—Anoop Kumar I am posting a few extracts from a paper written by Parimala V. Rao (“Educating Women and Non-Brahmins as ‘Loss of Nationality’: Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the Nationalist Agenda in Maharashtra“). This was published as an ocassional paper by the Centre for Women’s Development Studies, New Delhi. She is also the author of …
Our women must either be a wife, widow or a Devadasi
by Olutosin Oladosu -Adebowale In our community, there are only three roles for women; a wife, widow or Devadasi…… Please go to my village and rescue other girls who are about to be initiated too… I was told that I was dedicated to our god when I was three months old and was taken to …
Krishna and Narmada
by Gail Omvedt THE KOYNA, built high in Satara district of the Sahyadris on one of the major tributaries of the Krishna, is a big dam, a ”major irrigation project” in the terminology of the Indian Government. Its reservoir has a storage capacity of 98 tmcft and the dam generates over 900 MW of electricity. …
An Open Letter To Arundhati Roy
by Gail Omvedt Dear Arundhati, I’m sorry to have to write a critical letter to you. I very much liked The God of Small Things. I also appreciated your intervention on the nuclear issue. I was impressed on reading in Indian Express that you had decided to donate some royalties to the Dalit Sahitya Academy. …
Jotirao Phule: Shetkaryaca Asud (Part 6)
Translated by Gail Omvedt and Bharat Patankar Chapter 3 How the Arya Brahmans arrived from Iran and the prior condition of the Shudra peasants; and how the current government constantly levies all kinds of new taxes on the farmers in order to provide whatever pay and pensions their employees want; and how the farmers have been forced into …
Maintained by the State (VII: 133)
Anu Ramdas This extract is from the book Dharmatheertha, No Freedom with Caste, The Menace of Hindu Imperialism, edited by G. Aloysius: It is clear therefore that the motive of the priests in forming an exclusive caste was not any consideration of a religious or spiritual or racial nature but one of sheer greed for …
Wealth in the Bhopal meet
by Chandrabhan Prasad The Dalits constitute one-fourth of India’s population – about 250 million people – equivalent to the combined populations of four European nations (255.10 million): France (58m), UK (58.30m), Germany (81.60m) and Italy (57.20m).
On Gujarat Riots, Tehelka and Role of Dalits and Tribals
Anoop Kumar [Thanks to Taha for his comment on Gujarat riots and the role of Dalits which reminded me of this particular incident. I wanted to write about this since long but keep on postponing it as I didn’t have much material except what I heard at the seminar held in Pune University] Almost …
Jotirao Phule: Shetkaryaca Asud (Part 5)
Translated by Gail Omvedt and Bharat Patankar Both the money-eating government employees who harass the farmers and the completely illiterate farmers who give them bribes out of their dependence get legal punishment. If the cost of the police investigation is born by the bhakri-eating fearful weaponless ruined farmers along with the Bhat Phadke who organized attacks against the unarmed …