Hindu outfits may dismiss him as one misguided by the anti-Hindutva forces but Harishankar Bairwa says he suffered a setback when he tried to break the centuries-old tradition of keeping dalits away from common pond. “I was a karsewak and went to Ayodhya, but when dalits requested VHP leaders to help share water from the pond, they did not take any interest,” says Bairwa who is now a dalit activist in Chakwada village under Jaipur district.
Located 60 km from Jaipur, Chakwada saw a conflict between dalit and upper-caste Hindus over the sharing of water from the village pond in 2002. “As a Hindu nurtured by the RSS, I went to Ayodhya at the risk of my life. There was violence and many of my fellow karsewaks were injured, but I struggle for a temple at Ayodhya,” Harishankar Bairwa says. “But the moment I knocked the doors of VHP leaders there was no response. We were greeted with stones by upper-caste Hindus. Are we not Hindu too?” he asks.
Bairwa was part of a team of karsewaks, who went to Ayodhya during the temple movement. “I took part in several meetings of Hindu organisations and it seemed there that all Hindus are equal. But that was not true. When I raise issue of untouchability no one paid attention,” he says.
“Now none of the dalits will like to become karsewak,” he says. The dalits of Chakwada fought on their own and were allowed to use water from pond as others. “The problem remains in other forms. We are not allowed to temple. In the wedding season, the wedding procession of dalits greeted with opposition. We are not even free to use the band party,” he said.
“When dalits were targeted in village in 2002, there were over 50 VHP supporters in my village but none of them came out to help us,” he laments.
“They all the time talk about Hindu-Muslim unity but never like to discuss the plight of dalits. We are still unequal and face discrimination at every step,” Bairwa said.
“Why our saints remain silent when a dalit is victimised?” he asks. VHP leader Narpat Singh Shekhawat however, refutes these charges. He says the VHP had organised a meeting for sambhav [harmony]. ‘’We provided all help and support to them. I do not know why Harishankar saying this,” Mr Shekhawat said.
‘’If such humiliating practices continue to harass dalits, we will not hesitate to drift away from Hindu religion,” he says.