I have delayed this post because I had some trepidations of how reactions would be to something that involves questions about caste and that too about the scheduled castes. I wish I was not so political about my life but it seems that I am. As a preface to what I have to say I will quote Steven Spielberg. This is not a verbatim quote but more a paraphrased recollection of what he once very famously said. After the success of "Saving Private Ryan" (a movie that has moved me to streaming tears every time I have seen it) Spielberg was asked about his motivation behind the making of such a film. To that he said that he wanted the present generation of people to remember that their present is secure because it is built on the sacrifices of this generation's forefathers and especially during the two World Wars. A very profound thing to say and this is true even in the Indian context since the Independence of this country has been a result of a selfless sacrifice of an entire generation (maybe many) of Indian people. But today we seem to have no sense of proportion of the nature and magnitude of sacrifice made by our preceding generations and that is why we shamelessly quarrel over territory and other identities.
Let me get to the point that I am trying to make. I am bemused by the senseless and thoughtless actions of my brothers in this part of the world. The issue of Telangana has now been vitiated by considerations of caste more than anything else. I have posted about that in the past. The talk of "dorala Telangana" (Telangana of the feudal landlords) versus "prajala Telangana" (Telangana of the people) has been on for sometime now. The naivette (or is that maliciousness) of leaders seems to have no end. I have asked before and I have asked again as to how an agitation for a separate Telangana can be seen as a freedom movement and how you can treat people of your country and region as enemies. Are there no people belonging to the scheduled castes and tribes and other backward classes in Andhra and Rayalseema? Why should not people fight casteism instead of asking for a separate region and then try to neuter the power of the upper castes? I still have no answer to this question. Equally important is the fact that there are contradictory tendencies in the articulation of region and caste questions. The brother belonging to the Madiga caste want a division of the State of Andhra Pradesh and in the list of Scheduled castes. My Mala brethren do not wish to have the latter division but are game for the former kind of division. It is not as if there are no intellectuals in these groupings. They have a rich tradition of them. I am utterly confused by the intellectuals also towing the line of the political opportunists. Where is the question of building a society based in equality and a nation based in integrity in the discourse of a separate Telangana and a social justice Telangana? Is there no deliverance from social evils and only the furtherance of particular political gains? Have we become incapable of seeing ourselves as Indians rationally and are we just caught up in the jingoism of a politics based in the pursuit of meaningless identities?
When India became independent, the British said that the nation wouldn't last for more than five years. We have lasted sixty three years. Good so far. But the pursuit of fissiparous tendencies and vision less politics could mean that the British prediction may come true even though it will not be true in the timelines proposed. Are we going to throw away the freedom given to us by the sacrifice of our preceding generations? Are we going to divide ourselves so that someone else can yet again come and rule us? I don't feel too confident about the future. Do we do something about this or do we say que sera sera?
P.S. Not proof read. Mistakes may please be excused.
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