I got an opportunity to listen Dr. Suraj Yendage who is first Indian completed Doctorate in the African university. He had organized public talk serious in India on ‘India for diversity’. He delivered his last lecture in Tata Institute of Social Science which has unravelled the truth of equality and the myth of  ‘ unity’  in India. It was an eye-opening lecture which has created havoc in my mind. It has shown the cavity of  India’s superpower dream by explaining the naked ground reality.

The point which he has raised were following…

Higher education

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar has said and proved that higher education is the panacea of our social trouble. The strong answer to the oppressive and exploitative Indian social system is higher education. Ambedkar believed that the presence of oppressed section in a higher education will turn the oppressive system in the fresh system which will ensure the equality, fraternity, and freedom to each and every citizen of society. But since independence, though there is the special recommendation in Indian constitution about empowerment of deprived section of society through education, System has always found the reason to avoid it. Hence the deprivation of deprived people became worst. The life of Dalit and tribal who is the most segregated and deprived section of society became the subject of this unbearable exclusions. Considering the oppression of Dalit and tribal which they have been facing since more than 2500 years should get an equal opportunity. But they are continuously neglected by the system.

If we look into the numbers of the scheduled caste who has gotten their right to enrol in PhD are only 7041 male and 4158 female among 20,13,78,086  of SC. And only 3921  out of 10,42,81,034 trials. The worst thing is that there is only one ‘doctor of law’  and only one could get chance to complete D.Litt from scheduled caste. These number unravels the systematic exclusion of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe from the higher education system.

Society follows the intellectual class and the emergence of this class comes from higher education. Avoiding higher education right is avoiding entry into the intellectual class which also mean refusing higher standard of living of Dalit and tribal.

All India survey of higher education 2015-16 published the following number of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe teacher in central university and state public university.

Looking at numbers one may feel that this are huge numbers and has etiquette representation to the sc and st in the system. But, Following table will show the reality and open your eyes.

The representation of SC and ST is minor compared to the upper caste Hindu. The upper caste representation in all India university is 70.6% which twelve times greater than SC, Though both communities have same 16% population in India’s population. We find the same conditions is in central and state university where SC and ST have refused their educational rights.  The worst condition is about tribal representation.  In this scenario, the tribal is nowhere. This historical marginalized section of society is still marginalized in India. The private University has completely neglected tribals representation.

On 5 January 2018, The university grant commission has given information that out of 496 vice-chancellors there are only 6 scheduled tribes and 6 scheduled caste vice chancellor. Except for few women, all remaining vice chancellor are upper caste male. This number indicates the position of SC and ST in ‘inclusive’  Indian education system.’ I am really wondering about this inclusiveness in the education system.’

We are bound to remember that only higher education can help to build modern India. The more you avoid education the more backwardness will be in India compared to International level.

Economic Inequality

According to NSSO report, the gap between the average monthly expenditure of SC and upper caste is -37% and ST and upper caste are -53% in 2011-12. In the other words, From the same plane, The SC and ST are 37% and 53% are below respectively. To come on the same line they need to have 37 and 53 percentage extra income so they will lead towards equality. It means the economic conditions of SC and ST is much more deprived than upper caste Hindu where the comparison has become impossible.

The latest Income inequality gets worse; India’s top 1% bag 73% of the country’s wealth, says Oxfam. Considering this worse condition 50% of India’s lower strata of the population is living in extremely poor conditions where basic needs like food, shelter, and clothes have major questions. On the other hand, all resources have become the monopoly of top 1% population. We all know who are they.

Social Representation

The shocking reality about untouchability found in Delhi, the capital of India,   39% of non-Dalit women admitted that someone in their household practices untouchability.In the rural area like Uttar Pradesh where 42% non-Dalit men practices untouchability.  It is only about them who has admitted. It is clear that in the 21st century it does not matter whether you are in the developed metro city like Delhi, Mumbai or in a rural area of India the scheduled caste still have to face discrimination on the basis of their origin, race, caste and sex.

The other aspects of practicing untouchability is violating the laws where Indian constitution has made the law that practicing untouchability is illegal. Though indian upper caste  media does not have space to raise such issues .Whatever they publish about SC and ST does not  shows the reality of practicing untouchability.

Political Representation

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar did not leave any stone go unturned to imbibe the importance of equality. His struggle to Mahad Satyagraha was to unfurl “the banner of equality” and smash “the steel frames of the caste system”. Through his “Republican Party of India,”  he showed the inclusiveness in politics, keeping it open to all those who accept three principles liberty, equality and fraternity. But unfortunately, the indian society is in favour of inequality which we find in political system of india.

Though we Sc and ST are the part of This country, We are consciously neglected by the indian politics which is the monopoly of upper caste. No matter whether it is congress government or BJP government. Both major parties has same path to avoid SC and ST. From prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Today’s prime minister Narendra Modi all PM have  not give sufficient representation to SC and ST. In 2014, The BJP government  has brack the all records of preference to the Brahmin caste. Almost 90% brahmins are in BJP cabinet to run the government where other all are nowhere in circle. Here One may says about two dalit person in government but that is not sufficient representation of marginalised section of society.

The Monopoly of Media

The visionary leader Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was aware about upper caste media and their hollow role. Hence, he became the pioneer of modern media for marginalised communities.

The fourth pillar of indian democracy which has only upper caste monopoly occupies 85% seats in media having only 16% population in India. On the other hand, Dalit and tribal has almost 24% population still they are nowhere in media position.

In the other word there is space to raise doubt about news in media. It is possible that whatever they shows in media is only for their  benefit. We can’t say whether it is true or fake. It has happened many time that the ground reality has no space in Brahmanical casteist media. For example the attack on dalit by upper caste hindu at Bhima Koregaon has turned into the ‘dalits stone pelting at bhima koregaon’. The whole discourse and reality has  changed intentionally by media. It has proved that upper caste media does not presents fair analysis of dalit and tribal conditions. As we have seen there is no adequate representation of SC and ST in above sector. Then question arises where are they?

Where have dalit and tribal been put up?

As we have seen the sociopolitical, economical and educational sector has neglected the dalit and tribals. Then where the system has put them?

The answer is Prison.

The above statistics which explained the out of 16.6% of total population  21.4% are in prisons. We find same situation with tribal and Muslim community. In India total population of ST is 8.6%, out of it 12.8% are in jail. The present statistics which unravel the shocking reality of how system is being used to exploit the weaker section of society.

Now, At the end of this article you may have realised why do I have chosen the name of article as ‘The myth of unity in diversity’. For unity we must have equal representation of each and every section of society to which the diversity includes. In india, we have diversity where we  always try to unite them. But  behind this slogan unity in diversity has huge cavity. Our unity is not unity because our unity does not have equal representation of  diversity when india was dreaming about its independence ,and many religious leader were in the conflict of ISHWAR-ALLAH that time there was big question in front of all social-political leader,how to organize this country  with one value.however in constitution assembly there was only one person who actually talked about real unity in diversity, through WE word which has been put up in the first word of our indian constitution.the founder of modern india-dr.babasaheb ambedkar! Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar has spend his whole life to unite country on the basis of liberty, equality, fraternity to assure the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.his idea behind reservation policy  was  about equal opportunity -equal representation.The system has become the monopoly of particular section and other section has been denied in it. Dr. Ambedkar has warned and emphasized on social, political and economic unity and equality is root to strengthen the democracy. Above situation in all sectors, in Indian marginalised society make aware that “the democracy is a top dress on Indian soil, which is essentially undemocratic”.

Author –  Ram Gaikwad, Student of Dalit and Tribal Studies and Actions at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

Email: gaikwadram19[@]gmail.com

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