Apr 8, 2023
By: Srishti Magan
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Celebrated annually in April, Dalit History Month is a community-led event that focuses on bringing the past and present of the Dalit community to light through art projects, discussions, workshops, etc. Launched in 2015, it draws inspiration from Black History Month.
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Over the years, several people from the community have penned down non-fiction and fiction stories chronicling the experiences, atrocities, and inequality that Indian society has meted out to the scheduled castes and tribes. Here are some of these books:
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The architect of India’s constitution, BR Ambedkar is regarded as the father of India’s anti-caste movement. Among his many works, Annihilation of caste is the most popular. It was originally written as a speech in 1936 but Ambedkar wasn’t allowed to deliver it. He published it instead.
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Dalit rights activist and author Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd has penned several books, but Why I Am Not a Hindu: A Sudra Critique of Hindutva Philosophy, Culture & Political Economy, released in 1996, is one of the most popular. It critically examines the socioeconomic and cultural differences that exist between people, rooted in their caste.
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Gidla’s autobiographical book Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India details the hardships that educated Dalits face, even in the 20th century and sheds light on the all-pervasive horror of the caste system.
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The book focuses on the women in the Ambedkarite movement and was originally published in Marathi in 1989. It includes first-hand accounts from more than forty Dalit women and includes interviews with Dalit women activists from the 1930s.
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Joothan translates to leftovers and offers a piercing commentary on how Dalits were treated even after untouchability was abolished in 1949. Inspired by Valmiki’s personal struggles and transformation under Ambedkar’s teachings, Joothan is an important part of Dalit literature.
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When Joothan came out in 1997, it examined the life of Dalits after independence. Chakravarti’s book, however, focuses on the living conditions of Dalit agricultural labourers in Muktidih village in southwest Bihar in 2001, and from 2009-15. Unfortunately, it shows how little has changed over the years.
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The Vulgarity of Caste offers the first social and intellectual history of Tamasha - a secular, travelling, public theatre by Dalit artists, dominant in colonial Maharashtra. The book takes into account archival material, popular writings, films, etc. to uncover how Dalit performers, activists, and leaders negotiated the violence, brutality, exploitation and stigma associated with Tamasha.
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