What will cause the complete emancipation of Dalits? Ideally, untouchability must end and the caste system annihilated. Further, Hinduism must wither away. Brahmanism as an ideology must end too. The Manu dharma must lose its relevance and the Dalits should capture political power.

Most Dalit movements are engaged with the above objectives. However, most of them run the risk of being abstract as they rarely engage with the doctrine of occupational purity -- the lifeline of Hinduism/Brahmanism. Punjab is a classic case where Hinduism was wiped out, but all cobblers and most landless labourers continue to be Dalits. Punjab could not possess a Dalit bourgeoisie either, leave alone Dalits capturing political power.

Tamil Nadu is yet another case where Brahmins were ousted from the political power structure, but, all scavengers, cobblers, landless labourers in the State continue to be Dalits. Tamil Nadu could not even raise a Dalit bourgeoisie, leave alone Dalits capturing political power.

However, Dalits have captured political power in Uttar Pradesh. Can we say with certainty that on the strength of political power alone the Dalits there will emancipate from all caste-based occupations, that cobblers and labourers will be non-Dalits in another two decades of uninterrupted Dalit rule?

Why should Dalits after converting to Sikhism, Buddhism, Christianity or even Islam still need affirmative action and complain of discrimination? Not that remaining a Hindu is any good. But, without walking out of caste-based occupations, one still remains tied to the economic hierarchy of Hinduism. Economic hierarchy is nothing but a reflection of occupational hierarchy, the lifeline of the caste order. Shouldn't we then rethink about liberating Dalits from caste-based occupations? Is it possible?

A significant number of Dalits have moved out of such occupations. Most Dalit leaders, writers and activists, irrespective of their ideological streams, achieved emancipation from caste-based occupations before engaging with objectives of emancipating the larger Dalit mass.

The fact that a significant section of Dalits has succeeded in getting rid of caste-based occupations gives reason to believe that a vast majority of Dalits also can come out of it and secure quasi-emancipation within the given order before the final assault.

What do most of us in leadership positions do in our personal life? We think of a secured employment/income outside the caste-based occupation, a house away from our Dalit hamlets, better schooling for children, better clothing, insurance and medical facility. Everything else, including endeavours to liberate the larger community, comes later.

Thus, what is good and possible for champions of emancipation ought to be good and possible for the larger Dalit mass yet to be emancipated! If we can have a consensus on this, we ought to be telling the Dalit masses that follow us in what we did first before launching the mission of emancipation!

But the big question still remains - is it possible to liberate all Dalits? Is it possible to make all Dalits enter general occupations? Is it possible to lead the entire Dalit mass into relative affluence and happiness? Does India's ongoing economic expansion throw opportunities for Dalits as well?

Logically, nothing is impossible, including emancipation from Hinduism, provided, we have a blueprint. Even the best of the engineers 50 years ago may not have thought it would be possible to make an aeroplane which can take off with 800 passengers. But with a new blueprint, they are manufacturing the dream machine. In the coming weeks, Dalit Diary will offer a few blueprints for liberating all Dalits from caste-based occupations.

(Source: The Pioneer dated 2 February 2008)