Periyar E.V. Ramasami’s Non-Brahmin Dravidian Movement and Its Feminist Appeal to Dalits
Dalits, also known as untouchables, are often marginalized people within the Hindu class system. Therefore, they were attracted to Periyar E.V. Ramasami’s Non-Brahmin Dravidian Movement, or the self-respect movement. Dalits, limited by societal norms, were offered the social vision of mobility and increased personal freedoms by this movement. Not only that, the movement specifically attracted Dalit women and women of lower classes because of its focus on feminist causes.
One’s identity as a Dalit dictates much of one’s life, from social interaction to access to resources and education. Kancha Ilya, a famous activist for Dalit rights, describes his own experience
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The Jatavs are a different Jati of the Dalit Varna located in a different area in North India. They too are considered “polluting to the upper castes,” and therefore “have remained, on the whole, illiterate, poor, and virtually powerless.” These people did not have access to many things upper Varna individuals had, including wells, schools, roads, services by Brahmins or services that Brahmans also use, and Hindu temples. There was no attempt to amend this clear social injustice until 1935 when the British actively put a law of “protective discrimination” into place in attempts to protect these “scheduled castes,” as they were called. However, the effectiveness of this attempt to ameliorate social disparity has not been officially evaluating, and it is hard to discern whether it has made much of an …show more content…
The movement not only attracted Dalits because of its denouncement of the Varnic system, but also attracted Dalit women in particular because they were often victims of sexual violence and oppression. Periyar’s movement was unique not only in that it was so extremely secular, but also that it stood up for the rights of women. Issues regarding sexual violence and women’s oppression are widespread, generally Dalit women are the ones who suffer the most, as they are of the lowest Varna and therefore regarded as less important. There is a stigma that women of a lower Varna can be taken advantage of sexually because of their subordinate position in the Hindu hierarchy. This subordination is amplified with the intersectionality between their internationally marginalized gender as well, which is why women in particular in the Dalit community suffer from these issues. The Self-Respect Movement allowed people not just to interpret religion differently, but to break away completely and start a new life with a moral code and social standard set on their personal beliefs, rather than on a religious
In Nehru’s India, women were victims of a “passive revolution” that subtly advanced bourgeoisie men of higher castes under a guise of parliamentary democracy. Though women have presided over the Indian National Congress, served as a prime minister, and represent a large part of India’s la...
Within the earliest of civilizations of India, pre-pubescent girls were offered to men as wives, which ultimately lead to the destruction of women’s domestic independence. As said in Document 1, “because girls married before they could finish their education, they were not qualified to perform ritual sacrifices. Furthermore, wives’ legal rights eroded.” Likewise, Indian women became politically subordinate to men. However, by modern standards, women’s social
Chapter 2 of this book shows how the civil-rights movement had a profound effect on Indians. Deloria explains how Indians experienced many betrayals from policies that have claimed to be in the Indian’s interest. Some Indians have joined the civil-rights movement, marches,
NA. "Who Are Dalits? & What Is Untouchability?" — Portal. NCDHR, n.d. Web. 09 May 2014.
There are four main castes and one in which they consider to be the outcastes. The four main castes are the Brahmin, the next is the Kshatriya, the third is the Vaishya, and the fourth is the Shudra. The outcastes are in the group called Dalits. Each caste has a purpose in life, the Brahmin are considered to be the priestly caste in which they are teach the Veda, and are to “sacrifice for others and receive alms” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Kshatriya is considered the warriors or the ruler caste, they have constant practice in battles, and they are to protect the world from harm. The Vaishya are to be the merchants and the farmers, they tend to the cattle, they, “engage in farming, keeps cows, trades, lends money at interest, and grows seeds” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Shudra are the manual laborers who according to the Institutes of Vishnu under the Four Castes, are to serve the twice born men who are to sacrifice and to study the Veda, the Shudra also engage in all the different duties of craftsmanship (5-10, pg.44). In case of a crisis, each caste is allowed to follow the occupation of the caste that is below them in rank. The duties in which all four of these castes, whatever gender or stage of life, are to follow and hav...
The responsibility to solve the social inequality lies with everyone. Empowerment is a key aspect in not only raising awareness for women’s rights but allows those facing discrimination to fight for themselves. One way individuals and society as a whole can empower is through governmental activism. Legislation promoting equality, such as the Equal Pay Act, help women receive fair wages for equal work. Other laws that improve women’s rights are those abolishing arranged marriages. Fighting against arranged marriages solves other societal issues such as the fact “only 40 percent of Indian women can read, compared with 60 percent of men” (Kazmin).
“Social exclusion is the process in which individuals or entire communities of people are systematically blocked from (or denied full access to) various rights, opportunities and resources that are normally available to members of a different group, and which are fundamental to social integration within that particular group (e.g., housing, employment, healthcare, civic engagement, democratic participation, and due process).” Social exclusion debars the people from exercising their rights on the basis of caste, gender, colour etc. “For instance people living in dilapidated housing estate, with poor schools and few employment opportunities in the area, may effectively be denied the opportunities for self-betterment that most people in the society have.” A person is socially excluded or left behind because he or she cannot measure up to the standards set by the society. People living in slums or backward areas generally suffer from social exclusion as they are not able to improve their lifestyle which ultimately leads to the vicious circle of poverty with their future generations also suffering the similar fate. This term is widely applied to the groups who were left of the development process. At the time of independence, India was rooted with social customs which were defined by caste system, gender inequality and religion. People were considered outcasts just because of the type of work which was done by them. The trend has not
Owing to India’s diversity, these identities are determined by caste, ancestry, socioeconomic class, religion, sexual orientation and geographic location, and play an important role in determining the social position of an individual (Anne, Callahan & Kang, 2011). Within this diversity, certain identities are privileged over others, due to social hierarchies and inequalities, whose roots are more than a thousand years old. These inequalities have marginalized groups and communities which is evident from their meagre participation in politics, access to health and education services and
From beginning to end, the novel, “The God of Small Things”, authored by Arundhati Roy, makes you very aware of a class system (caste) that separates people of India in many ways. This separation among each other is surprisingly so indoctrinated in everyone that many who are even disadvantaged by this way of thinking uphold its traditions, perhaps for fear of losing even more than they already have, or simply because they do not know any other way. What’s worse, people seen as the lowest of the low in a caste system are literally called “untouchable”, as described in Roy’s novel, allowing, according to Human Rights Watch:
Caste system has been the scourge of Indian civilization and culture. The battle against this oppressive and inhuman is older than even some of the great religions of the world. The first warrior to wage against this system was probably Gautam Buddha who waged the war against this inhuman system in 6th century B.C. No doubt, Buddha was able to put some dents in the system, but after the Nirvana of Buddha, the system once again rose like a phoenix and gained strength to crush humanity. In fact, the system has proved to be the most agile and resilient against the liberal human traditions. According to Porter:
Of the themes which dominate the representative writings of the forth world literatures include the theme of resistance, rebellion, opposition, assertion, challenge, sacrifice, suffering and displacement. All these general ideas are interconnected with the common concept of ‘freedom’ and an aspiration for which is truly a driving force for the indigenous people. In this paper an attempt has been made to look into the theme of resistance and how it contributes to the development of the spirit of self-determinism as it is reflected and re-presented in the Fourth World literatures with special reference to dalits’ writings in India in order to appreciate and advance the common cause of freedom in the larger interest of Humanity.
The history of tribal oppression in India is an old one. “The Sanyasi Revolt”, “The Wahabi Movement”, and “The Naxalbari Rebellion”, are evidence of the tribal outcry that appropriately foregrounds their requirement for fundamental rights as citizens of the country. Even after sixty six years of independence, India’s rural poor and tribals are lamenting under the curbing effects of destitution, unemployment, undernourishment, illiteracy and human trafficking. For these people, the notions of liberty, equality and democracy have no meaning at all. Though the country is free from the bondage of foreign rule, their repression and prejudices still continue leaving them dependent on their new masters.
The Untouchables of the caste system are seen by many as outcasts, unwanted humans who are simply unworthy of being seen on earth. Members of this class are considered impure from birth, because they perform unsanitary jobs, with little pay. For example, citizens who handle items polluted by blood or human waste, a leatherworker who works with animal skins, a weaver who creates cloth, a person who cremates or buries the dead, and a manual scavenger, are all considered Untouchable. A Dalit woman describes her day-to-day job as a “sweeper,” (collecting feces on the street), “I feel very sick. I can’t breathe. I can’t bend and lift the vessel” (Dalit Freedom Network). There is no way to escape these horrific jobs, she explains, “I have been asking the supervisor to give me another job, but he wont shift me from here” (Dalit Freedom Network). The illegal job of a manual scavenger is still present in many parts of India, and is still relied upon by societies in the country. Woman, however, are usually targeted for this grueling job. Safai Karmachari Andolan, a manual scavenger describes, “ I slipped and fell into the gutter. No one would come to pick me up because the basket was so dirty and I was covered with filth.” (). These horrific jobs, which untouchables are forced to participate in, severely damage their emotional and physical health.
Human right is a dynamic concept and endeavours to adapt itself to the needs of the day. The Dalit human rights have to be taken to the center stage of any political and social movement in the country. Dalits have to spearhead this human right movement and all progressive forces should join their hands with them. In this 21st century it is absolutely necessary that common people need to be sensitized about the prevailing atrocities against Dalits. Education and enlightenment can go a long way to break the social, economic and cultural shackles that have bound Dalits. Capacity building, awareness generation and developing leadership skills among women can help them gain confidence to raise a voice against violence and assert their rights. Dalit organizations, NGOs and Human Rights bodies could play a vital role in the above identified areas. Dalit is a social force, a cultural symbol and has a historical background. Dalit women are estimated to contribute eighty per cent of total labour to strengthen the national economy. Ambedkar rightly said “Rights are protected not by laws but by the social and moral conscience of society”. Dalits are not voiceless, and capable to raise their voice. To conclude, there is a growing need to capture violence of Human Rights of Dalits so that talent and potential of Dalits can be used for development of the nation. Dalits need to be empowered with their basic rights. So, voice of the voiceless is voiced here and that should be heard by society and the mainstream as
The current manifestations of the caste system are now far more generalized across the Indian subcontinent than was the case in former times. Caste as we now recognize has been endangered, shaped and perpetuated by comparatively recent political and social developments. This is evident even i...