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I HAIL from the Rapal family, which traces
its roots to the revered Baba Bal Jati Rapal.
My ancestors built the Rapal Temple in Rakhra
village, around 15 km from Patiala. In
this temple, no Dalit is allowed in because it
is believed that a Dalit's entry will mar the
temple's purity. Dalits can eat in the langar or
community feast, but in separate utensils
which they must wash. The matter has been
brought up in newspapers time and again,
but nothing has changed and the Dalits never
protest. The temple's management is controlled
by a few families, mine being one of
them. Every year on Diwali there is a yagna,
presided over by the representatives of the
families that run the temple. (I have represented
my family many times in the yagna).
Only the Rapals and some other "high caste"
people are allowed in the sanctum sanctorum.
Surjit Singh Rakhra, an Akali Dal legislator
and elder brother of NRI business
tycoon Darshan Singh Rakhra, also hails
from this village. A new extension of the temple
was inaugurated by him.
Harshdeep Singh Rapal
Dalit woes
WHY is it that so many years after Independence Dalits are still struggling to lead a life with dignity (Cover Story, December 29)? There are many Acts, commissions and government provisions, but Dalits are not able to make use of them; in this situation, violent protests are inevitable. The reports did not suggest what provisions should be made to integrate Dalits into the mainstream. Dalits must unite and fight for their rights.
Mehnaaz Manawar
THE Cover Story discusses the importance of land reform measures to improve the economic condition of Dalits and the way this has been neglected by the Dalit leadership. But it is silent on the role of non-Left and non-Dalit parties. The second-rung leadership of these parties comprises landlords and rich peasants in rural India, and they are steeped in caste prejudice. They may have differences among themselves, but they act as one against Dalits.
K. Lakshmanan
THE policy of reservation has helped to create a new, educated Dalit middle class. But the majority of the people belonging to the Scheduled Castes continue to live as `untouchables' and many still work as manual scavengers.
Resmi Asokan
Singur row
THE controversy over the proposed "people's car" factory at Singur in West Bengal's Hooghly district is centred mainly on the issue of conflict between agriculture and land acquisition for industrial development ("Starting controversy", December 29). No one is talking about the other important issues such as the huge oil bills the country is running up and the problem of pollution created by the car boom.
R. Kesavan
Global hooligan
THE United States invaded Iraq alleging that Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of weapons of mass destructions (WMDs) in his arsenal, but the whole world is still waiting to see even an iota of evidence ("Sectarian divide", December 29). In the process, U.S. troops killed scores of Iraqis including women and children, and ruined Iraq's cities. It will not be surprising to see the U.S. invading Iran, too, on another false pretext, that it is developing nuclear weapons.
Sandeep Ghiya
Kashmir
A. G. Noorani's article ("Kashmir: blunders of the past", December 29) provides valuable information on the omissions and commissions by leaders, who were otherwise secular, on the Kashmir issue. It is sad that a leader of Jawaharlal Nehru's stature could have been influenced by misinformation fed by people close to him.
The role played by Dr. Karan Singh as "heir apparent" is astonishing. Sheikh Abdullah, the lion of Kashmir, was in later years accused of promoting the interests of his family. His loyal deputy, Mirza Afzal Beg, was shown the door for not very convincing reasons. At present, Kashmiriyat appears to be a thing of the past after the intervention of the extremists and the excesses of the security forces.
H. Syed Mathani
ANNOUNCEMENT
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