Press Release: CasteWatchUK

Date: 14 November 2015

CasteWatchUK abhors Narendra Modi’s unveiling of statue of great Dalit icon Dr Ambedkar as cheap political posturing

Dalits (former untouchables) are the most marginalised groups in India who face daily atrocities at the hands of upper-caste Hindus. Number of atrocities have increased since the BJP came into power. According to statistics compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), crimes against Dalits rose to 47,064 in 2014 from 39,408 in 2013. In 2012 there were 33,655 crimes against Dalits, about the same as in 2011 of arson, murder and rape. The rate of such crimes against Dalits surpass the national average in many states.

CasteWatchUK condemns the cynical exploitation of this reality by Narendra Modi who today is unveiling statue of the great Dalit Icon Dr B.R.Ambedkar. This is seen as a ploy to garner support of Dalits numbering over 260 million people.

The BJP is the political arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) an openly Hindu supremacist organisation. The RSS also operates in the UK through its overseas wing the Hindu Swayamsevak Samaj (HSS) which is currently being investigated by the Charity Commission for hate speech against Christians and Muslims. The HSS however continues to operate along with other Hindutva organisations in the UK, who continue to oppose UK Equality legislation which aims to outlaw caste-based discrimination in Britain. This law is essential because the virus of caste has travelled to the UK and many Dalits face caste discrimination as highlighted by the UK Government’s own research. The UK based campaign for Equality led to the enactment of Equality Act 2010 , section 9(5) mandating the Minister of crown to prohibit caste-based discrimination. However, the UK Hindutva forces along with upper-caste Sikh leaders continue to campaign against the law’s implementation.

CasteWatchUK inspired by the teachings of the great Dalit icon Dr B.R.Ambedkar who championed Rights of the Dalits find it abhorrent that his memory is being used as a political tool by the Indian Prime Minister to try and confuse Dalits who are asserting their human rights in India and are also asserting the demand for equality in the UK.

At the Tory Party Conference this year, David Cameron declared that the Conservative Party wants to end discrimination and bring real equality in UK today ! Why then, we ask, is his government still dragging its feet and not implementing the provisions of section 9(5) of the Equality Act to prohibit Caste discrimination in UK. If David Cameron wants to bring an end to discrimination he should stop pandering to the upper-caste Hindu lobby, which is led by the HSS (the overseas wing of the paramilitary and fascist RSS). CasteWatchUK demands that David Cameron live up to his commitment to Equality and implement provision on section 9(5) of the Equality Act and stop pandering to the Hindu Fascist lobby. We are unhappy with David Cameron’s invitation to Narendra Modi and his support for the Indian Prime Minister’s outrageous act of hypocrisy in unveiling the statue of Dalit icon and great Indian leader Dr B.R.Ambedkar.

CasteWatchUK represents over 200,000 Dalit people who have made Britain their home.

Read also – How BJP is trying to fool Dalits over buying Dr. Ambedkar’s house in London.

Press Release: Dr Ambedkar Memorial Committee of Great Britain

14 November 2015

Narendra Modi’s inauguration of Dr Ambedkar House in London is a an example of his continuing cynical political posturing

The Dr Ambedkar Memorial Committee of Great Britain (DAMC) views the inauguration of Ambedkar House, London by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with utter aboherence.

Mr Tarsem Kaul, President of the Committee said: ‘It is the height of hypocrisy that Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi, is inaugurating Ambedkar House. Modi is a long-term organiser of the Hindu Supremacist paramilitary organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which models itself on the Nazi party, stands for upper caste Hindu power, and is a bye-word for attacks on Dalits and other oppressed castes’.

Dr Ambedkar stood for democracy, secularism , equality and justice and gave Indians a powerful constitution enshrining fundamental rights for its citizens. Narendra Modi’s party the BJP, and its sister organisations like the RSS are constantly infringing this constitution with their attacks on Dalit and minority rights .

The continuing escalation of atrocities on Dalits should be a cause for shame but Prime Minister Modi adopts silence instead of condemnation, and this has become his hallmark. The Dalits and oppressed castes in Bihar have seen through his cynical attempts to divide and rule and have decisively rejected him. This is why he is now attempting to save face and salvage his image with Dalits. This is not likely to happen since all we have seen from his party is anti-Dalit violence and certainly no Dalit-friendly development policies.

Dalits continue to live in extreme poverty, social degradation, deprivation and remain victims of caste violence, This was the case at the time of Dr Ambedkar and is the case in present times. Nothing much has changed in this respect. Dr Ambedkar lived and died for the cause of Dalits.

The Ambedkar Memorial Committee GB established in 1969 is the largest Ambedkarite organisation promoting the ideology and philosophy of Ambedkar in Britain and is not affiliated to the much smaller Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations (FABO) which has decided to associate Narendra Modi for reasons which have not been made clear to the Ambedkarite communities in UK.