1st Dr. Ambedkar memorial Lecture

25 Pages·2017·7.6 MB·English

First Dr Ambedkar Memorial Annual Lecture

TOWARDS UNDERSTANIIN
TLE MODERN DALIT
OVEMENT

Ambedkar Chalr ii
for the Study o
School of Social Sciences
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi-110067
First Dz, Ambedkar Memorial Annnl Lectiee

TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING
THE MODERN DALIT
MOVEMENT

Dativered by
DR JOIN CB. WEBSTER
Waterford, Connecticut (USA)

Dr Ambedkar Chalt in Sociology
(Conte for the Study of Social Systems
Schoo! of Social Sciences
Javeohaeal Nehou Univensity
‘New Delbi-i10 067

1999
sedkar Memorial Anmual Lecture

De Ami
itt Bati,1999
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‘Prof. Nanda Ram for Dr. Ambedkar Chui in Sociology
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PREFACE

It is historically evident thatthe state action, particulaly in
Be form of reservation given lo the Schedules Castes ad the
Scheduled Iribes aa provided in the Indian Consitaton, is an
foatcome of atlegs a cenlury-old movement(s) arganised by
Dalits (with earrove connotston vf inclusive of the scheduled
CCastes—the erstwhile Untonchables or the Depressed Classes)
In different pacts of fhe county. Although these movements
vied in thei nature snd sain! composition, yet there were,
Iny and Taege, commonabitice of the issues hat theoy had
fuldressed fo, Some of the commonalities were rersaival oF
Social and selgions disabilities imposed oi them, their secial
Alogradation in the local exste-hieraichy, depéivation of their
access fo the pubse services ana resources inciading, lane, Ret
economic explitetion and s9 on. Move specifically’ wince they
‘weve the perennial vietins of untouchabilty and physical and
socie-papehologieal forms of atrocities, Oe Dat movernent(s)
adaressed primarily te these ientee—including immed:aze
‘Seues of varied nuture in diferent cegions of the sountry
eisalco a fact that ofl the left alright wings historians
fol mestern Thuis, cvering especially the pesiods from early
colonial tale to fnelis’s politcal Independence, have alincsl
‘phoned the Dalituwy ones) in their writings. Tae initiatives
Jha, hoseever, beer taken by a few Bitish administrators who
ppened fo be anthzapolngiat ar ethnographer by training,
fd a soll number of not well-knorsn historians from both
India and abrnad. Ths may be taken 2 stl eomanentagy un the
pert of the Indian academia wha have always ventured to
Seplote end anaivse the ‘mainstceacy’ coca! reality nr evens
and have no! psid ecor Teast attention to the miserable Iie
4 Txgandstnderstntng the Mader Bit Meet ,

situations of the marginalized sections of population of falta
SAIS and to their astonamove cultures, costars, ef, of
whatsoever nature and form.

‘Vorhut going into explaining the reasons for this, i for
ceri teat the Dats in Lia, eh ther varying nomenclstuses
Slane the changing sw 2nd space, Iiaé protested of aed
SIRE nes collectively bul most of Eh fie insivicualy against
deere isreligions Hgominies and for embracing cawslity
tree The enely medieval period or even earlier to thal, Te
Peekcal thet no written records about these are available 30
[English language, except im vernacular languages and that (20
See era itrgey form oro the form of folk-songs and Flk-
Tne constituting moet fhe mythic oF oral tradition.

‘Secepting modern india as it has been viewed by the
histortans both rom Tndia and abroad, Dr Joh C.8, Webster
PGtonaa by taining but a freelance researcher and social
{ divistby vocation fav delivered thelnangursl ie Arabedka?
Minonarel Anmal Lectine uipanized on Novertber 17,1995, 08
we of the man objectives of he Dre Ambar Chat 9
ae ee ike thought and philosophy of Dr Ambedkar ote
to Surdy the socio-econumic, political and cultural sssues
pertaining 12 ly the Scheduled
Fee luled Tribes and Other Bosward Classis or cates
Speier soeiey. As it aperateErom the tile of the lest of Mis
Peet as confined himedl to the Dalit movement (used
[E fral number) of the modem Une due r9 simple reason of
se rrcplityof iurature on tin English language. Thus, through
Hee of cried literture ox the theme covering both the
re ad post Independent penods, De, Webster has indicated
Prards two approsehes—one, Dalil movement against
oeleation inefudelng stecities and for allaining els
TaeIGy aad socal justice incase of gna and seleeespect
Und, ywo, tO challonge social hegemony of the uPpez costes
‘ikough he lecture could not be published earlier due to onc
aaa he other yet I hope the students of social sciences
‘Pigorerat and sosiogy and social anthropology in particular
4 Bef it an interesting reading nd addon to tel exiting
Knowledge on ts issue
14 Qetober, 1999 Nandu Ram
JNULNew Delhi, De AmbedkarChairProfesorofSocilony
TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE
MODERN DALIT MOVEMENT

Jb CB, Wester

T would bike to thank Professor Nandu Ram and his fellow
soviologists for inviting me to give this lecture. wonsider this
bath a great honour and» great oppurtunity T myself am not
8 sociologist but at historian who has found sociulogy an
indispensable asset in my owen work. his afternoun, Tintend
th speak as an historian who Ia intrested in benefiting fuom,
an inter-disciplinary discussion. The title which [hase crosen,
"Torwards Understanding the Modern Dalit Movement”, is
perhaps an appropriate one with which to begin this
Ambedkar Memorial Lecture Series because lt seeks to provide
4 general orientation to this important field of study. Tt begins
wath a survey of the monograph literature on the history of
the nlodern Dalit movement and concludes by pointing to
several important issues which any historian inthe field rust
Jace in trying to understand it. In dealing with these
unavoidable issues, the historian must take help from the
sociologists and that fa an important sense, is what Tam doing
here at the moment

“The Dalit movement has not received the attention it
deserves from the historians of moders India. In the general

(ores of modem India writlen @ generation ago, Dalits
were lvated either as marginal people without a history of
6 ards Underside Midler Lil Mowe

their own oF as objects, rather than nubjects, of the history of
the naton ag. whole, Taompeon and Garret id refer to the
(Dauit moveren! at several paits but never described i.
Percival Speay. ina ehspter on economic and cultural
Hevclopunis is his idential revisions both of the modem
ction of Vincent Smatl’s Cxford History of india ond of PE.
Robests History of Britis ta urate the Compu and the owe,
pointed out that Gandhi sas the leder of a muvesent fOr
PeTipuit of the dupeessed classes, but acknowledged
Ambelkar as “Tarjan leader” of “uulstanding courage id
{olige? Alone aosemg these ealier Bich storia afxaodern
Tndig, LSS. O'Malley devoted cmefith of hs chapter on "The
hand Social System” an Widrn Ins ar he Wes to the Dalit
ovement. However, he portrayed it not as a movernent ©
Dalits but asa *movernent Ine the upit of the unfouchebles”
Tritnted and sustained by athers? The latest British story
wynodecn india, that of Judith Brovra,* does manitor the
Condition af the Dalls at several points m their history, but
Seihes no reference to any organized efforts by Dabits to
Jmpeove their own lot

"The Dalit movement fas not fared much better in the
histories of modern India even by Indion historians, why
generally relugate Dalits to chapters on social refvem and
{hen porteay them lese as ectivsts han as passive wits,
fociplents and buneioaris. The one paragiaph davatod
Dalits, bx Am Advesced History of fadia, deseribed them 3s
Ubeats of philanthrapic ard social work conducted by
Shleses In RR. Seth's chapters covering 1919-1547 in the
Cambridge History of Indie, Dalits ave cofersed to only in
aevrctien wilk the 1982 Corarmural Avcart and as bjects
Cr uplee spork? In éhe final volume of the Unaratiya Vis
Shaven's History snd Culexre of the Indian People, RC.
Majumdar Gia refer to Ambedkar azul the Dalits 08
panieipanis inthe peltieal bargaining of the 195C8 ard
TedOs sehich ubkimatey led to independence.” Howevet in
Tis lengiher teatmeat of fer, placed io 3 chapter om social
efor itis the social reformers, Gandhi, and the Congress
‘ho ave portrayed as fhe prime movers, while Ambedkar is
Jin ©. wsbstor

cost in the cole of perceptive ce® Wipan Chandra confines
hs treatment uf the Deity ty a three page section on “the
struggle ageinst caste” in his lexibook Modern ia, but
does give them a more activist role then cid eatie
hstonlans' But eis carat be ssid inthe enue of ie more
fecent Indies Strgte fr tndipantoce, which desceos only
Gandhi's "Tlajon Uplit Moveanant." Cinally Sumit Sarkar
Includes brief testtents of the Makar movement in is
fetiona on cate movements 8. Mode indir T8XU=1947,
hho alse refers to the 1930s only, and that too, at greater
Jang, to Gandhi's Uarijaneampign

"Ths brief survey would seem to suggest that there was
‘po such thing ws astern Dalit movennt at lest pre to
Independence. To visually all these historians, Dalits were
not movers) and even if ey were, Ley moved not on theit
fet but it the wake of soeally concerned members of te
dominant castes. Such treatment of the Dalits has Deon
blitist and at times patonizing. Beginning with the
pioneering work of Eleacor Zellint in 1989," » geoveing
‘Romber of recent historical sonographa nave olfered 9
inovessary cormective. These provide ainple evidence of a
Ralt movement prior to the enactment of the 1919
constition, prowing in size snd politcal significance
fheough the 1920s and 1980s. Dalits may not have od &
single oxganication pazall to the Muslim League or he
Hindu Mahasabha, oct they did have gross-roats
conganiuationa« nicuimized lscership, pre-eminent among
tehom was BR. Ambediar; and-a consmon demand fot
politcal seeognition, for representation of thely own, ae well
ve for digit, equality mu jtice These demands foond
‘expression in the 1950 constitrion, of which Bi Ambedkar
tras the chet rater A bref view uf these monographs in
‘he order of their publication will help to show hone this
rmcvement is being understood. I coaline mysel fo histeres
and do nol get inlo either the far vaster Diographicst
Iitrature, espevally on BR. Ambedlar, or the mony studies
con the palitiesl ideology of ethos Gandhi or Ambedkar or
bot
ose Dat usenet

5 aards tindenstng
1

‘renner Zaliot's doctoral dissertation on Dr, Areas 8
ara elisovemont as got Yer hewn published Bul Nas
tr dd het or ean runt te ales" So
Peer ieed, he year which seve the oexianing of acute
vwteeamong te Mahar econluaes wthan sett
aon are condition flowing Asicedar's death it 356
OF atay, aves back gad Forth between interned
ier Monts within the Mahar este and movement 69 1
eee ee tra om the oft, Malar’ involvement I 18
aoe rang patieal contest of nationalist ageation ome
ce Ferenc democratiraion the Brssh eae
Pr Spe Abed 9s both the acon O84?
in reaprres anu recognized spokasman of Delis in geek
the Mdee a conemaing, meting, point Mess Ae
pre dernents,Zelft atea rakes considerable Use OF 18
dere gea contrast between the teditaral and the mader™ ©
egg ths stor Tho eazy leaders ofthe Malay men ae
Hee akan Himwelf, belonged w the namradiions: Shs
ee Are mutean metode of poll aston, Gels
fey wemors, conferences, the Depressed Classes nee
wera: they iso apple to cern cath HT
roar marel values to prees ther case und Eure Mw ow
ate mnneetion, 1938 was a major turning point whe
Jo ae cormnor orgy gave up temple entry ane revous’s)
Arr a eela concentrated ning newhy wor POU)
wet and ais own pola pate to promos bs PRSPICY
fntorese

Tae eas Ze'iot confined her study to only one Dab eas
A ea! he one wih Hho mast glaring Feeord 8
ar ten} Kale as the st Merny 9 0
sore istry His Rel Aen of pes
sare presents "ane saga of hes] people slfedng FO
in iid Bisaomic and political disrimination for Genes
coe edechave achieved their emancipalicn” so that BET
irae eed ome apa of me nian NAOT” 1S
sont NBT count, the British rule provided the conditions
Jelos CB, ter 9

and (he Hindu soul formers changed the atitudes (among
caste Hindus) which mnde the Dalits’ sive and awakening
possible. Much ofthe history is devoted to the Dalit efforts to
¢gain poltcal representation in the legislature between the
‘Moniagu’s declaration in 1917 and the Poona Pact in 1932,
These chapters concentrate upen the negotiations over the
constittivasl reform at te national leva. They are followed.
chapters on the contebutions uf Ambedkar and Gandhi to
Dalits’ awakening, the now-Huddhist movement, and the
record of the government af India in Dalit emancipation since
Independence. Kamble writes as a netlonalist who considers
Dalit emancipation nat nnly ts have been the ongoing work
of Dalits ad of “all Uberabs ancl fair minded people” alike,
but also o be a necessary prereyulsite (along with the end of
caste privilege) for political lability. At Ue same time, he
also an unabashed advocate ofthe Dalit cause wh consider
their emancipation incomplete and ence requiring vigilance,
the use of privileges conferred, and the organization for its
lurther realization.”

Uy the end af the 1990s, therefore, there was not a large
and abvious body of research on tne modern Dalit znovement
for someone writing a history of moder India to draw upon
Itwould be difficult to generalize foun the sathur exceptional
‘Mahar case in Zelliot’s study to the Dalits a5 a whole ur to
rly upon Kamible’s moe general wavk because ils may lege
gaps and adyoacy style may not inspire confidence. This
situation would change inthe mid-1980s,

u

The first monogeaph on. the Dalit movement to appese ia
the 19806 was anoiner ease study somewhat similar to
Zelliot’s. AL the centre of Mark Iuergenseyer’s Religion 25
Secinl Vision: The Movement against Untouchabiity #1 20"
Century Piimjab!® wae the Ad Dharm movement. This
Jeergensmeyer traces from is origins in the 192s to ite
demise in 1946 and its revival In 1970, However,
Juergensmeyer’s awior concern is nat with the history of