The Dalits constitute 25 percent of Karnataka population. The 25 percent of the population is enough to come to power if the unity in the community is achieved and even if the unity is not achieved but the community is mobilized, it can get the power that can be utilized to transform the society. The southern states are critical because of these caste structures where Brahminism has waned considerably and the Brahmins cannot have the allies in the “Kshatriya” and “banias” as these Varnas are absent in south India. It was not surprising therefore that the BSP opened its account in Karnataka as early as 1994, just after five years of its formation. Karnataka was always and will always be an interesting state for the Dalits and ascendency, but as the political instrument is weak in the state of Karnataka, the power is not translated in the hands of the community.

The individual members of the community like Kharge and Purneshan have become powerful through their allegiance with the Congress, but they have not gained anything substantially. At one point in the electoral history of Karnataka, the Congress was defeated because of the advent of the BSP: such was the power of the Dalit political mobilization. But in the next election, the Congress came to power and Kharge was to become the chief minister, he was dodged, and Siddharamaiya was made the Chief Minister who joined Congress only recently then.

The Congress is trying to keep the Dalits in its fold and this time the BSP decided to ally with JD(S) and fighting for 20 seats out of which 8 are reserved seats. It will have deeper political implications. We have to wait and see. But what is clear in Karnataka is the rise in the Bahujan movement. Chief Minister Sid came from the Bahujan movement and there are many people in the Congress who have come from the Bahujan ideological background. That is why we see that Lingayats: the anti-caste and anti-Brahmin movement has taken such deep roots in Karnataka and it is slated to become a religion on its own. The movement will spread throughout the country if more and more OBCs realize that they cannot be Shudras and Hindus at the same time. Karnataka is showing the way, but as far as the Dalit mobilization is concerned, the days of Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) must be brought back in every village and Taluka of Karnataka!

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist

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