The suicide of Phd student Rohith Vemula of Hyderabad Central University sparked widespread protest and outrage across the country. As protests gained momentum and spread across campuses, it is baffling and disturbing that in Kerala, which prides itself of being the genetic centre of many revolutions, no student organisations or political outfits have even taken out a token protest against this.
The silence and indifference shown by socio-political outfits and neo revolutionaries, who vocally speak about keeping the fire of revolution burning from every nook and corner of streets, is indeed regretful and condemnable.
It can only be said that the caste-based intolerance and untouchability, which are deep rooted in their minds, are the reasons behind this silence.
The brotherhood and equality, which formed the basis of social life in Kerala till the eighth century, collapsed following the arrival of Aryans.
Buddhism and Jainism, which was prevalent in Kerala during the Sanga age, were violently wiped out by the Aryan culture.
There is ample evidence of this in history books.
The spokesmen of caste system, who vociferously criticise the reservations now prevalent in education and job sector, should understand that for the last 2000 years they were enjoying total privileges in education, job and power sectors.
There was ancient law which said that molten lead should be poured into ears of Shudras who hear Vedas and Shastras and that the tongues of Shudras who learn these should be cut.
A system was prevalent in Kerala till two centuries ago where people belonging to backward classes were brought and sold like cattle.
It was the great social reformer Ayyankali who took out a march for wresting freedom of movement for the oppressed people in 1889. The `Villuvandi Yatra’ in 1883 protesting against the dominance of upper caste and the century old strike by farmers for opening school which began in 1904 were some of the protests which paved for the backward classes getting their right to education.
It was during this period that saw a uprising of the backward classes in Kerala under Sree Narayana Guru’s motto: “Being a good individual is what matters, not his religion” (Mathamethayalum Manushyan Nannayal Mathi).
It is pertinent to ask why education is denied to Dalits at a time when the Indian constitution, which was written primarily due to of Dr. Ambedkar’s intellectual power, is still relevant.
The fact that even 68 years after getting independence, in India, the Dalits still have to resort to protests and are forced to commit suicides for getting their rights to education.
It is a shock to the collective conscience of the world and unbecoming of a developed society. It is hard to understand why intellectuals, literary figures, social leaders, political leaders in Kerala are feigning sleep on the issue.
Why is that student and youth parties in Kerala are indifferent? It seems they don’t have time to see suffering and tears of common man in their blind quest for vote banks or is it because they still haven’t freed themselves from the deep rooted communal and caste based untouchability which is prevalent in the society?