In 2003, in the parallel history conference organized by S. K. Biswas in New Delhi, I heard Kashiram Saheb advising the scholars in the audiences to study the history of the last 200 years very carefully. Because the history of the last 200 years can be a clear guide to us to fight our battle. We cannot but agree with Kashiram Saheb. Here was a man who along with the stalwart like D.K. Khaparde started the movement of BAMCEF which led to the formation of the BSP: the most successful political formation of the backward classes after the seeds of political society planted by Babasaheb Ambedkar. In the cadre camps started by BAMCEF, the stress has been always on explaining revolution and counter-revolution since the time of the Buddha. But here Kanshiram Saheb was talking about the recent history.

For a number of reasons, this history is important for the Bahujan Revolution:

1. It is well documented and available to us to study

2. The writings and the speeches of the great leaders from the Bahujan Samaj are available.

3. As the struggle took place in response to emerging situations, the Strategies and minds of great Bahujan leaders can be studied.

The imposition of the wrong history can be traumatising. The” history” is deliberately written to serve the interests of the dominant classes. History can be a branch of speculative discipline as the true picture cannot be created merely based on religious literature and fragmented artefacts. Most of the times, it is an exercise in memory and memories can be manipulated. However, the memories of close past are also supported by the meticulous documentation and oral memories.

The history of the last 200 years is, therefore, the authenticate template to carry on our struggle.

Some of the salient points that are important to take into consideration for Bahujan movement:

1. Why were so many Bahujan kings ruling India in British India? If they were Shudras, how do they become the princes and kings?

2. Why is such mobility among the scheduled castes existed?

3. Why so-called Shudras supported ati- Shudras and vice versa in the nation- Brahmanical movement?

4. How was the British rule responsible for forging an Aryan alliance and land distribution?

These questions can lead to understanding the past as well.

The caste system as we have been told underwent many mutations, but it needed a central authority to make it into tight compartmentalised classes. The central authority to impose the caste system was never present in this country except after the formation of political India under the British. The Indian subcontinent has many nations existing together. These nations were ruled by the individual kings who fought with others and at times allied. The caste system was not uniform throughout India and some caste dominated another caste in different regions.

The religion of the people was never Hinduism as it was imposed during colonial rule to divide people into religions and Caste communities. Just like today, people in different regions follow different paths and deities, people in the past did. That is the reason why the Hindutva forces press for Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan. All these concepts and ideas are of recent origins and the myth of their antiquity is spread.

That means that the Castes which were close (in terms of social distance) had social intercourse and economic exchange. The social distance also meant physical distance. Brahman was out of the equation for the larger part of history as the Shudra- Ati Shudras were interdependent on each other as they were involved in the production. Pandit other Thass went on to claim that the Brahman were considered untouchables by non-Brahman communities. In practice, the Brahmins classed all the non-Brahmins as Paraiya(One who is not aiyer) in Tamil Nadu. This is the reason why local/ regional histories matter. There is no Indian history. There are only regional histories and therefore regional movements that can be federated at the national level to create a democratic India which exists in theory, but not in practice.

To destroy the propaganda of the Brahmins, it is therefore important to create Bahujan history of diverse communities in different regions by reinventing and reimagining the past and forge a nation of India based on respect for diversity, fraternity, equality, and freedom for the common good of all.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist