09-01-2006, 02:16 AM
<!--emo&:thumbsup--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbup.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbup.gif' /><!--endemo--> <b>Dalit leader buries the hatchet with RSS</b>
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/artic...945000.cms
[ 31 Aug, 2006 2035hrs ISTINDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
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NEW DELHI: Ideological chalk and cheese shared dais when firebrand Dalit poet Namdeo Dhasal and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K Sudarshan came together at a book release function in the Capital on Wednesday.
The internationally renowned poet and Dalit leader is the founder president of Maharashtra's Dalit Panther that has traditionally been at odds with the RSS. The Dalit Panther has for long looked upon the RSS as representing the Brahmanical order. Ironically, Dhasal released a RSS book on Dalit pain at the function.
Dhasal, an outspoken literary figure and the first recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Lifetime Achievement Award, said he was initially reluctant to share the dais with the RSS chief as <b>"Leftist friends would pounce upon me with abuses and accusations that I have shifted camp, but I don't care, because I have only one mission -- to strengthen national unity and social integrity. This can't be achieved if we remain divided in thousands of castes and sub- castes and keep pouring venom against each other. Neither can politics help eradicate castes, which rather thrive on casteist divisions." </b>
He had high hopes, he said, from the RSS, which should get into action to remove the concept of untouchability and castiesm from the country. "Mere speeches and books won't help. The work that RSS outfits like Samarasta Manch are doing in Maharashtra has to be further strengthened," he said.
He did not even spare the socialist movement and claimed that <b>leaders of the movement had shielded castiesm and that even Communist leaders were Brahmanical in their outlook and actions.</b>
Emphasizing that the fight against casteism needed a combined effort, Dhasal said:<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'> "Yes, I do feel that the fight to eradicate caste has to be fought by Dalits and caste Hindus together carrying forward the tradition of Adi Sankara, which got broken somewhere in between." </span>
RSS chief K Sudarshan said the pain and anguish of <b>"our people have to be understood honestly. The Dalits are our own flesh and blood, but because of some ill practices and social evils the practice of untouchability has brought havoc on those who were an integral part and defenders of dharma. This has to be corrected through our deeds and actions." </b>
The RSS chief said had never accepted any kind of casteism among its cadres. He said the year of Shri Guruji, the second Sarsanghchalak of the RSS, had been devoted to working for social harmony and lakhs of RSS workers had reached out to the Dalits.
The RSS Sarsanghchalak ended his address by turning to Dhasal: "I fully agree with what you have said here today".
An unusual kinship was thus effected at the release of the book Samaraste Ke Sutra (threads of harmony), which contains articles from Dalit writers and social activists working among Dalits and is edited by Tarun Vijay, Editor of the RSS weekly Panchjanya and Ramesh Patange, Editor of the Marathi weekly Vivek, also an RSS publication.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/artic...945000.cms
[ 31 Aug, 2006 2035hrs ISTINDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
RSS Feeds| SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
NEW DELHI: Ideological chalk and cheese shared dais when firebrand Dalit poet Namdeo Dhasal and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K Sudarshan came together at a book release function in the Capital on Wednesday.
The internationally renowned poet and Dalit leader is the founder president of Maharashtra's Dalit Panther that has traditionally been at odds with the RSS. The Dalit Panther has for long looked upon the RSS as representing the Brahmanical order. Ironically, Dhasal released a RSS book on Dalit pain at the function.
Dhasal, an outspoken literary figure and the first recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Lifetime Achievement Award, said he was initially reluctant to share the dais with the RSS chief as <b>"Leftist friends would pounce upon me with abuses and accusations that I have shifted camp, but I don't care, because I have only one mission -- to strengthen national unity and social integrity. This can't be achieved if we remain divided in thousands of castes and sub- castes and keep pouring venom against each other. Neither can politics help eradicate castes, which rather thrive on casteist divisions." </b>
He had high hopes, he said, from the RSS, which should get into action to remove the concept of untouchability and castiesm from the country. "Mere speeches and books won't help. The work that RSS outfits like Samarasta Manch are doing in Maharashtra has to be further strengthened," he said.
He did not even spare the socialist movement and claimed that <b>leaders of the movement had shielded castiesm and that even Communist leaders were Brahmanical in their outlook and actions.</b>
Emphasizing that the fight against casteism needed a combined effort, Dhasal said:<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'> "Yes, I do feel that the fight to eradicate caste has to be fought by Dalits and caste Hindus together carrying forward the tradition of Adi Sankara, which got broken somewhere in between." </span>
RSS chief K Sudarshan said the pain and anguish of <b>"our people have to be understood honestly. The Dalits are our own flesh and blood, but because of some ill practices and social evils the practice of untouchability has brought havoc on those who were an integral part and defenders of dharma. This has to be corrected through our deeds and actions." </b>
The RSS chief said had never accepted any kind of casteism among its cadres. He said the year of Shri Guruji, the second Sarsanghchalak of the RSS, had been devoted to working for social harmony and lakhs of RSS workers had reached out to the Dalits.
The RSS Sarsanghchalak ended his address by turning to Dhasal: "I fully agree with what you have said here today".
An unusual kinship was thus effected at the release of the book Samaraste Ke Sutra (threads of harmony), which contains articles from Dalit writers and social activists working among Dalits and is edited by Tarun Vijay, Editor of the RSS weekly Panchjanya and Ramesh Patange, Editor of the Marathi weekly Vivek, also an RSS publication.