H. R Phonsa
The struggle for equality of status and opportunity for the Shudra, Ati Shudra, and Untouchables is as old as the history of Hinduism, claimed to be one of the oldest religions of the world. The inter religious, inter country and inter society domination struggle and hate is seen world over. But hate with in a religion for their own religion people is practiced only in Hindus. The Hindus were divided into four segments under the Hindu Religious laws each having no meeting point, despite the facts that they belonged to the same religion. The Hindus laid claims to possess most ancient knowledge books of the world, but show no mercy towards their religious downtrodden brethren. The fourth segment of the Hindus named Shudras( both untouchable S/C’s ,ST’s and touchable OBC’s)were forbidden to mix with other upper segments called Brahmins (Learned), Khatriyas (warriors) and Vaishs ( Business, farming persons). Each set of segregated peoples belonging to Hindus were governed by different set of rules having strict religious sanctions under Hindu Religious code “Manu Smiriti”, proclaimed to have Divine sanction. In these codes& stories devised from time to time to suit needs of Upper castes, untouchables were degraded to standards even below than that of animals. The dogs, the cats, the snakes, the crows the cows could enter houses of the Upper Caste Hindus but not Untouchables. Birds and animals cold take water from the village tanks and bathe there but not the untouchables untouchable humans. This continued for centuries and all Merciful Hindu Gods & Goddesses equipped with all types of dreaded weapons did not come to the rescue of the helpless and weak Untouchables, although untouchables too worshiped them with full devotion. The Hindus show lip service to all humanity but practically work for the welfare of the dominating upper castes. If anybody raised any alarm against this in- human treatment to their fellow men, he was done away with.
Revered Kanshi Ram belonged to Hindu untouchable caste named Chamar ,who had convered to Sikhism. In India the chamras had nearly 1156 sub castes in 1891AD and were spread all over India. As per the 1911 Indian censes the population of Brahmins stood at number one and Chamars at number two, where as Rajputs stood at number three. Even now chamars are substantial in numbers in all parts of India. Saints like Guru Ravidas, Guru Maluk Das, Guru Ghasidas Chokhamela, brave martyrs of Sikh History like Bhai Jiwan Singh Rangreta, Amar Shaheed Udham Singh, great politicians like Mangoram Magowalia, K.R Narayana, D.Sanjiyya, Babu Jagjivan Lal Behan Mayawati and many more belong to Chamars. In J and K State Babu Milkhi Ram, Babu Parmanand, Jagjivan Lal, Tilak Raj Atri, Chaman Lal Banal,many eminent doctors, engineers, social, political and administrative peers are from Chamars. In Indian Parliament and Vidhan Sabha Chamars are present in large number even now. Present day saints from Chamar communities have large followings. Many Chamars have spread all over world countries proving their worth of head and heart.
Sahib Shri Kanshi Ram was born on 15th March, 1934, to revered Shri Hari Singh father and mother Shrimati Bishan Kour of village Khawaspur ( Pirthipur Banga) in Rupnagar District of Punjab State. He was one of the seven children of his parents. In his family, he was the only graduate with B. Sc degree. He joined service in High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), then became part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Pune. During his tenure in the DRDO in 1965 he joined the agitation started by SCEWASTAMB (All India Federation of Scheduled Caste/Tribes Backward Class and Minorities Employees Welfare Associations) of Government of India to prevent the abolition of a holiday commemorating B. R Ambedkar’s birthday. It was after he joined the struggle against the abolition of Ambedkar’s birthday as a holiday, in 1965, that his career in the fight for the oppressed communities started. Here he came in contact with one Dheema Vana, a suspended class IV Dalit employee of his office and B. D Khobragade another Dalit luminary who demanded Holiday on the birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar. Dheema Vana had a stanch faith and love for Dr. Ambedkar. Taking cues from Dheema Vana and B. D Khobragade Kanshi Ram studied the entire caste system and the works of Ambedkar closely. It is said he read “Annihilation Of Caste” several times in single night preparing grounds to help the oppressed rise from the ditches they were tossed into. He then resigned from service to carry forward, the mission of uniting millions of Dalits, bond them through brotherhood bonds reminding them of their centuries old slavery and suffering He shook them to wake from their deep slumber so as to consolidate them into a force to be reckon with. He single handedly awakened in Dalits a sense of empowerment. He declared Dalit Samaj his family, all Dalit women his sisters and all Dalit men his brothers to escape from family life commitments and bonds he vowed to remain bachelor through out his life and not to acquire any property in his name. He bade good bye to his family, family life, family comforts for the sake of cutting slavery chains of his fellow brethren. This he kept as a Buddhist Monk’s word. He got converted to Buddhism to achieve the goal of making Dalit masses a united electoral force to acquire political power, he traveled through out the length and breath of India on his bi- cycle along with his trusted lieutenants.
Kanshi Ram was a great political, social mobilizer, he understood values of self-respect and collective wisdom of Dalit communities to gain political power and to use it to their advantage. During record breaking Bahujan Rally in Brigade ground Kolkata, the Bahujan participants were beaten mercilessly by the West Bengal Police under the command of Jyoti Basu then Chief Minister. Sahib instructed on telephone at 2 in the morning to his workers of different state to stop all trains marching towards Kolkata. Soon trains were reported stopped at different stations in different States by Bahujan volunteers, many trains reached Kolkata late by hours. Jyoti Basu telephoned Sahib in the evening at Delhi, where Sahib had returned after the rally, begged pardon for the brutal incident, in which several Karyakartas were injured, some seriously. There after Jyoti Basu arranged special trains for the Bahujan Rally participants for their return journey. Jyoti Basu worked to see that all Bahujan participants got train tickets and returned safely to their distinations.
He coined value based slogans from time to time to give directions to Dalit masses; one such was “Jiski Jitni Sankhaya Bhari, uski utni Bhagidari”. Once he was asked to explain ,why he devised the slogan of “Tilak ( Mark on fore head used by Brahmins), Traju (weighing scale used by business community) aur Talwar ( sword, used by Rajputs ,warriors), enko maro jutey char ( Give then shoe beating) ” He explained that elite class which spreads hatred, ignorance for their personnel ends, business persons ,who indulge in undue profiting, adulteration, less weighting and warrior who use force against weak and helpless need be treated with shoe beating not the one who work for the welfare of the society. He explained to his fellow men to be strong and courageous as “Only lambs are made sacrificial animals not lions”.
He was perhaps one leader, who kept his promise, proved true to his words. He lived anddied as a leader, with out any immoveable or moveable property, any bank account, house, land plot or flat in his name. To achieve his set goals, he lived as an ordinary Dalit, took meals in small hutments, wayside tabhas, slept on floor.
(To be continued)
