Kamna Sagar To answer this question, in this article I will expound on B. R. Ambedkar’s (1891-1956) early life and social and political exercises, including his adolescence and schooling, reasons for his battle for equivalent rights, his involvement in legislative issues, his support for the privileges of the unapproachable individuals, actually majority rules system for …
Will change in names of caste-based localities change their realities?
Mayur Kudupale The Maharashtra government has initiated steps to change names of localities, awards and to remove the word ‘Dalit’. For changing the name of localities the government is attempting to remove the stigma attached to the names of the localities; it has also changed the name of award Dr Balasaheb Ambedkar Dalit Mitra Puraskar …
Dhammachakra Pravartan Day: The Psychological Impact of Conversion
Dhamma Darshan Nigam At the historical Yeola conference, in Nasik district, on 13th October 1935, Dr. Ambedkar exhorted the Depressed Classes to leave Hinduism and embrace another religion. He declared: ‘I was born as a Hindu but I will not die as a Hindu’. And finally on 14th and 15th October 1956 Ambedkar …
Asserting voices of marginalized youth in university space
Sudarshan Kasbe In 2017 two dalit students pursuing higher education committed suicides in premier institutes of India which really shook the nation. These suicides cannot be looked at as independent events but are subject to critical scrutiny by researchers in the wake of the hierarchical structure present in Indian education system. After 73 years of …
COVID-19 and a more dangerous virus
Salman Farissi COVID-19 hit India in March 2020. Nationwide lockdown prohibited all forms of political or religious congregations. Protesters on the streets of India against CAA, NRC, and NPR retreated as responsible human beings but the deep state and the Indian state (RSS-BJP) seem to have been searching for their prey hiding in the lurches. …
Inequality and mental well-being
Shubhangi Nanwatkar Mental Health has never been a national issue in India, it is an issue for those who have got privileged by their caste, gender and class. They do not suffer from discrimination, exploitation, deprivation etc. They give the name of depression for any suffering caused by the loss of their privileges. Mental Depression …
Shanti Swaroop Bauddh: An Outstanding Bahujan Warrior
Manoj Abhigyan On June 06, 2020, a sad news popped up on my mobile that Bauddhacharya Shanti Swaroop Bauddh was no more. He was 71. For the past several days, he was fighting with the corona virus disease at Delhi’s Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital. The warrior dealing with all the hassles and challenges …
Caste and access to public spaces: A field study in Suburban Mumbai
Vanshree Vankar In India, the historical context of oppression through occupation has given birth to social stratification via caste culture which includes notions of purity and impurity. This brutal history of thousands of years of discrimination restricts the utility of public space in ways both physical and psychological. In turn, these constraints on the …
Social Distancing and the Contours of Caste
Nisha Dedhwal The term ‘Social Distancing’ held/holds/shall hold different meanings in the Indian past, present and future. The term being social in nature holds the potential to be approached distinctly by people belonging to different socio-economic-caste-gender-cultural backgrounds. Messages from different brands, celebrities endorsing ‘Social Distancing’ are being widely shared as part of an awareness campaign …