Ravan challenges Mohan Bhagwat to an open debate on reservation ! Dalit group Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad on Tuesday challenged RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to an open debate on the issue of reservation and asserted that a discussion should instead be held on the abolition of caste system which, he said, has “hollowed out” the country.

Ravan  challenges Mohan Bhagwat to an open debate on reservation ! 

Dalit group Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad on Tuesday challenged RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to an open debate on the issue of reservation and asserted that a discussion should instead be held on the abolition of caste system which, he said, has “hollowed out” the country.

By: www.hindustantimes.com Posted On: August 21, 2019 View: 17

Bhim Army leader challenges Mohan Bhagwat to an open debate on reservation

Dalit group Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad on Tuesday challenged RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to an open debate on the issue of reservation and asserted that a discussion should instead be held on the abolition of caste system which, he said, has “hollowed out” the country.

He claimed that 54 per cent of the people belonging to Scheduled Castes do not own any land in the country, while a particular caste dominates and enjoys all privileges.

“He (Bhagwat) wants the issue to be discussed among those who are against reservation. I challenge him to hold a debate in front of the media and all concerned. We want to tell people about all that we (Dalits) have suffered because of the caste system. He should come armed with all statistics,” Chandrashekhar said.

“Seventy-three years after Independence, 54 per cent Dalits don’t own any land... By calling for a discussion of the reservation system, the RSS has showed its anti-Dalit mindset,” he said.

Chandrashekhar said if Bhagwat gives a call for abolishing the caste system, the Bhim Army will support it.

“The caste system has hollowed out the country. Bhagwat should hold discussion on it instead,” he said.

The Dalit group chief said the community will take to streets if the government tried scrapping the reservation system.

“The Dalit community cannot be considered weak anymore. We are ready to face any challenge. We will hit back,” he warned. Referring to the revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution, he said, “This time we won’t speak up after they have taken a decision (on reservation). This time, we will take to the streets before they can do anything.” At an event on Sunday, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Bhagwat said that there should be a conversation in harmonious atmosphere between those who are in favour of reservation and those against it.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text)

Bhim Army : set to expand base in Karnataka ,

Bhim Army set to expand base in Karnataka 

Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Raavan’   | Photo Credit: G_P_Sampath Kumar

Bhim Army set to expand base in State

Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Raavan’, the fiery Dalit activist from Uttar Pradesh who shot to fame when he was arrested under National Security Act in 2017, is set to expand base to Karnataka. The organisation he heads, Bhim Army, has already formed committees in most districts of the State. It is planning a mega rally in Bidar soon. The organisation already has a presence in 22 States.

Though Karnataka has had a long history of the Dalit movement, it has rarely had a radical one on the lines of the Bhim Army. However, Mr. Azad seems keen on changing this. “I have come here to sow the seeds of a radical Dalit struggle. In the next six months, you will hear the loud voice of Dalits on the streets of this State. It is our right that we are asking for and like Ambedkar told us, we won’t get anything without a struggle,” he told The Hindu.

Mr. Azad made an unscheduled visit to Devanahalli on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday to participate in a protest against an alleged Dalit atrocity case and police inaction. 

“I have heard that police action in cases of atrocities in the State has been found wanting. Legally, we can seek to prosecute officers who are partisan in atrocity cases. We will soon take up such cases and file complaints against such officers,” he said.

One of the first organisational moves of the Bhim Army would be to start ‘Bhim Schools’ across the State – evening classes, holiday schools – that cater to Bahujan sections of society that are out of schooling, or even supplement formal schooling.

“Bhim Army runs 1,700 such schools in Uttar Pradesh today. These schools teach English and also impart political education to inculcate a Dalit consciousness among students,” he said.

On the issue of medium of instruction, he said there was now a divide between poor students forced to learn in the local language, while the rich learned English. “English is the road to liberation and English needs to be taught mandatorily in all government schools. Teaching English is one of the main features of Bhim Schools,” he said.

Electoral politics

The organisation, Mr. Azad said, is a dilemma over whether it should remain a social movement or turn to electoral politics. Mr. Azad announced his candidature against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in 2019, but later withdrew. “We are not averse to electoral politics. We will take a call on the issue at a later stage based on what is good for the movement,” he said. 

By : K . V . Aditya Bharadwaj / Bengaluru / Aug 16/2019