Dalits – Travel but peacefully
Posted by Vaibhav Patle on December 6, 2006
Come 6th November and there is panic in Mumbai. Reason – Hide, the Dalits are coming.
Every year on 6th December, thousands of dalits descend on Chaityabhoomi near Shivaji
Park – to pay homage to Dr B R Ambedkar on his death anniversary. Now I had my share of calling myself a Mumbaikar as I lived there for 5 years. As my parents live in
Nagpur, I used to travel a lot between Nagpur-Mumbai. Couple of times, I had done this route around 6th December and believe me it is not a journey you would like to take. I am a cautioned traveller who makes travel plans much in advance. So here I was, I had reservation in second AC from Nagpur to Mumbai. The date of travel was 5th December 2002 or 2003.
To start with, I had to scream on top of my lungs to get into my compartment. There was not a single police officer in site to handle the huge rush of Chaityabhoomi pilgrimage. With a travel bag in one hand and a suitcase in another, I Jumped over people and finally got to my seat. Much to my expectations, I found five people sitting on my hard-earned-money-worth birth. And what a site it was. In a compartment made to accommodate 70-80 people there were at least 300-400 people in it. Since it was a AC compartment, there was no free air flow. The heat was unbearable in the compartment. It suddenly was like-Bihar scenario. After much altercation with the family, during which I got lot of fiery glances from youths sitting on top berth, they vacated a small area for me to sit. And that was it. I traveled 18 hours sitting in that crappy area, smelling all the stench possible and cursing myself for choosing such an auspicious date to travel. I have my own opinions against reservation, in general, and Mandal Commission, in particular. I certainly oppose what happened in Kherlanji. I will not dwell into it in this post.
I have nothing personally against congregation going to Shivaji Park to pay their respect, but it should not be done at expense of other travelers.
No wonder that Mumbaites panic in first week of December.
pravin said
u can understand the feelings and sentiments of masses towards there Saviour because neither u nor your parents gone through the agony of mental, social, political, economic and sexual exploitation so called by your own people…