Buddha Purnima 2025: Bollywood’s first silver jubilee film was based on the conflict between Buddhism and Hinduism – 1934’s ‘Amrit Manthan’ had a message of peace and kindness
TM Exclusive: Darkness under the lamp in MP Congress, caste balance missing in spokesperson list, tribals zero, Rahul Gandhi’s slogan ignored?
55% of 53 spokespersons get nominal representation from upper caste, backward and Dalit leaders BHOPAL. Madhya Pradesh Congress organization is continuously proving unsuccessful in following the political slogan given by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi “Jiski jitni sankta bhaari, uski utni share” (the number of people is more, the share is more). The latest example of this is the recently announced spokesperson list of the state Congress, in which the basic spirit of social justice and caste representation is not visible. On May 5, the list of 53 spokespersons was released by the head of the media department of Congress, Mukesh Nayak, on the instructions of the president Jitu Patwari. In this list, the dominance of upper castes can be clearly seen, while the backward classes (OBC), scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) and minority communities with large population have not got the expected representation. Dominance of general category According to the list, 18 Brahmins, 6 Thakurs, 6 other general category and 11 leaders from backward class have been appointed as spokespersons. That is, a total of 29 spokespersons belong to the upper caste, which is about 55% of the total list. On the other hand, only 9 leaders of the backward class, which is considered to have about 50% participation in the population of the state, have been given the responsibility of spokesperson. Only 7 representatives of the Scheduled Caste category are in this list and only 6 leaders from the minority category could become spokespersons. The most surprising thing is that the tribals have a participation of 21.10 percent in the state. Congress has not appointed any person from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category as a spokesperson, while Madhya Pradesh is a tribal dominated state. Questions raised on lack of caste balance Congress has been demanding caste census for a long time and Rahul Gandhi has made it clear while advocating social justice from every platform that the party’s goal is to ensure participation in proportion to the number. But this list of Madhya Pradesh Congress has not only weakened this idea, but has also exposed the neglect of caste representation at the ground level. Opinion of political analysts Political analysts believe that when the Bahujan Samaj will not get proper representation in the organisational structure itself, then how will the public trust the policies of Congress and its slogan of social justice? In a conversation with The Mooknayak, senior journalist Ramesh Sharma said that even though the Congress party talks about giving representation under social justice, but its list does not show representation in proportion to the numbers. List of representatives according to social classes General Category (Total): 30 Thakurs: (6) Ajit Bhadoria, Avnish Bundela, Santosh Singh Parihar, Samar Singh, Himani Singh, Santosh Singh Gautam, Brahmins: (18) Aparajita Pandey, Ambika Sharma, Gunjan Shukla, Jitendra Mishra, Dharmendra Sharma, Neelabh Shukla, Pramod Dwivedi, Priyanka Sharma, Mrinal Pant, Ram Pandey, Sangeeta Sharma, Rahul Raj, Sandeep Sablok, Sunil Mishra, Swadesh Sharma, Vivek Tripathi, Vinod Sharma. Other General Categories: (6) Bhupendra Gupta, Vinay Saxena, Ravi Saxena, Anand Jain Kasiwal, Harsh Jain, Kundan Punjabi. Backward Classes: (Total 11) Abhinav Baroliya, Amit Chourasiya, Anand Jat, Jyoti Patel, Yogesh Yadav, Rajesh Chouksey, Roshni Yadav, Shailendra Patel, Sparsh Chaudhary, R.P. Singh, Samar Singh Scheduled Caste: (SC) (Total 7) Amit Tawde, Praveen Dholpure, Mithun Ahirwar, Mukesh Panthee, Ravi Verma, Vikram Chaudhary, Sitasharan Suryavanshi. Scheduled Tribe (ST): No spokesperson. Minority community: (Total 6) Abbas Hafiz, Noori Khan, Firoz Siddiqui, Shahryar Khan, Sabir Fitwal. When The Mooknayak tried to get a reaction from the newly appointed spokesperson Dr. Vikram Chaudhary on this issue, he refused to comment and was seen avoiding speaking on this subject. SC/ST did not get representation even in Youth Congress elections In this election of Youth Congress, out of a total of 59 posts, only 7 seats have been reserved for the youth of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe category. This number is very less compared to the share of these classes in the population of the state. The total population of Madhya Pradesh has reached about 3.29 crores, in which Dalit and tribal communities have a large participation, but their share in organizational representation does not seem satisfactory. It is clear that the reservation policy has become a mere formality here. Why is the reduction in representation an important issue? Giving proper representation to social groups in political organisations is not just a game of numbers, it is a matter related to the soul of democracy and constitutional values. Giving leadership opportunities to young leaders of SC/ST community is the basic condition of social justice. When Congress calls itself a supporter of social justice, it is expected that it implements that idea in its organisational structure as well! Courtesy : Ankit Pachauri, Hindi News
Ambedkar month celebrated in 134 villages of UP, public meetings held on Dalit history and constitution; active workers were felicitated
Public dialogue on constitution awareness and Dalit history, public meetings and felicitation of volunteers on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti in 134 villages of Bundelkhand Uttar Pradesh/Orai. Celebrating the month of April as ‘Ambedkar month’ and ‘Dalit History Month’, Bundelkhand Dalit Adhikar Manch and Dalit Dignity and Justice Center organized various programs on the occasion of 134th birth anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar in more than 134 villages of the district. Thousands of people were connected through constitution awareness meetings at village and panchayat level, mass recitation of the Preamble of the Constitution and social dialogue. The team that played an active role in this comprehensive campaign was felicitated by presenting “Samman Patra”. Among those who received the honor were Usha Devi, Debendra Anil, Anita, Surendra Kumar, Pradeep Dohre, Adv. Rashmi Verma, Adv. Nikhat Parveen, Adv. Priyanka Ahirwar, Anuradha Bauddh, Ayush Kumar, Sachin Chaudhary, Tinku Chaudhary, Shalini Bauddh, Madhu Anuragi, Kanchan Verma, Dharampal Rajput and Ramkumar Gautam are included. The team members who received the honor described this initiative as historic and said that this honor will keep reminding them of the struggles of Dr. Ambedkar. They said that during this one month, by going from village to village, they understood the real situation of the community and realized that even after 75 years of the implementation of the Constitution, there is a need for comprehensive change at many levels in the society. Highlights of the programme: Ambedkar Jayanti and Constitution awareness programmes in 134 villages/panchayats 92 public meetings organised, direct interaction with 15,490 people Participation of more than 25,000 women, men and children The programme reached more than 1.35 lakh people through social media Applications related to Dalit atrocities and problems received from 49 villages, which will be acted upon Advocate Kuldeep Kumar Baudh, founder and convener of Bundelkhand Dalit Adhikar Manch and Dalit Dignity and Justice Centre, said that this campaign is a historic effort towards documenting Dalit history and spreading awareness about constitutional values. He said, “The team not only celebrated Ambedkar Jayanti by visiting every village, but also compiled the stories of the struggling individuals there. Future generations will definitely remember this work.” The organizations plan to further train the volunteers of these 134 Gram Panchayats so that they can take leadership at the local level and contribute to social change and promotion of constitutional values. Courtesy: Hindi News
Indian court denies lower caste legal benefits to Christians
A person converted to Christianity cannot claim to be a member of a lower caste, court says Indian Dalit (Oppressed) Christian and Muslim women hold placards and shout slogans during a rally against the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for its recent rejection of the demand for reservation for Dalit Christians and Muslims, in New Delhi, 03 March 2007. Indian Dalit (oppressed) Christian and Muslim women hold placards and shout slogans during a rally against the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes over its rejection of a demand for socio-economic reservations for Dalit Christians and Muslims, in New Delhi, on March 3, 2007. (Photo: AFP) An Indian court has denied Christians of Dalit origin legal protections meant for lower caste people, saying a person who converted to Christianity cannot claim to be a member of a lower caste group. The Andhra Pradesh High Court, the highest court in the southern Indian state, issued the ruling in an appeal challenging criminal proceedings against a group of non-Christians, based on a complaint by a Protestant pastor. The pastor, who comes from the Dalit community, officially referred to as Scheduled Caste people, filed the complaint in January 2021 against a group of people who allegedly abused him, violating clauses of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. His complaint said that during an altercation, they used his caste name to denigrate and abuse him, a punishable crime under the law, enacted in 1989. The court’s April 30 ruling dismissed the criminal proceedings, saying a “person converted to Christianity cannot claim to be a member of the Scheduled Caste community”. “The Christian religion does not recognize any caste classifications. All Christians are treated as equals and there is no distinction between one Christian and another of the type that is recognized between members of different castes belonging to the Hindu religion,” the court said, referring to an earlier Supreme Court ruling in a similar case. Father Antonyraj Thumma, secretary of the Office for Dialogue and Ecumenism of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said the court ruling is “practically discriminatory and violates the fundamental rights of the pastor.” Christian leaders like him argue that conversion to Christianity does not automatically alter the socio-economic circumstances of Dalit people, as society continues to treat them as second-class citizens through subtle practices. Untouchability was outlawed in 1950, but Dalit people, across all religions, continue to face social exclusion, segregation, and even violence in various forms, they say. However, the government officially does not acknowledge the existence of caste discrimination and socioeconomic poverty within Christianity and Islam. In 1950, the government reserved social benefits intended for Dalit people exclusively for Dalit Hindus, viewing the caste system as a reality of Hinduism. This order was subsequently amended twice to include Sikhs and Buddhists, thereby recognizing caste practices within these Indian religions. Christian leaders say that this official government stand should be considered the basis of the court ruling. The court ruling said the “caste system prevails only amongst Hindus or possibly in some religions closely allied to the Hindu religion like Sikhism.” Christianity is a global religion and “nowhere does Christianity recognize caste division.” A Dalit person converted to Christianity ceases to be a Dalit, it reiterated. Christians have opposed this stance. Two decades ago, Christian leaders petitioned India’s Supreme Court to end such discrimination by including Christians of Dalit origin in the state’s affirmative action plans to help improve their social conditions. When the court sought an explanation, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2022 appointed a three-member panel to study the implications of extending benefits to Christians of Dalit origin. The panel is yet to report to the government. Out of India’s 1.4 billion people, 201 million belong to the Dalit community, and nearly 60 percent of India’s 25 million Christians trace their origin to Dalit and tribal communities. Courtesy: UCA News Note: This news is originally published on https://www.ucanews.com and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Caste clash in Tamilnadu’s village, Dalit home torched, vehicle burnt; 14 arrested
A clash erupted between Mutharaiyar and scheduled caste communities in Tamilnadu’s vadakadu village on Monday leading to damages to public properties and a Dalit’s family hut was set on fire. The youths from both communities who were drunk were arguing over fuel queues at the station. The situation quickly escalated and the youth followed each other to their home. Amidst this chaos, a Dalit home was burned down alongside a vehicle and windows of a government bus were smashed. The video of the clashes went viral on social media. After the clash, police arrested fourteen individuals from both communities and launched a thorough investigation. Injured individuals have been sent to hospitals for treatment. Police have urged the public to avoid sharing misinformation as it could potentially escalate tensions in the region. Courtesy: Muslim Mirror Note: This news is originally published on https://muslimmirror.com and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Dalit Christians differ on how to identify themselves in Karnataka survey
Dalit right (Holeya) groups are seeking a separate column for Dalit Christians, Dalit left (Madiga) groups believe that they are better off identifying themselves with the Dalit caste, from which they converted, to protect their reservation status An enumerator collects data on a hand-held device to record empirical data on sub-caste demographics, at Narayanaghatta in Anekal taluk of Bangalore Urban district, as Karnataka begins a statewide census for Scheduled Castes (SC). As the enumeration work to identify scheduled castes for internal reservation is underway in Karnataka, the identification of Dalit Christians has emerged as a contentious issue. While Dalit right (Holeya) groups are seeking a separate column for Dalit Christians, Dalit left (Madiga) groups believe that they are better off identifying themselves with the Dalit caste, from which they converted, to protect their reservation status. Meanwhile, the Dalit Christian Federation is advising them to be identified by their religion, arguing that it will result in better political representation. With the survey being conducted by the commission headed by retired judge H.N. Nagmohan Das set to cover 101 SCs, its outcome, including the population data, social, economic and educational backwardness, will be the benchmark for the commission to draw the internal reservation within the broader 17% reservation set aside for SCs, which they together (left and right) constitute 18.27% of the total population or about 1.09 crore. Internal reservation is a decades-long demand of Dalit left groups that have accused Dalit right groups of cornering reservation benefits. They want slicing up the reservation among Dalit left and Dalit right besides touchable castes of Bhovi, Korma, Korcha and Lambani. What courts say The courts have ruled that the SC reservation should be based on castes, and since Christianity does not have castes, reservation cannot be applied. In this backdrop, Dalit right groups are urging the commission to include a separate column for Dalit Christians as the Union Government is yet to decide on their reservation. “The commission should encourage Dalit Christians to identify their religion so that they can be kept outside the SC reservation matrix. The Karnataka Backward Classes Commission led by K. Jayaprakash Hegde has recommended reservation for Dalits in the backward classes reservation matrix,” a source in Chalavadi Mahasabha, which represents Dalit right, said. The Kalaburgi-based Dhamma Deepa Buddha Vihara has also petitioned the commission seeking a religion column in the enumeration. The 2015 Socio, Economic and Educational survey by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes put the total population of Christians at 9.47 lakh, which included many caste-specific Christian groups, such as Brahmin Christians, Kuruba Christians, Holeya Christians, Jalagara Christians, Madiga Christians, Reddy Christians, Vishwakarma Christians, Vokkaliga Christians and Walmiki Christians, among many others. The survey also identified about 12,865 SC population converted to Christianity, and recommended them to be included in Backward Classes Category 1B, which is ‘most backward’. Political representation Sources in Dalit left (Madiga) group acknowledge that members of their community have converted to Christianity in big numbers, especially in the backward north Karnataka region. “Caste inequality, social backwardness, atrocities by upper castes and poverty have driven many to Christianity. However, even after conversion, their social standing has not improved. In the current context, there is a threat of losing reservation benefits if they identify themselves as Christians. We are creating awareness about identifying their caste only during enumeration,” said Basavaraj Kowthal of the Madiga Samudaya Jagruthi Andolana. However, Dalit Christian Federation president D. Manohar Chandra Prasad, who is also a pastor with the Church of South India, said that they are creating awareness among the converted population and encouraging them to identify as Dalit Christians. “The new recommendation has provided reservation in the backward classes. There is no need to worry about losing reservation status. We do not agree with the population figure cited by the commission for Christianity. Our survey in 2018 showed a population of about 40 lakh, or about 6% of the population of the State. A correct figure would help in seeking suitable political representation.” Courtesy: The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https://www.thehindu.com and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Man gets 4yrs in jail for molesting minor Dalit girl
Pilibhit: The court of additional district and sessions Judge (Pocso Act), Geeta Singh, on Monday evening, sentenced a 28-year-old man to four years of imprisonment for molesting a 15-year-old Dalit girl. The incident took place on June, 2018 when the convict had forcibly barged into the minor’s house in a village in Pilibhit district. An FIR had been lodged, following a written complaint by the victim’s father, under multiple IPC Sections and relevant sections of the Pocso and SC/ST Act. The complainant stated that all his family members were asleep at the time of the incident. Upon hearing his daughter’s screams, he woke up and saw the accused molested his daughter. The accused then threatened to eliminate the family if they took up the matter with police, before fleeing . Public prosecutor, Anil Kumar Sharma said, “The accused was arrested and remained in jail before he was released on bail.” Courtesy: Times of India Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Mahatma Phule Jayanti 2025: Apart from Buddha and Kabir, this is Dr. Ambedkar’s third guru—know what Babasaheb learned from them
In a radio message in his last days in 1956, Babasaheb said, “Mahatma Phule was the first soldier of logic and human dignity. Without him our fight would have been incomplete.” New Delhi- On the occasion of the 198th birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotirao Govindrao Phule on April 11, the country is once again preparing to remember his revolutionary contribution. On this occasion, the deep relationship between Phule and Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar—fondly called Babasaheb—is in the news. Both fought against the caste system and dreamed of uplifting the oppressed sections of society. Babasaheb considered Jyotiba Phule along with Gautam Buddha and Kabir as his three gurus. In his speech at Purandare Stadium in Mumbai on 28 October 1954, Baba Saheb had said, “I have three gurus. Everyone has a guru, so do I. I am not a sadhu or a recluse, but my first and greatest guru is Buddha … I believe that only Buddhism can do the welfare of the world. The second guru is Kabir..my father was a Kabirpanthi. So Kabir’s life and principles also had a great influence on me. According to my opinion, Kabira knew the real secret of Buddha’s philosophy … Mahar, Mang, Chabar taught and Phule taught the lesson of humanity. These are my three gurus. Their teachings have made my life.” Let us know what Babasaheb said about Jyotiba Phule and what is the similarity between these two great reformers. Jyotiba Phule was born in Satara, Maharashtra in 1827. He challenged the Brahminical system and changed the society by making education a weapon. In 1848, he opened the first school for girls with his wife Savitribai. In 1873, he started a campaign to break the shackles of caste and religion by forming Satyashodhak Samaj. His book Gulamgiri shook people. On the other hand, Babasaheb, born in 1891 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, took forward these ideas of Phule. By becoming the architect of the Constitution, he gave legal rights to the Dalits and the oppressed. Both of them considered the Vedas and Puranas to be the weapons of the upper castes. Phule, in his public book Satya Dharma, talked about a religion that brought equality to all. Babasaheb also gave the same message by adopting Buddhism in 1956. In 1848, Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule opened India’s first women’s school in Pune, which was an important step in the field of education for women at that time. On the other hand, the slogan – “Educate, Awaken, Organize” – was the basic mantra of Babasaheb’s life. After signing the Poona Pact on 27 September 1932, Babasaheb said, “I pay tribute to Mahatma Phule, whose struggle against social injustice inspired us to this fight for justice.” The pact was a major step towards political rights for Dalits, and Babasaheb remembered Phule’s inspiration in it. At a Satyashodhak Samaj event in Mumbai in 1940, Babasaheb said, “Jyotiba Phule was the first Indian to raise his voice against the slavery of Shudras and Ati-Shudras. His pen was a sword against injustice, and his life an example of courage.” He described Phule as the man who showed the path to awakening to the oppressed. In the preface of his book Who were the Shudras? (1946), Babasaheb wrote, “Mahatma Phule’s slavery opened my eyes to the fact that the caste system is a historical fraud. He taught us that Shudras were not born to serve, but were enslaved by false myths.” This idea of Phule was very important for Babasaheb. During the Mahad Satyagraha in 1927, when Dalits demanded the right to drink water from the Chavdar pond, Babasaheb said, “Mahatma Phule showed us the way to break the chains of caste. Today we are walking on that path.” In 1954, when he visited Phule’s house in Pune, he said, “It is here that the seed of our freedom was sown.” In a radio message in his last days in 1956, Babasaheb said, “Mahatma Phule was the first soldier of reason and human dignity. Without him our fight would have been incomplete.” Babasaheb appreciated Jyotiba Phule’s questioning of the dominance of Brahmins and exploitation of Shudras in ‘Gulamgiri’, and later he also expressed similar ideas in ‘Riddles in Hinduism’ and ‘Who were the Shudras?’, in which Shudras were described as the first Kshatriyas. Phule believed that Brahmins were descendants of outside Aryan invaders who oppressed the local people. Babasaheb took this further in Who Were the Shudras? and said that the Shudras were the first Kshatriyas who were pushed down by the Brahmins. Phule’s Satyashodhak Samaj became the base of Babasaheb’s organisations. Both spoke in the language of the common people—Phule wrote Powada, Babasaheb wrote books and gave speeches in simple words. In 1868 Phule opened his well to the untouchables, and in 1927 Babasaheb took the right to water in Mahad—both had the same thinking. The spark that Phule lit was turned into the torch of the Constitution by Babasaheb. Scholars say that Phule prepared the ground, and Babasaheb built a palace of rights on it Babasaheb not only considered Phule his guru, but also lived his thinking at every step. As he said, “Without Phule our fight would have been in the dark.” On this birth anniversary, this relationship reminds us that the dream of equality is the gift of these two great souls, which shows us the way even today. Courtesy: Geetha Sunil Pillai, Hindi News
‘Scratched my chest…’ Jodhpur Dalit nurse dies by suicide after assault, police inaction
Police have now registered a case of abetment to suicide against the four accused. Hyderabad: A 26-year-old Dalit nurse died by suicide on May 2, after allegedly being molested, assaulted, and humiliated by her upper-caste neighbours in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district. The young woman was the eldest of five siblings and worked as a nurse. Her suicide has triggered protests and outrage. Dispute over water The incident occurred on April 30, after a few drops of water from cleaning the courtyard reportedly landed on the neighbour’s car. This led to a violent attack by Shankar Lal Bishnoi, his wife, and their sons Rajendra alias Raj and Vikas alias Vicky. They allegedly assaulted the victim, her mother, and her younger brother. MS Creative School According to The Observer Post, the victim’s family said she was scratched on her chest and face. In her handwritten suicide note, she named the accused and described the attack as caste-motivated. “They scratched my chest, insulted my dignity. I don’t want a life filled with casteism and people’s filthy gazes,” her letter read. She also accused the police of failing to act. Despite waiting for over nine hours at the Mata Ka Than police station, only minor charges were filed, and the accused were released immediately. In her note, the victim reportedly named station house officer (SHO) Bhanwar Singh Jakhad and local councillor Jani Devi, writing, “The councillor said they have high-level connections. The SHO told us: ‘Nothing will happen to them.’” The victim’s final words remain etched in the hearts of many: “No one stood by me. Not the police. Not the system. Not even my own.” Police register abetment case The incident has led to protests outside the police station. Demonstrators blocked Bhadwasiya Road and demanded the arrest of the accused and the suspension of the SHO. They have refused to allow the post-mortem until action is taken. Police have now registered a case of abetment to suicide against the four accused. The assistant commissioner of police, Nagendra Kuma,r said action will be taken. Courtesy: Siasat Note: This news is originally published on https://www.siasat.com and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
“How dare you come to the wedding procession of Brahmins..?”, the incident recorded in ‘Jyoti Kalash’ which made Jyotiba Phule a revolutionary
The incident of casteist insult in Mahatma Phule’s childhood which lit the spark of social revolution within him, is described in detail in Sanjeev’s book ‘Jyoti Kalash’. In the childhood of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, a great hero of extraordinary personality who staked everything for the marginalized society in Indian history, an incident happened after which he got inspired to start a big movement against casteism, Brahminism, superstition and ostentation. The book “Jyoti Kalash” written by Sanjeev, who edited popular magazines like “Hans”, wrote columns and authored many novels, is in itself a sequential document of true events related to the life of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. In this book published by Rajkamal Prakashan, Sanjeev, who has been awarded the “Sahitya Akademi Award”, mentions an incident from Phule’s life at the very beginning of the book after which Jyotiba Phule became firmly committed to the welfare of the Dalit-backward society. In the book Jyoti Kalash, Sanjeev tells that Jyotiba receives an invitation card for his classmate Paranjape’s wedding. It says, “Tum nahi aaye to kutti?” [If you don’t come, the friendship will end.] On seeing the invitation card for his classmate’s wedding, Phule happily starts dressing up to go to the wedding procession. Seeing him getting ready, his father Govindrao asks, “Where are you going?” Phule says, “I told you, right? I have received an invitation to go to Paranjape’s wedding procession.” Seeing his son’s enthusiasm to go to the wedding procession, Govindrao remembers some humiliating incidents in the Brahmins’ wedding procession. These were pricking him like thorns. But he did not think it right to dampen his son Jyotiba’s enthusiasm. The wedding procession had started with the sound of drums and cymbals. The boys were busy dancing and singing. Paranjape was sitting on a chariot with a sword and crown on his head, his younger brother was beside him. Jyotiba felt like meeting Paranjape. Then he came to know that the Patil who would fire the fireworks was missing. People were whispering that who would fire the fireworks now? It was also important to fire the fireworks at that time. The dancing and singing boys were asked, “Will you fire the fire?” Many said, “I am afraid.” Then Phule came forward and said, “I am not afraid.” He moves forward with the ball and then returns and starts firing the ball with the torch in front of the procession.” At that time, a person wearing a Tripund, Tilkit and a turban, who was garlanding everyone, stood in front of Jyotiba. He said, “You…?” Phule stopped. He asked, “You are Govindrao Gonhe’s son, right?” Phule replied, “Yes!” Immediately, he pounced upon Phule. He said, “How dare you come to the procession of Brahmins?” Phule said, “I had invited you!” Tripund, “Huh invitation! He (Paranjape) did whatever he wanted, but how did you forget that you are a Shudra and this is a procession of Brahmins. You had lost your senses. Since when did you become equal to Brahmins?” Then the kind Brahmin interrupts, “Let him go now, he is a boy. Thinking him to be a friend, the boy called his friend, so the poor guy came! Both are children. He also threw the ball…” “Forgive me considering him to be a child. Find a way out.” The turbaned man says, “Okay, then go to the back where the Ramoshis [a socially lower caste] and the people carrying the luggage are following behind.” Jyotiba goes and stands next to them. Feeling completely insulted! A Ramoshi standing apart from the procession comes near him. He says, “The Brahmins have thrown you out of the procession, right? What were you thinking when you came here? Have you forgotten the old days when the Brahmins used to treat the Shudras and the untouchables? Go home, child! This garland is not for you, the musical instruments are not for you, the torches, the incense, the ceremony is not for you. You are a Shudra! Shudra! You were dragged out of the ceremony by holding your arm.” Jyotiba returned home. Govindrao saw his son’s sad face, “What happened? Didn’t you go?” The son told him the whole story. The father kept listening to the tale of insult and kept looking at his son’s dark face. He remembered his humiliated past and said, “I wanted to stop you! But I kept quiet thinking that your heart will be broken.” He paused for a while and then said, “They didn’t beat you, didn’t punish you – isn’t that enough son! It was your mistake, why did you go?” “But”, Jyotiba’s eyes filled with tears. Govindrao immediately said, controlling himself, “No son, no! How can we be equal to them? They are Brahmins and we are Shudras!” Jyotiba’s wounded heart was struggling again and again. Just then Ramoshi, hiding behind the tree, interrupted, “Why did you come to the Brahmins’ wedding procession? I don’t go.” “This is the result of your previous birth that they were born as Brahmins, you were born as Shudras and I was born as Ramoshi. What can you do?” He said. That heavy night passed with great difficulty. This was perhaps the first incident in Phule’s life that shook him to his core. In his book Jyoti Kalash, Sanjeev also mentions many such incidents and those untold things that Mahatma Jyotiba Phule saw, heard, endured and faced bravely in his life. Courtesy: Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News