Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Rural entrepreneurship is one of the most attention-seeker segments nowadays because if we want to solve the various problems in the third-most rising economy with rural composition at 68.8%, we need to open new rural ventures. So rural entrepreneurship defines itself by creating new employment opportunities and creating new ventures. Through this article, researchers want to stress readers on the current schemes for rural ventures and focus on the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP), introduced by the Ministry of Rural Development and supported by the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), which provides sustainable employment to youths in villages. We have explained the whole process of SVEP by citing an example of two blocks of Chhattisgarh state then we measure the impact of this programme in 11 states on different social categories, gender-wise analysis in which female dominates, as well as overall impact among the different enterprise in India. It was found that the trading sector creates the highest overall impact among the new ventures. Among all the social categories we have, the list of beneficiaries includes OBC Category with the mean value of 475.90 in 2018, while 972.72 in 2019 followed by ST, SC, General and Minority. The result found could be a demographic dividend because of stratified random sampling.
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Book review: Dwaipayan Sen, The Decline of the Caste Question: Jogendranath Mandal and the Defeat of the Dalit Politics in Bengal
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Dwaipayan Sen, The Decline of the Caste Question: Jogendranath Mandal and the Defeat of the Dalit Politics in Bengal. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2018, xii + 305 pp., ₹7725.00 (Hardcover). ISBN: 9781108417761.
Dwaipayan Sen, The Decline of the Caste Question: Jogendranath Mandal and the Defeat of the Dalit Politics in Bengal. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2018, xii + 305 pp., ₹7725.00 (Hardcover). ISBN: 9781108417761.
Dalit Middle Class and the Crisis of Colonial Modernity: A Study of Ajay Navaria’s Yes Sir
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
This study attempts to understand the relatively new phenomenon of the rise of Dalit middle class by examining Ajay Navaria’s short story titled Yes Sir. The continued survival of caste in modern India compels one to ask if it is possible to enter modernity and achieve class mobility without shedding one’s caste identity as a Dalit. This study shall focus on how Narottam, a Dalit officer’s character, as a representative of the modern Dalit male, manages to renegotiate the very margins he comes from, as he is vested with the ultimate power of promoting Tiwari, his Brahmin clerk. To understand the contradictions inherent in the term ‘Dalit middle class’, the study traces the workings of caste and class since the British rule, to the contemporary notions of modern society driven by individuality and social mobility. It traces the emergence of the middle class, along with the transforming ideas of race and purity as they outlive the traditional understanding of caste as division of labour.
This study attempts to understand the relatively new phenomenon of the rise of Dalit middle class by examining Ajay Navaria’s short story titled Yes Sir. The continued survival of caste in modern India compels one to ask if it is possible to enter modernity and achieve class mobility without shedding one’s caste identity as a Dalit. This study shall focus on how Narottam, a Dalit officer’s character, as a representative of the modern Dalit male, manages to renegotiate the very margins he comes from, as he is vested with the ultimate power of promoting Tiwari, his Brahmin clerk. To understand the contradictions inherent in the term ‘Dalit middle class’, the study traces the workings of caste and class since the British rule, to the contemporary notions of modern society driven by individuality and social mobility. It traces the emergence of the middle class, along with the transforming ideas of race and purity as they outlive the traditional understanding of caste as division of labour.
Contours of ‘Naming’ and ‘Renaming’: Mapping the Identity Discourse Among Scheduled Castes
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Scheduled Caste (SC) is an administrative term comprising touchable and untouchable groups of people. SCs are defined as ‘homogeneous’ classes under Article 341 for all constitutional purposes. It emerged as an official term for the recognition of groups to have preferential treatment in the form of compensatory measurements in the educational, governmental and legislative sectors. The emergence of the term ‘Scheduled Castes’ ignores the viable differentiation among them, existing on the basis of their status and identity. On the other hand, the problem of nomenclature among SCs is indirectly related to their social identification at the societal and community levels. The article will delve into the discourses of naming and renaming of SCs/Dalits/untouchables and various other terminologies that emerged as an imperative to represent them. Therefore, it is significant to understand the dilemma of homogeneity versus the heterogeneous nature of the identity of SCs.
Scheduled Caste (SC) is an administrative term comprising touchable and untouchable groups of people. SCs are defined as ‘homogeneous’ classes under Article 341 for all constitutional purposes. It emerged as an official term for the recognition of groups to have preferential treatment in the form of compensatory measurements in the educational, governmental and legislative sectors. The emergence of the term ‘Scheduled Castes’ ignores the viable differentiation among them, existing on the basis of their status and identity. On the other hand, the problem of nomenclature among SCs is indirectly related to their social identification at the societal and community levels. The article will delve into the discourses of naming and renaming of SCs/Dalits/untouchables and various other terminologies that emerged as an imperative to represent them. Therefore, it is significant to understand the dilemma of homogeneity versus the heterogeneous nature of the identity of SCs.
Sanitation Workers: A Neglected Community of Indian Civilized Society
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Sanitation workers are those who work in any part of the sanitation chain. They perform one of the most important jobs in the society, and still, they remain unseen and unappreciated. The stigmatized caste system in India remains to be the key determinant of the fate of these workers. These workers often come into direct contact with human waste, working with no equipment or protection, which exposes them to a wide variety of health hazards and diseases that can cause unconsciousness or death. There is an urgent need to look into their problems, and this cannot be addressed without having a detailed understanding of the depth and width of their problems. Hence, the present study covers a number of areas such as the vast prevalence of sanitation workers in India, their pathetic conditions, their social and economic status, deaths due to sanitation related works and an alternative livelihood to sanitation work. Finally, this article suggests what the government needs to do for improving the lives of sanitation workers.
Sanitation workers are those who work in any part of the sanitation chain. They perform one of the most important jobs in the society, and still, they remain unseen and unappreciated. The stigmatized caste system in India remains to be the key determinant of the fate of these workers. These workers often come into direct contact with human waste, working with no equipment or protection, which exposes them to a wide variety of health hazards and diseases that can cause unconsciousness or death. There is an urgent need to look into their problems, and this cannot be addressed without having a detailed understanding of the depth and width of their problems. Hence, the present study covers a number of areas such as the vast prevalence of sanitation workers in India, their pathetic conditions, their social and economic status, deaths due to sanitation related works and an alternative livelihood to sanitation work. Finally, this article suggests what the government needs to do for improving the lives of sanitation workers.
Dalit Muslims and the State: Pasmanda Movement and Struggle for ‘Scheduled Castes Status’
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
This paper attempts to understand the state’s role in providing Scheduled Castes (SC) status for Arzal or Dalit Muslims, and the struggle of Pasmanda Muslims through the Pasmanda movement for inclusion in the SC list. While doing so, it traces the trajectory of marginalization of Dalit Muslims by the state. It argues that since the inception of SC status in independent India, it was reserved only for the Hindu religion. Later on, it was amended twice: first, in 1956 for the inclusion of Sikh, and second, for neo-Buddhist in 1990. It did not include Dalit from the Muslim community. It also attempts to map the effort of Pasmanda Muslims for SC status. In this context, the paper tries to comprehend the role of the Pasmanda movement along with the struggle of social organizations. Consequently, the paper argues that these organizations fight for SC status; however, unable to make any significant intervention at the policy level. This paper also argues that there is a dissensus and intra-community contestation among Muslims regarding the Pasmanda movement and the demand of SC status for Dalit Muslims.
This paper attempts to understand the state’s role in providing Scheduled Castes (SC) status for Arzal or Dalit Muslims, and the struggle of Pasmanda Muslims through the Pasmanda movement for inclusion in the SC list. While doing so, it traces the trajectory of marginalization of Dalit Muslims by the state. It argues that since the inception of SC status in independent India, it was reserved only for the Hindu religion. Later on, it was amended twice: first, in 1956 for the inclusion of Sikh, and second, for neo-Buddhist in 1990. It did not include Dalit from the Muslim community. It also attempts to map the effort of Pasmanda Muslims for SC status. In this context, the paper tries to comprehend the role of the Pasmanda movement along with the struggle of social organizations. Consequently, the paper argues that these organizations fight for SC status; however, unable to make any significant intervention at the policy level. This paper also argues that there is a dissensus and intra-community contestation among Muslims regarding the Pasmanda movement and the demand of SC status for Dalit Muslims.
Traditional Ideas and Institutions of Democracy in India’s North East
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
This article explores the traditional ideas and practices of indigenous democracy among the tribal communities in North East India. Traditional institutions of governance in the region are repudiated today as autocratic and authoritarian, or at best oligarchic. This oversight is imminent unless their cultures and customs, which are closely linked to their institutions of governance, are examined. In most traditional tribal institutions at the grassroot level, there is either a direct participation of all adult male or a representative system in which each clan or sub-clan is represented in the village council. Thus, one finds pre-modern roots of direct and representative democracy in the traditional polity of indigenous communities in the North East. The article identifies ‘consensus’ as the heart of tribal democracy and argues for the strengthening of indigenous democracy for deepening democracy in India. However, more democratic reforms of the traditional institutions are needed to particularly include women and the ‘others’. The findings contribute to the growing literature on the pre-modern roots of modern democracy.
This article explores the traditional ideas and practices of indigenous democracy among the tribal communities in North East India. Traditional institutions of governance in the region are repudiated today as autocratic and authoritarian, or at best oligarchic. This oversight is imminent unless their cultures and customs, which are closely linked to their institutions of governance, are examined. In most traditional tribal institutions at the grassroot level, there is either a direct participation of all adult male or a representative system in which each clan or sub-clan is represented in the village council. Thus, one finds pre-modern roots of direct and representative democracy in the traditional polity of indigenous communities in the North East. The article identifies ‘consensus’ as the heart of tribal democracy and argues for the strengthening of indigenous democracy for deepening democracy in India. However, more democratic reforms of the traditional institutions are needed to particularly include women and the ‘others’. The findings contribute to the growing literature on the pre-modern roots of modern democracy.
Reflections on the Republican Party: (Prompted by Recollections of Encounters at 15 Janpath)
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Towards the end of the 1960s, the Ambedkarite Republican Party of India was facing a serious crisis. Its plight intensified with the death of the leader Dadasaheb Gaikwad at the end of 1971. This article takes the long view of the predicament of the party and asks why it had suffered such frequent and lasting instability. Drawing on interviews conducted at that time, including those conducted at the party New Delhi headquarters on Janpath, more recent discussions and a close examination of documentary records, the article examines the volatility and factional conflict exhibited by the party. In contrast to approaches that seek to find the roots of factionalism in personal rivalries and individual animosities, the article searches for more structural causes. It concludes that the inability of the party to broker differences about political cooperation and electoral alliances was a major cause of dissent. Particularly intense differences and division were generated by the issue of cooperation with the Congress party. Ultimately, it was the absence of any institutional procedures for settling disputes that caused the party to decline and eventually collapse into rival factional organizations.
Towards the end of the 1960s, the Ambedkarite Republican Party of India was facing a serious crisis. Its plight intensified with the death of the leader Dadasaheb Gaikwad at the end of 1971. This article takes the long view of the predicament of the party and asks why it had suffered such frequent and lasting instability. Drawing on interviews conducted at that time, including those conducted at the party New Delhi headquarters on Janpath, more recent discussions and a close examination of documentary records, the article examines the volatility and factional conflict exhibited by the party. In contrast to approaches that seek to find the roots of factionalism in personal rivalries and individual animosities, the article searches for more structural causes. It concludes that the inability of the party to broker differences about political cooperation and electoral alliances was a major cause of dissent. Particularly intense differences and division were generated by the issue of cooperation with the Congress party. Ultimately, it was the absence of any institutional procedures for settling disputes that caused the party to decline and eventually collapse into rival factional organizations.
Economic Growth, Development and Education of Scheduled Castes: Line Drawn from Neoliberal Era
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
The economy of India was reasonably well during the world economic crisis and is performing well in the economic growth of the nation. However, relatively high aggregate economic growth also co-exists with the persistence of less social development for more than a decade. The exclusiveness of this growth rate is associated with region, locality, education, employment, living standard and social position. In this situation, this study poses questions: what are the changing impacts of neoliberalism in India and does economic growth co-exist with social development? What are the neoliberal experiences of marginal sections connected to economic growth? How are the educational attainments, retention and achievements of Scheduled Caste students connected to the structural changes in higher education?
The economy of India was reasonably well during the world economic crisis and is performing well in the economic growth of the nation. However, relatively high aggregate economic growth also co-exists with the persistence of less social development for more than a decade. The exclusiveness of this growth rate is associated with region, locality, education, employment, living standard and social position. In this situation, this study poses questions: what are the changing impacts of neoliberalism in India and does economic growth co-exist with social development? What are the neoliberal experiences of marginal sections connected to economic growth? How are the educational attainments, retention and achievements of Scheduled Caste students connected to the structural changes in higher education?
A Review of the Perspectives of Social Justice with Special Reference to the Ambedkarism
Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
The social justice is very old concept, which germinated at its mature forms during the era of Gautam Buddha, Plato and Aristotle, and started continual academic and sociopolitical refinements over the centuries through rich contributions of many Kings, Queens, Social Workers, Scholars and so. The concept social justice as always been placed at prominent places by the academic community whether discussing of the colonialism, globalism, communism or so on. Karl Marx has ignited again the notion of social justice among the intellectuals. After WWII, most of the nations got independence, and thus significance of the social justice increased manifold than ever before—to see that how far these countries deliver justice to the marginal communities at their territories, since they are no more under the clutch of their erstwhile colonial masters. Thus, during the entire periods starting from Plato to Rawals and beyond many scholars have contributed through various perspectives on the issue of justice. The major theories have been grouped here as various perspectives and briefly reviewed, while emphasizing previously somehow neglected Ambedkarism, as author found that this ideology could be even more relevant and practical in the modern context of globalization.
The social justice is very old concept, which germinated at its mature forms during the era of Gautam Buddha, Plato and Aristotle, and started continual academic and sociopolitical refinements over the centuries through rich contributions of many Kings, Queens, Social Workers, Scholars and so. The concept social justice as always been placed at prominent places by the academic community whether discussing of the colonialism, globalism, communism or so on. Karl Marx has ignited again the notion of social justice among the intellectuals. After WWII, most of the nations got independence, and thus significance of the social justice increased manifold than ever before—to see that how far these countries deliver justice to the marginal communities at their territories, since they are no more under the clutch of their erstwhile colonial masters. Thus, during the entire periods starting from Plato to Rawals and beyond many scholars have contributed through various perspectives on the issue of justice. The major theories have been grouped here as various perspectives and briefly reviewed, while emphasizing previously somehow neglected Ambedkarism, as author found that this ideology could be even more relevant and practical in the modern context of globalization.