HYDERABAD: Nurturing democracy and pluralism is an arduous task in a country like India, where discrimination against women and Dalits is pervasive and endemic across religion, region and caste, eminent historian and author Ramachandra Guha, who was the chief guest at the 17th convocation of NALSAR University of Law, said here on Saturday.
Highlighting how pervasive this discrimination is, Guha, pointed out that there are barely any women vice-chancellors in Indian Universities or women heads in temples, mosques or churches. "There are many Hindu goddesses but no female priests. Among Muslims, this discrimination is even worse. We are a society historically pervaded with inequality and its our constitutional duty to overcome and transcendent these inequalities,’’ he said.
The struggle for equality in an unjust society, Guha said, needs three kinds of equality-- equality before law, god and in social practice.
“At Sabarimala, women still have not found justice, despite the SC judgment. Also, why should the interlocutor between me and god always be a man? Priesthood should not be restricted to a section of people from a particular background -- Brahmins among Hindus, men among Muslims, Christians and Sikhs,’’ he said. Dalits may have followed Ambedkar’s footsteps and taken to Buddhism after not being allowed inside temples but in everyday life, they continue to face discrimination.
“It was claimed that caste discrimination was not prevalent in cities. But the tragic suicide of Rohith Vemula showed it is not the case.
Guha added, “While we boast of being the world’s greatest democracy and have one person one vote, 70 years after becoming a sovereign State we are still far from one person one value.”