~ Following article was originally published in Dalit Voice in 2006.

Karl Marx wrote the entire philosophy of marxism and poured it into volumes and volumes sitting in the British Museum. But it was Lenin who translated marxism into a workable philosophy through appropriate strategies and tactics and built the powerful world superpower, Soviet Union, that rivalled the USA.

If Lenin was not born the books of Marx perhaps would have been rotting in the London library and we would have never heard of marxism. That way Lenin could be said greater than Marx.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram (who died on Oct.8, 2006) played the same role when it came to India.

The mouthpiece of BSP: Babasaheb laid down the philosophy — the gunpowder to blast Brahminism which never allowed peace and justice to reign in India. But it was a simple Punjabi shaven sadrarji, Kanshi Ram, a Chamar, who used that gunpowder that blasted Brahminism in its very Aryavarta heartland (cow belt).

That is the greatness of Kanshi Ram. And as a contemporary and a co-worker for 30 years, we were witness to this Kanshi Ram miracle that gave India its most powerful Dalit party (BSP). So much so Dalit Voice was dubbed by his critics as the mouthpiece of Kanshi Ram and his BSP. We never denied this charge.

Babasaheb was essentially a philosopher, a towering genius. In DV, we called him India’s tallest titan, “Father of India”, dwarfing all the worms created by Brahmins.

How to form Bahujan Samaj: Kanshi Ram is made out of different stuff. As a very cool, calculating strategist and tactician, he discovered a powerful, unbreakable material — the readily available, cheap and indigenous tool — to build the new India of Babasaheb’s dream. And that tool is caste.

From each according to his ability and to each according to his needs, is the great Marxist principle which when applied to India becomes Jiski jitni sankhya bhari, uski itni Bhagidari. This is the great contribution of Kanshi Ram to constitute the Bahujan Samaj on the basis of caste consciousness and caste consolidation. Brahminism is dead.

He went beyond Babasaheb, who confined himself to Dalits, but spread his net far and wide to include OBCs and even embraced converted Muslims, Christians and Sikhs (85%). This is Bahujan Samaj.

A serious reader of Dalit Voice, we used to have long discussions whenever we met. He noted that DV was highlighting the importance of the “law of contradictions” and the weapon of “caste to kill casteism” (Brahminism). We supplied him all the literature and he mastered both the subjects and put it to effective use.

Walking encyclopedia on caste: He had prodigious memory and new people by name which he never forgot. It is this memory that helped him make a pocket notebook of the different caste statistics — a veritable walking encyclopedia on caste.

Indian politics has ultimately come to mean the rule of caste. The micro-minority 3% Brahmins manage these castes and rule all of us.

It is possible for us to beat the Brahmin if SC/ST/BCs (65%) and Muslims (15%) are united under the Bahujan Samaj. This is what Kanshi Ram did.

But some dominant Dalit “subcastes” like the Mahars in Maharashtra, Madigas in AP and Holeyas in Karnataka were initially not willing to join Kanshi Ram as he was a Chamar. We can overcome this problem with the help of “caste identity”.

How Brahmins rule us: Brahminism thrived in India only by appropriately using the one caste against another caste and one religion against another religion. Kanshi Ram mastered the two subjects and used the two deadly weapons to build a powerful party of BSP.

Health neglected: But he never listened to our request to be careful regarding his health. He went on neglecting his health that finally led to his death. Babasaheb too neglected his health and died early. Kanshi Ram committed the same mistake. And today we are orphaned.

Dalit no to violence: As the Brahminical fascist forces led by BJP are bent upon dynamiting democracy in India and the Congress, the original Brahminical party, is incapable of resisting it and the Manuwadi communists are a spent force, the only party capable of saving democracy is BSP. In the guise of economic reforms, Manmohan Singh and his cronies are making the upper caste rich more headstrong.

The social order has become more unequal and extremely intolerant. Dalits are India’s only ethnic group which has not taken to violence to blast the Manmohaniacs. We don’t want to take to violence but we can blast Brahminism with the power of our numbers — the Bahujan Samaj of 85% versus the Aryan Samaj of 15%.

Mayawati must rise: Sister Mayawati is carrying on the torch but we don’t know if she has made a study of the two mighty weapons: the law of contradictions and the “caste to fight casteism”. Kanshi Ram had introduced us to Mayawati twice but we never had any chance for serious talk as we used to have with Kanshi Ram.

Since Mayawati is also a Chamar and UP’s single largest Dalit caste is also Chamar — perhaps the most enlightened Dalit caste group in the country with a glorious future — she may once again become the CM. She has exploited UP’s complicated caste jumble by using the Brahmins (Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy said Brahmins are good servants but bad masters). Good strategy in the chess game of caste politics. (DV Edit July 16, 2005: “Mayawati follows the good old dictum: Brahmins are bad masters but good servants”). She is a young and dynamic dynamo. Plus she has the additional qualification being a woman.

Slavery in 21st century: If she has to extend the BSP influence to other states (our suggestion is not to bother much of South India, which will eventually fall in line but to concentrate on the cowbelt), she has to master the law of contradictions and sharpen the caste weapon to acquire political power.

Brahmins are well aware that caste weapon will wipe them out of politics. The Brahmins are deeply worried of this danger. That is why they are investing so much on hinduising (enslaving) us to kill our caste consciousness. There are innumerable Dalit castes which have not even tasted milk.

Hinduism is the only religion in the world which is using its scriptures and gods to enforce slavery, reigning supreme even in this 21st century.

The caste system is the other name for this oppressive Hinduism. It can be easily dismantled if only we pull out brick (caste) after brick from this pyramid called varna vyavastha. Hinduism is dead.

While Mayawati should continue her political management, she has to set up machinery to dynamite the caste system. We are ready to take this responsibility. The Brahmins are well aware of this possibility.

That is why they have killed the power of the elected representatives and transferred this power to the judiciary, media and financial institutions.

Naxalite menace: Manuwadi Naxalites have given them an opportunity for the first time to penetrate rural India. In Nepal, the Brahmin Prachanda of the Maoist Party is dictating things. India’s Brahminical people are excited about the rise of Prachanda. We will not be surprised if the manuwadi naxalites extend their influence all over India.

That is why Mayawati should concentrate on the cowbelt using the twin weapons of caste and contradictions before the Brahmana Jati Party (BJP) with its hold on urban areas and the manuwadi naxals ruling rural areas join hands to clamp their chanakyan dictatorship. The entire BSP national and state leadership knows Dalit Voice and the services we have rendered. It is bowing to our pressure Kanshi Ram set up a media centre in Noida (suburban Delhi) but the Brahminical forces killed it before it was born. We had many plans but Kanshi Ram’s ill-health came in the way.

We want Mayawati to fulfill those dreams. Dalit Voice is always there to realise the dreams of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Dadasaheb Kanshi Ram.

(Dalit Voice, Bangalore, VTR, Oct 20, 2006)