DESECRATION OF THE STATUE OF Dr.BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR

The desecration of the statue of Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Chief architect of the Indian constitution, in Kanpur will be condemned in the harshest words by all those who uphold the democratic principles and cherish the human values. However, the mindless violence that rocked some major parts of Maharashtra as if to protest the desecration will not be condoned even by staunch supporters of Dalit causes.

For one, such violent protests put the general public to untold inconveniences. This disturbs the daily routine lives of the common people who are caught unawares in the middle of the day and in the violence-stricken streets helplessly.

Secondly, Violent attacks and damaging the public properties result in avoidable loss of huge public money, which otherwise can be put to productive purposes.

Thirdly, anti-social and anti-national elements gain entry among the protestors and try to execute their game plan as a part of their agenda.

Most importantly, as few can champion the cause of violence, the Dalits stand to lose the public support and sympathy they have secured after much struggle for several decades by some visionary Dalit leaders and after a great deal of goodwill gestures. At this moment of testing time when gruesome incidents like Khairanji happen in the rural sides of a progressive state like Maharashtra, the Dalits need a lot of sympathy and support from the champions and supporters of liberty, fraternity and equality.

As a relentless champion of individual freedom, even Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar himself would not have endorsed the violent reaction of this enormity.

The leaders of the socially deprived classes would be better advised to refrain from indulging in such self-defeating agitations which might provide their adversaries with the much needed stick to beat the oppressed classes.