Bhim Army prepares to galvanise Dalits against Modi govt on Aug 19

Bhim Army leaders say they will support the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Not only is the Dalit challenge facing the Narendra Modi government not over, but Dalit outfits are preparing the ground for another round of protests and demonstrations over the incarceration of Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’ and unabated atrocities on Dalits. 

On Sunday, the Bhim Army, which claims to be an outfit striving for social change but with no electoral ambitions of its own, plans to hold a protest in Delhi to demand the release of Chandrashekhar and other Dalit activists.

Chandrashekhar, a lawyer, has been in preventive detention since June in the Saharanpur prison and booked under the National Security Act (NSA). Bhim Army National President Vinay Ratan Singh, who took over after Chandrashekhar was taken into custody, said his leader cannot be kept under the NSA beyond November 2. But the outfit fears Chandrashekhar would again be imprisoned under "false pretexts". 

Singh has also demanded prosecution of Sambhaji Bhide, who it says was behind the violence on Dalits during the Bhima-Koregaon anniversary on January 1, and dropping of charges against Elgar Parishad's Sudhir Dhavale, Nagpur lawyer Surendra Gadling and his associates. Singh said all cases against Dalits lodged after the April 2 demonstrations should be dropped.

Bhim Army activists describe the April 2 protests across several parts of northern India as spontaneous reactions against Chandrashekhar's arrest, Bhima Koregaon violence and the Supreme Court diluting the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes prevention of atrocities law.

The Modi government reached out to the Dalits when it restored the stringent provisions of the law by ensuring the passage of an amendment to the SC and ST prevention of atrocities Act in the recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament.

The August 9 call of a 'Bharat bandh' was withdrawn by some Dalit organisations after the passage of the amendments, and Dalit leaders allied to the Modi government, including Ram Vilas Paswan, Ramdas Athavale and Udit Raj, welcomed the Modi government's Dalit outreach.

Bhim Army activist Sanjeev Mathur said the August 9 protests were government sponsored. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati had also alleged the August 9 protests to have government support, and said it was no surprise they were withdrawn.  

"There was a conspiracy on August 9 to provoke Dalits. A copy of the Constitution was burnt at Jantar Mantar, but Dalits refused to be provoked and demanded that the law take its course and Delhi Police arrest the perpetrators," Bhim Army activist Sanjeev said.

In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, the Bhim Army would continue to raise the demand for the release of Chandrashekhar. "It isn't our claim that we are non-political or apolitical. We are very much political, but want to use politics for social change and do not want to join electoral politics," Sanjeev said.

The Bhim Army says it recognises BSP chief Mayawati as the preeminent Dalit political leader. It had issued an appeal to Dalits to support the united Opposition's Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate Tabassaum Hassan for the Kairana Lok Sabha by-elections. Bhim Army leaders said they will support the Samajwadi Party-BSP alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.