Athawale plans revival of Dalit Panthers as ‘pressure group’

Mumbai: Ramdas Athawale, Republican Party of India (Athawale) leader and minister of state for social justice in the Narendra Modi government, is hoping to salvage his tanking political career and mass base by reviving Dalit Panthers, a militant organisation where he cut his teeth as a grassroots activist in the 1970s. Participants at a meeting called by Athawale in Lonavla including noted writer Sharankumar Limbale reportedly backed his intent, saying Dalits needed to form a pressure group of their own to counter Maratha and OBC outfits. But many including BR Ambedkar’s grandson and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar expressed scepticism about his plans owing to his ideological vacillation as well as the current political situation.

Founded by litterateurs JV Pawar, Namdeo Dhasal and Raja Dhale in 1972, Dalit Panthers was modelled after the Black Panther movement in the United States. It largely comprised educated Dalits living in Mumbai and other major cities who fanned out to the Maharashtrian hinterland whenever there was news of a caste atrocity, demanding justice and an end to caste hierarchy and discrimination.

Athawale joined the Panthers during the initial stage, and sided with the faction headed by Arun Kamble when the Panthers splintered a few years later. With the namantar movement (seeking renaming of Aurangabad University after BR Ambedkar) raging, Athawale travelled across Maharashtra mobilising support and participated in pitched battles with the Shiv Sena, which was opposed to the renaming. He also burnt copies of the Manusmruti, a Hindu religious text that advocates the four-fold varna system, publicly for upholding untouchability.

Athawale’s political career took off in the mid-1980s, when he joined the state government headed by Sharad Pawar as the minister for social welfare. He remained in the Congress-NCP camp for close to three decades, but many of his supporters gradually deserted him, saying he was power hungry and had compromised the Dalit cause. In 2014, when Athawale joined hands with the NDA, he was seen as a complete sellout in many quarters.

Nevertheless, the meeting called by him in Lonavla elicited wide participation and unequivocal support, claimed Athwale. “The Dalit movement has weakened considerably in the last decade and there is a lot of unease in the community. Many leaders, intellectuals are expressing the need for a socio-political pressure group,” said Athawale, adding that the new Dalit Panthers would work as a socio-political pressure group and give opportunities to the youth to work on social problems.

“This will also help develop a new leadership in the Dalit community,” he stated, noting that decisions about the formal structure, agenda and office-bearers of the new organisation were yet to be made.

Avinash Mahatekar, a close aide of Athawale who served as a minister in the previous BJP-led government in Maharashtra, said an organisation like Dalit Panthers was the need of the hour. “Dalit youth are active on social media and want to do social work, but they do not have a platform that can give them the opportunity to work on ground. Dalit Panthers will give them that opportunity to unite for the community and solve all social problems,” said Mahatekar.

Renowned writer Sharan Kumar Limbale who was present at the meeting in Lonavala too said a state level Dalit organisation was necessary. “Our issue is not reservation but participation in the government. But the community has no prominent voice,” said Limbale.

Not everyone, however, is enthused with Athawale’s plans. For instance, Vanchit bahijan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar said that neither he Nor his party is interested in even discussing the revival of Dalit Panthers as the community has moved far ahead.

“What is the point of creating social pressure groups when we are in the driving seat of politics and working hard to get a share in power,” said Ambedkar.