Una (Gujarat) has exposed the “Gujarat model” propagated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Terming situation in Gujarat explosive, Congress leader Ahmed Patel said Dalits were attempting suicide. Congress MP from Gujarat Madhusudan Mistry said the anguish among people in Una at present cannot be politically injected but a natural outburst. Anand Sharma said there has been a sudden spurt in violence on Dalits and asked union Home Minister Rajnath Singh what actions has the government taken against such perpetrators of crime. He feared that if not controlled soon, a situation similar to ISIS growth may come in India .
“let us all venerate the cow, but then why mock the cow-worker. Superficial symbolism is BJP’s style. I think that PM Modi is trying to translate Ambedkar’s work, but sometimes the meaning is lost in the translation,” said TMC’s Derek O’Brien. He questioned how can anyone oppress a cow worker when everyone wears leather shoes and 2.5 lakh people are employed in tanneries. O’Brien said he came from of a community of 75,000 people and “I can eat whatever I want and drink whatever I feel...This is the power of democracy.”
D Raja (CPI) alleged that there are organised right wing forces in the country and there are people in political sphere close to them who are influencing bunch of thoughts by cow protecting groups.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, in his intervention, said the issue should not be made a subject to politics and all parties should work together to abolish caste system. He suggested promoting inter-caste marriages to end casteism.