By Dr. Tirlochan Singh
Just as we hear about seasonable cyclones causing unexpected havoc in some places we now a days hear sensational news about ruthless and indiscriminate killings of Sikhs, Muslims Tribals and Dalits in which the upper caste Hindus are the killers. The victims are generally Sikhs, Muslims, Tribals (Christians in N.E. States) Dalits and Backward Classes who are slaughtered like sheep and goats and also blamed for this miserable fate because of their karma, “This is how under a tyrannical rule” says Guru Nanak in his writings of social and political protests, “the fence of an irresponsible government swallows the crops of its own fields and this is how they bring ruin and ravage on the country, which is ultimately punished by God through the people.”
The news of such killings comes almost every day even during these days but it never disturbs the conscience of our upper caste rulers. They have never felt sad or concerned about these killings. These killings have never been honestly investigated. Even when some human rights organizations or individuals do investigate and publish some reports and even identify the killers no ‘one is punished. But the master minds behind them are made cabinet ministers or given some high party positions.
Losing faith in Courts
Our rulers have never assured the people that the rule of law will be established. On the other hand they have time and again destroyed all norms of a civilized society and have introduced in Punjab and elsewhere a dictatorial system in which any innocent person can be imprisoned and kept there and tortured for two or more years. Most of these laws are directed against the religious minorities and SC/ST/BCs, I have yet to know any of such well identified killers being arrested and justly punished. How can they be punished when the ruling class protects them?
SC/ST/BCs and minorities can hardly get any justice in our courts. Some recent judgments of High Courts and even of the Supreme Court have tempted some jurists to say that people have lost faith in the Supreme Court. The judgment on Kehar Singh’s death sentence and the little known Supreme Court judgment on Simranjit Singh Mann’s bail are some examples.
Three Aims
Just as the Hindu worshipers derive immense pleasure in slaughtering sheep and goats to appease goddess Kali so also there is a strong belief and faith in the ruling class that more the Sikhs and Muslims are slaughtered, the more Hindu votes they will get. In the past the goddess has responded exactly as they calculated, What will happen now when the gods of resistance have arisen out of their apathy and sleep is anybody’s guess,
The upper caste Nazism has a threefold aim: (1) To assimilate the religious minorities, convert them into Hinduism and asking them the shudra status. (2) To annihilate them through organized violence. (3) Or to reduce them to serfdom. to carry out this policy the ruling class is reeling out lies after lies to damage the image of the Sikhs, Muslims, Tribals and SCs. The ruling class has developed this art of falsehood into a fine art. Sikhs are indiscriminately painted as seditious, Khalistanis and Muslims as a whole are openly declared anti national, Hindu Nazis have developed a two-pronged attack: (1) to suppress the minorities with superior physical force either through the police military or lumpen element and to (2) disintegrate the minorities by destroying their cultural identity. Minorities however, have started resisting these onslaughts. The ruling class is playing the “Hindu card” for fear of losing the upper caste votes.
The minorities are made to feel the police will not protect them against persecution by the upper caste rulers; the law courts will not give them justice they will not get better jobs either in the civil or in the military services. Promotions on “merit” will not be the principles where minorities are concerned.
Threefold strategy
What then is the solution to these agonizing problems which have driven the minorities to desperation. The only alternative left for the minorities is to stick a threefold plan and strategy.
(1) All minorities must become conscious of their self-respect and their cultural identity. Leaders of each minority group should educate every man, woman and child about their rights and duties. Such an education and disciplining has to be done in our homes and our ” cultural institutions which must be multiplied, expanded and made self-sufficient and effective.
(2) Members of each minority community must be made aware of their legal and political rights in their own language and they must be socially and politically organized from the grassroots to build their collective strength and ability to achieve their legitimate rights and power.
(3) All minorities must unite against their common well identified enemies not only to protect each other but also help each other in a legitimate manner. A minority which behaves like a helpless lamb and submits to every oppression and cruelty will sooner or later suffer extinction. The slaves of the Rome destroyed the whole vast Roman empire. The persecuted minorities who are being treated as serfs in India may strike back at the brahminical hegemony and help prevent the country’s disintegration and promote its unity and integrity.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 23, 1989
