Recently I visited a school. As I observed, there was great exodus of dalit students. I didn't go to enquire the school. Instead directly went their streets. In their homes too students were not there. Elders who were there told me "All are on coolie in nearby fields. Some may had joined factories, petrol bunks etc,". Also they went on telling that "They(students) are not committed to read or write. Evening they come, enjoy their liquor, spent their time like this only. Why you take so much risk about them? Better you be happy yourself, leave them what they are". With heavy heart I came back and begin to think what happened to our boys, why they are neglecting education? A serious question that every dalit intellectual shoul ask.
In another picture, in a city there is a huge dalit colony. Estimated population would be nearly 5000. And as I have observed many times every day in the beginning edge of that colony next to highway in the evening a huge chat street would open. Gobi, noodles, dosa, kabab,.. Everything we get there. Dalits from their colony rush to that street in such a flooding way that whole chat street will have a look of a big market. And for curiosity when I enquired the vendors about their caste to my shock not even a single dalit was there. They were all from nearby so called upper and middle caste streets. Late night after completing their business they go to their home with bundles of money. This is routine since more than a decade.
There I begin to chat with some dalit friends having my chats, "Arey, what's happening here? What's happened to you people? Why you people can't open shops like this and do business to your people only?". They begin to looking at me in a strange way. Probably in a dangerous way. Some proceeded to speak but with the same old dialogue "Business is it possible to our people? Who will come to us as customers? These are all nonsense things you talk... they went on telling.
Yes, business or entrepreneurship dalits have at their end as the most neglected fields.
To conclude I like to add more stuff perhaps the last one. And that's about the way of life. DoesDalits have any way of life? No. Way of life is Dharma or in a Ambedkarite language Dhamma. Yes, Babasaheb Ambedkar insisted dalits to follow Buddhism to get success in life in their own self respectful way. However, dalits still go to temples, stands outside, takes "prasada of untouchability" then comes back and continue to live their life of servitude. Question is how long this to continue? Have no sense of self respect or self reliance? To make his people avoid standing outside the temples Babasaheb Ambedkar converted into Buddhism. But we?
To summarise, We Dalits should not forgot education that also compulsory education up to graduation level. We should start our own business cult. Not in the main city. Let us begin in our own streets such that allowing not others to come to our streets and went away with our money. Lastly, to follow Buddha Dhamma.
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#Buddhism #education #business
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