Sirgapoor Sahil Reddy-Week 2

WEEK 2 READING SUMMARY
The BJP, CAA and NRC IN THE CONTEXT OF DALITS

Sirgapoor Sahil Reddy
BA LLB Section A
20161245

One of the major takeaways from the readings of week 2 was the effect of the CAA and the NRC on the Dalits and untouchables in the country. The law which prima facie seems to be against Muslims will end up having an adverse effect on the Dalits whether intended by the BJP or not. The BJP has plans to “saffronise” the Dalits, and get their support for the CAA, by explaining to the Dalits, that people belonging to these lower castes will be saved from religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and their return to India would be a “homecoming” of sorts. The BJP does not shed light on the events that will follow the Dalits being granted Citizenship. The religious persecution faced by them might end, but there is no guarantee that they will be protected from caste-based discrimination, which has been prevalent in India for thousands of years.

 In addition to this, the Dalits who generally keep themselves outside the fold of Hinduism, are being subject to the Hindu fold through the NRC and CAA. Dalits and tribals are one of the original residents of the country, but owing to their economic and social conditions, a majority of them don’t possess documents to prove their official citizenship, thus keeping them out of the NRC for all practical purposes. The BJP has thus planned to wipe out a large portion of their opposition through the CAA-NRC legislation.

Another interesting point to be considered is the polarizing politics of the BJP. The BJP through its legislations like CAA and reorganization of Kashmir has been successful in polarizing the voters into Hindus and Muslims and “urban Naxals” in order to secure their own vote bank. This policy has paid dividends to the party in the elections that have followed. The BJP tripled their seats in the Delhi Legislative Assembly even after receiving backlash for the CAA and NRC particularly in Delhi, which has become the epicentre of the protest against the arbitrary legislation.

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