Caste Based Movements

The Dalit Movement

The Dalit movement is not simply about economic exploitation or political oppression, though both are important. At its core, it is a struggle for recognition as fellow human beings. It is a fight for self-confidence, for a space to determine one's own destiny, and for the abolition of the stigma that untouchability imposed. This has been called a struggle to be touched.

The word Dalit is commonly used in Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, and many other Indian languages, where it means the poor and oppressed. It was first used in its new, political context in Marathi by neo-Buddhist activists — followers of Babasaheb Ambedkar — in the early 1970s. The term refers to those who have been broken, ground down deliberately by those above them in the social hierarchy. The word itself inherently denies the ideas of pollution, karma, and a justified caste hierarchy.

There has never been a single, unified Dalit movement in India, either now or in the past. Different movements have highlighted different issues and have been guided by different ideologies. However, all of them assert a Dalit identity, even if the precise meaning of that identity varies. Despite these differences, there has been a common quest for equality, self-dignity, and the eradication of untouchability.

This common thread can be seen in several historical movements:

• The Satnami Movement of the Chamars in the Chhattisgarh plains of eastern Madhya Pradesh
• The Adi Dharma Movement in Punjab
• The Mahar Movement in Maharashtra
• The socio-political mobilisation among the Jatavas of Agra
• The Anti-Brahman Movement in south India

In the contemporary period, the Dalit movement has unquestionably acquired a place in the public sphere that cannot be ignored. This has been accompanied by a growing body of Dalit literature. Dalit writers insist on using their own imageries and expressions, rooted in their own experiences and perceptions. Many felt that the high-flown social imageries of mainstream society would hide the truth rather than reveal it. Dalit literature gives a call for social and cultural revolt. While some writers emphasise the cultural struggle for dignity and identity, others also bring in the structural features of society, including economic dimensions.

Classifying Dalit Movements

Sociologists have attempted to classify Dalit movements and have found that they belong to all three types: reformative, redemptive, and revolutionary.

The anti-caste movement that began in the 19th century under the inspiration of Jotiba Phule, was carried forward in the 1920s by the non-Brahmin movements in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, and then developed under the leadership of Dr. Ambedkar, had characteristics of all three types. At its best, it was revolutionary in terms of society and redemptive in terms of individuals.

The 'post-Ambedkar Dalit movement' has had revolutionary practice in partial contexts. It has provided alternative ways of living, ranging from limited changes to radical, all-encompassing ones — from giving up eating beef to religious conversion. It has focused on changes in the entire society, from the radical revolutionary goal of abolishing caste oppression and economic exploitation to the limited goal of providing scope for Scheduled Castes to achieve social mobility.

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Backward Class Castes Movements

The emergence of backward castes and classes as political entities occurred in both colonial and post-colonial contexts. The colonial state often distributed patronage on the basis of caste. It made sense, therefore, for people to stay within their caste for social and political identity in institutional life. This also influenced similarly placed caste groups to unite and form what has been termed a 'horizontal stretch'. Caste, thus, began to lose its ritual content and became more and more secularised for political mobilisation.

The term 'Backward Classes' has been in use in different parts of the country since the late 19th century:

From the 1920s, a number of organisations united around the issue of caste sprang up in different parts of the country. These included:

• The United Provinces Hindu Backward Classes League
• The All-India Backward Classes Federation
• The All India Backward Classes League …