Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
This article critically examines Girish Karnad’s play Talé-Dan˙d˙a as a lens through which the construction and consolidation of the caste system in India is explored. The study focuses on the utilization of ideological state apparatuses (ISA) by the ‘upper-caste’ to suppress attempts at social reform and the creation of a casteless society. By analysing the characters and their interactions within the play, the article argues that repressive and non-violent state apparatuses, such as religion, family, identity formation and language are employed to perpetuate caste-based discrimination and maintain the existing social hierarchy. Drawing on Louis Althusser’s concept of ideological and repressive state apparatuses, the article provides a comprehensive analysis of how these apparatuses are instrumental in preserving caste-based inequalities and solidification of the caste system.
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Peer Interaction, Exclusion and School Participation: Issues of Schooling in a Tribal Village of Odisha
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
In India, drop-outs and out-of-school children in school education are dominant educational discourses even after seven decades of independence. No doubt, various policies and programmes were devised to challenge these issues in education, but still the issues of drop-outs are rampant both in rural and urban areas. The inequality in educational attainment between Scheduled Tribes and the rest of the population has widened throughout the years. Various social aspects of why children leave school before they complete the secondary level of school are understudied in India. Aspects of cultural and social practices and patterns of socialization of tribal children have received little attention in the research on tribal children in India. By specially focussing on friendship networks/peer interaction, the article reflects on how it affects educational participation of tribal and non-tribal children in a village located in the tribal areas of Odisha, one of the eastern states of India.
In India, drop-outs and out-of-school children in school education are dominant educational discourses even after seven decades of independence. No doubt, various policies and programmes were devised to challenge these issues in education, but still the issues of drop-outs are rampant both in rural and urban areas. The inequality in educational attainment between Scheduled Tribes and the rest of the population has widened throughout the years. Various social aspects of why children leave school before they complete the secondary level of school are understudied in India. Aspects of cultural and social practices and patterns of socialization of tribal children have received little attention in the research on tribal children in India. By specially focussing on friendship networks/peer interaction, the article reflects on how it affects educational participation of tribal and non-tribal children in a village located in the tribal areas of Odisha, one of the eastern states of India.
Participation Levels of Scheduled Castes in Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha: A Sociological Study in Rural Telangana
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
The constitutional protections in India have a moderately good effect on the lives of Scheduled Castes (SCs). Additionally, the social movements helped marginalized communities’ voices to some extent by empowering them to assert their rights and participate in the decision-making process. The Constitution has opened up political entry to underprivileged groups as a part of the decentralization movement at the grassroots level. Given an opportunity on par with other social groups, the SCs are showing more interest and are ahead in contesting in the elections with the support of their respective political parties. An effort has been made in this context to emphasize the problems and difficulties experienced by the elected SC members in local bodies in rural Telangana. The main objectives of the study are to examine the participation rates of SC representatives in Gram Sabha, analyse experiences in the political system in terms of gender and examine the discriminatory practices that elected officials have to deal with. The findings show that the SC representatives’ participation in Gram Sabha is weak and lacking in the decision-making process because of a lack of official backing and covert discrimination by the officials. Additionally, the SC representatives experience covert prejudice on the part of other castes. Since the bulk of the representatives are new to the election process, they are unaware of the duties that they are expected to carry out. According to the findings, the Gram Sabha should plan and finalize the village development plans in front of the people without the involvement of the local MLAs.
The constitutional protections in India have a moderately good effect on the lives of Scheduled Castes (SCs). Additionally, the social movements helped marginalized communities’ voices to some extent by empowering them to assert their rights and participate in the decision-making process. The Constitution has opened up political entry to underprivileged groups as a part of the decentralization movement at the grassroots level. Given an opportunity on par with other social groups, the SCs are showing more interest and are ahead in contesting in the elections with the support of their respective political parties. An effort has been made in this context to emphasize the problems and difficulties experienced by the elected SC members in local bodies in rural Telangana. The main objectives of the study are to examine the participation rates of SC representatives in Gram Sabha, analyse experiences in the political system in terms of gender and examine the discriminatory practices that elected officials have to deal with. The findings show that the SC representatives’ participation in Gram Sabha is weak and lacking in the decision-making process because of a lack of official backing and covert discrimination by the officials. Additionally, the SC representatives experience covert prejudice on the part of other castes. Since the bulk of the representatives are new to the election process, they are unaware of the duties that they are expected to carry out. According to the findings, the Gram Sabha should plan and finalize the village development plans in front of the people without the involvement of the local MLAs.
Uniform as Assertion: The Politics of Caste Reservation in Colonial and Post-colonial Armed Forces of India (1930–2020)
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Recruitment of lower and middle castes remained a much-debated topic in Indian electoral politics till now. On the one hand, there was intense political debate between various castes, and on the other, there was judicial and administrative debate about social justice. Even though Ambedkar tried to use it as a method of social justice and state-sponsored social alleviation, because of its connection to identity politics, it quickly became a matter of electoral mobilization. Various parties that were attempting to win over various communities with their call for military recruitment eventually strayed from the real motivation behind that Ambedkarian demand. Lastly, since the turn of the twentieth century, the new political rhetoric of Hindutva has intriguingly transformed this call for military recruitment into a different cause. This article discusses how the demand for the Chamar Regiment and the Ahir Regiment in particular became the focal point of this debate for nearly a century.
Recruitment of lower and middle castes remained a much-debated topic in Indian electoral politics till now. On the one hand, there was intense political debate between various castes, and on the other, there was judicial and administrative debate about social justice. Even though Ambedkar tried to use it as a method of social justice and state-sponsored social alleviation, because of its connection to identity politics, it quickly became a matter of electoral mobilization. Various parties that were attempting to win over various communities with their call for military recruitment eventually strayed from the real motivation behind that Ambedkarian demand. Lastly, since the turn of the twentieth century, the new political rhetoric of Hindutva has intriguingly transformed this call for military recruitment into a different cause. This article discusses how the demand for the Chamar Regiment and the Ahir Regiment in particular became the focal point of this debate for nearly a century.
Dalit by Birth, Beti-jaisi by Adoption: Exploring Caste and Family Dynamics in Bimal Roy’s Sujata
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Folk Horror and Witchcraft: Exploring the Rhetoric of Tribal Evil Tradition and Marginalization of Women in Baso-jhi by Sowvendra Sekhar Hansda and Reincarnation of Parasuram by Anil Ghorai
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Sowvendra Sekhar Hansda, a writer from Jharkhand and an ethnic member of the Santhal community, and Anil Ghorai, a Bengali writer have come forward with their powerful literary oeuvre to bring to the surface the helpless agonies of marginalized subalterns and Adivasi women and allow them a voice against the oppression and violence. Both the writers possess extraordinary knowledge and firsthand experience of tribal culture, tradition and practices. They were very much conscious about the bleak ground reality of oppression and abashment practiced either by the money-minded bourgeois class in the name of progress or by the rest of the society under casteism. And when this subjugation comes to the women, different layers began to be added. The most exploited and primitive weapon in this regard comes in the version of witchcraft, black magic and sorcery within their segregated society and which is already fighting against so much odds. The present article attempts a critical appraisal of ‘Baso-jhi’ by Sowvendra Sekhar Hansda and ‘Reincarnation of Parasuram’ by Anil Ghorai to bring to the surface the layered patriarchal marginalization of women within their community and the menace that this barbaric practice of witch hunt exercises upon womenfolk and finally the horror that embodies the entire folk existence.
Sowvendra Sekhar Hansda, a writer from Jharkhand and an ethnic member of the Santhal community, and Anil Ghorai, a Bengali writer have come forward with their powerful literary oeuvre to bring to the surface the helpless agonies of marginalized subalterns and Adivasi women and allow them a voice against the oppression and violence. Both the writers possess extraordinary knowledge and firsthand experience of tribal culture, tradition and practices. They were very much conscious about the bleak ground reality of oppression and abashment practiced either by the money-minded bourgeois class in the name of progress or by the rest of the society under casteism. And when this subjugation comes to the women, different layers began to be added. The most exploited and primitive weapon in this regard comes in the version of witchcraft, black magic and sorcery within their segregated society and which is already fighting against so much odds. The present article attempts a critical appraisal of ‘Baso-jhi’ by Sowvendra Sekhar Hansda and ‘Reincarnation of Parasuram’ by Anil Ghorai to bring to the surface the layered patriarchal marginalization of women within their community and the menace that this barbaric practice of witch hunt exercises upon womenfolk and finally the horror that embodies the entire folk existence.
Identifying Barriers to SDG Awareness Among Scheduled Caste Youth in Tamil Nadu
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Despite the sustainable development goals’ (SDGs) emphasis on inclusion, marginalized youths are denied full participation due to discriminatory practices. Despite a few studies examining the SDGs and their social targets, none has examined young people’s awareness of the SDGs in Scheduled Castes (SCs). In our study, we analysed the narratives of 40 SC youth in seven districts of Tamil Nadu, who have historically been marginalized. In this study, we examined how SC youth experience social exclusion and what factors contribute to their lack of awareness of schemes and programmes. We suggested ways to promote the involvement of SC youth in achieving Tamil Nadu’s SDGs.
Despite the sustainable development goals’ (SDGs) emphasis on inclusion, marginalized youths are denied full participation due to discriminatory practices. Despite a few studies examining the SDGs and their social targets, none has examined young people’s awareness of the SDGs in Scheduled Castes (SCs). In our study, we analysed the narratives of 40 SC youth in seven districts of Tamil Nadu, who have historically been marginalized. In this study, we examined how SC youth experience social exclusion and what factors contribute to their lack of awareness of schemes and programmes. We suggested ways to promote the involvement of SC youth in achieving Tamil Nadu’s SDGs.
Book review: Narayana Sukumar and Paul D’Souza (eds.), The Journey of Caste in India: Voices from Margins
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Narayana Sukumar and Paul D’Souza (eds.), The Journey of Caste in India: Voices from Margins. New York and London: Routledge Taylor & Francis, 2023, 222 pp., ₹11439 (Hardcover). ISBN: 978-1-032-31977-3, ISBN: 978-1-003-31717-3.
Narayana Sukumar and Paul D’Souza (eds.), The Journey of Caste in India: Voices from Margins. New York and London: Routledge Taylor & Francis, 2023, 222 pp., ₹11439 (Hardcover). ISBN: 978-1-032-31977-3, ISBN: 978-1-003-31717-3.
Book review: Bhangya Bhulya, Subjugated Nomads: The Lambadas Under the Rule of the Nizams
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Bhangya Bhulya, Subjugated Nomads: The Lambadas Under the Rule of the Nizams. Orient BlackSwan, First Paperback Edition 2022, xxiii + 296 pp., ₹695. ISBN: 9789354420726.
Bhangya Bhulya, Subjugated Nomads: The Lambadas Under the Rule of the Nizams. Orient BlackSwan, First Paperback Edition 2022, xxiii + 296 pp., ₹695. ISBN: 9789354420726.
Editorial
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Volume 16, Issue 1, Page 7-7, January 2024.