Week 7 - Samyuktha Rao

After reading the article “Reading Ambedkar during Covid”, few points really struck me. For instance, in our juris class today we were discussing Prof. Baxi’s article on law and state regulated capitalism. One of his arguments was that the rule of law is structured in a way to enable capitalism. After reading the piece on Ambedkar, it’s clear that class and caste go hand in hand in India. Instances of police brutality on poor and leeways for the rich class during the lockdown clearly shows how this rule of law favours the elite and is not equal for all.

The dominant elite Brahmin’s opposition to any social welfare laws and schemes not just during Covid but in general times also shows the existing social nausea. The point on re-socialization with help of public education system too would have not gained much change in my opinion simply because of the nausea created within households through comments and satires on the lower castes and other religions. On the other hand, private education mostly consists of homogenous set of people, hence, giving no chance for resocialising or space for communication to ingrain actual empathy. Another interesting thing I’ve observed is that one of my Brahmin friend’s mother had posted a picture on Facebook that said “Brahmins have already forecasted the spread of viruses during ancient times itself and hence practiced untouchability, hail Brahmins and Indian Sanskaar!”. It’s shocking and utterly disturbing to see these kinds of statements passed during the time of pandemic only to justify and strength their own social groups and ideology. Social nausea during this pandemic is currently playing out towards migrant workers (instance of spraying disinfectants on group of migrant labourers in UP) and Muslims (The trending “Corona Jihad” tag). This is already in the limelight but how does this translate otherwise? 

The definition of “nationalism” as perpetrated by the ruling party, creates a social nausea towards left and its intellectuals by generalizing them as “tukde tukde gang”, “stone pelters”, “Maoists”, “urban naxals”, “anti-nationals” and what not. Even during the time of pandemic, when supreme court itself has asked to free prisoners of minor crimes, renowned intellectuals like Anand teltumbde, two senior journalists in Kashmir and JNU’s students are being booked under the draconian UAPA and not being allowed for bail (Right to bail is available during an emergency too as it’s regarded as a fundamental right to one’s dignity). However, not many voices raise against this blatant misuse of law and damage to one’s fundamental right to life with dignity (Article 21) because of the perpetual creation of social nausea against these dissenting voices. 

Most of these behind the screen atrocities would not be covered on mainstream media during the pandemic but it would be too late to realize that sooner or later amidst the hues and cries for positivity and unity by the government & its agents, the secret plan to carry out their communal agenda would be successful and would create a furthermore draconian- fascist India, washing out dissent altogether in a post corona world.