THE GLOBAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY
R E F E R E N C E N O T E S
THE TERM "DALIT"
By Sunita Reddy Bharati
Posted by RUNOKO RASHIDI
Brother Rashidi,
It is my pleasure to resend this article to you. I know the dedication, intellect and mission you have in trying to unite the Black community of the world. Your dedication to the cause is laudable. I believe that your efforts will bring a change in the lives of Dalits of India in learning the struggles, sufferings and progress the Blacks made in this country. I feel there is a lot for Dalits to learn from the Black history of USA. I am very fond of watching movies on Blacks mostly those of slavery. When I watch, I relate my peoples' sufferings with those of Blacks of those times, as a Dalit child living in very remote village in India. To me, it looks like that the life of Blacks in USA is very much similar to that of Dalits in India. When Blacks were able to over come those dark days due to dedicated leadership, continuous struggle, love for education and games, our people are still struggling with several deficiencies. I feel that there should be a continuous communication between these two communities living thousands of miles away from each other. I believe that your efforts will give strength to that channel of communication.
As far as the article is concerned, I do not know how far will it help you to define the word Dalit. I was attracted by the subject but disappointed by the content. Anyway, I posted it on the forum to inform others. If it is helpful to you, I will be happy. I will do little more research and send you if I get a better and meaningful articles.
With brotherly love,
Benjamin P Kaila
"Dalit"
A Term Asserting UnityEPW Discussion October 19, 2002
'Dalit': A Term Asserting Unity
Sunita Reddy BharatiThis is in response to article "The Dalit: category and its differentiation" (EPW, April 6-12, 2002). According to A M Shah there is a divisional as well as hierarchical differentiation among the dalits, not only those of Gujarat but all over India. He says that it is not expected from the social scientist to use the term "dalit" as casually as journalists or political leaders. Though Shah is precise in cautioning the social scientists against indiscriminate use of the term "dalit", I differ from Shah on a point that it is not always necessary to talk in terms of sub-jatis. This article highlights the reasons why it is important to use the term dalit when addressing larger audiences, especially the international brethren and in opposition to twice born castes. The usage of the term dalit should depend on the issue raised or the area studied. I would first like to draw attention to the emergence of the term dalit and its meaning, before moving on to the connotation and deliberation behind its usage vis-a-vis its popularity.
Albeit dalit is not a caste, it is a constructed identity, which is a reality that cannot be denied. Recent studies on emerging dalit identities show that a new identity is rising, one that is determined that the dalits will not acquiesce for ever with their subordinate position. Today, the subaltern communities that have been discriminated against for centuries identify themselves as dalits. They find a new identity by coming together with the perspective "dalit is dignified" thereby rejecting the sub-human status imposed on them by the Hindu social order.
Dalit (oppressed or broken) is not a new word. Apparently, it was used in the 1930s as a Hindi and Marathi translation of "depressed classes", a term the British used for what are now called the scheduled castes. In 1930 there was a newspaper published for the depressed classes in Pune called "Dalit Bandu" (friends of dalits) [Pradhan 1986:125]. The word was also used by B R Ambedkar in his Marathi speeches. The "Dalit Panthers" revived the term in their 1973 manifesto and expounded its referents to include the scheduled tribes, Neo-Buddhists, working people, landless and poor peasant women and all those being exploited politically, economically and in the name of religion [Gail Omvedt 1995:72]. Thus the term dalit is a broad definition, encompassing all those considered to be either similarly placed or natural allies.
The "Dalit Panthers" and the dalit school of literature represents a new level of pride, militancy and sophisticated creativity. The Marathi word dalit like the word black, was chosen by the group itself and is used proudly. None of the prevalent terms "untouchable; scheduled castes; depressed classes; Gandhiji's euphemism, 'Harijan'" had the same connotation. "Dalit" implies those who have been broken and ground down by those above them in the social hierarchy in a deliberate and active way. There is in the word itself an inherent denial of pollution, karma, and justified caste hierarchy [Zelliot 2001:267].
The clearest definition of dalit in its contemporary usage comes from a letter written to Zelliot by Gangadhar Pantawane, a professor of Marathi at Milind College, now at Marathwada University in Aurangabad, and founder editor of Asmitadarsh (Mirror of Identity), the chief organ of dalit literature:
To me, dalit is not the caste. He is a man exploited by the social and economic traditions of this country. He does not believe in God, rebirth, soul, holy books teaching separatism, fate and heaven because they have made him a slave. He does believe in humanism. Dalit is a symbol of change and revolution [Zelliot 2001]. According to Nandu Ram, though the term dalit represents a broader social category of people, in more recent years, it has become a nationwide phenomenon and is widely used by all untouchables irrespective of traditional and parochial caste distinctions, also becoming a symbol of their social identity. He stated, "But contrary to a heuristic understanding the term dalit is currently used for and by untouchable castes all over the country. Even social scientists have started referring to the dalits and untouchables or the scheduled castes interchangeably" [Nandu Ram 1995].
It is advisable for the social scientists to define the term dalit they are using in their study to remove ambiguity. However Nandu Ram's observation is precise, that social scientists use dalit and untouchables interchangeably. The broader category of inclusion of landless, poor peasant women, scheduled tribes, backward castes as dalits may be intended but latently STs, BCs do not share the same social heritage as the SCs do, nor the poor peasant women. The backward castes too may call themselves Pichadi Jati" rather than dalit. So the term in common parlance has remained synonymous to only scheduled castes.
It is human nature to identify with akin groups and communities when in opposition to other larger groups or communities. A case in point is the Mandal issue in the 1990s. At the time when struggle for the cause of reservations for backward castes was rife, it was the SCs and STs who came forward offering support. The dalit identity stands for assertion, protest and mobilisation of like groups. According to some dalit leaders, the term dalit provides a sense of pride and self-assertion. It is essentially a label to help the dalits achieve a sense of cultural identity. To be a dalit, they believe, is no more a shameful thing. "Dalitness" is a source of confrontation and is a matter of appreciating the probability of one's total being.
The dalits are slowly emerging from their internal contradictions. The dalits are trying to unite keeping in mind their common heritage, especially when it is in opposition to other groups. Thus, if dalits of India want to raise their voice or want to bring their grievances in the "UN Conference on Race", it is imprudent for them to fight among themselves. What better way than to unite and form a united identity called "Dalit" to fight for their cause. If they are referred to in general, called the "dalits in India", especially when they are represented in international fora, then this single identity becomes meaningful and useful. This shows the importance of the term and the reasons for it being more acceptable and extensively used in today's scenario.
In conclusion I would like to propose that social scientists should be specific about the jatis and sub-jatis while studying at a micro level; for example, if they are focusing on discrimination or oppression, employment or educational levels, i.e., when the scope and objective is to highlight the problems or provide welfare measures, reservations, etc. But at the macro level analysis, when one is studying caste phenomena and the scheduled castes in general, then dalits is an appropriate term. This term that caters to and helps in uniting and integrating all the jatis within the scheduled castes for a common cause is welcomed.
References
Omvedt, Gail (1995): Dalit Visions: The Anti-Caste Movement and the Construction of an Indian Identity, Orient Longman, New Delhi.
Pradhan, Atul Chandra (1986): The Emergence of the Depressed Classes, Bookland International, Bhubaneswar.
Ram, Nandu (1995): Beyond Ambedkar: Essays on Dalits in India, Har Anand Publications, New Delhi.
Zelliot, E (2001): From Untouchable to Dalit: Essays on Ambedkar Movement, Manohar Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi.Please visit www.ambedkar.org for latest Views & News regarding Dalits. Also get free email id for you & your family.
Copyright © 1998 Runoko Rashidi. All rights reserved.
Posted/Revised: November 04, 2002.
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