Team Anna and the Dalits/ Muslims/ Minorities

Team Anna’s movement has been widely criticized for very many reasons, but perhaps (arguably) the most important is its exclusion of Dalit voices (or any minorities for that matter) within its decision-making processes.

Via: Jan Lokpal Bill: A Dalit’s Viewpoint

Let’s start from the team members of Jan Lokpal Bill. Anna and his people choose five members and all of them were from so called upper castes. Anna and his team couldn’t find a single honest person from Dalit, Buddhist, Muslim, or Christian community. This wasn’t enough; the team members Anna choose were those who were at some time indulged in the corruption charges of one or another kind. The leader (Anna) himself at some time was involved in diverting the fund (Rs. 2.2Lakh) of the trust to celebrate his birthday and they gave the justification that it wasn’t a big crime! Who decided that it’s not a big crime? Ask a Dalit person who’s both hands were chopped off for stealing a penny. Or ask a Dalit who has lost both of his eyes for taking a bucket of water from the well without permission.

Here is the Dalit columnist/writer, Chandrabhan Prasad talking about Anna.

And finally…

Hundreds of Dalits Wednesday gathered at India Gate and marched towards Jantar Mantar to protest the Jan Lokpal bill proposed by activist Anna Hazare and his team. Under the banner of “Samvidhan Bachao” (Save constitution), the rally was organised by Indian Justice Party president Udit Raj. [...] “It’s not that we are against the bill on corruption, it’s precisely that none of the SC/ST members are part of the panel which is not giving any priority to the minorities,” Udit Raj said. (Link: Source DNA)