Literature and Liberation: The Dalit Movement - I
Literature and Liberation: The Dalit Movement
Part I - pp. 98 - 105 - Cross-currents - Sem. 4 BA English Complementary Course
For a YouTube lecture on this topic, click here.
‘Dalit’
The Dalits
are members of various people groups in India who are considered outcasts of
Brahminical Hinduism.
The Dalit Movement
The Dalit
Movement implies a confrontation with the existing tyrannical social order
which refused to acknowledge their basic humanity, a way of affirming their self
worth, a campaign for essential amenities needed for them to come out of the
swamp of wretchedness. It represents their aggressive efforts for resurrection,
a demand for reform, and their recourse to writing as a means of self
assertion.
The term “Dalit”
Debjani
Ganguly, in the work “Caste and Dalit Worlds”, explain the term thus: This is
derived from the Marathi language. It connotes the state of being “ground down”
or “depressed”. Since the 1970s, this has been used generically in India to
represent the constituency of peasants, workers, women, tribals and
ex-untouchable castes who together are seen to challenge the upper class, North
Indian, Hindu Brahminic hegemony in the national political scene in
post-independence India.
(Please refer the text for the full quote.)
Dalit Writing:
There was a
time when dalit voice meant their hollering to let the higher castes know their
presence so that they could move away to avoid getting polluted. Now, Dalit
writing provides a wholly different function to this voice: it has become a
conscious articulation of a bold and confident presence and proclaims a
militant advance to the centre from the sidetracks.
Pioneers of Dalit Liberation
Jyothiba Bhule (Phule/ Phooley)
Bhule was
born in 1827, in a Mali caste family in Pune. (The Mali people are traditionally
gardeners, vegetable vendors, and florists. They are considered to be of the
Shudra order in the varna system.) He was fortunate to have an education,
though it was interrupted at one stage.
Reformist:
Efforts include campaign for the remarriage of widows, the founding of a Home
for the prevention of infanticide. Established the organisation of the lower
castes: “Sathya Shodhak Samaj” for the confrontation with the Hindu social
order based on varna and caste hierarchy.
Newspaper:
“Din Bandhu” brought out by the Samaj in 1877.
People’s
Representative: Bhule became a member of the Pune Municipality in 1876, and
used the opportunity for the upliftment of the Shudras and Adi-Shudras
(Untouchables).
“First
People” Theory: The first people or early inhabitants theory of Jyothiba Bhule
considers the Dalits to be the early inhabitants of the land. The current
oppressors – the upper caste men – are an invading race. The varna concept and
the myth of the birth of castes were invented to subdue the natives.
Dr B R Ambedkar
Bhimrao Ramji
Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956), also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar
was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer, who inspired
the Dalit Buddhist movement and campaigned against social discrimination
towards the untouchables (Dalits). He was British India's Minister of Labour in
Viceroy's Executive Council, Chairman of the Constituent Drafting committee,
independent India's first Minister of Law and Justice, and considered the chief
architect of the Constitution of India.
Ambedkar was
born in the town of Mhow (now in Madhya Pradesh). His family was of Marathi
background from Maharashtra. Ambedkar was born into a Mahar (dalit) caste, who
were treated as untouchables and subjected to socio-economic discrimination.
(Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._R._Ambedkar)
Ambedkar
emerged as a leader and spokesman for the Dalits, through his public addresses
and the periodical “Janata”.
Opposing
Bhule: Ambedkar did not subscribe to the race theory of Bhule.
Concerns on
Land: In “States and Minorities”, a draft of sections of the Constitution,
Ambedkar urges the nationalisation of land while at the same time suggesting
separate settlements for Dalits. He did not see anything wrong in this
juxtaposition.
Two-fold
Objective: The two enemies the Dalits had to combat were Brahminism and
Capitalism.
Ambedkar was
influenced by Marxism, and accepted the view of the dialectical interplay of
classes. He organised movements of workers and peasants against capitalists and
landlords. He recognized the importance of bringing up a
peasant-proletariat-lower caste front to oppose the dominant Hindu Brahminical
forces.
The Buddhist
Wave: Ambedkar was not happy about the alliance of caste and class; a dichotomy
existed between the two, which he was unable to overcome. Towards the close of
his career, he led a mass conversion of his community to Buddhism.
Buddhist
principles such as the rejection of God, soul, ritualism and casteism appealed
to him, as a faith capable of creating a new identity for the Dalits. It also
fitted into the Dalit’s secular and political aspirations.
Critique of Indian History: Ambedkar points to three stages in the evolution of ancient Indian history: I. the Vedic Age, which represents a barbaric phase; II. Age of Buddhism, spanning the Mauryan and Magdha empires; III. Hindu counter revolution, associated with Manu, who legitimized the caste system. According to Ambedkar, the middle phase had a high level of perfection. The ascendancy of Buddhism marks a rupture with the tradition of Hinduism. The embrace of Buddhism by the Dalits is a symbolic re-enactment of the historical break, which gives them a historical and religious legitimacy for the encounter with Brahminism. This also elevates them to a lofty level of culture.
Ambedkar statue (seated next to statue of the Buddha) at temple in Umarkhed, Maharashtra. |
“Bhima
Everywhere” is an example of a folk song in praise of Ambedkar. Indira Y
Junghare who has made a collection of such songs, identifies this as belonging
to the ‘lokajit’ genre, which are pure folk songs as different from the ‘ovi’
(songs accompanying work) or ‘palna’ (lullabies) genre. This song presents
Ambedkar as an omnipotent, omnipresent deity. The comparison with Rama is
ironical.
(Please refer
the text for a detailed analysis of the poem, and also for an idea on another
poem, in the ‘ovi’ genre.)
Political
Platform: Ambedkar realised the need of a political platform for the self
assertion of the Dalits. Thus was formed the Republican Party of India. However
this did not achieve the desired results, owing to the domination of specific
‘jathis’ among Dalits. The party built up a substantial base in Uttar Pradesh. Under the leadership
of Dadasaheb Daikwad, it led great movements aiming at gaining access of
forestlands and common lands for cultivation by Dalits. Decline set in because
of the instability of the alliances with other parties.
(Refer text for points related to Gail Omvedt, an
American-born Indian scholar, sociologist and human rights activist whose works
carry references to Ambedkar.)
Prepared by
Jacob Eapen Kunnath
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