Lessons for Us from the #BlackLivesMatter

Context:  While raising our voice against global injustices, we have forgotten injustices in our vicinities. In their virtue-signaling, Indian elites have missed the significance of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement: 

• Inclusive movement: BLM protests have transcended race, age, gender, sexual orientation, class and political affiliation.  
• Hard to subdue: The sheer diversity of protestors changes the nature of the protests, makes it difficult to ignore. 

Neglected Injustice at home: 

• The scourge of Nirbhaya hasn’t been able to provide significant relief to the Dalit women who are sexually assaulted every day (Four on average – National Crime Records Bureau).  
• Dalits and Adivasis face police brutality, custodial violence and deaths, and spend years in custody waiting for a trial. 
• When Dalits report crimes, even a First Information Report is hard to lodge. 
• Rare convictions for crimes against Dalits or honour killings of inter-caste couples. 

Lessons for Indian elites:  When the elite mimic western policies, not relevant to India, their domination distorts policy and overloads the state’s capacity. Lessons from BLM include: 

• Support the cause of injustice at home: Dalits will not be spared by the police or caste mobs unless the elites are encouraged to walk by their side.
• Acknowledging and correcting privileges: 

• Like Americans acknowledging and correcting their white privilege, there is almost no parallel movement of Brahmins shunning “Brahmanism".
• Only rare elites, like the late PS Krishnan, have fought “Brahmanism”. Indian elites could learn a lot from privileged white Americans.