Request to A Group of Western India. Please Come Out From Your Region / State in Terms of Thoughts.

Mukta Salve

Historical Blunders:

Note: It is not a personal attack. My only request to a group of Western India. Please come out from your region / state in terms of thoughts. At least try to give respect for someone whom born among you and worked for you, instead of chanting others. We are now because of the relentless struggle and sacrifice of hundreds of leaders and thousands of people. Over devotion may hide this. I have no hesitation in saying this.

//Mukta Salve's letter: This might be the earliest available piece of writing by a Dalit girl. Quite possibly she is the first girl, representing 20 crore people today, who (thanks to Savitri bai) got a chance to learn reading and writing less than 170 years ago. //

It is totally a historical blunder. That's why I always say, "Most of Western India brethren (Particularly the 3rd largest state of India in terms of area) are confined to region in thoughts." Paying homage and showing gratitude are different things from showing someone as our Saviour in hyper. I have no problem with Mukta Salve. But problem is with 'first dalit girl' and showing someone as the saviour of whole Scheduled Classes of India. Keeping and Chants anyone as saviour is your rights. But don't tag as whole. 

OLD CONVERSATION: Savarna Rehab and Ambeth.

// Savarna Rehab: 

Mukta Salve, who was a student of Savitribai Phule. Quite possibly she is the first girl, representing 20 crore people today, who (thanks to Savitribai) got a chance to learn reading and writing less than 170 years ago. This is how short the history of education for 20 crore people of India is. //

Ambeth: 

What do you know about Avvaiyar (Tamil Sangam age), Janabai (14th Century), Soyarabai (14th Century), Nirmala (14th Century), Sooli Cholakka? Who were they?

// This is how short the history of education for 20 crore people of India is.//

What do you know about Thiruvalluvar, Ilam Bodhiyar, Munipaanar and Sathoganathar etc? Who were they?

// Savarna Rehab: 

Is there any conclusive evidence that Avvaiyar and Thiruvalluvar belonged to oppressed caste? This is lamentable that such bahujan/dalit thinkers and wisdom is kept under the carpet and is even harder for people like us who are looking for it to find. Maybe we should claim that "quiet possibly first". Please do share more details.//

Ambeth: 

Before enumerate the answer for your question, I want to brief why I commented here. First of all what you said, ''Quite possibly she is the first girl, representing 20 crore people today, who got a chance to learn reading and writing" is not a simple mistake. It is a historical blunder. May be she wrote it in the mid's of 19th century. It doesn't mean she was the first ever dalit girl. There were many dalits whom they against the inequality and oppression through their writings even before her. That's why I mentioned Avvaiyar, Janabai, Soyarabai etc., Tell me, how they wrote their poems to against inequality? By whom they got the chance to learn reading and writing? Dalits had a glorious past too. There were many intellectuals among them in the past. Let me know, who are Bahujans? Whether my aforementioned personalities are comes under it or not? Who are Avarnas?

Now I come to the point where you asked about the evidence. I wonder on you for not asked any evidence for Janabai, Soyarabai and Nirmala. Regional disparity? It’s okay. Do you know Thiruvalluvar or Valluvan is listed under the Scheduled Classes of Tamil Nadu? Did you know why Sanghis were opposed to the installation of 'Valluvar' statue in Uttarakhand in 2016? Did you know a European Civil Servant 'Ellis' who collected the Tirukural palm leaves from Kandappan via another Civil Servant George Harrington? Kandappan was the grandfather of Pandit Iyothee Thass. ( Note : Pandit Iyothee Thass was the Pioneer to E. V. Ramasamy Periyar and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. He founded the Sakya Indian Buddhist Society in Chennai). And I mentioned here about the first Avvaiyar (there were 3 Avvaiyar) who refuted the inequality through her poems. She was the contemporary of Thiruvalluvar.

Here the words of V.  I.  Muniswamy Pillay on Dr. Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly of India (November, 1949):

".....The Scheduled Castes have produced a great Nandanar, a Tirupazanalwar, and above all a Thiruvalluvar, the great philospher whose name and fame is not only known throughout the length and breadth of India but of the whole world. To that galaxy of great men of Scheduled Castes now we have to add Dr. Ambedkar..."

Here the Scheduled Classes list in Tamil Nadu. (Attached the list of Tamil Nadu Govt)

// Savarna Rehab: 

Thanks for sharing those details, we would amend the post and do share these in another post.//

Ambeth: Jai bheem..!!