Dalit Intellectuals and Social Change

Contents: Preface. 1. Ancient Literature and the caste system. 2. Dalit struggle for self-liberation. 3. Religion and Identity of Dalit. 4. Mobilizing against untouchability. 5. Uplift of Dalits. 6. Sociological Aspect of the Dalit. 7. Economic policies and the Dalits. Bibliography. Index.

Dalit as a socio-political concept appears frequently in the contemporary discussions on Indian politics. The Dalits because of their dehumanized past are devalued, their capacity of thinking as individuals is questioned and cunningly portrayed as the voice of the community and therefore of less merit. This is a form of academic violence which promotes casteist myths and beliefs concerning the presumed inferiority and incapability of the Dalits.

Most of the Dalit thinkers are also content with such analysis and have internalized Dalit as a separate perspective with a limited audience to address. They candidly admit the interiority of the Dalit perspective in the popular mainstream discourses. The real tragedy of the lacks a strategy for social transformation, indeed even for translating Dalits’ organizational strength into bargaining power on a secular, egalitarian platform. It is at best looking for niches within the system, not for transforming it or giving it a radical plebeian push.