KARVE INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SERVICE

18, HILLSIDE, KARVENAGAR, PUNE

DALIT MOVEMENT IN INDIA

NAME OF THE STUDENT: KRISHNA B. JADHAV

CLASS: MSW 1st YEAR
NAME OF THE FACULTY: DR. DEVANAND SHINDE
 INTRODUCTION

A social movement is a deliberate collective endeavour to promote change

in any direction and by any means,not excluding violence, illegality, revolution
or withdrawal into utopian community. Social movements are thus clearly
different from historical movements, tendencies or trends.It is important to
note,however,that such tendencies and trends,and the influence of the
unconscious or irrational factors in human behaviour,may be of crucial
importance in illuminating the problems of interpreting and explaining social
movement.

The Scheduled Castes(SCs)are known as harijans,i.e.,children of God-a

term coined by Mahatma Gandhi in 1933.The harijan nomenclature is
considered pejorative by some leaders of the castes.They prefer to be called
dalit,i.e.,the oppressed(Guru 2001a).Occupying the lowest rank in the Hindu
caste system,they are called avarna,those whose place is outside the
chaturqarna system.They are also known as perial,panchama, atishudra,antyaja
or namashudra in different parts of the country.Their touch, and sometimes their
shadows and even their voices are believed to pollute caste-Hindus.Legally they
are no longer untouchables,though in practice many of them still bear that
stigma. Dalits in India are 20.14 crore according to 2011 census, i.e. one fifth
(16.6%) of the India’s population, and are worst sufferers in slums in cities and
rural areas as well. 80% of landless labourers in rural India are Dalits. They are
being denied the right to equality and human dignity and even the right to
existence. The reason for their backwardness and oppressed social and
economic status may be their sub divisions as Dalits refers to 450 communities
in India. There is no proper leader to lead the community and if there is any,
he/she is often bought and bribed by so-called political leaders for their political
gains. The cases of rapes of Dalit women, social boycott, attacks and atrocities
are on increase again after the formation of the new government in 2014.

DALIT MOVEMENT IN INDIA

India has a long history of a very old, thriving and continuing civilization.
Many a caravan of humanity came to this country, settled down here, enriched it
and made it its homeland for years together. Among the depressed classes also
rose intellectuals, distinguished of whom was Dr.Ambedkar, who struggled to
secure for them the social recognition and human rights. The all India
Depressed Association and the All India Depressed Classes Federation, the
principal organizations of these classes, initiated a movement to improve their
conditions. They aimed at improving their miserable economic conditions, and

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to spread education among them. They worked to secure for them the rights to
draw water from public wells, admission to the schools, and to the use of roads;
and enter the public temples. The Mahad Satyagrah for the right of water led by
Dr. Ambedkar was one of the outstanding movements of the untouchables to win
equal social rights.

History
All India Harijans Sevak Sangh founded by Gandhi in 1923 started
numerous schools for the Harijan including residential vocational schools. The
Congress Government after came in power in various States under the
Government of India Act. 1935 did useful work for restoring to the depressed
classes their rightful place. The Congress Government in Bombay passed, the
Bombay Harijan Temple W orship (Removal of Disabilities) Act enabling the
trustees to admit the Harijans to the temples. They adopted Brahman manners,
including vegetarianism, putting sandalwood paste on forehead, wearing sacred
thread, etc. Thus Dalit leaders like Swami Thykkad (Kerala), Pandi Sunder Lai
Sagar (UP), Muldas Vaishya (Gujarat), Moon Vithoba Raoji Pande (Maharashtra)
and others tried to adopt established cultural norms and practices of the higher
castes. Imitation of the high caste manners by Dalits was an assertion of their
right to equality. Treating Dalits as outside the fourfold Varna system, and
describing them as ‘outcastes’ or ‘Panchama’ gave rise to a movement called
Adi-Hindu movement. Thus, certain section of Dalit leadership believed that
Dalits were the original inhabitants of India and they were not Hindus. That
Aryans or Brahmins who invaded this country forcibly imposed untouchability on
the original inhabitants of this land.

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule formed the Sayta Shodak Mandal in 1873 with
the aim of liberating non-Brahmins from the clutches of Brahminism. Shahu
Maharaj of Kolhapur started Satya Shodak Mandal in 1912 and carried forward
the movement started by Phule. In the pre-independence period, the Dalit
movements comprised of a strong non-Brahman movement against Brahmanism
in Maharashtra, Adi Dravidas movement in Tamil Nadu, Shri Narayan Dharma
Paripalan movement in Kerala, Adi Andhras movement in Coastal Andhra and
the like. Phule tried to formulate a new theistic religion.They believed that if
Hinduism was discarded, untouchability would automatically come to an end.
That Dalits began to call themselves Adi-Andhras in Andhra, Adi- Karnataka in
Karnataka, Adi-Dravidas in Tamil Nadu, Adi-Hindus in Uttar Pradesh and Adi-
Dharmis in Punjab. Dalits also followed the route of conversion with a purpose
of getting rid of untouchability and to develop their moral and financial
conditions. A good number of Dalits were converted to Christianity, especially in
Kerala. Some of the Dalits, especially in Punjab were converted to Sikhism.They
are known as Mazhabis, Namdharis, Kabir Panthis etc. Dalits also got converted
to Buddhism. Dr. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with his millions of
followers at Nagpur in 1956. As a protest against Hinduism some of the Dalit
leaders founded their own sects or religions. Guru Ghasi Das (MP) founded
Satnami Sect. Gurtichand Thakur (Bengal) founded Matua Sect. Ayyan Kali
(kerala) founded SJPY (Sadha Jana Paripalan Yogam) and Mangu Ram (Panjab)
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founded Adi Dharam. Attempts were also made to organize Dalits politically in
order to fight against socioeconomic problems. Dr. Ambedkar formed the
independent Labour Party in 1936. He tried to abolish the exploitative Khoti
system prevailing in Kokan part of Maharashtra, and Vetti or Maharaki system a
wage free hereditary service to the caste Hindus in the local administration. He
tried to convince the Government to recruit the Mahars in Military. Ultimately he
became successful in 1941 when the first Mahar Regiment was formed.

With the growing process of democratization. Dr. Ambedkar demanded adequate

representation for Dalits in the legislatures and in the administration.
Government of India Act, 1919, provided for one seat to the depressed classes
in the central Legislative Assembly.

WHY THE DALIT MOVEMENT:

It is this idea of equality that forced people to protest in the form
of movements. The Dalit Movement also began as a protest movement in India.
... Hence, they began to protest with the help of literatures, or forming
organization like the Dalit Panthers, which came to be recognized as the Dalit
Movement.

(1) Major Causes of the Dalit Movement:

The Dalit Movement is the result of the constant hatred being generated from
centuries in their heart from the barbaric activities of the upper castes of India.
Since Dalits were assigned the duties of serving the other three Varnas, that is
all the non– Dalit, they were deprived of higher training of mind and were denied
social-economic and political status. The division of labour led to the division of
the labourers, based on inequality and exploitation. The caste system
degenerated Dalit lifes into pathogenic condition where occupations changed
into castes. The higher castes of the society looked down upon the Shudras. It
was a general belief that the Dalits are part of the lowest of low Varnas. Thus
for centuries Dalits have been positioned at the bottom of the rigid Indian caste
society. People from other castes, who considered themselve to be higher,
believe that Dalits are impure by birth and that their touch or sheer presence
could be polluting. Hence, they are assumed to be untouchable. For centuries,
Dalits were excluded from the mainstream society and were only allowed to
pursue menial occupations like cleaning dry latrines, sweeping, tanning or
working as landless labour for meager daily wages. They were the people who
cultivated the land and worked as bonded labour , did the work of scavenging
and did all types of manual works. The most inhuman practice is that of
untouchability, which made the Dalits to live in extreme inhuman situations . In
other words, they lived a barbaric life. Starving for food in their own land where
they themselves are the owner of the land,enraged the Dalits . This has made
the Dalits to rise and protest, against the inhuman practices of Brahmanism
.Dalits were discriminated in every sense. They lived in the Hindu villages hence

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did not have advantage of geographical isolation like tribes. They were pushed
to the jungles whereas, the mainland was occupied by the Brahmins. They were
to serve all classes of people around and had to do all the dirty jobs. They were
barred from entering into those mainland areas in every sense, they were
prohibited to wear decent dress and ornaments besides being untouchable.
Many of the atrocities were committed in the name of religion. Besides, the
system of Devadasi they poured molten lead into the ears of a Dalit, who
happened to listen to some mantra. To retain the stronghold on people,
education was monopolized. From the vedic age the Dalits began struggle
against oppression and exploitation. The most striking aspect of Manus
formulations is in the sphere of punishment for breaking law where the quantum
of punishment for the offender increases as one goes down the caste hierarchy
(Chakraborty .11) .From the classic instances of Shambuk who was killed for
acquiring spiritual knowledge and Eklavya who was forced to cut off his thumb
for his prowness to archery ,the Dalits were always punished. Their only fault
was that they are ‗Dalits‘, and that they did not have any right to attain
knowledge. Dronacharya could not take off the art of archery from Eklavya
finally punished him by taking away his finger . The Dalits were always been
punished for the deeds that they didn‘t commit, just because it was coming in
the way to the Brahmins. Whenever they constitute a threat to the Brahmanic
hegemony, the Brahmins would not leave a chance to punish them .The Dalits
were never placed in their rightful position, which they deserve. Today, they
constitute the marginalized section of society .The reason behind this is that
they were denied access to resources –material or intellectual as well as were
exploited .It was thus the Dalits decided to stop the following of such unequal
practices in society where one group benefits stealing from the other and began
their movement due to the fact that they were denied equal status.

(2) Dalit Movement-The Struggle of the Submerged

Communities:
The Dalits-the submerged communities of India, began their movement in
India with their basic demand for equality because they struggle to combat
inequality in society as having firm belief in the ideal of ‗equality‘. Dalit
Movement in India: In the light of four Dalit literatures. The inhuman and
barbaric practices committed against the Dalits, led them to protest against the
caste –based hierarchical system of India, that has divided Indian society on the
basis of caste (based on Varna system), class (Brahmin haves and non–
Brahmin have nots) and gender. The Dalit movement that gained momentum in
the post independence period , have its roots in the Vedic period . It was to the
Shramanic -Brahmanic confrontation and then to the Mukti Movement (term
given to Bhakti Movement by G.Alosius). The Mukti movement was led by very
poor Dalits who fought against the saint - poets of the time. With the
introduction of western language, and with the influence of the Christian
missionaries, the Dalits began to come across the ideals of equality and liberty

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and thus began the Dalit Movement in modern times. The frustrated Dalit minds
when mixed with reason began confrontation against the atrocities of
Brahmanism. Educated Dalit , gradually begin to talk about the problems of poor
and about exploitation and humiliations from the upper castes without any
hesitation educated Dalits tried to explain to the other illiterate brothers about
the required change in the society. Dalit Movement gave rise to the birth of
many writers and journalists. A new group of thinkers emerged among Dalit
community. Many writers through their writing made the people to be aware of
exploitation carried on them by the elite section of the society. In the 1970s, the
Dalit Panther Movement began in Maharashtra. The most fundamental factor
responsible for the rise of Dalit Panthars was the repression and terror under
which the oppressed Dalits continued to live in the rural area. Inspired by the
Black Movement, the Dalit Panthers was formed by a group of educated Mahars
in order to lead the movement . The Dalit movement cannot be understood
without the Dalit Literary Movement.

(3) Dalit Literary Movement:

At a time, when there was no means of communication to support the
Dalits, pen was the only solution. The media, newspapers were all under the
control of the powerful class –the Brahmins. Given that the Brahmins would
never allow the Dalits voice to be expressed, as it would be a threat for their
own survival, the Dalits began their own magazine and began to express their
own experiences. Their pen wrote not with ink , but with blood, of their own cuts
–the cuts being basically mental , with instincts of physical in them. Dalit
literature, the literature produced by the Dalit consciousness, emerged initially
during the Mukti movement. Later, with the formation of the Dalit Panthers,
there began to flourish a series of Dalit poetry and stories depicting the miseries
of the Dalits the roots of which lies in the rules and laws of Vedas and Smritis.
All these literature argued that Dalit Movement fights not only against the
Brahmins but all those people whoever practices exploitation, and those can be
the Brahmins or even the Dalits themselves. New revolutionary songs, poems ,
stories , autobiographies were written by Dalit writers . All their feelings were
bursting out in the form of writings. Writing is not simply writing , it is an act that
reflect ones continous fight against evil. It seemed as if the entire Dalit
community found the space to break out their silence of thousand years . Such
effective were the writings that each of its word had the capability to draw blood.
The songs were sung in every village , poem and other writings were read by
the entire community. Educated Dalit and intellectuals begin to talk about the
problems of poor and about exploitation and humiliations from the upper castes
without any hesitation educated Dalits tried to explain to the other illiterate
brothers about the required change in the society. Dalit literature, try to
compare the past situation of Dalits to the present and future generation not to
create hatred, but to make them aware of their pitiable condition. It is not caste
literature but is associated with Dalit movement to bring about socio – economic

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change, through a democratic social movement.

Conclusion of Dalit Movement:

A social revolution aimed for social change, replacing the age old
hierarchical Indian society, based on the democratic ideals of liberty , equality
and social justice , has begun much earlier , became intense in the 1970s and
began to deem at present . One reason behind this , as pointed out by Uma
Chaki is that the academicians are not paying much attention . Books on Dalit
Movement are written but these books do not reflect the actual things and are
written keeping in view the Brahmin elites . No one want to confront with those
who have power . Besides this , the minds of the people are brahmanised
through hegemony . Yet another vital issue is that the movement lack people
from all the communities of Dalits . For instance , in Maharashtra , the Mahars
dominated the movement . The other Dalit communities like the Mangs ,
Chamars were not actively involved in the Movement . As Kamble pointed out
that the Mangs and Chamars had their traditional duties , whereby , they could
somehow manage their food . But the Mahars did not have any traditional duty
which made them to protest . At present there came up many new issues . The
Dalits who got power became the dolls in the hands of the Brahmins . Many of
them tend to imitate the Brahmins changing their surnames and thus identity .
They are ashamed of being called Dalits which make them to discriminate
against their own kith and kins . It should be noted that Dalit Movement is
against Brahmanism and not Brahmins . The Brahminism is a mental state which
accepts superiority of one man over another man . It gives more respect and
profit for the caste which is up in the ladder of caste system , and as it goes
down the ladder , resources and respect also decreases . It ' s contribution for
the Dalits which is lowest of all the castes is nothing but exploitation , jeering
and slavery . This mental state of Brahminism not only exists in Brahmins but
also in Shudras , who simply shape the ideas of Brahmanical practices without
testing them with scientific temperament and reasoning . India got independence
but the Dalits are humiliated even now . Untouchability is abolished but injustice
practices are not . Today to wear good clothes is not forbidden , but to get a
good job is . In the name of reforms and social uplift , today ' s political and
social systems are pitting one group against the other , sowing hatred and
perpetuating a sense of rejection from the past . Education is the only remedy
for such discrimination. Thus the Movement for social change will succeed only
when all the Dalits unite together to fight for equality . However they should
accept that caste that is deeply rooted in people's mind cannot be erased . So
here social change would mean to get rid of discriminatory practices and get
rights , necessary for the upliftment of the backward section of society.

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 After a brief relief, atrocities on Dalits of India have been started again and
they feel as if “Black Days” have come. This time again, their votes have been
garnered in the name of development, and political leaders are misusing their
power instead of improving the status of Dalits in India. Dalits in India are still
waiting for Justice, Equality, Fertainity and “Achhe Din”.

References:

 Social Movements in India: A Review of Literature

Author: Ghanshyam Shah

 Social Movements, Old and New: A Post-Modernist Critique

by Rajendra Singh

 http://www.iosrjournals.org
 https://en.m.wikipedia.org

THANK YOU……

Prof. DR. DEVANAND SHINDE

( SIGN. OF FACULTY )