Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
The modest attempt of this article is to understand the social exclusion of women in general and Dalit women in particular. This article intends to argue that education is a key instrument for the development of Dalit women to get liberation from the oppressive structures of Hindu caste-patriarchy. Education ultimately ensures the re-establishment of a new social order based on inclusive values. As it is noted that women are one of the largest socially segregated groups in the world. Among them, Dalit women are most segregated and excluded from all the public and private spheres. It is found that Dalit women in India are placed at the bottom of society due to unjust social order. They are segregated and excluded based on their caste, class and gender identity. Every day, approximately four Dalit women and girls are being gang-raped and brutally murdered. It can be argued that Dalit women as an identity but also their issues and concerns are segregated and excluded. This article explores the mechanisms of segregation and exclusion of Dalit women’s identity and their issues. Along with this, the article traces the role of education in the social exclusion and emancipation of Dalit women. Further, this article explores the kind of perspective and framework that Dalit women need to overcome their historical exclusion and marginalization.
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Revisiting Multiculturalism in Ambedkar’s Thought: A Theoretical Perspective
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956) was not only the messiah of the downtrodden people in India but was also the champion of minority rights, women’s rights, farmer’s and labourer’s rights. He was an individualist as well as a communitarian. He was a modernist, rationalist and moralist. His philosophy covers a wide range of ideas including justice, liberty, equality, democracy, minority rights, women’s rights, group representation, social exclusion and inclusion, majority–minority conflicts, cultural and linguistic diversity and identity and recognition which offer a non-western experience of the early part of twentieth century to the present-day literature on multiculturalism. But his ideas have paid little scholarly attention both in western and Indian scholarships. The existing scholarships on B. R. Ambedkar largely highlight on his socio-economic, cultural, religious, political and constitutional ideas. But his multicultural ideas are hardly explored in academic discourses. This article thus attempts first to highlight on some leading theorists of multiculturalism and their views and then discusses Ambedkar’s multicultural ideas. The article, however, restricts itself to some selected theorists of multiculturalism for deliberation only with an aim to compare them with Ambedkar’s writings.
Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956) was not only the messiah of the downtrodden people in India but was also the champion of minority rights, women’s rights, farmer’s and labourer’s rights. He was an individualist as well as a communitarian. He was a modernist, rationalist and moralist. His philosophy covers a wide range of ideas including justice, liberty, equality, democracy, minority rights, women’s rights, group representation, social exclusion and inclusion, majority–minority conflicts, cultural and linguistic diversity and identity and recognition which offer a non-western experience of the early part of twentieth century to the present-day literature on multiculturalism. But his ideas have paid little scholarly attention both in western and Indian scholarships. The existing scholarships on B. R. Ambedkar largely highlight on his socio-economic, cultural, religious, political and constitutional ideas. But his multicultural ideas are hardly explored in academic discourses. This article thus attempts first to highlight on some leading theorists of multiculturalism and their views and then discusses Ambedkar’s multicultural ideas. The article, however, restricts itself to some selected theorists of multiculturalism for deliberation only with an aim to compare them with Ambedkar’s writings.
Dismantling Caste and Gender Hierarchy: Female-Dalit Alliance in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Meena Kandasamy’s The Gypsy Goddess
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
The unique feature of the Indian patriarchal social structure is the existence of caste hierarchy in it, which is an alien concept for Western feminist theorists. Arundhati Roy and Meena Kandasamy in their novels ‘The God of Small Things and The Gypsy Goddess’ portray the caste and gender pyramid vividly, and their protagonists pose threat to this structure and show the way out. Caste classification utterly refutes the subjectivity of a person. His rank and his professions are decided by his birth, not by his skills. The article traces the origin of caste hierarchy established in the society and its functioning. It presents the idea that gender and caste hierarchies are interlinked, and in both these structures, the concept of purity is a pertinent theme. Myths, religious scriptures, laws of the society, and value systems function together to assert caste and sexual dominion. The research article raises the issue that a girl’s education and her aspiration to pursue an academic career have no significance to the male chauvinistic society. Education is also controlled by the larger institution of patriarchy. Like other institutions, it frames the psyche of women in favour of patriarchy. In our society, the way marriage has been glorified, with the same stature divorce has been scandalized. The work presents gender discrimination in the workspace and inheritance policy. In the end, the article proposes the way out of the patriarchy and casteism, which is ‘denial’. If women and lower caste men refuse to be part of this power structure, the whole system would collapse like a castle of cards.
The unique feature of the Indian patriarchal social structure is the existence of caste hierarchy in it, which is an alien concept for Western feminist theorists. Arundhati Roy and Meena Kandasamy in their novels ‘The God of Small Things and The Gypsy Goddess’ portray the caste and gender pyramid vividly, and their protagonists pose threat to this structure and show the way out. Caste classification utterly refutes the subjectivity of a person. His rank and his professions are decided by his birth, not by his skills. The article traces the origin of caste hierarchy established in the society and its functioning. It presents the idea that gender and caste hierarchies are interlinked, and in both these structures, the concept of purity is a pertinent theme. Myths, religious scriptures, laws of the society, and value systems function together to assert caste and sexual dominion. The research article raises the issue that a girl’s education and her aspiration to pursue an academic career have no significance to the male chauvinistic society. Education is also controlled by the larger institution of patriarchy. Like other institutions, it frames the psyche of women in favour of patriarchy. In our society, the way marriage has been glorified, with the same stature divorce has been scandalized. The work presents gender discrimination in the workspace and inheritance policy. In the end, the article proposes the way out of the patriarchy and casteism, which is ‘denial’. If women and lower caste men refuse to be part of this power structure, the whole system would collapse like a castle of cards.
Book review: Manju Bala, Dalit Kotha: The Subaltern Voice in a Bengali Woman’s Narratives
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Volume 15, Issue 1_suppl, Page S188-S190, August 2023.
Manju Bala, Dalit Kotha: The Subaltern Voice in a Bengali Woman’s Narratives. Authors Press, 2022, 168 pp., ₹995 (paperback). ISBN: 978-93-5529-370-1.
Manju Bala, Dalit Kotha: The Subaltern Voice in a Bengali Woman’s Narratives. Authors Press, 2022, 168 pp., ₹995 (paperback). ISBN: 978-93-5529-370-1.
Centring the Adivasi Literature: Becoming and Being
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
This article looks at four instances of Adivasi (indigenous) writing in India. The texts have been selected to centre the various social and political expressions of the Adivasi subjectivity. What is of significance for this article is the complex modes of negotiation between the Adivasi subject and the elements that constitute modernity and development. It would appear that on the one hand, modernity widens the gap between the Adivasi and their social and cultural terrain. On the other hand, the structural discrimination internal to modernity makes it ever evasive towards the Adivasi. This article looks at the specific ways in which each text narrates the composite relationship with the modern. At the same time, this research shapes a conversation between the four writings, often complementing as well as challenging how each makes sense of their place in contemporary society and culture, and defines the unifying elements of the Adivasi experience in India.
This article looks at four instances of Adivasi (indigenous) writing in India. The texts have been selected to centre the various social and political expressions of the Adivasi subjectivity. What is of significance for this article is the complex modes of negotiation between the Adivasi subject and the elements that constitute modernity and development. It would appear that on the one hand, modernity widens the gap between the Adivasi and their social and cultural terrain. On the other hand, the structural discrimination internal to modernity makes it ever evasive towards the Adivasi. This article looks at the specific ways in which each text narrates the composite relationship with the modern. At the same time, this research shapes a conversation between the four writings, often complementing as well as challenging how each makes sense of their place in contemporary society and culture, and defines the unifying elements of the Adivasi experience in India.
Subversion of Casteism in Sajitha Madathil’s Kali Natakam: A Dalit Feminist Study
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Volume 15, Issue 1_suppl, Page S67-S74, August 2023.
The feminist play Kali Natakam by Sajitha Madathil explores the injustices encountered by women in a ‘progressive society’ through Mudiyettu, a ritual dance performed in Kali Temples in Central Kerala. But is gender inequality the only visible problem in the play? Do mainstream feminist studies overshadow the issue of caste discrimination? Madathil’s play, Kali Natakam, is studied using the framework of Dalit feminism to understand the triple oppression Dalit women experience based on their caste, gender and race differences. Through an amalgamation of the myth of Kali and Darika, and a portrayal of contemporary society, the play complicates the notion of gender and caste discrimination. This article uses the concept of ‘intersectionality,’ introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, to understand the play in the dimensions of gender, caste and race. The basis of Dalit feminism is the testimonies given by Dalit women revealing how their everyday lives differed from those of non-Dalit women. First-person narratives lead in building the canvas of feminist thought in connection with caste identity. And how monopolizing gender by sideling race and caste differences ends in shunning some of the significant concerns and problems of women of different communities, especially Dalits. Considering the gender and caste element, a Dalit feminist analysis becomes the most appropriate way to study the play instead of doing separate studies. Recognizing the intersectionality in the play leads to comprehending the complexities of discrimination operating at multiple levels.
The feminist play Kali Natakam by Sajitha Madathil explores the injustices encountered by women in a ‘progressive society’ through Mudiyettu, a ritual dance performed in Kali Temples in Central Kerala. But is gender inequality the only visible problem in the play? Do mainstream feminist studies overshadow the issue of caste discrimination? Madathil’s play, Kali Natakam, is studied using the framework of Dalit feminism to understand the triple oppression Dalit women experience based on their caste, gender and race differences. Through an amalgamation of the myth of Kali and Darika, and a portrayal of contemporary society, the play complicates the notion of gender and caste discrimination. This article uses the concept of ‘intersectionality,’ introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, to understand the play in the dimensions of gender, caste and race. The basis of Dalit feminism is the testimonies given by Dalit women revealing how their everyday lives differed from those of non-Dalit women. First-person narratives lead in building the canvas of feminist thought in connection with caste identity. And how monopolizing gender by sideling race and caste differences ends in shunning some of the significant concerns and problems of women of different communities, especially Dalits. Considering the gender and caste element, a Dalit feminist analysis becomes the most appropriate way to study the play instead of doing separate studies. Recognizing the intersectionality in the play leads to comprehending the complexities of discrimination operating at multiple levels.
What Ails Dalit Movement: Lessons Learnt from Farmer Movement
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
The demand for equality and a ‘better’ share is always there for any ‘authoritative allocation of values’ and India is no exception. Farmers and Dalit movements present such demands with an aim to seek transformation in the existing power structure for better in political, social and economic spaces. However, one seems to be more organized and successful despite the existence of a multi-layered class structure, while the other remained fragmented and sporadic. It is, therefore, very pertinent to analyse why a considerable chunk of the citizenry is not able to get their due share and what ails their collective bargaining capacity. The present article is an attempt to draw certain commonalities between the ‘Farmer’ and ‘Dalit’ movements in India and identify the gaps—that the Dalit movement can fill by taking a cue from the farmer movement. Also, it attempts to analyse how with time all the farmers’ organizations collectively mobilized together on the pan-India level on a single platform to bargain for their common interest but why such consciousness is not being developed among Dalits even after 75 years of independence.
The demand for equality and a ‘better’ share is always there for any ‘authoritative allocation of values’ and India is no exception. Farmers and Dalit movements present such demands with an aim to seek transformation in the existing power structure for better in political, social and economic spaces. However, one seems to be more organized and successful despite the existence of a multi-layered class structure, while the other remained fragmented and sporadic. It is, therefore, very pertinent to analyse why a considerable chunk of the citizenry is not able to get their due share and what ails their collective bargaining capacity. The present article is an attempt to draw certain commonalities between the ‘Farmer’ and ‘Dalit’ movements in India and identify the gaps—that the Dalit movement can fill by taking a cue from the farmer movement. Also, it attempts to analyse how with time all the farmers’ organizations collectively mobilized together on the pan-India level on a single platform to bargain for their common interest but why such consciousness is not being developed among Dalits even after 75 years of independence.
Book review: Ishita Mehrotra, Political Economy of Class, Caste and Gender: A Study of Rural Dalit Labourers in India
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Ishita Mehrotra, Political Economy of Class, Caste and Gender: A Study of Rural Dalit Labourers in India. Routledge India, 2022, ix + 213 pp., ₹1,295. ISBN: 978-1032425627.
Ishita Mehrotra, Political Economy of Class, Caste and Gender: A Study of Rural Dalit Labourers in India. Routledge India, 2022, ix + 213 pp., ₹1,295. ISBN: 978-1032425627.
‘Can Subaltern Speak?’: Discourse Without Considering Caste an Exploitative Institution
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Gramsci’s idea of Subaltern was applied by Indian subaltern study groups to analyse the struggle of the marginalized. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak raises the question of whether subalterns can speak considering their position in society. In contradictory, the social reform movement suggest they can speak about building their capabilities. The social reformers, such as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and Dr Ambedkar fought against caste and gender-based discrimination giving importance to empowering the marginalized through various ways and means. Education was considered the most effective tool to create consciousness about suffering and pain. The idea of justice is all about the pain and pleasure that once pain gives pleasure to the oppressor which was identified by these social reformers who worked to ensure justice by challenging the oppressive system. However, Spivak misses this perspective in the debates. Her arguments focus on gender, from a class perspective and consciously ignore the caste angel. The question she raises leads to a discussion on the basic idea of subaltern and marginalized groups. This article presents a critical discussion on the idea of ‘subaltern’ and its arguments.
Gramsci’s idea of Subaltern was applied by Indian subaltern study groups to analyse the struggle of the marginalized. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak raises the question of whether subalterns can speak considering their position in society. In contradictory, the social reform movement suggest they can speak about building their capabilities. The social reformers, such as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and Dr Ambedkar fought against caste and gender-based discrimination giving importance to empowering the marginalized through various ways and means. Education was considered the most effective tool to create consciousness about suffering and pain. The idea of justice is all about the pain and pleasure that once pain gives pleasure to the oppressor which was identified by these social reformers who worked to ensure justice by challenging the oppressive system. However, Spivak misses this perspective in the debates. Her arguments focus on gender, from a class perspective and consciously ignore the caste angel. The question she raises leads to a discussion on the basic idea of subaltern and marginalized groups. This article presents a critical discussion on the idea of ‘subaltern’ and its arguments.
Brahminic Ethic and the Spirit of Spiritual Fascism
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.