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Loose talker General VK Singh’s controversial ramblings tell that he doesn’t put much thought into words
In October, soon after the Faridabad incident where two Dalit children were burnt to death, Union Minister General VK Singh made an atrociously insensitive comment. He said that stray incidents of violence in local constituencies cannot be the primary concern of the central government. Belittling the heinous caste crime, he almost compared the incident as being similar to a dog being pelted with stones. The utterances of General Singh have once again enhanced public perception of the ruling dispensation as being intolerant and insensitive.
The Faridabad incident was terrible and tragic. It had all the trappings of an upper caste violence that has stalked the Dalits for several centuries, if not more. A house was set on fire and two small kids were burnt alive, the mother struggling to stay alive, the father beaten and in a state of shock and despair. In the developed world, that the Prime Minister visits every other week, such an incident would have provoked a sense of horror and shame, inviting universal condemnation. But India is, in the description of BR Ambedkar, a society embedded in inequalities invoking a social milieu marked by the worst forms of hostilities and antagonisms. As a nation, such violence is a recurring phenomenon in our post-independence history. Unsurprisingly, we can only lament at the immense gulf that separates and distinguishes our efforts at internalising modernity in comparison with those other ‘superpowers’ who we desire to rub shoulders with.
There was no apparent reason for the retired General to even think about this incident as he is not a political representative from the state of Haryana, where this incident took place. He was travelling in his constituency in Uttar Pradesh and made the comment out of no where. The only possible reason being that he belongs to the same caste as the perpetrators of this gruesome violence. Notwithstanding what triggered his now infamous sound byte, it has no doubt provided occasion for news channels to invite sections of the political elite to attack each other in what has now become a persistent feature of TV news in this country. In the name of debate, such performances effectively function to depoliticise the political, by either rendering it sensational or deflecting public opinion. Dalits will no doubt continue to face the wrath of upper caste violence as will the minorities continue to suffer the brutalities of majoritarian politics. In its defence, the government can only retort with an arrogance and brazenness saying that the situation was no better or even worse under the previous regime. Meanwhile, the atmosphere of intolerance continues and all sorts of so called ‘fringe’ elements have decided to assert and impose their version of Indian culture on the rest of the nation.
Why has VK Singh’s ‘sound byte’ produced such a political stir among Dalits and other sections of civil society? The analogy he made was an ill begotten one, ensuring that it was available to multiple readings. Hindu mythology has many references to dogs. In Wendy Doniger’s book The Hindus: An Alternative History, which was banned following pressure from various Hindutva groups, there are as many as 91 dog references. So, canines hold importance in not only Hindu religious books, but also in the everyday imaginations of Indians including General Singh’s. Notwithstanding his long tenure in the armed forces, his remark only places a question mark on the civic credentials of all of us who inhabit public institutions. If anything, one must be extremely cautious in emphasising the secular credentials of our institutions questioning the extent to which we have truly internalised the civil and secular ethos of a modern society. Ambedkar was correct in stressing that our inability to overcome caste as a modern nation would continue to make us deeply suspicious and distrustful of each other. Our loyalties would never extend beyond our primary socialisation. We would be a nation perpetually fragmented and at war with itself.
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So what are the imaginings related to dogs in the Hindu mythology that have a bearing on our everyday lives? Hinduism is based on two dogmas or beliefs: the transmigration of the Atma (soul) and the related Karma doctrine of compensation or punishment in the next birth. If you behave nicely, you will enter the womb of an upper Varna woman or get released from the cycle of rebirth entirely and find Moksha. But if someone does not follow the Dharma of his Varna, he can expect to enter a womb of a dog or a pig or a snake. Many animals are associated with this philosophy of reincarnation, but ‘good’ animals such as cows and horses are not in that list. So, a sage or priest can curse someone by saying– Agle janm men kutta banoge (you will become dog in your next life).
In the 13th century, a Telugu text called Vijnaneshvaramu mentions that if a Brahmin commits a crime deserving capital punishment, his head should be shaved and his forehead marked with the sign of a dog’s paw. Unlike western societies where the dog is man’s best friend, in Indian society the dog is a lowly, impure creature. This, however, is the 21st century, when many Indians believe that time has come to realise our true potential. How can this be achieved with a consciousness animated with perversions that brutalise both animals and human beings? How can we be a truly modern society with a consciousness of caste that is so profoundly anti-modern? The General’s condition best epitomises this dilemma, modernity wears thinly on our being, beneath the veneer of civility we continue to practice caste as if it were our birth right. Caste antagonism, hatred and perversion surface at the slightest provocation. What the General’s sound byte represents is not a concern with governance, but rather an expression of the natural attitude that has completely internalised a consciousness of caste that we are not even aware of when we insult and humiliate our fellow beings. It is a condition of normalcy especially when practiced by the upper castes on the Dalits.
There can be no escaping the fact that under the present government, such a condition of normalcy has acquired a heightened pitch. It becomes all the more threatening for democracy when the rule of law is disregarded in the name of majoritarian sentiments.
What is becoming increasingly clear with every passing day is that the present government is backtracking on its promised development agenda. Its model of growth is clearly one that is unable to produce employment on the desired scale. The resentment grows, not only in Lutyens Delhi, but everywhere in the country. Even dominant castes are now showing signs of unease and unrest. Dalits and minorities are the worst hit given the growing intolerance and insensitivity of a majoritarianism that is repeatedly threatening not only our rich cultural diversity, but also the very foundations of our constitutional democracy.
Rather than blame previous regimes for the present ills, it may be useful for the government to turn its gaze inwards with the critical intent of assessing the capabilities of its members, both fringe and mainstream, in the practice of democracy.
Notwithstanding their democratic victory, what is now on public display is a clear deficit of democratic sentiments where respect for human rights is being replaced by the diktats of majoritarianism. There can be no doubt that Indian democracy will outlive the present moment of gloom and doom as it has so often done in the past. The humiliation of Dalits in this manner may appear normal for the General and his likes. However, it may be worthwhile to ponder over the fact that in a democracy dogs too will have their day. Elsewhere in the country, the General’s sound byte may prove to be fatal for the present ruling class.
editor@tehelka.com
Loose talker General VK Singh’s controversial ramblings tell that he doesn’t put much thought into words
In October, soon after the Faridabad incident where two Dalit children were burnt to death, Union Minister General VK Singh made an atrociously insensitive comment. He said that stray incidents of violence in local constituencies cannot be the primary concern of the central government. Belittling the heinous caste crime, he almost compared the incident as being similar to a dog being pelted with stones. The utterances of General Singh have once again enhanced public perception of the ruling dispensation as being intolerant and insensitive.
The Faridabad incident was terrible and tragic. It had all the trappings of an upper caste violence that has stalked the Dalits for several centuries, if not more. A house was set on fire and two small kids were burnt alive, the mother struggling to stay alive, the father beaten and in a state of shock and despair. In the developed world, that the Prime Minister visits every other week, such an incident would have provoked a sense of horror and shame, inviting universal condemnation. But India is, in the description of BR Ambedkar, a society embedded in inequalities invoking a social milieu marked by the worst forms of hostilities and antagonisms. As a nation, such violence is a recurring phenomenon in our post-independence history. Unsurprisingly, we can only lament at the immense gulf that separates and distinguishes our efforts at internalising modernity in comparison with those other ‘superpowers’ who we desire to rub shoulders with.
There was no apparent reason for the retired General to even think about this incident as he is not a political representative from the state of Haryana, where this incident took place. He was travelling in his constituency in Uttar Pradesh and made the comment out of no where. The only possible reason being that he belongs to the same caste as the perpetrators of this gruesome violence. Notwithstanding what triggered his now infamous sound byte, it has no doubt provided occasion for news channels to invite sections of the political elite to attack each other in what has now become a persistent feature of TV news in this country. In the name of debate, such performances effectively function to depoliticise the political, by either rendering it sensational or deflecting public opinion. Dalits will no doubt continue to face the wrath of upper caste violence as will the minorities continue to suffer the brutalities of majoritarian politics. In its defence, the government can only retort with an arrogance and brazenness saying that the situation was no better or even worse under the previous regime. Meanwhile, the atmosphere of intolerance continues and all sorts of so called ‘fringe’ elements have decided to assert and impose their version of Indian culture on the rest of the nation.
Why has VK Singh’s ‘sound byte’ produced such a political stir among Dalits and other sections of civil society? The analogy he made was an ill begotten one, ensuring that it was available to multiple readings. Hindu mythology has many references to dogs. In Wendy Doniger’s book The Hindus: An Alternative History, which was banned following pressure from various Hindutva groups, there are as many as 91 dog references. So, canines hold importance in not only Hindu religious books, but also in the everyday imaginations of Indians including General Singh’s. Notwithstanding his long tenure in the armed forces, his remark only places a question mark on the civic credentials of all of us who inhabit public institutions. If anything, one must be extremely cautious in emphasising the secular credentials of our institutions questioning the extent to which we have truly internalised the civil and secular ethos of a modern society. Ambedkar was correct in stressing that our inability to overcome caste as a modern nation would continue to make us deeply suspicious and distrustful of each other. Our loyalties would never extend beyond our primary socialisation. We would be a nation perpetually fragmented and at war with itself.
</p
Page 2 of 2
So what are the imaginings related to dogs in the Hindu mythology that have a bearing on our everyday lives? Hinduism is based on two dogmas or beliefs: the transmigration of the Atma (soul) and the related Karma doctrine of compensation or punishment in the next birth. If you behave nicely, you will enter the womb of an upper Varna woman or get released from the cycle of rebirth entirely and find Moksha. But if someone does not follow the Dharma of his Varna, he can expect to enter a womb of a dog or a pig or a snake. Many animals are associated with this philosophy of reincarnation, but ‘good’ animals such as cows and horses are not in that list. So, a sage or priest can curse someone by saying– Agle janm men kutta banoge (you will become dog in your next life).
In the 13th century, a Telugu text called Vijnaneshvaramu mentions that if a Brahmin commits a crime deserving capital punishment, his head should be shaved and his forehead marked with the sign of a dog’s paw. Unlike western societies where the dog is man’s best friend, in Indian society the dog is a lowly, impure creature. This, however, is the 21st century, when many Indians believe that time has come to realise our true potential. How can this be achieved with a consciousness animated with perversions that brutalise both animals and human beings? How can we be a truly modern society with a consciousness of caste that is so profoundly anti-modern? The General’s condition best epitomises this dilemma, modernity wears thinly on our being, beneath the veneer of civility we continue to practice caste as if it were our birth right. Caste antagonism, hatred and perversion surface at the slightest provocation. What the General’s sound byte represents is not a concern with governance, but rather an expression of the natural attitude that has completely internalised a consciousness of caste that we are not even aware of when we insult and humiliate our fellow beings. It is a condition of normalcy especially when practiced by the upper castes on the Dalits.
There can be no escaping the fact that under the present government, such a condition of normalcy has acquired a heightened pitch. It becomes all the more threatening for democracy when the rule of law is disregarded in the name of majoritarian sentiments.
What is becoming increasingly clear with every passing day is that the present government is backtracking on its promised development agenda. Its model of growth is clearly one that is unable to produce employment on the desired scale. The resentment grows, not only in Lutyens Delhi, but everywhere in the country. Even dominant castes are now showing signs of unease and unrest. Dalits and minorities are the worst hit given the growing intolerance and insensitivity of a majoritarianism that is repeatedly threatening not only our rich cultural diversity, but also the very foundations of our constitutional democracy.
Rather than blame previous regimes for the present ills, it may be useful for the government to turn its gaze inwards with the critical intent of assessing the capabilities of its members, both fringe and mainstream, in the practice of democracy.
Notwithstanding their democratic victory, what is now on public display is a clear deficit of democratic sentiments where respect for human rights is being replaced by the diktats of majoritarianism. There can be no doubt that Indian democracy will outlive the present moment of gloom and doom as it has so often done in the past. The humiliation of Dalits in this manner may appear normal for the General and his likes. However, it may be worthwhile to ponder over the fact that in a democracy dogs too will have their day. Elsewhere in the country, the General’s sound byte may prove to be fatal for the present ruling class.
editor@tehelka.com
