Raj Kumar Politics is the most difficult of life skills, and those who remain reluctant to master this art are condemned to remain as obedient slaves while the masters of politics enjoy undiminished supremacy in all human relations. History bears testimony that civilization developments have been made possible by the leadership of the political …
Reflections: National Dalit and Adivasi Women’s Congress 2013
Prachi Beula The National Dalit and Adivasi Women’s Congress 2013 was something that was long overdue. I am yet to absorb the ‘explosion of knowledge and power’ that I experienced and when Anoop bhai said we could share our experiences I was glad to sit down and reflect. Many people asked questions like why …
Need to redefine Dalit Movement: Rajni Tilak
An Interview with Rajni Tilak Neel Kranti Media (First published in the Dalit students’ magazine ‘Insight Young Voices’ in 2005) Rajni Tilak is Executive Director of Centre for Alternative Dalit Media (CADAM) and Founder Member of NACDOR. She is one of the prominent Dalit rights activists and India’s leading voice of Dalit feminism as …
“Agitate by burning down the Manu Dharma Shastra”: Kolathur Mani
[Via Ravi Chandran] On December 26, 2012, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam will join hands with all other like minded progressive organizations who are concerned about annihilating caste, and agitate by burning down the Manu Dharma Shastra. Statement by Kolathur Mani: For more than 2000 years, the brahminical Manu Dharma was the one that was controlling …
Chaityabhoomi : A self-conscious stream of class and political consciousness of a misfit amongst misfits
Javed Iqbal From the train, all I did was started to follow a young boy with Jai Bhim tattooed on his arm, and I was soon in a sea of humanity, a blue of Ambedkar, the white of the saris of women, and the currents pushing towards the islands of activity in the middle …
What Path to Salvation?
Speech delivered by Dr. Ambedkar to the Bombay Presidency Mahar Conference, 31st May 1936, Bombay. Translated from the Marathi by Vasant W. Moon. The typescript of the translation, with handwritten emendations, was presented by the translator to Eleanor Zelliot on 25 January 1988, and has been contributed by her for this website. Edited by Frances W. …
Duddu Prabhakar: Dalit movement at a crossroads
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes [In this interview Duddu Prabhakar, veteran Dalit rights activist and President of the ‘Kula Nirmoolana Porata Samithi’ (‘Struggle Committee for Eradication of Caste’, roughly), traces the history of the Dalit movement in Andhra Pradesh from Karamchedu in 1985 to Lakshimpeta in 2012, and says the movement now has to decide …
Caste And Hinduism
Gail Omvedt (Written in November 2003) M V Nadkarni’s recent article “Is Caste System Intrinsic to Hinduism?: Demolishing a Myth”, (EPW, November 8, 2003) comes as a follow-up to his earlier article “Ethics and Relevance of Conversions: A Critical Assessment of Religious and Social Dimensions in a Gandhian Perspective” (Januay 18). Both articles show the fundamental stamp of Hindutva ideology, …
Thaan Dalit Mahasammelan
At the Thaan Dalit Mahasammelan held on October 2, close to 50,000 dalit community members gathered in Thangadh town to protest the killing of three youths in police firing on September 22 and 23. {youtube}AOfH7vfNTYc{/youtube} Speaking on the occasion, Raju Solanki, Dalit rights activist said: