Dalit leaders Athawale, Paswan, Mayawati etc mainly to be blamed for doing drama of protecting ‘Dalit’ interest. As per the age-old practice in Hindu India, another ‘Dalit’, the oppressed from Schedule Caste (SC) & Schedule Tribe (ST) is beaten to death and his wife seriously injured this time in the State of Gujarat as widely reported in media also at https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/’Dalit’-man-in-rajkot-beaten-to-death-on-orders-of-a-factory-owner-1237684-2018-05-21
But main blame should go to the leadership of ‘Dalits’ (like Ramdas Athawale, Ramvilas Paswan, Mayawati etc) who not only have been enjoying offices in the name of ‘Dalits’ as ministers in the governments of States and at Centre but also lead political parties in the name of ‘Dalits’ [Ramdas Athawale leads RPI (A), Ramvilas Paswan leads Lok Janshakti Parti, Mayawati leads Bahujan Samaj Party etc]. The ‘Dalits’ & their leaders do not understand the basic fact of life that - trying for economic uplift of ‘Dalits’ without first their social & spiritual uplift, is like putting cart before horse.
This was the reason that I suggested to ‘Dalits’ (and even to BC & OBC though they have little better social status in Hindu order than ‘Dalits’) and their leaders that they should convert to Jainism (which unlike Hinduism does not have hierarchy of caste system) and which will boost their social & spiritual status in India as mentioned at https://www.alwihdainfo.com/’Dalit’s-OBC-should-stop-getting-oppressed-discriminated-against-rather-convert-to-Jainism_a63277.html OR http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/detail.php?articleid=3127
There are other no-hierarchical religions (like Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity) in India which have considerable following and to which ‘Dalits’ can theoretically covert. But practically the religious leadership of these religions have shown no interest in converting ‘Dalits’ to their fold as given below:-
“[(i)- In Islam the Indian Muslims are so demoralized that they so-far have not moved Supreme Court for the restoration of status-quo-ante of Babri Masjid which was demolished by Hindutva forces in presence of observer of Supreme Court in December 1992. With the result communal Hindutva forces got emboldened hence indulged in massacre of thousands of innocent Muslims, including at Gujarat in 2002.
(ii)- The Christianity has reduced itself to a religion mainly interested in white Europeans and Christians of European origin and do not take interest in suffering of Christians in other areas whether in black NAME region or in brown India (where despite fundamental right to religion in the name of conversion, the Indian Christians and their religious leaders have been harassed and killed by majority community, the Hindus).
(iii)- As far Sikhism, after 1984 massacre of Sikhs in Delhi (in the aftermath of killing of former Prime Minister in office, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, by her Sikh body-guards after military operation ‘Blue Star’ in Golden Temple) the Sikhism has gone in its shell.
(iv)- In Buddhism the ‘Dalit’s (including their icon Dr. Ambedkar) have been trying to go but it has neither been able to take remaining ‘Dalits’ in its fold nor has been able to give them the promise of better social & spiritual life.]”
The Jainism & its religious leaders are also not very promising for ‘‘Dalits’ about these matters. But I still recommended Jainism for hundreds of millions of ‘Dalit’s (and even for BC & OBC) because I submit humbly that I can and will see to it that these coverts do not face unnecessary hurdle in getting assimilated in Jainism and with existing Jains.
After said published article, when some ‘Dalit’ leaders asked me whether Jainism will accept the ‘Dalits’ in its fold, I talked to many Jains in India and through them contacted Jain ‘Munis’ (Saints) for carrying out this conversion.
One such prominent Jain Muni is Tarun Sagarji Maharaj presently at Delhi. After clarifying three issues raised by Muni Maharaj (through his close disciples) about ‘roti’ (taking food together), ‘beti’ (marriage of children between old and new converted Jains) and worship in temple by old Jains with new converted Jains, Muni Tarun Sagarji Maharaj is (as told to me by these close disciples) ready for this conversion. Other Jain Munis said that if prominent Muni Tarun Sagarji Maharaj starts this conversion then other Muni Maharaj in rest of India will also carry out this conversion of the willing ‘Dalits’ who want to progress socially and spiritually through Jainism.
These close disciple of Muni Tarun Sagarji Maharaj also told me to bring the leaders of ‘Dalits’ for detail discussion about the program of conversion because before conversion some code of conduct for reasonable time (about non-violent life, vegetarianism, no-drinking alcohol etc) will be prescribed and only those who are found to be true to these and other basic principles of Jainism will be allowed to convert to Jainism.
So-far ‘Dalits’ & their leadership have not responded adequately to this offer of Jainism to the ‘Dalits’ to convert them in Jainism. But if ‘Dalits’ and their leadership want to avoid said and similar events of ‘Dalit’ oppression and social humiliation then they should come forward to get themselves converted to Jainism all across India.