12-18-2008, 03:12 AM
I think its important to note that US is studyingthe Dalit issues as lab experiment.
Op-Ed in Pioneer, 18 Dec., 2008
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Decoding paradoxes</b>
Chandrabhan Prasad
In Dalitsâ popular intellectual imagery, <b>Maharashtra is the motherland of Dalit movements</b>. Quite true, as<b> Maharashtra has shown the path of Dalitsâ emancipation</b>. But, <b>isnât it paradoxical that it is Uttar Pradesh where Dalit power is at play and not in Maharashtra?</b>
<b>Many Dalits believe that an India free from Hinduism would produce a casteless society. The present day Punjab was the first to get rid of Hinduism when Sikhism triumphed three centuries ago.</b> Needless to say, the humanising Sikhism is the first religious order to embrace Guru Ravidas as one of its iconoclasts.<b> With nearly one third of the population being Dalits, Punjab is yet to witness Dalit power at work. Itâs paradoxical that there are a plenty of Dalit Gurudwaras separate from those of institutionalised Sikhism?</b>
<b>Similarly, itâs also thought that an India free from the hold of Brahmins would ensure a casteless society. Tamil Nadu dethroned Brahmins from political power structures four decades ago.</b> The State has undergone the successful anti-Brahman movements. <b>Isnât it paradoxical, then, that Tamil Nadu is the most ruthless caste society today where Dalit parties canât win even one seat on their own?</b>
<b>For scores of Dalit âintellectuals,â globalisation-led market economy would play havoc with the lives of Dalits. Of the five top Dalit economists of the country, four of them believe that the economic reforms have already increased distress among the community.</b> But a <b>study of about 20,000 Dalit households of UP â the biggest NGO survey ever undertaken â shows every third Dalit family has at least one cell phone.</b> The study conducted by CASI (Centre for the Advanced Study of India), University of Pennsylvania, shows massive lifestyle changes amongst Dalits having taken place during 1990-2007.
Moreover, <b>itâs an intellectual fashion to argue that Marxism belongs to the underclass and hence, Dalits in the Marxist ruled States must be doing better.</b> Isnât it paradoxical, then, that <b>Kerala and West Bengal are worst performing states for Dalits and Dalit masses are least attracted to Marxism.</b>
Post-Ambedkar, most Dalit movements have hovered around themes as listed above.<b> In all the regions, things Dalits wished to achieve have already been done leaving Dalits nowhere. Not that Hinduism is desirable, and Brahmin rule ideal, or Marxism was designed against Dalits and the market economy has any agenda of emancipating Dalits. The question is â shouldnât Dalit movements ponder over experiences and think afresh the agenda for Dalitsâ emancipation?</b>
Due for decades, <b>a new beginning was made in the first week of this month when CASI organised the Dalit Studies Conference to address the issues as described above. Led by Devesh Kapur, Director of CASI, and Ram Narayan Rawat, an upcoming historian at the University, a host of scholars gathered to address these critical questions.</b>
The historic conference began with the opening address by Ronald Daniels, Provost of the University. Narendra Jadhavâs keynote address set the tone of the conference. The next morning Ram bombed presumptions on UP Dalits citing a host of historical evidence to establish that Chamars of the State were one of the top land-revenue paying caste groups in the 19th century. Dalit scholar Gopal Guru mesmerised the participants with his theorising abilities. A host of young Dalit scholars such as Chinnaiah Jangam, K Satyanarayana, Sanal Mohan, D Shyam Babu, Jebroja Singh, Sambaiah Gundimeda, Rajkumar Hans infused a fresh air to the discourse.
<b>Gail Omvedt</b>, Surinder Jodhka, MSS Pandian, Shailaja Paik, Mrinalini Sinha, Priya Joshi, and Rupa Viswanath came with their own insights.
<b>Several scholars from the American academia â Atul Kohli, Lant Pritchett, Tufuku Zuberi, Karthik Muralidharan, Laura Brueck, Katherine S Newman, Barbara Savage, Douglas Haynes, Jamal J Elias, Lucinda Ramberg, Hugo Gorringe, and Steven I. Wilkinson</b> â accorded a truly global face to the conference.
<b>The CASI has, for the first time in history, brought Dalits and non-Dalits, Americans and Indians, Blacks and Whites, men and women, eminent and the greenhorns to discuss Dalit agenda on the beautiful campus of the University of Pennsylvania.</b>
It will be a stretch to say that an academic conference has arrived at a consensus, but <b>the CASI conference found more takers for the marketâs âcreative destructionâ to pave the way for Dalit emancipation.</b>
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Missing the point
By Jay Katabathuni on 12/16/2008 5:35:25 AM
Dear Mr. Kak, You seem to be missing the whole point Mr. Prasad makes in this article.
Dalits
By Dr A.K.Kureel on 12/16/2008 3:33:05 AM
Dalits require seprate electorate. no body can help dalits in India not even the international conferece. 2.5 millions hindus are having the fun in America who are collecting the Funds for RSS, VHP and Bajrang dal and same organsations are being involved in dalits genocide in Orissa. dear Chndra Bhan you cannot change the hindu mide set or mutation in hindu chromosomes.
Decoding paradoxes
By Krishen Kak on 12/14/2008 9:41:38 AM
If, as your columnist regularly claims, Dalits have been victims of centuries of caste oppression, then he is requested to decode for the edification of readers the paradox that the UP Chamars " were one of the top land-revenue paying caste groups in the 19th century".Moreover, paradoxically too, Ronald Daniels (whom he lists approvingly) faced a well-documented charge of anti-Black racism .
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Op-Ed in Pioneer, 18 Dec., 2008
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Decoding paradoxes</b>
Chandrabhan Prasad
In Dalitsâ popular intellectual imagery, <b>Maharashtra is the motherland of Dalit movements</b>. Quite true, as<b> Maharashtra has shown the path of Dalitsâ emancipation</b>. But, <b>isnât it paradoxical that it is Uttar Pradesh where Dalit power is at play and not in Maharashtra?</b>
<b>Many Dalits believe that an India free from Hinduism would produce a casteless society. The present day Punjab was the first to get rid of Hinduism when Sikhism triumphed three centuries ago.</b> Needless to say, the humanising Sikhism is the first religious order to embrace Guru Ravidas as one of its iconoclasts.<b> With nearly one third of the population being Dalits, Punjab is yet to witness Dalit power at work. Itâs paradoxical that there are a plenty of Dalit Gurudwaras separate from those of institutionalised Sikhism?</b>
<b>Similarly, itâs also thought that an India free from the hold of Brahmins would ensure a casteless society. Tamil Nadu dethroned Brahmins from political power structures four decades ago.</b> The State has undergone the successful anti-Brahman movements. <b>Isnât it paradoxical, then, that Tamil Nadu is the most ruthless caste society today where Dalit parties canât win even one seat on their own?</b>
<b>For scores of Dalit âintellectuals,â globalisation-led market economy would play havoc with the lives of Dalits. Of the five top Dalit economists of the country, four of them believe that the economic reforms have already increased distress among the community.</b> But a <b>study of about 20,000 Dalit households of UP â the biggest NGO survey ever undertaken â shows every third Dalit family has at least one cell phone.</b> The study conducted by CASI (Centre for the Advanced Study of India), University of Pennsylvania, shows massive lifestyle changes amongst Dalits having taken place during 1990-2007.
Moreover, <b>itâs an intellectual fashion to argue that Marxism belongs to the underclass and hence, Dalits in the Marxist ruled States must be doing better.</b> Isnât it paradoxical, then, that <b>Kerala and West Bengal are worst performing states for Dalits and Dalit masses are least attracted to Marxism.</b>
Post-Ambedkar, most Dalit movements have hovered around themes as listed above.<b> In all the regions, things Dalits wished to achieve have already been done leaving Dalits nowhere. Not that Hinduism is desirable, and Brahmin rule ideal, or Marxism was designed against Dalits and the market economy has any agenda of emancipating Dalits. The question is â shouldnât Dalit movements ponder over experiences and think afresh the agenda for Dalitsâ emancipation?</b>
Due for decades, <b>a new beginning was made in the first week of this month when CASI organised the Dalit Studies Conference to address the issues as described above. Led by Devesh Kapur, Director of CASI, and Ram Narayan Rawat, an upcoming historian at the University, a host of scholars gathered to address these critical questions.</b>
The historic conference began with the opening address by Ronald Daniels, Provost of the University. Narendra Jadhavâs keynote address set the tone of the conference. The next morning Ram bombed presumptions on UP Dalits citing a host of historical evidence to establish that Chamars of the State were one of the top land-revenue paying caste groups in the 19th century. Dalit scholar Gopal Guru mesmerised the participants with his theorising abilities. A host of young Dalit scholars such as Chinnaiah Jangam, K Satyanarayana, Sanal Mohan, D Shyam Babu, Jebroja Singh, Sambaiah Gundimeda, Rajkumar Hans infused a fresh air to the discourse.
<b>Gail Omvedt</b>, Surinder Jodhka, MSS Pandian, Shailaja Paik, Mrinalini Sinha, Priya Joshi, and Rupa Viswanath came with their own insights.
<b>Several scholars from the American academia â Atul Kohli, Lant Pritchett, Tufuku Zuberi, Karthik Muralidharan, Laura Brueck, Katherine S Newman, Barbara Savage, Douglas Haynes, Jamal J Elias, Lucinda Ramberg, Hugo Gorringe, and Steven I. Wilkinson</b> â accorded a truly global face to the conference.
<b>The CASI has, for the first time in history, brought Dalits and non-Dalits, Americans and Indians, Blacks and Whites, men and women, eminent and the greenhorns to discuss Dalit agenda on the beautiful campus of the University of Pennsylvania.</b>
It will be a stretch to say that an academic conference has arrived at a consensus, but <b>the CASI conference found more takers for the marketâs âcreative destructionâ to pave the way for Dalit emancipation.</b>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email | Print | Rate: 12345
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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COMMENTS BOARD ::
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Missing the point
By Jay Katabathuni on 12/16/2008 5:35:25 AM
Dear Mr. Kak, You seem to be missing the whole point Mr. Prasad makes in this article.
Dalits
By Dr A.K.Kureel on 12/16/2008 3:33:05 AM
Dalits require seprate electorate. no body can help dalits in India not even the international conferece. 2.5 millions hindus are having the fun in America who are collecting the Funds for RSS, VHP and Bajrang dal and same organsations are being involved in dalits genocide in Orissa. dear Chndra Bhan you cannot change the hindu mide set or mutation in hindu chromosomes.
Decoding paradoxes
By Krishen Kak on 12/14/2008 9:41:38 AM
If, as your columnist regularly claims, Dalits have been victims of centuries of caste oppression, then he is requested to decode for the edification of readers the paradox that the UP Chamars " were one of the top land-revenue paying caste groups in the 19th century".Moreover, paradoxically too, Ronald Daniels (whom he lists approvingly) faced a well-documented charge of anti-Black racism .
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->