Breaking the Bonds of Caste

Of all India's different castes, traditionally the harijans were the lowest of the low. As India's 'untouchables', they did the dirtiest and most menial jobs. People of higher castes considered themselves defiled if even a harijan's shadow fell on them. It was Mahatma Gandhi who gave them the name 'harijans' (literally 'God's people'), believing that untouchability was a denial of the true spirit of Hinduism, but the old attitudes linger on.

On a chilly December evening in Delhi, I met a group from Delhi's largest harijan colony. They were visiting, as every evening, the home of Rajendra Das Mathur, whose relations include some of India's top administrators. He, his wife, Prabha, and their two sons welcome the men to their home because they want to remove prejudice and restore dignity to the harijans.

An animated discussion took place, concluded by some rousing songs which express hope for the future of India and faith in God. Each of the men has many stories to tell of their struggles with society and with themselves. One of them, Ranjit Singh Gangahery, told me something of his life.

Singh was one of 12 children. His family were valmikis (cleaners), the lowest of the 32 harijan sub-castes. They had been fortunate in having a two-room house with a bathroom. Others in the colony lived in simple huts with mud floors and roofs of leaves.

The colony in which he lived at that time was famous as the place where Mahatma Gandhi stayed whenever he visited Delhi. But when Singh lived there so much gambling, fighting and drinking went on that outsiders were afraid even to enter the colony.

Singh was still at school in 1967 when the Mahatma's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi visited Delhi with an international group from Moral Re-Armament. Like many other harijans he was deeply moved. Especially so when Rajmohan Gandhi took his hand and said, 'Don't think of yourself as an untouchable but think what you can do for India and the world.'

The next day, Singh met others of the group. His new friends encouraged Singh to practise a central part of Mahatma Gandhi's teaching - listening to the inner voice of truth'. They started calling on Singh each morning to share the insights each was getting through this meditation. They also told him how they had overcome personal problems. Singh decided to apply their ideas in doing something for the colony.

Realizing that he would make little impression unless he started the process of change himself, Singh owned up to his grandmother about misusing money given to him for books. He also apologized to his school principal for dishonestly using family problems as an excuse for missing classes.

Another harijan, Babulal, was a weightlifter who used his strength to enforce his point of view. He was often involved in brawls and made many enemies. Whenever he saw Singh, Babulal would say, 'You are doing a good work. Please keep it up,' but he did nothing. Finally Babulal decided to review his life in the light of absolute moral standards of honesty and love, and the thought was born in him that he should ask forgiveness of four people he had fought with, including one man he had injured with a brick. Babulal resisted the thought at first, but then he met his enemies at a tea-stall. They were surprised by his apology but it led to lasting friendships. He also asked for forgiveness from his wife and children whom he had neglected.

Babulal and Singh began to influence others. At one point 30 were meeting daily to plan how to improve the colony. An evening school was started for children who had little education. They held morning marches and visits to the temple to ask God for strength. Many consciences were stirred and there was a reduction in police complaints.

In 1968 a group from the colony went to meet President Zakir Hussain to tell him what they were doing and of the changes in their lives. 'Just as evil catches on so does good and I have caught a lot of it from you this afternoon,' he responded.

But things started to go wrong. Rumours about the group went around the colony. 'They will take you abroad and kill you' was one story. Some cast aspersions on the women who had joined the group, and morning marches were broken up. Once, a group of people whose influence in the colony had been diminished by MRA's activities got a man drunk and sent him after Singh with a knife. When Singh saw him he asked him, in a relaxed way, how he was. Touched, the man said, 'I came to kill you but I am not going to do it.'

With all the many pressures, Singh gradually succumbed to drinking - a great temptation in a crowded colony where entertainments are few and hardships many. Alcohol got such a hold on him that he sold his wife's jewelry and some household utensils to pay for his habit. His two sons went hungry and at times his wife got so fed up that she went to stay with her own relatives.

Singh got a job as a messenger in a local tax office. It became highly lucrative as between them the 40 inspectors would give him 20 or more rupees a day to keep themselves in his favour. 'If I did some personal service for someone, that cost extra,' he recalls.

Football instead of drugs

In 1983 a surprise visitor turned up at the colony. It was one of those who had been with Rajmohan Gandhi's group back in 1967 and had befriended Singh at that time. Singh felt so wretched that he burst into tears. 'My whole life is destroyed,' he said. 'All I wanted to do has gone down the drain. I cannot do anything.'

Supported by his wife Raju, he finally determined to make a fresh start. He stopped drinking. Then with great reluctance, because he had become used to a good income, he felt that he must do something about the corruption in his office. He went to his boss and told him how much he had taken in bribes. 'I have been wrong all these years and I want to be free.'

Next he informed the inspectors that he would take no more bribes. They were shocked. 'Don't do that,' they said. 'We will increase the payments.' His wife's reaction was, 'If you honestly give me your whole pay-packet we shall manage.'

One of those greatly affected by Babulal's and Singh's change was Krishanpal. He was especially concerned about the increasing drug abuse among the youth of the colony. This often led to their being involved with the police for fighting, pick-pocketing and so on. Krishanpal decided to start football, cricket and volleyball tournaments within the colony which would involve the youth every evening. The tournaments became so popular that gradually people from other colonies also wanted to participate. Today, regular inter-colony tournaments are held and there is virtually no drug problem in the colony.

Singh, Babulal and Krishanpal decided to meet every day for an hour to listen to the inner voice and to plan together how to be more effective as a group. Because they left for work at 6.30 am, they would meet every morning at 5 am for an hour in a park nearby. When winter set in, they began meeting at the Mathurs' home every evening. The group has slowly expanded - and now their wives are also meeting regularly.

One of the latest to change as a result of these meetings is Sadhulal who had a drink problem for over 15 years. He often beat up his wife and picked fights with his friends when drunk. Now he has decided to change and become more responsible for his family and community.

What is Singh's concept of how India should be? I asked. 'India should be a place where there is peace and honesty of dealing,' he replied. Few have struggled more to bring this about than these harijans.