by D. John Jayaharan

Dalits, who constitute more than 25% of the Indian population, face ill treatment, violence, murder and rape all over the country, in addition to the cruel practice of untouchability. In Bihar, on 23rd March, 1997, Ranvirsena, a private army of non-Dalits brutally killed ten Dalits of Haibaspur village, suspecting their association with the Naxalites. Several such incidents were not even brought to the notice of the public, since both State and private media are in the hands of the casteist non-Dalits.

In the months of April and May, 1997, the southern part of Tamil Nadu also faced severe caste riots, inflicted by selfish caste leaders to achieve their personal agenda. The caste riots arise from their own socio-economic and political reasons. When Dalits make headway in social development, when they make attempts to elevate their social status, when they make some progress in economic development and self-reliance, and when they organize politically to demand their rights, caste riots are inflicted to suppress Dalits.

There are also several other reasons. If a caste leader of the ruling party felt that he has been sidelined by the party leader or has not received his due share in the Government, or if he has lost the popular support of his own community, he will instigate cast riots to re-establish his power. The opposition party uses the same means to attack the popularity of the ruling party. Whatever the reasons, the victims are always Dalits and the poor among the nonDalits. The consequences of the riots are violence, loss of innocent lives, rape of women, looting, and the destruction of the property and houses of Dalits.

As a result, Dalits have to flee, abandoning the houses and villages which they have inhabited for several generations. Some migrate to the city as pavement or slum dwellers; a few move to the safest villages. This is not possible for all, so the rest have to remain in the same village facing the same arrogant caste people and experiencing the same cruel treatment.

How can they manage this? How do they wipe out the sad memories? How do they heal the hurt and return to normalcy? It is very difficult to understand. Dalits are basically landrelated people, either small peasants or landless agricultural laborers. It is very difficult, therefore, to leave the land to which they are very close and attached emotionally. But how is it possible to accept the non-Dalits who are making the Dalits’ life more difficult and wretched? It is only the forgiving nature of Dalits which makes it possible for such things to happen. Let us look at a few examples of how this is manifest in the life of Dalits.

Forgiving Nature of Women and Dalits

In the family relationship generally, women take lead in forgiving their male counterparts. If women refuse to forgive the male members of the family, I suspect, due to the patriarchal nature of family relationships, that in India, at least seventy percent of families would break apart.

Women do face ill-treatment and violence at home. They are subordinated, enslaved and harassed by their own husbands, whom their parents took all care to select and to arrange the marriage in the presence of relatives, friends and religious leaders. In Christian marriages the couples even take vows to love and care for one another. But nobody dares to challenge a husband who violates his own vow; instead many would come forward to give free advice to the wife to tackle such husbands amicably.

Why do women continue to tolerate such cruelties? There is no one cause. But there are several reasons which vary from person to person and context to context, such as economic dependence, social p’ressure, children’s welfare, family prestige and so on. One other important reason is the forgiving nature of women. Who else can cook and serve food to the man who used abusive language at her? Who else can sleep with one who slapped and beat her up angrily for simple or no reasons?

Likewise, despite the practice of untouchability, despite hatred, violence, rape, brutal murder, and setting fire to Dalit hamlets, Dalits continue to clean toilets, remove night soil, carry away dead animals, bury the dead, and work as very cheap labor in the agricultural fields and cow sheds. The caste Hindus love dogs and other animals, yet are inhumane in their treatment of this community of fellow humans who provide the most essential services for the very existence and development of Indian Society.

What makes Dalits to tolerate and remain in the same village to carry out tasks given to them by the non-Dalits? As in the case of women, there are many reason among which the forgiving nature stands as the basic one.

Forgiving Within Dalit Families

Forgiving each other within the family is common among Dalits. The excesses of a husband or wife is forgiven by the counterpart. That is why violence against women is much less among Dalits, and even separation and divorce are unpopular. They forgive each other because they have a basically loving relationship. In most cases both are working class and thus economically equals. Moreover, forgiveness does not take place without repentance.

Repentance or the conditions for repentance are very much built in to the religio-cultural system of Dalits. Dalits repent collectively at the time of their annual religious festivals. Similarly, those who have committed crimes against others are obliged to confess and repent in the village court. In most cases, in the normal life of the village, the elderly and women generally play a vital role in challenging the erring persons to repent. This helps in the reconciliation and reunion of families. This type of interference is possible only in Dalit settlements in which the houses are located very close together and not in walled compounds.

Forgiving the Oppressor

Forgiving within the family may occur among the poor of the few other backward castes too. But forgiving the oppressor seldom takes place among non-Dalits. We can even say that it is an exclusive characteristic of Dalits.

Maruthappan, a Dalit, is a social worker in the Rural Theological Institute of the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, Madurai. He was placed in his own village as a health worker, about seven years back. Like any other village, untouchability was very much in practice here and Dalits tended never to violate it. When the matter was brought to the notice of Maruthappan’s co-workers, they agitated and challenged the whole village to give up the practice. They also challenged Maruthappan to violate the norms of the Non-Dalits. Maruthappan’s wife Alageswari took the challenge and drew water from the water pipe marked for non-Dalits. The non-Dalits were shocked and as a result a social boycott was imposed on Maruthappan’s family. Maruthappan was very upset when even the village youths who were very friendly with him also took part in the boycott.

One evening as Maruthappan was approaching his village, he found the son of the village president, who was responsible for the imposition of the social boycott, sitting on the bund of the water tank, looking sad. At first Maruthappan wanted to ignore him but later he changed his mind and went up to him and asked the reason. In reply the president’s son explained to him about the quarrel which he had with his father and his plan to move out of the village. Maruthappan discouraged the youth’s plan and promised him to convince his father. He took him to his house, which is nothing but a small hut. Maruthappan could have pressured the youth further, to seek permanent estrangement and hostility towards his father. But love, compassion and the spirit of forgiveness drove Maruthappan to do good to the oppressor. In this story we find that the spirit of freedom and forgiveness go hand in hand.

Forgiveness as power

Dalit forgiving the non-Dalits - is it not an expression of inability and powerlessness? This is true of a few cases, but we cannot generalize. In many cases Dalits use forgiveness as power to weaken the oppressive non-Dalits.

Molayakavundanur is a village in Thirumalai Mannar District of Tamil Nadu in which 10 non-Dalit and 40 Dalit families live. Though the non-Dalits are small in number, they did not fail to practice untouchability towards Dalits. The problem arose when the non-Dalits objected to a Government plan to provide a water tap connection to Dalits. Dalits took the matter to the police under the protection of the Civil Rights Act (PCR). Normally the PCR sections are headed by non-Dalit officers who never take such cases seriously, except to demand some money from the accused. Quite surprisingly, in this case, the complaint was taken seriously and the non-Dalits were facing real trouble. When the non-Dalits realized the strength of the case against them, they pleaded with the Dalit leaders to withdraw the complaint. The Dalits gathered and discussed the matter and decided to withdraw the petition on the grounds that since they were nearing completion of a forty-day fast as a vow taken to their God, and would soon be going to the temple, hence forgiveness became obligatory.

Even in this story Dalits were numerically stronger than the non-Dalits and had a genuine complaint. But Dalits used forgiveness not only as power but also an expression of spiritual acts.

Forgiveness and Repentance

Why are Dalits always ready to reconcile, even after their most difficult experiences with non-Dalits? Is it because of their dependency on non-Dalits for their life and livelihood? It is true that Dalits’ life and livelihood is very much dependant on non-Dalits. But this is not the only reason for their conciliatory nature. Dalits still believe in non-violence and have not taken retaliation as their principle and weapons as their language. They are still hoping for the conversion of the wolves, for which they pay a heavy price. Moreover Dalits long for the human relationship the non-Dalits deny them and they wouldn’t like to miss any opportunity for it.

Another very important reason for Dalit forgiveness is their repenting nature. Dalits are basically a repenting community. They would readily come forward to repent for any small act which had hurt or caused damage to others. Some years ago in a Dalit village called Nerkundram near Chennai, a youth was caught attempting to steal a broomstick from a mobile vendor who carried his wares on his head. People in the street sought an apology and made the youth to carry the vendor’s wares on his own head and sell them in the streets on the vendor’s behalf. Even though the vendor was a stranger depending on the villagers for his own survival, the villagers felt it was disgraceful to protect their own youth.

Unlike non-Dalits, Dalits do not worship daily or go to temple every week with offerings of coconuts, flowers and money. Dalit gods or goddesses’ festivals take place once a year, that too after the peace and reconciliation process within the Dalit community. During the festival the whole Dalit community gathers before the Deity and confesses their sins in simple language: “Lord forgive our sins.” They do not use any ornamental words or set liturgy for confession. The sacrificial goat has to nod its head as a symbol of the deity’s acceptance. Until then, there will not be any celebration. Repentance and seeking the gods or goddesses’ forgiveness is an important feature in the Dalit festivals. Dalits retain the nature of repentance and forgiveness in their daily life too. They do not make much difference between sacred and secular. This is possible for them because their faith is not temple-centered or priest-centered; rather, it is mainly people-centered. But non-Dalits find it difficult to repent and forgive. They would either try to justify themselves or make the victim forget by through receiving some compensation, or force the victim to ignore the problem. They consider it disgraceful even to say “sorry” to Dalits.

Forgiveness of Jesus

Jesus propagated harmonious human relationships based on justice, mercy and love. Jesus was influenced by the Galilean community, where the Messianic values were very much present, and challenged the rest of the Jews to repent. In the Sermon on the Mount, much emphasis was placed on reconciliation in human relationships. “But I say to you, love your enemies.., so that you may be children of your father in heaven... “(Matt. 5:44).

Jesus lays no limit on forgiveness, but stressed unlimited forgiveness. In his reply to Peter he said, “Not seven times, but, I tell you seventy seven times,” (Matt. 18:21-22), which means no limit. The story of the parable of the “unforgiving servant” in the Gospel of Matthew (ch.18) ends with punishmen’t for the slave who enjoyed the forgiveness of the King, but failed to forgive his fellow slave. God, who has kept forgiveness as the basic term and condition for relating to humanity, expects us to be a forgiving community. “So, my heavenly father will also do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart,” comes as the inevitable response to humanity.

Even in the prayer taught by Jesus, forgiveness has been deliberately brought in. Here it is made very clear that forgiving one another is the basic requirement for seeking God’s forgiveness. Dalits are forgiven by God, since they forgive others. Those who do not forgive others are not forgiven by God.

Jesus defied the authority of the religious leaders of oppressive institutionalized religion which exploited the poor and the marginalized. He exercised his power to forgive sins as the representative of suffering humanity and thereby shared the power of forgiveness with the victims of his time.

Jesus also demonstrated his revolutionary value on the Cross by forgiving the oppressor. Jesus did forgive, not only as an individual victim, but also as the representative of the victims of the evil structure, which include women, poor, working class, blacks, aboriginals, Dalits, etc. Forgiveness of the Cross is not an act of inability or powerlessness, rather, it is powerful, since it made the oppressors inactive and exposed their ugly faces so the world could identify them and respond. Jesus, who took the authority of forgiveness, had never failed to repent. Jesus accepted voluntarily and happily the Baptism of John the Baptist which was meant for repentance.

Conclusion

Many of my friends argue that all this interesting enough, but is it not at the cost of Dalit freedom? Are we not romanticizing Dalit suffering? What is the remedy and how and when will it happen? I think these questions are valid.

Are Dalits passive and insensitive? Certainly not. Dalit culture itself is basically protest in nature. There is nothing secret in their lives, everything is open and risky. Dalits are very sensitive about dignity and self-respect. Their music and other cultural forms express the Dalits’ protest at the existing oppressive cultural practices of non-Dalits which deny Dalits dignity and self-respect. But Dalits are very strategic in their approach, since they have to face opposition from about seventy five percent of the Indian population. The expression of Dalit protest therefore varies. In some cases the protest is subtle and in others it is open.

In a village called Manikkampatti near Madurai the practice of untouchability went to the extent of killing an active Dalit youth, namely Katturaja. Dalits are a minority in the village. What happened aftei~ the murder? Did they surrender to the caste Hindus because of the murder? No, they continued to protest in different forms. Dalits are offered tea in separate glasses in the tea shops. Dalits are restrain from going to the teashop as a mark of protest. Mayan, a Dalit youth, studied up to post-graduate level despite severe financial hardships, as a mark of protest against the practice of untouchability -- he is happy that at least nobody in the caste village has studied to his level. Dalits in many villages spend money on good clothing despite their poor housing conditions, as a mark of protest against caste Hindus who do not allow them to wear chappals inside the village. There are quite a number of daring protests too. The Dalits lodge complaints in the PCR and organize demonstrations and protest before the Government Offices demanding justice, and on a few occasions they also retaliate.

Moreover, forgiveness does not mean accepting evil or injustice, or being passive in the face of all oppression. Jesus’ suffering on the cross is a non-violent demonstration against the sufferings of victims, which brought the facts and the identities of the oppressors, who were in unholy alliances, to light.

So far, in India, the sufferings of the Dalits have been veiled in the name of religion, culture and tradition. The upper caste leaders have suppressed the truth with their weapons of communication. But the spirit of freedom which is inherent in Dalits has brought out the truth, which many cannot condone.

Forgiveness and the struggle for justice are not contradictory to each other, but rather, complementary. Forgiveness makes the struggle just and humanitarian in nature. Forgiveness takes things, even the life of the oppressor, seriously, and brings the struggle to an end with minimum loss on both sides. Forgiveness keeps the space for reconciliation and human relations even after the struggle. Jesus balanced both forgiveness and the struggle for justice. Even though he was very critical of Roman rule and tax collection, he did not fail to respond to the needs of the centurion who came to him.

Dalits basically love life, not only their own, but also those of others and of the rest of the creatures too. That is why they celebrate joyfully when a child is born and when a girl attains puberty. Dalits produce more children, yet they have never practised female infanticide or abortion. They accept poverty and its misery happily rather than killing children. Dalit women deal with blood, and blood is life. In many villages, Dalit women are the traditional midwives who assist in the natural deliveries at home. Even in the hospitals they are the ones who touch the blood and blood-stained clothes. Since they deal with life and life-related things, they value life very much.

Finally, Dalits, the victims of the unjust society, have the right to forgive and not to forgive. This has to be left to the choice of victims. Even Jesus entrusted such power to victims, to forgive or not to forgive. He assures us: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” So Dalits, too, have every right to forgive or not to forgive. But Daltts should not imitate the non-Dalits whose ways and means are not redemptive. God has trusted the victims that they would not abuse the surrogate power given to them. I am sure that the victims have not disappointed God yet.