Rift in the margins? Dalit groups condemn Muslim leaders' remarks
Mangaluru: A press conference by Dalit leaders in coastal Karnataka has brought to light growing discontent within Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe organisations against certain Muslim groups, in the wake of controversial remarks made againstHome Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara, a prominent Dalit leader.
The Karnataka Dalit Horata Samiti, a district-level Dalit rights organisation, on Wednesday condemned a viral audio clip circulating across WhatsApp groups, in which unidentified Muslim individuals were allegedly heard criticising and insulting Dr. Parameshwara and his daughter following the recent communal violence in Mangaluru. The incident, sparked by the killing of Abdul Rahim, a resident of Koltmajalu in Bantwal, had reignited simmering tensions in the communally sensitive region.
'The remarks against a senior Dalit leader and his family have hurt the sentiments of the entire Dalit community,' said Anil Kumar Kankanady, a district leader of the Horata Samiti. 'Dr. Parameshwara is not just a political figure, but a symbol of perseverance for all Dalits who have risen through systemic adversity. Targeting him with such language is not just personal defamation—it is an insult to the community.'
The organisation, which includes several prominent SC/ST activists, demanded the registration of a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against those involved in the derogatory comments. The leaders also pressed for immediate arrests and action against those disseminating the voice recordings.
Among those present at the press conference were district coordinator S.P. Anand, Vishukumar, Siddappa Basavanagar, Dasharath Daddalkad, Prasad Kankanady, and RJ Karkera.
A new political line?
While such condemnations might seem like a routine defence of community pride, analysts suggest this incident signals a potentially deeper shift in Karnataka's subaltern politics. Historically seen as allies in struggles against upper-caste hegemony and right-wing politics, Dalit and Muslim groups in Karnataka have shared political space—both in street mobilisations and electoral strategies, particularly within Congress and smaller social justice-oriented outfits.
However, recent developments, including competitive victimhood, perceived political neglect, and targeted communal violence in coastal areas, have strained this tenuous solidarity. That a Dalit-led press meet would call out Muslim voices so directly—and link it to broader community insult—suggests that identity-based assertiveness is reshaping grassroots narratives.
'This is a moment of divergence,' notes a Mangaluru-based political sociologist. 'Dalit organisations, long accustomed to being marginal players in coastal Karnataka's communal binary, are now asserting a third front—demanding respect not just from dominant castes or state institutions, but also from other marginalised communities.'
Coastal Karnataka's fragile balance
Coastal Karnataka has witnessed a complex mix of caste, religion, and regional assertion. While much of the national discourse has framed the region as a Hindu-Muslim flashpoint, caste-based politics—especially among backwards castes and Dalits—has been gaining traction over the last decade.
In this context, attacks—verbal or otherwise—on a figure like Dr. Parameshwara, who has held key portfolios including that of Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, are seen not just as personal affronts but as an attack on Dalit political legitimacy. With state elections on the horizon and national parties recalibrating their caste equations, the growing alienation expressed by Dalit leaders in Mangaluru may well ripple beyond the district.
Whether this episode marks a passing rupture or the beginning of a deeper shift in caste-community alignments will depend on how political parties, civil society, and state mechanisms respond to the grievance, and whether platforms of solidarity can be rebuilt before mistrust calcifies, say political observers on the coast.
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