INDIA: Shivaji statues in Telangana: BJP’s politics of Hindu right-wing iconography, Dalit backlash
The Bharatiya Janata Party has worked aggressively to make electoral gains in Telangana. But the primary contest in the state is between the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the Congress, while the BJP remains a distant third in the political discourse. However, it would be naïve to undermine the impact of the Hindu right-wing party […]
INDIA: Manoranjan Byapari: ‘I never set out to become a Dalit writer, it’s a label stamped on my work’
Right after the partition of India — then a few decades later — when several countries took birth, breaking free from colonial chains but advertently or inadvertently succumbing to sectarian violence to create new identities for themselves, a young Manoranjan Byapari was ensuring the means to meet ends. Growing up he was a refugee on […]
INDIA: Caste discord, a Dalit icon, and present-day Tamil Nadu: The continuing relevance of Immanuel Sekaran
As in other parts of India, caste often casts a long shadow on Tamil Nadu politics. But amid it all, the memory of Immanuel Sekaran shines a particularly bright light, especially in the southern part of the state. A Dalit icon whose death anniversary was observed by the ruling DMK last week, Sekaran’s was a […]
INDIA: Caste Based Discrimination In Sabarimala Temple Tender Issue
Sabarimala temple, one of the most visited Hindu pilgrimage centers in South India has not yet cleared its name from a list of controversies. And yet, a new one occurred on September 10, 2023 following the tender decision for the production of ‘unniyappam’ (temple offering). In the alleged incident, a Dalit man who won the […]
INDIA: Dalits from Sangli village start long walk to Mumbai
Roughly 700 dalit residents of Sangli’s Bedag village, including children, have once again started their foot match to Mumbai. They have resolved to not return to their village till the work to rebuild the arch, which was demolished by the Bedag gram panchayat, starts. On Monday, 150 dalit families from Bedag had congregated at Mangaon, […]
INDIA: Dalit poet Kalyani Thakur Charal’s poetry is her powerful call for affirmative action
Dalit Bengali poet Kalyani Thakur Charal’s I Belong to Nowhere is a collection of her poetry written over the course of her life as a poet. The book is accompanied by an informative translator’s note on Charal’s life and work, an essay on Charal’s work by Kaushal Panwar (translated from the Hindi by Nikhil Pandhi), […]
INDIA: Water Inequality In Times Of Crisis Against Dalit And Adivasi Women
In India, the problem of drought and its corollary- water scarcity, is becoming more prominent with every passing summer as the global temperatures increase and the climatic conditions become increasingly unpredictable. This water inequality is especially visible in the rural areas of drought-prone states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, as also other states […]
INDIA: Telangana poet Gaddar, who told Maoists class struggle wasn’t enough—caste was important too
Telangana folk singer Gaddar, born Gummadi Vittal Rao, also popularly known as ‘people’s singer’ and ‘Praja Yuddha Nauka’, died on 6 August in Hyderabad. Leaving aside my decades-long friendship with Gaddar in the larger people’s movements, the poet was an organic legend as a lyricist and singer belonging to the productive masses who reflected the […]
NEPAL: Dalit leaders seek action against discrimination
Dalit community leaders have sought stern action against culprits involved in caste-based discrimination in Bajhang. At a press meet here today, they expressed their serious concern about the demolition of the under-construction house of a Dalit by a group of non-dalits at Syaldhunga of Bitthadchir Rural Municipality. The incident took place on July 26. A […]
INDIA: This Dalit comedian serves humour with a dash of reality check
When a joke lands well, it is meant to elicit laughter. But in the case of standup comedian Manjeet Sarkar, his funny vignettes often stun the audience into complete silence. A YouTube video from one of his live gigs has him recount a time from his childhood, when he went to drink water from a […]
