The Bangalore Declaration

The Bangalore Declaration
Adopted Unanimously By
All India Consultation: For A New Course of Cultural Politics of Indigenous People towards Critical Social Action for Transformation
Organised by
NAFRE –People’s Movement Held at, Bangalore between 13-15th of October 2008

We the representatives and social activists from NAFRE peoples movement, assembled at the All India Consultation at Bangalore between 13-15 October 2008, to deliberate on the origin, machination and implications of the Contemporary Cultural Politics of Social Exclusion, Religious Marginalisation and Communal Fascism as experienced by the vast majority of indigenous people of this Indian Sub-Continent:

Declare our belief in establishing a democratic society based on the culture of Justice, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity, as envisioned by Buddha, Mahatma Jyothi Rao Phule E.V.R.Periyaar, and Baba saheb Ambedkar,
Reveal that for centuries our Children from marginalised communities are snatched of their potential childhood where they are continued to be deprived, divided, excluded, enslaved, victimised and continued to be imposed with worst forms of violence unleashed by every structure of oppression/exploitation and exclusion which are sustained and controlled by the politics of hegemony.

Understand the ploy that Brahmanism has already laid strong foundation in the larger Indian mindset with Varnashrama Dharma, it polarises the entire society and ascribes caste, religious, gender, national, cultural based identities that becomes the source of all forms of discrimination, segregation, exclusion and persecution.

Recognise that the hegemonic ideology of Brahmanism is born out of the segregation of society into various unequal social groups with graded inequalities, destined by the birth of a person attaching with the notion of purity-impurity in order to produce, reproduce and sustain power, hegemony and control ,

Understand that the various streams of native philosophical structures basing itself with the common chord of materialism starting from Shramanism to Buddhism have been either co-opted or wiped out based on its levels of resistance against Brahmanism,
Identify that the contemporary crisis as imposed by the cultural ideology of Brahmanism and its functions through structured institutions like Caste, Patriarchy, Religion and Nation State.

Recognise that contrary to Brahmanical cultural Ideology, the indigenous cultural streams have promoted the Dignity of Individuals and Community, belief in Collective Ownership, Collective Wisdom, Collective life, celebrating symbiotic relationship with nature and belief in non-exploitative and non-hegemonic cultural fabric for thousands of years,

Recognise that Women, Dalits, Adhivasis, coastal communities all other Indigenous communities who continued to uphold the mantle of anti-Brahmanic, anti-Varnashrama cultural politics are the ultimate critical mass who will create and lead the alternate political culture ,

Analyse that the institutions of family, caste, religion, culture, politics where women from various social strata are subjugated to different levels of violence, discrimination, intimidation, cultural slavery and persecutions, including the dehumanised practice of prostitution are the creations of Brahmanical patriarchy.

Recognise that women especially from Dalit communities face multiple forms of discrimination and marginalisation including caste based, religious based and patriarchal ideology and practices,

Recognise that under the yoke of caste system, the entire social groups as Scheduled Castes (Dalits) are denied of any civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, and are destined to live in servitude,

Recognise the fact that the theory of one Nation was promoted by the dominant caste groups led by the ideology of Hinduism (Brahmanism),curtailing the aspirations and natural evolution of several independent nations/nationalities in this sub-continent,

Understand that Brahmanism that got consolidated during the period of British Colonialism has also entrenched itself as Hinduism in state, Politics, Governance, Economics, culture and continue to rule and divide the people into imaginary majority and minorities to discriminate and persecute members of other religions like Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, etc

Understand that in the name of Religion what is attempted by the protagonist of Hindutva is not an issue of faith alone, but more the politics of polarising communities one against the other like Hindu vs Muslim, Hindu vs Christian, Hindu vs Dalits, Hindu vs Adivasis, etc in order to consolidate the Brahmanical Political hegemony,

Identify that the politics of Brahmanism and its culture of intolerance have already played havoc, more so in the post-independence period by unleashing communal tensions, wars where loss of life and blood shedding has seriously broken the canvass of cultural harmony resulting in communal fascism leading to mass murder and xenophobia

Recognise the fact that the remaining tribals across the sub-continent are under perennial and heavy pressure of the same Brahmanical forces to come under the system of slavery and in collusion with imperialist forces has been massively depriving not only their livelihood, resource base but also tribal’ culture and religious distinctness,

Recognise the ongoing war on the Nagas, Mizos and others of the North-Eastern Region is the ploy of the same Brahmanical Exclusion and in opposition to that the People’s aspiration towards self-determination to be upheld and implemented,

Understand the fact that the very intent of our constitution - equality, Democracy, freedom and Secularism – have been defeated by the successive governments and instead promoted the politics of hegemony in every structure and systems like - governance, legal and judicial system, economy, politics, education, infrastructure and control over natural resources and therby denying life with dignity to all historically marginalised communities.

Understand that the historical ploy of excluding the vast majority of the indigenous people from accessing quality education is to deprive human development by excluding them from knowledge and scientific/rational thinking, and this ploy creates the fertile ground to advance the rule of hegemony basing itself on mass illiteracy and ignorance ,

Recognise the fact that today the neo Brahmanism has colluded with the Neo-imperialism has brought draconian development policies (like SEZ, CMZ, all round privatisation) have further marginalised and excluded the historically disadvantaged communities, and imposed acute conditions of human existence (malnutrition, suicide and hunger deaths), livelihood crisis, deprived human development, forced migration, large scale displacement, etc have all resulted in shattered community life of vast majority of the indigenous people,

Recognising this form of vulgar development has opened the gate for restriction of development of people’s science, technology, art and literature and massively repressed individuals of all communities from the natural flow of healthy development but emerged as a source of Brahmanical version of capitalism, industry, trade, banking and all other branches of human life,

Analyse that clearly that the political hegemony of Brahmanism today has undermined the spirit of Socialism- being the core of our Constitution and enacted wholesale Privatisation blatantly denying the right of the vast majority of Indigenous Communities, from the access and control over the natural-common property resources and their rightful share in the country’s wealth (Land, Water, Forest, Coastal and Marine, mines and Minerals, Energy sources,) including Market,
Recall the struggles that innumerable leaders like Jyothiba Phule, Narayanguru, Ayothidas Pandithar, Periyar EVR, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Paditha.Ramabai, Rettamalai Srinivasan, have waged valiant struggles for the emancipation of the indigenous people of this country fighting the conspiracy of Brahmanism,

We, the undersigned unanimously consider these declaration vital keeping the future of our children at centre , Resolve to re-dedicate ourselves to take forward the struggle of the indigenous community to end all forms of domination, oppression, exploitation and achieve the human liberation and a life with dignity for all..