Maya tames Tikait: A victory for Dalit power?

STAR CAST(E): CNN-IBN panel debates the caste cauldron and the Maya-Tikait face-off.

            

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It was a turning point in the politics of north India when the Jat leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Mahinder Singh Tikait, apologised to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for making casteist remarks against her.

Mayawati, on her part, sent out a strong message to all Dalits by threatening to arrest him. Tikait capitulated, surrendered to a Bijnore court and apologised.

The Maya-Tikait face-off has set a new precedent in north Indian politics. Tikait is a powerful leader of the north Indian peasantry and Mayawati is a self-confessed Dalit ki beti.

This seems to indicate that Dalits can finally look upper castes in the eye. To discuss the issue on CNN-IBN’s show Face the Nation were Dalit author and thinker of the Dalit Bahujan Samaj, Chandrabhan Prasad; writer and professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Sudha Pai; and Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari.

War of words

Many have said that the politics is in the word. Empowered with increasing awareness, the Dalit Bahujan Samaj is no longer tolerant of words like ‘chamaar’, ‘achhoot’, ‘shudra’, ‘untouchable’, ‘Harijan’ being used for them.

These are considered violent words, tantamount to an African-origin person being called ‘nigger’.

“Yes, the words like ‘Chamaar’, ‘Paasi’, ‘Khattiar’, ‘Bhangi’, are abuses against Dalits and these abuses are very violent in nature,” said Chandrabhan Prasad.

He, however, pointed out that though Dalits are now resisting, there are still social groups like middle-castes, which are now increasingly using such words against Dalits.

“It is a very new thing happening in India,” Prasad said.

Sworn enemies?

Sudha Pai has recently stated in an article that the long-festering conflict between Jats and Jatavs in Western UP is a part of a confrontation between Tikait and the community represented by Mayawati. But now, the feeling among the OBCs is that the Dalits are now monopolising resources.

Pai agreed that Dalits have certainly improved their position.