Author: S M Michael
Editor(s): S M Michael
Publisher: Sage Publications
Year: 1998
Language: English
Pages: 353
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8170367514
Description
This volume explores the social, economic, political and cultural content of the Dalit articulation and its relevance for the nation, both today and in the future.
One of the profound changes in contemporary Indian society has been the emergence of a new sense of identity among the Dalits. The Dalit movement not only rejects the very ideas of pollution, impurity and untouchability but in the process is forging a new vision for Indian society which is different from that espoused by the higher castes.
The first section addresses the contentious issue of the origins and development of untouchability in Indian civilization. The next section discusses the manner in which Dalits have confronted Brahmanic Hinduism, not just in its virulent form of Hindutva but also the more liberal forms which have provided the dominant interpretations of Indian society and history.
The essays in the third section critique the sensibility which equates Indian tradition with Hinduism and locates within the Aryan heritage the essence of Indian civilization. The contributors highlight the alternative traditions nurtured within the Dalit movement which challenge the dominant order. An important essay shows how the problems faced by Dalit women are different from those encountered by non-Dalit women, despite the presence of many similarities.
The last section is devoted to the economic dimension. The contributors discuss the impact on the Dalits of the recent trends towers liberalization and privatization and the consequent withdrawal of the state, particularly in the context of employment opportunities and the policy of reservation.
This incisive and timely collection studies the aspirations of the marginalized masses for a new humanity based on the principles of equality, social justice and human dignity. It will attract a very wide readership particularly among sociologists, political scientists and social anthropologists as also those dealing with human rights, social movements and the Dalit phenomenon.
Contents
List of Tables
Acknowledgements
Introduction
PART I
Untouchability and Stratification in Indian Civilization
Who is a Dalit?
PART II
Colonialism Within Colonialism: Phule’s Critique of Brahmin Power
Dalit Vision of a Just Society in India
Ambedkar, Buddhism and the Concept of Religion
The Dalit Movement in Mainstream Sociology
Liberation Movements in Comparative Perspective:
Dalit Indians and Black Americans
PART III
Sociology of India and Hinduism: Towards a Method
Hinduisation of Adivasis: A Case Study from South Gujarat
Asprashyeekaran-Dalitisation
Ambedkar’s Daughters: A Study of Mahar Women in Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra
Demonic Possession in Catholic South India
PART IV
Dalits and Economic Policy: Contributions of Dr B R Ambedkar
State, Market and the Dalits: Analytics of the New Economic Policy
Development Against Empowerment of the Poor? A Case Study of Rural Dalit Masses
Scheduled Castes, Employment and Social Mobility
Notes on Contributors
Index
About the Editor