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(ESTD 1982) www.dalitindia.com ssc@dalitindia.com *********************************************************************** |
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Updated on 18-03-2009 AN
DALIT DISCRIMINATION IN ARTS CULTURE
MUSIC SPORTS;
ARMY
AND OTHER FORCES IN UNIFORM*
The SC&ST Dalits, have been not only discriminated, but harassed and
criminally victimised in all forms of crude violences,
but are also subjected to unimaginable atrocities exploitations oppressions and
suppressions. What totally unbearable is that,
the Dalits are not at all allowed to respond and
react. They are forced to accept the
Atrocities, as due and destined right punishments. Often, they are invariably not allowed to
even cry in pain. They are definitely
not permitted to protest, or say anything.
There had always been, in protest, lots of Dalits’ Poetry, composed and written in silence; and many
sayings written in private. Imagine
their ingenuity, in composing all those Classic Protest Songs and Sayings,
often as forms of Folklore or even Prayers to their own small gods and
goddesses in the Villages and Slums. One
has to only refer to the great work, Grama Devathalu, that means Village Deities, by the once
famous fire-band Sidharamaiah, of Bangalore
University, Karnataka, who later became a Member of the Karnataka Legislative
Council. He was appointed directly into
The Indian Society is
always on the lookout, to grab and take away what are others; be they the
animals fodder food homes land wealth women and girls, especially the
charmingly beautiful young and well built ones.
And now, the Indian Society is after the well educated and better placed
SC&ST Dalit Grooms earning a lot. Such Boys and prospective Grooms are poached
and trapped, for the poor relatively not so good looking, even ugly and spoilt,
not so much educated girls and unmarried women or the widows, from poor
dominant caste families. That,
especially for those, who are not in a position to afford to spend or pay to
marry them off, with their heavy huge dowry,
or the conventional prices offered by brides’ parents and family and the
associated big gifts.
As better prospective
educated well-employed, better-earning SC&ST Boys and Grooms are lost to
the cheap girls and women of the dominant caste hindus. Thus,
SC&ST Dalits loose, many likely good grooms for
their girls, whom generally none else marry to live with, unless the girl
herself is highly educated, better employed and earning a lot, or is extremely
good looking beautiful and very charming.
Otherwise in many cases, SC&ST Girls who are picked up for marriage
by the dominant caste hindus,
referred to generally as DCHs, are dropped when their
charm wanes. It is, invariably sooner
than later, in a matter of some months or a few years. Even otherwise, the life of such SC&ST
Girls and Women, are too miserable to narrate.
DALIT DISCRIMINATION
IN ARTS CULTURE MUSIC SPORTS;
ARMY AND OTHER
UNIFORMED SERVICES
ARTS
The SCs&STs as Native People bonded to the Earth,
associated with Land and Soil, and tied to Nature, excel in Arts, both
Performing Arts and Fine Arts. But SCs&STs are always denigrated for their Arts and
Culture, as cheap ones of the Primitive People, Tribal Dances and Arts, or some
Folk Songs, Rural Music, Jungle Dances, Village Arts, and thus neglected and
trashed. Or they are crudely taken
around to perform, and are displayed and exhibited in the Main Thoroughfares,
Stages and in some Platforms of Delhi during the Republic Days. Sometimes, they are asked to Dance and
Entertain, Visiting Dignitaries to please and honour them. But on the other hand, the brahmins and dominant caste hindus,
who silently copy some of the SC&ST Dongs Music Dance and other Performances,
are allowed to go around the whole Country, or sponsored or taken around the
whole World in Phases, for performing always before some elite audiences at
special venues and Theatres, for a big fee, consideration and huge returns.
The brahmins
are thus, made to go abroad jet-setting and hoping all-around the World as
Cultural Ambassadors, and Great Musicians and Artists of this Country.
Many of the Cultural
Exchange Programmes and MOUs being signed during the
Visit of Foreign Dignitaries; and those inked by the Indian President or PM and
others Visits with the Heads of other Countries, are fully utilised by those
jet-set dominant caste hindu cultural ambassadors.
Performing Arts –
There have been many eminent, well-known and most
Popular SCs&STs in the spheres of Performing
Arts. Particularly in
the Fields of Drama and Stage, Cinema, and TV.
Cinema
There were many SC&ST Heroes, Heroines, Comedians,
Jokers, Entertainers, Villains etc in the
Cinemas. The famous Tamil Comedian, NS
Krishnan of Madras, is the most eminent amongst them all. He was followed by many, till the brahmins had entered; usurped the
scene completely by many respects.
Dance
There were a few SC&ST Popular Dancers. They had all soon vanished in thin Air and
been Forgotten.
Fine Arts
There had been many eminent World-Class Practitioners,
Teachers and Principles of the Schools and Colleges of Fine Arts. They were really so many Painters, Sculptors
etc, right from the eminent Ram Kinker Bhoj, almost the most famous of them all, from Shanti-Niketan, West Bengal.
ARMY
Not much of a Study hand been made about, Dalit Discriminations in Arts Culture Music Sports; and in
Army and other Uniformed Services, except for some quite old work by a Japanese
Scholar in Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. That was, sometime during the early eighties.
Lots of empirical studies, collected information,
buried texts, individual knowledge and accounts, about such discriminations and
negligence are available scattered around the Country and Abroad. They may be available, with a few concerned
and interested Individuals.
In fact the website –
dalitindia.com – did compile some data sometime back and posted it, with the
expectation that there could be lots of other inputs by many SCs&STs. But sadly
those expectations, as usual were belied.
SPORTS
Games and Sports,
generally keep the poor and all the underprivileged busy happy and
engaged. Thus, Sports being poor
peoples’ big entertainment or their business, it is natural to expect the
poorest of the poor, the SC&ST Dalits in large
numbers in many Sports Teams all over the Country.
But sadly again, we can hardly see any SCs&STs
being eulogised or promoted in the Country.
It is not that, the SCs&STs are not
playing or are not in the teams. There
are good many. But when it comes to
selecting the School Team, choosing the College Team or making the University
Team, or Representing the District, Region, State, Zone or the Nation, the SCs&STs are a strict No No No.
The SCs&STs were, and even now are invariably sidelined. And, they are often forced to sit-down and be just the spectators.
Otherwise they are made to sit in the benches as Reserves even if
included in the Teams, or dropped at the first opportunity, even if by chance
they have played, to show their talents, and proved that they can play well to
win. There are too many such sad stories
here.
The extent of corruption favouritism nepotism and
demand for sex and sexual favours while making selections, forming teams, and
choosing the Players in any Match, is too well-known here.
Tennis
One may recall during the US Presidential Election of
Jimmy Carter, there was a sort of negative Campaign ABC – Anybody But Carter. Also in
the Tennis World, there was once the famous three – the ABC that stood for the
Promising Young Players in the International Circuit – Vijay Amrithraj from
In the International Circuit, Vijay Amrithraj, often faltered and failed. Partly the blame rests at the doors of Govt of
India, its Sports Ministry, and the Indian Tennis Federations, all of which saw
to it that, Vijay Amrithraj was humiliated
discriminated. He was criticised at the
slightest opportunity, along with his elder brother Anand
Amrithraj, himself a great Tennis Player. All the above, were all just to pull down
Vijay Amrithraj, as the brahmins
of this Country could not digest and tolerate the sight of a black, the utterly
Coal Dark Boy, that too a SC with his Brothers dominating, the highly paying
glamorous World of Tennis, in this Country and as well as Abroad. Those in spite of his great game and
contributions to Indian Tennis, including starting
The brahmins here could also
not bear the fact that, it was only the Vijay Amrithraj’s
elder brother Anand Amrithraj,
who first became the Indian National Tennis Champion, by dethroning the then No
1 Tennis Player, Ramanathan Krishnan of Madras, the
blue eyed boy of Govts, and a darling of the brahmins, as he himself was a brahmin
from Tamil Nadu.
Then came Vijay Amrithraj, to rule the roost;
likely to be followed then by, his younger sibling Ashok
Amrithraj. All
these, naturally upset the brahmin
Psyche, especially when the Amrithrajs were Tamil
Christian SC Dalits, originating from the Kolar Gold Fields in the then
The brahmins did everything they could
do in the rule books, to effectively sabotage everywhere Vijay Amrithraj. The brahmins also completely blocked
and marginalised his younger brother Ashok Amrithraj. They brahmins also tried their best,
and worked very hard to somehow replace Vijay Amrithraj
himself, though he had often given his heart out, and played with all his
capacity energy might to win Matches for the Nation.
Vijay Amrithraj’s Game was in many ways legendary, especially in
Davis Cup Clashes, against big teams of big Sporting Nations playing Tennis for
Ages. Recorded Tennis History of those days shows
that, Vijay Amrithraj and his elder brother Anand Amrithraj, playing Singles,
Doubles and Reverse Singles, nearly came up once to win the Davis Cup for the
Country. But, they were forced by the GoI to Concede the Matches and Title, due to
These are only a few examples of brahmin conspiracy and on going sabotage in the
Country. These are only the tip of
ice-berg. The Truth stinks here.
National Game of
Hockey
In the National Game of Hockey, many SC and ST Players
like the great Manuel, Peter; Topno Brothers and Tirkey had played for the Nation. But, they were never really honoured, or are
being remembered ever. Many of them, spent their post-hockey days, sadly in total misery
and utter poverty, and only died as Paupers.
Foot-Ball
Similar is the case, in the most popular game of
Football. SC&ST Players like the
then Mysore and East-Bengal Teams’ Damodharan or Damu, were there
playing for India. They were never
encouraged or promoted, like the few brahmin
players or the others from the dominant caste hindu
communities.
Cricket
Cricket which has now become a street game, had seen many SCs&STs. Some of them were great outstanding players,
at times even much better than the highly promoted Tendulkar. But they were all, cleverly rather cunningly,
eliminated repeatedly and almost very openly though silently.
Table Tennis
Table Tennis is the most Populous Game amongst
Children. Many great SC&ST Players
were there; who were all systematically sidelined marginalised and eliminated;
almost to a plan by the brahmins and dominant caste hindus.
Billiards and Snooker
There were a number of great SC Players in Billiards
and Snooker, especially from
Field and Track Events
In the Field and Track Events, there were many
individuals, who had blazed through the Stadiums in their heydays, hardly to be
recognised and awarded.
One can not forget the Golden Girl, Miss Vanajakshi of
Miss Vanajakshi, was an Outstanding Sports Woman, a Champion excelling in
almost all Field and Track Events, particularly in the 100 and 200 metres
Races, Long Jump and High Jump. She was
a very sophisticated and too stylish Sports Woman in the Stadium; was a treat
for the eyes to watch, for style and track-suits which were then rarely
used. Not only was she always Individual
Woman Champion, but she held the All-India Record in her most Favourite event
of High Jump, more than a Decade.
These are forgotten facts, remembered by only a
few. In an All India Railway Function,
to honour outstanding Sports Men and Women past and then of the Railways, by
the then Railway Minister, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan in
1996-97, Railways could not even locate and invite Miss Vanajakshi
to Delhi, even when specifically told to.
Yes, to that extent great SC&ST Athletes are neglected by the
Officials Universities Banks PSUs Departments Ministries
and Govts everywhere, be it
in the
MUSIC
Music is no doubt, the most memorable heartfelt
vibrant and visible of Performing Art, that touches captivates and captures the
heart mind nerves imagination body and soul.
Since it is practically inborn, and intrinsic with every living species,
it has been taken for separate discussion here, from all others Arts.
Music it is said is in the blood bones minds and steps
of the People, who live in close proximity with Nature. Then, there is no wonder that the SC&ST Dalits, as the true Children of the Earth, bound to their
Lands and thus integral with Nature, are born as Singers and Dancers. Truly, it is so.
It is also, said well
here that –
Without Beats there are No Rhythms,
Without Rhythm there can be No Ragas,
Without Ragas there can never be any Songs,
Without Beats and Songs there can be No Steps;
Without Drums there can be No Beats,
Without Leather there can’t be any Drums,
Without Skin or Skinners, there can be No Leather,
Without Leather, traditionally there can’t be any
Drums;
Without Dalits there can be
No Leather,
Without the Dalits, there is
No Leather, No Drums,
Without Dalits, No Body can even Play Drums for Beats,
Without these there can be No Songs, No Music, so No Dances.
But SCs&STs were and still are, carefully kept out of all
the Prominent, Paying, Professional Music
Performances.
Honestly Speaking – Singing and Dancing were not only
relegated to the backgrounds, actually they were so condemned, to be the
avocations of street singers, street dancers, beggars or prostitutes. It was and still is, being said everywhere
amongst the People that, those who sing or dance, do so only for a cheap
living, or their unending carnal pleasures.
So the brahmins
confined them, to certain lowly Backward Classes, Christians, Muslims. That it is said, till the brahmins realised that there are lots of money in
these activities. And also that they can
be used to influence and trap the rich people, large traders, senior officials,
big governors, and even mighty rulers.
So the brahmins,
learned and adopted the art of singing and music, as part of their culture
growing up and main habit. That, to
practice in privacy for the pleasures of the great powerful people, and gain
access to their rich private places and individual chambers, to gain very
immensely and wield big influences, for their own individual growth comforts,
and for the benefits of their families.
These, they do even today.
All the above do not mean that, the brahmins learnt their music and
dances only recently, as they want the common people here to believe. No, that is not true. Many brahmins,
especially those nearer the rulers, always practiced and showed their skills in
dancing and singing in exclusive privacy to the kings and princes in the
palaces. Thus they were always preying
on the ruling families.
The brahmins,
with professional training practice and opportunities, given to them in an
organised way, by themselves have come to monopolise stage performances, drama,
cinema, radio and TV. On the contrary,
as studying youngsters with an open mind, especially the SCs&STs
were attracted by English and other Western Songs by Abba, Beetles, Bony M, Jim Reeves etc. Upset
by the digression and diversion of attention of many of the educated youth, the
brahmins first tried to
restrict, or even ban all English Music from being broadcast in the All India
Radio, especially in the primetime. They
in fact denigrated English Music and Songs, and looked down and insulted all
those who were attracted to English and English Music.
When the brahmins
could not stop the educated youth, they encouraged many brahmins,
especially their own educated people – the brahmin
Professionals working in the Metros.
They asked them to Compose and Play small Notes set to Western Music in
Radio as a hobby to start with, at least for business and commercial
Advertisements, of small and big firms on good payments, to promote their
products amongst the educated youth who loved English Music. Then, they suddenly discovered, a Madras
Tamil brahmin woman, singing
in the Clubs and some Star Hotels of
With great struggles and against
lots of Oppositions and Criticisms, one Mr Illaya
Raja, suddenly appeared on the Southern Music World. He started composing Music for the Tamil
Cinema, and scored many great big Hits.
He had done, so wonderfully well that, he began to dominate the Tamil
Cinema etc. He was, very uncomfortably
for the till then dominating and monopolistic brahmins, a SC Dalit. The brahmins
tried, all best tricks and their known games to undermine sideline put down and
marginalise Mr Illaya Raja. And for that, the brahmins
and their senior officials, even banned some of his best great hit Numbers,
like Paartheylla Ingey, Kettaelley Angey that in the
crude ungrammatical brahmanic Tamil Dialect, most
extensively used by the brahmins all over Tamil Nadu, meant Have you
Seen Here, when you had Asked There, from being Aired from any of the Radio
Stations in Tamil Nadu. For, then all the Radio Stations were then
practically under their total control.
Then there was only the AIR – All India Radio. But what was ridiculous, the same song in Kanada and Telugu Languages, as the Film was dubbed in
those Languages, were broadcast from AIR Stations in Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh, very regularly being the most popular and successful song with too
great a hit music. And the Song in Tamil
came on the air, only from the Tamil Programmes of the Commercial Broadcasting
of Radio
Every brahmin
tried their best, to promote many others, in Tamil Music, Tamil Cinema, as an
alternate to Mr Illaya Raja, but all of them
miserably failed. Then, suddenly
realising that SCs&STs are born singers and
dancers, they promoted a SC to Sing and also set scores for Tamil Cinema
Songs. And when that SC Musician gained
some popularity, they brought him over All India Radio and TV, and arranged an
Interview. During the course of that
live Interview, they asked him, ‘what you think about the Music and
Capabilities of Mr Illaya Raja?’ That poor SC fellow said, ‘Mr Illaya Raja is really an Ocean, and before him I am only a
small petty well, or at the most a small pond.’
May be, he only spoke the truth, or what he
knew or actually felt. But the brahmins, Cheesed-Off dumped him
abruptly since then, as they expected that he would criticise, and rubbish the
great Music Maestro Mr Illaya Raja. The brahmins, without loosing their
hearts went about seriously searching and promoting many others, to finally
putdown the great Tamil Musician Mr Illaya Raja.
The brahmins
could never putdown Mr Illaya Raja, and he grew by
leaps and bounds. Now his brothers and
their children, and Mr Illaya Raja’s own son are
setting Music to Tamil Cinemas. And
thereafter, Mr Illaya Raja,
was once invited for Composing Music, by the London Philomenic
Orchestra. It is reported that he did it
so fast and quickly, almost in no time.
But, none was there, Nobody from the Central
Govt, Nobody from the State Govts, not even any
Representative of the Tamil Nadu Govt, and No
Representative from the Tamil Cinema to Receive and Honour him when he Landed
in
The brahmins
search to find an alternative to Mr Illaya Raja,
ultimately appears to have ended, on finding the popular Musician AR Raguman. In spite
of, many big successes, he still could not replace Mr Illaya
Raja in the Southern Films. Now Illaya Raja is really an Industry, a Music House, with a
Music Family. Almost, all his Siblings
and Children are in the Music World. His
consent, appears to Signal sure Success and Box-Office
Hit, of many Cinemas. So, he and his family, are in great demand to set Music for many Tamil
Cinemas, to ensure their Success.
Instrumental Music
There were and are lots of Instrumental Musicians from
SC&ST Families, especially in Violin and Drums.
Thappu
Thappu is simple leather Drum,
held in one hand and played with the other, or hung around the neck and pressed
on to the belly with one hand, and played by beating the leather with another
hand, or with a stick in the other hand, or two sticks in both hands, for the
Street Music and Dances. Because of its
simplicity, it became a fine and fantastic popular Musical Instrument, in the
skilled imaginative hands of indigenous SC Dalits. But, as the landlords and the rich, used to
humiliate and harass the SC Dalits, to play it for
them at their homes and streets, for their Marriages and in Marriage
Processions, other Functions, Death Processions etc, for free or a small fee,
almost for a Pittance. Hence, the SC Dalits in protest, had given up
playing Thappu
completely, as that was seen as a form of Social Slavery. Hence as part of their quest for Freedom,
their Dignity, Self-Respect and Liberation from Social Slavery, from the
exploitative and oppressive Landlords and the caste hindus,
the SC Dalits had hung up the Trappe once and for all, almost in all Villages and Slums.
The Dalit Solidarity in
boycotting the Landlords and the caste hindus was so
strong that, since long, even small girls and women will throw away the Thappu, or the simplest form of it made out of
Earthen Neck of a Pot, with the Leather stretched on its Mouth and tied, if
they see it with any of their children.
That though the simple form of it is made in large numbers, and marketed
in hundreds in every village and town, for beating and playing in the streets
by the youngsters, during the Eve of the famous South Indian Harvest Festival
of Pongal, being celebrated with conventional frenzy
by the young children and the old alike, as Bogy.
Since SC Dalits refuse,
don’t Play Thappu
and its cheapest mud frame version these days, it is the Children of other
caste hindus from backward
castes, and even many from the DCHs – dominant caste hindus, who play it crudely on the Days of Bogy. The boycott of the Thappu, was and still is very strong, that Thappu Beating, or Playing Thappu, and so the beats of Rhythm of Thappu for Music,
had almost vanished.
Because of the big Demand for Thappu Players in Tamil and
Telugu Cinemas, and for many Street Performances, it had recently been revived
by some individuals, and it is now getting fresh life and re-emerging as a
Powerful Protest Voice or Music of the Dalits of
South India.
Some Japanese Scholars and Activists, as well as many
others have come here recently, as they were interested in Thappu and Thappu Players. Some of them, were
therefore sent to many parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala
and Tamil Nadu in
DETAILED STUDY AND
COMPILATION OF DATA
A Detailed Study and Compilation of Data, on all these
Issues and in many such Areas, will go a long way, in understanding the
Continuing and ongoing Problems of the existing Biases and continuing
Prejudices against the SCs&STs everywhere here in
this Country; to keep the SCs&STs Backward. Everyone forgets that as long as the SCs&STs are kept Backward, this Nation is bound to
remain Backward, to Lag-Behind in most Spheres of Arts Culture Music and
Development.
*****************************************
No
* The Paper, as an Introduction to the
Problems Discussed there in, is still under Construction and is Incomplete