Local Roots of Dalit Politics in Colonial and Post-Colonial Uttar Pradesh: A Study from Historical Perspective (original) (raw)

Discourse on Dalit Identity: A Study of Dalit Politics in Utter Pradesh, 1900-1950

History of Dalit politics in Utter Pradesh has been a fascinating topic for academic and public imagination in the recent past. As a part of this process this paper attempts to capture the Dalit politics by examining the ides and activities of associations established by Dalits and for Dalits in colonial and post colonial Utter Pradesh. The main proposition this paper advances is that Dalit collectivist activism was actively promoted by several caste associations established by Dalits in Utter Pradesh. It was this process that actively promoted the identify formation process of caste and class among Dalits. This duel identity process remained to be centrality of Dalit politics in colonial and post colonial India. In sort, this paper attempts to trace the plurality of Dalit politics in Utter Pradesh.

Dalit Consciousness Movements in Uttar Pradesh: A Literary Survey

Sage Journals, 2023

This article examines the Dalit movements and transition in the way of protest of Dalits for their economic, political, social and legal rights. India's deprived sections are known as Dalits and are the most marginalized groups in India. They had always raised their voices and protested movements in one or another way against the inequality and discrimination they have faced. This article is a literary survey and narrates the history of the Dalit movement in Uttar Pradesh till the contemporary period. The article is divided into three parts in three different eras, that is, their emancipation in medieval history and before the post-colonial period, then the Dalit movement in the post-colonial period, and after independence and rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party, and the last Dalit movement in the contemporary period.

After Silent Revolution: Most Marginalized Dalits and Local Democracy in Uttar Pradesh, North India

There exists a widely held view that a 'silent revolution' is occurring in North India. However, a scanty literature deals with how this revolution has changed the distribution of political opportunities on the ground. Drawing on longitudinal and long-term ethnographic research conducted between 2005 and 2015 in a village and its region, western Uttar Pradesh (UP), this article uncovers the complex and contradictory processes of change taking place in the nature of caste and its politicization in contemporary India. By focusing on different caste groups, this article examines the ways in which these groups are responding to recent political changes, particularly in the wake of the extension of reservations in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and the political rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the state of UP. This article shows that there has been a marked change in the relations of domination and subordination between upper castes and the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and the Dalits in the region. However, I argue that despite radical changes in the rural power structure of UP, many Dalit groups remain marginal in local politics and social life. The emerging caste groups such as Jatavs within the Dalits refuse to give space to the aspirations of the most marginalized groups.

A Sociopolitical Alternative for Dalits in Uttar Pradesh and Expectation From It

Contemporary Voice of Dalit, 2022

In Indian electoral elections, Uttar Pradesh is one of those states that has witnessed a significant emergence of Dalit political awareness in past few decades. Yet in the current electoral climate, they have only been a passing cloud, which further necessitates an overhaul in their political leadership and style of politics. It is in this regard that a discussion on the alternatives for the Dalit politics becomes more important than ever. In such a discussion, one leader who cannot be overlooked is Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’. Thus, this commentary aims to address the question, what should this alternative represent?

On the peculiar absence of Dalit politics: Punjab and West Bengal

This essay surveys some of the relevant scholarly literature on Punjab and West Bengal to help explain a curious puzzle: namely why, despite containing some of the largest Dalit populations of the states in India, neither region has given rise to explicitly Dalit political assertion within formal governmental institutions. The essay suggests that various fractures-including those of caste, class, and religion-within the Dalit communities of both states have worked to prevent the emergence of political unity and solidarity.

Dalit Intelligentsia and Socio-Religious Reforms in 20 th century Uttar Pradesh

SURABHI - International Peer-Reviewed Referred Journal, 2023

In twentieth century, the question of Dalit awareness and the role and contribution of Dalit intelligentsia in the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) of India is a significant aspect of the broader Dalit movement and their struggle for social justice and equality. Dalit intelligentsia played a crucial role in raising socio-religious awareness, mobilizing communities, and advocating for the rights and upliftment of Dalits in the region. The process of upliftment of Dalits was connected with education which has a very significant role in the development of human. But Education in India has a very unequal history. In ancient India, social category of Indians defined the eligibility to attain education. The advancement of modern education system brought a drastic change especially for untouchables and shudras. The role of Adi Hindu movement and the Arya Samaj has a unique place in the spread of education among the downtrodden sections of the Indian society. Both movements initiated the idea of reform in the Indian social system. This can be very visible when we deal with the question of rise and development of Dalit awareness in the twentieth century. Swami Acchutanand was the pioneer in term of Dalit awareness in United Provinces. The path of Swami Acchutanand was followed by number of Dalit ideologues. In this paper, we are discussing the role of an untouchable family which worked for the welfare of downtrodden sections of Hindu society generally in the United Provinces and especially in Ajuha region. Their backgrounds and experiences of life, their awareness about history and 'position' within Hinduism played a significant role in shaping their destiny. Mahashya Bhikhu Lal and his son Guru Prasad Madan developed a deep understanding of history and social systems of India. Their work for emancipation of untouchables further paved the way for coming generation to bring a sense of reform in Indian society. In the United Provinces, as in other parts of India, the Dalit intelligentsia emerged in the early to mid-20th century. This group consisted of educated individuals from Dalit backgrounds who took it upon themselves to lead social reform movements and champion the cause of their community. The Dalit intelligentsia served as role models and sources of inspiration for the Dalit community. Their efforts inspired many to break free from the shackles of caste-based discrimination and work towards a more equitable society. In this paper, the role of Mahashya Bhikhu Lal and his son, Guru Prasad Madan has been explored to know the contribution of Dalit intelligentsia in socio-religious reforms in twentieth-century Uttar Pradesh.

Political and ‘non political’ means in the Dalit movement

S. Pai, Political process in Uttar Pradesh: identity, economic reform and governance. New Delhi: Pearsons, chapter 8: 191-220., 2007

With the rise to power by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh (UP), it has been widely acknowledged that Dalits have improved their position in the local power structures. However, the way in which this empowerment process has actually unfolded has not yet been described in its full depth and complexity. Even though the UP Dalit movement attracted the scholarly attention of political scientists in the 1990s, the focus has generally been restricted to the BSP, thereby missing an essential feature of Dalit empowerment. 1 In order to present a more complete picture, the role played by a 'non-political' 2 (sociocultural) pole represented by a host of Dalit organizations active at the grass roots but standing outside the electoral field, and its relationship with the 'political' (electoral) pole represented by the BSP, need to be taken into account.