By: Jay Naidoo

2012-01-31 14:17:38

My Trip to India - The Dalit Community's Struggle for Social Justice

What a different planet I experienced in the last 2 days. Exhausting and exhilarating. Travelling with Kami, my son and the leader of the Dalit community, Ashok Kumar Bharti reminded me so much of the militant mass struggles of the Eighties. Ashok, like Steve Biko, is a fiery, charismatic leader who is unafraid to confront power with the truth. Unassuming and humble he is a peoples’ leader who has the trust of his community. The Dalit population is over 170 m and have been historically oppressed by the caste system. While this discrimination has been abolished, like us in South Africa we know that ending racism on paper does not automatically end racist attitudes in society. Only powerful community mobilization and organisation under an ethical and committed leadership makes that a reality. We have a lot to learn from the continuing struggles of the Dalit population for social justice and human dignity.

Our Constitution enshrines our basic fundamental human rights. 18 years later we see social inequality and its attendant corruption rising not only in the public and private sector but also in civil society. What I learn from my travels to faraway villages and informal shanty towns is that democracy has to be fought for everyday. Leaders even from our own ranks will not hesitate to betray our cause of social justice. We need to bang on their doors to keep them on their toes as Cde Joe Slovo once said to me. Today it makes more sense that in the heyday of the euphoria of our victory of democracy in 1994.

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