dalitquest

This is one of my long pending cherished desires to have a dalit web-site for the quest from the dalit outlook. I wanted its creation participated by me.

Monday, April 18, 2005

3. THE STAKE OF DALITS AND BACKWARD CLASSES IN THE HOAX OF PRIVATISATION

THE DEBATE AROUND PRIVATE OR PUBLIC
AND CONSIDERATION OF
FEW STRATEGIC ISSUES OF
REAL ENTREPRENEURAL PROMOTION


The governments have made a mockery of this debate. It is indisputable that the private, independent and indigenous entrepreneur is to be encouraged and promoted. The economy can grow only in such form in the formation phase. The possible most energies and resources are to be mobilized which can’t be simply handled by the public sector under the government.

But what is going on in the name of promoting competition, triggering challenges to public sector that has become idle or white elephant ? (If it has become so also for what reasons it has become so, how systematically it was sabotaged by the same people in the powers who are now parroting these words, and finally did the public sector really become so hopeless or is it only some failures which are blown up to these dimensions are all the issues to be studied. Be cautioned that a simple straight rejection of public sector is too hopeless in the wake of the giant and successful railways, various state road transport corporations, communications, petroleum, heavy machinery, etc. First of all their sustenance is to be answered to prove the failure of public sector even if they have been facing/experiencing severe back-stabs by the very heads of the organizations in these sectors. So, it needs caution and it is a matter of minimum sensibility to show restrain in blindly commenting against public sector.)

The hitherto areas of operation of public sector are cruelly handed over to private sector. Moving a step ahead the very resources and assets of public sector are passed on to the private sector. There is no development in or through this. What happens is only that huge amounts of money changes hands under the tables. The vulgar entrepreneur (A pure trader and dalal – both in spirit and practice), the corrupt bureaucrats and politicians gain and make money from this spoilage and they all perform the funeral to industry and economy without even recalling what they spoke so loudly about the industrial growth before passing on the assets of public sector to private sector. What is going on in this name of promoting private sector is only a loot of public money (the hitherto accumulated assets of public sectors, the treasuries of lending financial institutions where a huge and vast number of small and medium customers have deposited and saved their money), of public resources ( the government lands and the expertise in the government service sectors and research and educational institutions ).

Then the question is what is the true and genuine promotion to private sector. The straight answer is encouraging the private, independent and genuine entrepreneur. There must be effective measures to promote also such entrepreneurs.


The mere relaxation of the domination and hegemony of the feudal lords has unleashed legions of agro-entrepreneurs in the rural agricultural sector and agro-based small scale and house hold industry in the rural and semi-urban locations enveloped by the rural areas. They are tiding across many odds and are striving to survive and grow. We see a striking apathy, blind-eye, of the ruling junta towards the great progressive phenomena.

This change was effected due to many a struggles of the people at the lowest strata of the society which in turn were gained direct or indirect support of the other classes and sections of the society. Vis-à-vis, the eventual effects of the compelled modern practices introduced by the rulers also paved the way for this growth and change. The irrigation facilities, mechanization, techno-culture ( This word is to bracket all present usages in agriculture with regard to farming techniques, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, commoditisation, etc. ), improved transport, etc. and the parliamentary politics in which the Dalit and backward communities are gaining say by deriving strength from their electorate community.

The way these entrepreneurs are working hard, mobilizing the socially available suitable resources, coordinating them, pooling them, effectively planning, all and all with dedication, hard work and deep involvement with their stakes of financial and social relations is to be learnt by the urban entrepreneurs, if there are any such. Why if there are any such ? In fact there are. But such genuine persons are not given the opportunity. The dalals are given the opportunity. The corrupt bureaucrats are given the opportunity. The corrupt politician-cum-industrialist and the nexus of politicians and industrialists are given the opportunity. The existing monopoly houses are given the opportunity. All are aimed at embracing the bellies of foreign dogs – governmental and multinational. Even the huge amounts accumulated with various rural and semi-urban private finance companies through individual savings of lakhs and crores of lower-middle, middle and above middle class people is being siphoned out by the dalals just in speculative investments like cinema, real estate, share-market, etc.

Even in the urban areas a genuine entrepreneur is prepared to do all the real hard work. But the pool of resources for industrial growth have become the take it for granted playground for those betrayers of public interest and national interest. All the capital and resources that have accumulated with the government is not reachable to these genuine entrepreneurs. Instead, they are encroached upon by the nexus of betrayers. How can, then, we expect a proper growth of industry in the hands of these dalals and betrayers. Even before the industry, said to be established by them, has come into existence or started production they already had their huge loot. In such case why do they get into the ordeals of establishing a true industry and run it with a real stake. The fact is that they do not have any stake in the industry or businesses what they say as they established or want to establish. With such easy, unaccounted and huge moneys the said crooks – all of them belonging to upper castes and mostly elites among them are reinforcing the upper caste hegemony leading to further marginalisation of Dalit and Backward communities in all spheres of life.

I don’t think any examples are needed.

To correct this a political power and a political will is required. Any one alone of these two is not sufficient! It is too wrong to expect it from the bureaucracy as a voluntary idea and action except irresolutely compelled by political will.

The urban economy is not gifted with that facility of possible effects of relaxation of hitherto powers due to modernization/mechanization of agriculture. And, mind you, the rural social forces combined their rise with these changes. If this historical tuning didn’t happen it is difficult to foresee/expect on the possible outcome of agro-modernization alone.

Hence, the need of the hour is the acquisition, growth and expansion of such development – both industry and agriculture – oriented political power, all with the necessary political will.

2. MISSION AND VISION

THE MISSION

The Indian context of this world throws a serious challenge for all the special fields in socilogical sciences. Probably, all the civilisations of various other countries have much to share and learn from each other. But the Indian scenario with its long and rigid social structure based on heirarchical caste order with no less complicated horizontal division has to work and rework without this comfort on the question of democracy. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar alone has set that path and that path alone spearheads the true quest for Indian Democracy. The definitions to social history of Marx and of the truly Marxist Point of View thereafter contain too less detail, except the basic, fundamental and the most glorious historical materialism to adopt any theoretical working principles for the Indian context. It needs to be underlined that all the applicants of Marxism with their upper casteist views have vulgarised and are still vulgarising it. Marxism needs to be revisited from Ambedkarism - the dalit perspective and the sole Indian democratic perspective. So the quest continues. This web-site is to serve the need of dalits to know and project all kinds of dalit views, news and info on rights and resources, etc. without any technical mediation and delay, with the greatest ease and as vastly as possible.

THE VISION

The widely spread out activities of dalits and dalit activists need further coordination. The advent of information technology can't be simply ignored to be kept in disuse even by us - the dalits, the section that has the least access. Though very limited but substantial access combined with the effectiveness in exchange of information and views this form of the media is expected to add to our strength. With ever increasing better and effective features - thought over by all activists with some technical exposure or with regular and intense connection with the site - it is hoped that this platform would become evolove as a powerful link for all. To start with, a very small group would coordinate for the views, news and info and would keep updating the site. Ahead the days, as the participants increase in number and spread, it is planned to add the feature of open space for all. This open space too would be increased and also categorised as the days come. The formation of various groups based on volitions - like music, art, theatre, etc. and based on professions - like teaching, medicine, legal, design, etc. is also planned down the line. Expert incharges for various specialisations would add to the strength for summarisation of various views on divergent issues pouring in. The summaries would help the non-members of the specific group for an overall view. Even this expertise need not be static personal. Again from the groups itself that can rotate or more than one expert summarisations also can be deployed. It is also one of the defined services of this site, that as much information as possible on the statutory rights and resources for dalits is also deployed with proper categorisation for easy search. Finally, the need for someone as the permanent coordinator is to be eliminated with the emergence of many coordinators with strength, stuff, discipline, initiative, etc. to serve the ever increasing common visitors and participants.