Chandrabhan Prasad – the casteist or realist or confused ?

CBP - Chandrabhan Prasad,a Pioneer columnist on dalit issues wants dalits to give up the demand for equality and aspire for equality of opportunity.

“Can Dalits and non-Dalits be equally placed in all the spheres - be it political power, asset ownership pattern and knowledge? Or, can all individuals irrespective of their social roots and abilities be equally affluent and powerful. Can, within Dalits, all be equally placed in all the spheres of public existence?” he says.

But here he is not talking about inequality at all! What he is talking about is that the “equality of outcome” can not be guaranteed. He is not talking about equality. Then goes on to say that equality is not possible!

But he should understand that by equality we mean that all the individuals are treated with equal respect and dignity which is the hall mark of all the developed economies. It has nothing to do with the equality of outcome. Sure either he is confused or he just there because of compassion of upper caste and has to act as their stooge (sorry, man correct me if I am wrong.)

According to him the demand for equality is delusional and does not fit into any known social logic The known social logic depends upon structure of society. The society in India is caste based and results in pre-determined inequalities. So the dalits should ask for only equality of opportunity. Well, Chandrabhan Prasad got his job as columnist because somebody of white color expressed his surprise over the non-existence of a dalit columnist. So to save the face the Pioneer Newspaper decided to employ him as Journalist and thus came a mascot for Indian Media. Look he is the dalit columnist and only one. The Indian Media does not discriminate against anybody. As a mark towards their commitment to non-discrimination, nobody else is chosen for such purpose in any other newspapers. Thus the opinion of white man weighed considerably in his favor. He should have come through a system of affirmative action which is not applicable to Media. Thus he should not have been there but for the weightiness of a white man and compassion of Management of Pioneer.

“why should Dalits aspire for something which doesn't fit into any form of known social logic?” says CBP.

Does the social logic allows dalits to be columnists? Certainly no.

Anyway he says that asking for equality is delusional because it is not available. He is right because the upper castes are not prepared to concede equality. It does not fit into their social logic. All the social logics are derived from unequal caste system, so naturally none of them will give equality to lower caste people. As else where I have said that caste is still the unofficial system of India.

The only social logic available to untouchables is that they have to live with inequality and live at the mercy of Mai Baap upper castes. Here in fact CBP is admitting the strength of caste system. The caste system seems to be impenetrable. He is admitting his defeat. Actually he his behaving much like the Communists, whom he hates most, that the caste is not worthwhile to be objected to. Looks like that both of them say that economic prosperity will make the caste insignificant. He does not see an Indian society based on equality, mutual respect and dignity. What it means is a continuation of society based on inequality, contempt and hate.

But then what is the way out ? First he confuses between equality and equality of outcome then he espouses the equality of opportunity and then goes on to suggest affirmative action. The affirmative action brings into picture the power of state. Why should state interfere if it does not believe in equality? The equality is denied by the society but not by the state. The very fact that he is arguing in favor of affirmative action means that equality of opportunity does not exist. He is asking for non-existence thing. When implemented the affirmative action results in inequalities of opportunities for upper castes.

The principle of equal dignity and respect is foreign to Indian society. In the absence of equality and mutual respect the Indian society will again degenerate where equality of opportunity is not available to everyone but to a privileged few based on superior birth.