Planted Plant never grown enough to give shade! By K.

Ramaiah Friends, Its a consoling opportunity to see all the stakeholders of Dalit movement siting in the same platform. I thank the organizers of this. This is a time of cultivating letters. For some, the land is so fertile like the monsoon wet land that even if they stick a creeper, it sprouts. Even a childs hand-strength would suffice for that. But for some like misfortune the land is not fertile enough make their work fruitful. I belong to the second sort of people. All these years my talks yield nothing but blows (that fell on my chest). Come what may, some of my words haven jotted down. This workshop for the first time, has brought Mr. Devanur Mahadeva, Dr. Siddhalingaiah, Prof. K. B. Siddaiah and myself together. Hope this seminar doesnt give importance only to Dalit Movement alone. Instead this would unravel three different dimensions of Dalit Movement, however it may be partial views that would throw light on the untouchability that is sustained in our society till date. Its should be also noted that Dalit Movement has been written from a sectarian perspective without anything to do with its collective-consciousness. This is very evident when open the written pages of B. K, Devanur, Siddhalingaiah and others. Its said that only through their leadership and their enlightened selves pioneered the Dalit movement. Rest persons like K. B. Siddhaiah, Govindaiah, Hanumanthaiah, and others must have been mentioned in their writing with rare punch! Out of these names the list doesnt grow at all in order to capture the historical forces that shaped the Dalit Movement in Karnataka. Instead individuals were only a part of these historical forces! In spite of these there should have been a colorful focus of flash back reels for our representation. The more one makes history colourful the objectivity is murdered, and finally it may lead to suicide. I would like to present two such issues to the stakeholders of Dalit Movement who are present here. I had seen a hording of a faction (Of DSS) that said by B. Krishnappa, After a long time I have lighted a lamp in the hut of the Dalit; see that itll not fade away. Yes it is said by B. Krishnappa, there is no doubt about it. It was said during a meeting at Tipatur with regard to an oncoming election for which DSS had taken a decision. But he never said that he had lit a lamp. Instead he had said, After a long time, in the Dalit huts a lamp is burning. There is wind outside. See that itll not put off. If you dont believe me ask the persons who had listened to that, are present here. Let them judge for themselves. Another person of a university professoriate had edited a book to (Karnataka) literary academy. In that there is an article by a great person. In that it is said, B.K., never smoke a bidi or cigarette. Neither he drink toddy. Therefore, Dalit movement grew strong. As I remember, when the book Horatada Hadugalu (The songs of Struggle) was first published, it was Devanur, with a Beedi wet with red ink wrote the title on the front page. Govindaiah was also present on the occasion. For this I was a witness. During the Nagasandra Land Struggle when we shouted the slogan hypocritically, No need toddy but land, a woman shouted that why not toddy, toddy needed and land too. These words resound in ears even today as hearts cry! Similarly as hot cake (the book) Edege bidda Akshara (The letters that fell into heart) getting sold, is also not without forgetting or buried many contexts or letters. Here Im told not to dig the pit like a cock. Their stand may be correct. But the pain for me is that of Made Snana1 can easily become an

Loosely translated into English, Made Snana means taking bath on leftovers but a detailed one would mean rolling over the leaves on which others have eaten and discarded. .Again, a lengthier one would be lower caste people rolling on the leaves on which Brahmins have eaten! This has been taking place since hundreds of years if

offering by just changing a letter. And that can lead to the perpetuation of the Indian mind set. Lets take an example of the sensitive character Rabindranath Tagore. Though his contributions in the field of Indian literature, music and theatre, but when he visited the Yarwada Jail on the occasion of Poona Pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar, it was said that in Bengal region twice the number of seats that were demanded by Ambedkar were reserved for Dalits, Tagore removed his turban, wept deeply laying down on Gandhis laps! Why should have been this? I look for these unrecognized events to understand the secrets of history. In the same way the Dalit movement or Russian Revolution should also be understood. These Nam Moovar (Three of us) the Dharege Doddavaru (Big Persons of the land) Comrade (Siddu, Dema, and me (Siddhalingaiah, Devanuru Mahadeva and Ramaiah) were part of the Dalit Movement, and today again we are here in the Seminar. Even Dema has recognized these nuances and differences between us in the book Edege Bidda Akshara. It was said that if Dema was from socialist background, Siddu was from Marxist background and myself was from militant (PWG) wing in DSS. Iwas rather easy for me to understand the Naxal movement due to the geographical reality of Kolar District that was adjacent to Rayal Seema where Gaddars influence was strong. These are some of the complex phenomena in which we have to understand the history (of the Dalit Movement). But, this seminar turned towards literary tradition (of Dalit movement) before I could think about it and hence, no desire at all to take part in this seminar. Since I had given words of acceptance, Im forced to participate. For the last few years the postmortem models of Dalit movement had left in me not hope but feelings of dejection. Given its (DSS) present political activism there is not even little hope of its recovery! Further, given its recent academic inclusive- exclusive terms too are unable to usher in new lease of life into it. Instead its so obvious that these debates only become steps towards individuals upward mobility and careerism that competes for comfort zone avenues at the cost of the community which is in fragmentation. Adding to this, even todays discussion on Edege Bidda Akshara is not outside of the above reality. The priests (Brahmins) of who have monopoly over literary tradition projecting this (text) as the new direction for Cultural Revolution are nothing but an irony of the contemporary politics that is going on. The tragedy is that as the saying goes, just before the market day three meters of cloth is woven so also various syndicates come up during elections. Therefore, when the roots are forgotten these perspectives cannot become worthwhile, nor moonlight can be expected. At Mysore I heard of an expert who (is he Devanur?) could create a small resting place with a few branches. It was suggested that this expert should be

some are to be believed. Again, if some others are to be believed, it is a time honored tradition which has sanction of 'scriptures'. This happens in quite a few places and as a child I have observed the same when I used to go to temples with my mother. But, I am told that it was and is still an affair which happens between people of the same caste that is GSBs performing this act on leaves on which the members of their own community have eaten. But, what happened at the Kukke Subrahamanya Temple is something totally different. Here the scheduled tribe people performed this act on leaves on which Shivalli Brahmins have partaken food. This again brings to the fore many issues which have to be discussed in detail. .. So, the word has gone around that the ritual of rolling over the leaves on which Brahmins have eaten can cure a number of skin diseases and also other things like bestowing children on sterile couples. But, if one goes by the history of such practices, it looks more like a rite for the downtrodden to perform to demonstrate their loyalty to the upper castes who have partaken food on these leaves. In this temple which is run by Shivalli Brahmins, their community is served separately and the others have to eat outside like all such places. http://www.carvaka4india.com/2011/12/made-snana-extraordinary-claims-need.html, also see, http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=123311

invited to Adima; but as the trees that were planted there not grown enough to give shade, which idea was left out. Today, the (Dalit) movement seems only an experiment. May be this is my subjective notion. Hence, for me, the Dalit literary genre is just a part of the total Dalit politics of existence. This itself might be seen as the pinnacle of merging the politics and aesthetics together. Those who have forgotten the roots can only be the middle men who want to sell the fruits plucked out of the trees of not their labour. They cannot become the cultivators of democratic and cultural revolution. The need of the hour, in this postmodern context, is that even little neglect would end up Dalit Consciousness in cultural hegemony. The second generation that has been deprived of the historical roots of the (Dalit) Movement cannot express any meaning in their writing. It can only give rise to the clichs of Buddha, Basava and Ambedkar!The need of the times is to look for a different idiom of change in literature, theatre and culture to overcome the pit falls of the ever spreading postmodern market. If this is the symptom of the present generation, the elderly generation wants to swim in the mystic waters of Allama and Basava (The two important Veerashaiva poets who radicalized the guilds in 12th century Karnataka). My urgent appeal is that on priority basis, the above has to be deconstructed with a new idiom in our expression. Finally, beyond the Dalit literary genre the Dalit movement had made the politics of Dalit existence as the pivotal base by knitting together the different factions and groups. The identity of such great piece of art has slowly fallen apart. Hence the present Dalit politics has lost its hues and become a piece of scrap. Who could clean it up? The history of the (Dalit) movement is reduced into individual level to portray that it was only B. Krishnappa and Devanur pioneered the movement. These two streams (the Madiga and Holeya communities) have started to walk in opposite directions due to the Janakala Mela (The Dalit Convention) B. Krishnappa was forced wrongly to the reserved MP constituency of Kolar; later Devanuru Mahadeva walked wrongly towards the Sarvodaya political Party that still in incubation. I have no comments about comrade Siddhu (the known Dalit Poet in Kannada literature). During the movement he was only seen as the orator and not as the leaders like B. Krishnappa and Devanuru Mahadeva. He too seems to be satisfied with the trophies won in the politics of debates! (He was made as the member of Legislative Council of Karnataka. And later was made the president of Kannada Development Authority). Today the life-stream has flowed without direction and has become extinct. Almost the reason for this is the Dalit middle class leadership, its comfort zone and its political short sightedness. I would like to end by saying that the Indian mindset can never free itself from seeing the Dalit Existence except as excreta. Its hegemonic strategy never lets us to look at our need of liberation. It may give a piece of iron plank to remove their shit that earlier we used hands. In a similar vein with regard to the Politics of Dalit Existence, literature is only that tool! We cannot think of the iron plank as a golden plank! If you think that it is important to frame the iron plank, for people like me the only way out is to use my hands to remove the shit! Thanks! Translated By Dominic. D