Dalits have been betrayed once again by Modi government. We have been demanding for a long time that we want Dr. Ambedkar on Indian currency but once again new currency has been launched without the picture of Dr. Ambedkar on it. Such a shameful. We ask what’s the contribution of Mr. Gandhi in finance or economics that he deserves to be on the Indian currency?
What do you think? Who deserves to be on the Indian currency? Vote here –
Read also – Dr. Ambedkar on Indian Currency
Filed under Dalit, Documentary, Dr B R Ambedkar, Poll
– By V.T.Rajshekar
We have received many letters asking us the meaning of the word Dalit. The same question is also being put to us at meetings. What gives us great pleasure and pride is this word has become popular all over India and abroad in such a short time giving expression to the anger of the Untouchables. And gathering so much of charisma.
We are also happy to note that not only the militant Dalits but even some Hindu press have stopped using the hated word, Harijan, a Gandhian humbug, and switched on to Dalit. This awareness of their identity is itself a big step forward in the Dalit liberation struggle. The word Dalit symbolises the mood of this explosive commodity and connotes and denotes their protest. Hence the switch- over to this new word is itself a great improvement indicating a big leap in the search for their roots. Only three years back people barring those in the Hindi belt did not even know this word. It was not in their vocabulary. But as soon as they came to know this word and discovered its intrinsic value, its magic, its melody, they readily adopted it. Literally embraced it. “National” newspapers like the Times of India are using this word even in headlines. Even the Malayala Manorama, the largest circulated language daily of Kerala, has started using this word heeding our appeal. We call upon all our Dalit and other persecuted minority comrades to use only this word and persuade others to popularise it. If the English and language dailies start using the word, Dalit, in headlines it will soon catch up. Therefore, Dalits and their co-sufferers must go to newspaper offices and meet journalists and prevail upon them to use Dalit instead of Harijan or SC/STs. We will suggest the Oxford, Webster, Cambridge and other dictionaries to include it.
Filed under Dalit, Dalit History, Dr B R Ambedkar
By – Dr. K. Jamanadas
This is in response to an article by Adv. Md. Karim (DV.June 1- 15, 97). It was a great misfortune that Dr. Ambedkar and Br. Jinnah could not work together, Adv. Karim says. He says Azad was a stooge. He says the anti Muslim activities are a symptoms and not a disease. He says Muslims are not a minority. He believes that population of Muslims could be more than presumed 15 percent. He also quotes authorities to show that Islam is an egalitarian religion. All this need not refuted and any Bahujan can agree with all these points. He avers that Muslim masses in India are in a need of allies to fight the existing system under the guidance of Islam He advises his Muslim brothers to help the Dalits in all spheres, and keep good contacts for future interaction. This is quite correct. But the main point is, what kind of unity is sought for. He says:
“The future of India lies in the unity of Dalits and Muslims – not under the banner of this party or that because no party is aiming at providing an alternative to the existing social, political and economic setup but under the invigorating and revolutionary message of Islam …”
Why no political party is thought to be neccesary? Is it an invitation for the Bahujans to adopt Islam? Is it a proletising work? If it is, well and good; nothing wrong in that; only that perhaps DV is not a forum for it.
Our experience of mixing religion with politics is always counter productive. The combination does neither promote the religion nor the politics. The political meetings of RPI used to start with Buddhist prayers, the non Buddhists in the party, gradually, faded away. The religious sermons to Budhists used to end with request for support to RPI work, the non-RPI Buddhists stopped coming. I feel the two must not be combined, the religion and politics. I hope Adv. Karim does not wish to propagate religion from political platform.
What is the spirit of Islam
Do the Muslims consider Dalits as non-hindus? I think, it is the first neccesity that they must make a distinction between “Hindus” and Dalits. Dalit leaders have time and again declared that. Leaders of all Dalit parties, of all shades and colours. But Muslim leaders do not think about this. I think this is the main hurdle. Continue reading
Filed under Dalit, Dalit-Bahujans, Dalits Ask Dalits Demand, Dr B R Ambedkar
P.K Rosy holds the distinction of being the first heroine and the first Dalit heroine of Malayalam cinema.
Most accounts of her life and work are not based on actual meetings with her as she passed away in 1988 and was never acclaimed or even acknowledged during her lifetime. However, her extraordinary life, when examined is full of instances courage, struggle and passion. Before she was discovered by the director of her film, she was already a member of folk theatre groups and had experience acting in Tamil dramas in A Dalit art form called Kaakarashi. In 1928, she was “discovered” by the director J.C Daniel and given the role of an upper caste (Nair) woman in the movie Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child).
When the movie was released, members of the Nair community were enraged to see a Dalit woman portray a Nair woman. Upper caste riots ensued. They vandalized the theatre, tore down the movie screen and proceeded to hunt down Rosy. They burned down her house but she managed to escape the angry crowd. Reports state that she fled in a lorry that was headed to Tamil Nadu, married the lorry driver and lived her life quietly in Tamil Nadu.
Whatever the case, her abilities and her Pioneering work as an actress in a caste feudo-patriarchal society must be celebrated. Only 5 years after her film was destroyed and she chased away from Kerala, upper caste women safely began acting in Malayalam films without any objection or attack. this means more than ever that We must keep the memory of P.K.Rosy’s talented and powerful Dalit womanhood alive.
Filed under Dalit, Dalit History, Dalit History Month, Dalit Woman, Dalit-Bahujans, Dr B R Ambedkar
On 29th November 2015, three young queer Dalits changed the face the Delhi queer pride. Dhrubo Jyoti, a journalist, Akhil Khang, a lawyer and Dhiren Borisa, a doctoral student, held up beautiful signs that they had painted. The signs summarized in three powerful words, ” Dalit, Queer, Proud”. In one extraordinary moment, both their Dalit and the Queer identities were visibilized and celebrated. Their assertion also dealt a blow to upper caste hegemony over Queer spaces like the Delhi Pride.
In reality, poor and especially trans and genderqueer Dalitbahujan contributions surpass upper caste efforts at queer liberation. They are the ones who create queer communities, protest enmasse and bear the brunt of the beatings, torture, rape and murders by society and the state. The criminalizing of the lives of queer folks through oppressive acts like the Section 377 (colonial anti-homosexuality law) also disproportionately affects poor, queer Dalitbahujan individuals, who cannot afford the price of privacy or rely on sex work for a living.
The prides in major cities however, had become reflective of upper caste queer activism whose proponents have strived to create “caste-less” spaces to dissociate queerness from caste. In Dhrubo’s pride speech, he states his reply to an upper caste individual asking him why Dalits felt the need to “bring caste into everything”. Dhrubo replies ” We bring caste up because caste is everywhere and in my everything, Caste is in my shirt, Caste is in my pant, Caste is in my sex, Caste is in my being and Caste is in every part of you too!” Together, their compelling Pride statement affirmed that the invisibilization of caste, erased Dalitbahujan struggles, history and identity
Their statement was not met without hostility. The majority of dominant castes accused them of derailing conversations of queerness with caste, but they made clear their position was one that was not posing to ease upper caste fragility but one that would help nurture inclusion.
They continue to engage by being conscious of their own privileges, by being a part of the interrogation of power structures and by opposing the prevailing silence around caste and queerness that shames Dalit queer folk into silence.
Today in Dalit History, we honor the energy of these three resolute young individuals and celebrate both their queerness and their Dalitness as they continue to enlighten us and make us proud!
Filed under Dalit, Dalit History, Dalit History Month, Dalit Woman, Dr B R Ambedkar
University of Edinburgh, UK, to celebrate Dalit History Month
As far as merit is concerned, let me enlighten you about the many SC/ST and OBC students who have achieved top ranks in the merit list. These are some of the top ranks achieved by reserved category students in the country’s toughest Civil Services Examination (CSE):
Rank 4 – OBC (IAS CSE 2005), Rank 28 – SC (IAS CSE 2005)
Rank 11 – SC (IAS CSE 2006); Rank 1 – OBC (IAS CSE 2006)
Rank 29 – ST (IAS CSE 2007), Rank 9 – SC (IAS CSE 2008)
Rank 1 – OBC (IAS CSE 2010), Rank 18, 20, 22 – SC (IAS CSE 2010)
Rank 57 – SC (IAS CSE 2011); Rank 36 – ST (IAS CSE 2012)
Rank 4, 5, 6, 7 – OBC (IAS CSE 2014); Rank 14 – SC (IFS CSE 2014)
Rank 46 – ST (IAS CSE 2014)
Source – huffingtonpost
Filed under Caste Discrimination, Casteism, Dalit, Dr B R Ambedkar
#JusticeForRohith issue has been raised at UN on 31st session of Human Rights Council by Prof. Nitin Gangurde
Filed under Dalit, Dalit-Bahujans, Documentary, Dr B R Ambedkar, Equal Rights, India
Click on the image to read about Savitribai Phule
Click on the image to read about Guru Ravidas Ji
Click on the image to read about Saheb Kanshi Ram Ji
Click on the image to read about Chhattrapati Shahuji Maharaj
Click on the image to read about Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia
Click on the image to read about Dalit History Month
Click on the image for movie on Dr. Ambedkar
Click on the image to get Quotations of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Click on the image to read castiest Quotes of Vivekananda
Click on the image to get 15 Books that every Dalit must read
Click on the image to read about The Battle of Bhima Koregaon
Click on the image to read about Mahatma Jyotiba Phule
Click on the image to get the books written by Dr. Ambedkar
Click on the image to get real life photos of Dr. Ambedkar
Click on the image to read about Iyothee Thass
To read Dalit-Bahujan's History click on the image.
Click on image to read about Lord Buddha
Click on the image to read about Jogendernath Mandal
Click on the image to download Marathi Books on Dr Ambedkar & Buddha
Click on the image to get resources on Buddhism for Children
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Caravan 