Dr. Babasaheb’ s Vision & A Long History of Racism - RajaRao Pagidipalli

Dr. Babasaheb’ s Vision & A Long History of Racism People know that Mahatma Gandhi led the fight for Independence and that his non-violent marches inspired Martin Luther King and the American civil rights movement & won many victories for social justice and human rights. Racism has a cost for everyone. It leads to bad policymaking. And not just in ways that disadvantage people of color. Racism is bad for everyone. Barack Obama’s presidency was indeed a profound and meaningful mark of true progress but racism never really went away. In fact, racism is built right into every level of American society in ways that might surprise. Hate and bias can escalate and lead to dire outcomes, when left unchecked. Since the election of Donald Trump, hate crimes have been on the rise. White supremacists have been emboldened. Anti-immigrant rhetoric has intensified. Racism is an essential feature of Trump's 2020 campaign. RajaRao Pagiidpalli Page 1

Dr. Babasaheb’ s Vision & A Long History of Racism Many see Floyd’s death as an example of systemic racism, referring to the way race disadvantages people of color in the criminal justice system. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an African American man, died while being arrested by the police. A video of the incident showed that a white police officer pinned Floyd to the ground while he was handcuffed. The police officer’s knee pressed into the back of Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, even after Floyd lost consciousness. This led to community and national outrage, an F.B.I. civil rights investigation and the firing of the officer, Derek Chauvin and three other officers who were also at the scene. On May 29, Chauvin was arrested and charged with third degree murder and manslaughter. Prosecutors said the investigation into the three other officers is ongoing. Biden accused President Donald Trump of inciting violence with a tweet that warned that protesters could be shot, prompting Twitter to flag his tweet as glorifying violence. Obama wrote that many people want life to go back to \"normal\" during the Covid-19 outbreak but highlighted that systemic racism is also \"normal\" in America. People were seen all over carrying signs that read, \"Justice for George Floyd,\" \"Racism has no place,\" \"Enough is enough,\" and \"Black lives matter.\" They chanted, \"I can't breathe\" and \"No justice, no peace,\" Ignoring racism allows racist ideas and racist policies to flourish. It protects racist policies — and protecting racist policies harms black people. The analogy between the caste system and racism in the U.S. has a much longer and sustained history. There are many parallels between the anti-caste movement in India and civil rights RajaRao Pagiidpalli Page 2

Dr. Babasaheb’ s Vision & A Long History of Racism movement in the United States. Although caste and race are very different – one an entirely artificial ranking of human worth, based on social and ritual restrictions, and the other based on superficial characteristics of appearance – the struggle against prejudice, privilege, and power have taken very similar forms in the two democracies. Indians are really good at identifying the castes of each other. They microscopically peel it layer by layer and then they come to know. If racism is not allowed in India, why should casteism ? Even in the 21st century, people in India unfortunately still indulge in differentiating others on the basis of caste, color, and gender. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was firmly engaged and committed to rectify the brutal actualities of the caste society and wanted to radically transform it into a better human world. The name of this great Indian patriot will always remain alive in the pages of history and the heart of every Indian as a redeemer of millions like Moses who redeemed his people from Pharoahs tyranny and oppression. The George Floyd’s tragedy and the subsequent protests is something the world needs to address. If we really believe that black lives matter, maybe we need to fix what’s happening in our own backyard when it comes to our individual racism or casteism. in order to abolish racism or other types of discrimination, it is necessary to change not only laws but also people’s hearts. RajaRao Pagiidpalli Page 3