Jignesh Mevani: ‘Against RSS, BJP wherever they are’

Una caught the people’s imagination and I was invited all over the country. A journalist goes out to do stories across the country, a social researcher researches society, a political analyst keeps abreast of political happenings in the country. So, as an activist and politician, I go to different parts of the country to talk to people.

You used a lot of words such as Dalit Swaraj, talked about removing Khattar from power. Do you have the elections in mind?

Absolutely. I’m up in arms against the Sangh Parivar and the BJP. Wherever they are, be it in UP or Gujarat, they’re a force completely Fascist in nature, they’re culturally obnoxious, and responsible for innumerable economic disasters. We need to protect the Constitution from BJP and if we don’t awaken the masses for bringing them down in 2019, I truly believe we will be doomed.

You raised an important point that Dalits should move beyond talking about atrocities alone.

See, as long as the caste system is there, caste-based discrimination will exist. How then can caste be annihilated? For the annihilation of caste, struggle against caste and class both go hand in hand. You have to raise your class issues, your economic conditions.

Did you mean that it is more about victimhood?

Dalit movement should set its own agenda, be more proactive. Like in Gujarat right now, no incident of violence has happened lately. But if you bring the recently announced Budget in the assembly, then you’ll see that 344 paediatricians are not there in civil hospitals and 326 gynaecologists are missing from the CHCs of Gujarat. So, why should I not take out a rally on this issue? If those doctors will come, then poor patients will be treated.

In this scenario, women, more likely Dalit women, will still have to deal with atrocities and other social restraints. How do you see that changing in a movement that you said must include one and all?

Any movement, even this, is still lacking gender perspective. The Brahminical patriarchy ensures that women in all sections of society are controlled. Even in my team, I still don’t have woman activists. In a state like Haryana, where women are raped daily, the feudal mindset in a neoliberal era speaks volumes about our society. We still don’t talk about inter-caste marriages and this government has made it worse by inventing terms such as ‘Love Jihad’. This furthers their feudal mentality. I can admit to having imbibed patriarchal notions, but consciousness is important too.