What's a Dalit?

Following a few posts on Bhumihar Brahmins in 2007, which have been consistently accessed by readers even now, I have been asked to do a series on the Dalits.

This is the first of a series, which I will update from time to time and post more on request.

What is Dalit?

The present usage of the term 'Dalit 'goes back to the nineteenth century, when a Marathi social reformer and revolutionary , Mahatma Jyotirao Phule (1826-1890), used it to describe the Outcastes and Untouchables as the oppressed and the broken victims of India's caste-ridden society. Under the  leadership of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956), this term gained greater importance and popularity.

Probably the person who should be credited with campaigning for this 'term' should be a South Indian gent called VT Rajshekar, a journalist with the Indian Express who later on founded a publication called 'The Dalit Voice'.

In 1983, Rajshekar wrote:

" ... Not only the militant Dalits but even some Hindu press have stopped using the hated word, Harijan, a Gandhian humbug, and switched on to Dalit. This awareness of their identity is itself a big step forward in the Dalit liberation struggle. The word Dalit symbolises the mood of this explosive commodity and connotes and denotes their protest. Hence the switch- over to this new word is itself a great improvement indicating a big leap in the search for their roots. Only three years back people[ barring those in the Hindi belt] did not even know this word. It was not in their vocabulary. But as soon as they came to know this word and discovered its intrinsic value, its magic, its melody, they readily adopted it. Literally embaraced it. "National" newspapers like the Times of India are using this word even in headlines. Even the Malayala Manorama, the largest circulated language daily of Kerala, has started using this word . If the English and language dailies start using the word 'Dalit' in headlines it will soon catch up. Therefore, Dalits and their co-sufferers must go to newspaper offices and meet journalists and prevail upon them to use 'Dalit' instead of 'Harijan' or SC/STs. We will suggest the Oxford, Webster, Cambridge and other dictionaries to include it."

[Dalits prepare a corpse for burial]

The root word of this word Dalit is 'Da'l. The adjective of dal is Dalit. We find the word 'dal' on page 471 of the Oxford Sanskrit English Dictionary, new edition, 1964, edited by the Sanskrit scholar, Sir Monier Williams.

"Dalit" is found in many Indian languages and even a Dravidian language. The meaning given to `Dalit' in the dictionary is: burst, split, scattered, dispersed, broken, torn as under, destroyed, crushed.

The word, `Daridra',which is popular in many Indian languages, is derived from `Dalit'.

"All these English words sum up the exact position of the Indian Untouchables and also tribes. We are crushed and cramped and made mincemeat by the Hindu religion. That is why we are Dalits," writes Rajashekhar

The first to popularise this word were the militant Dalit Panthers of Bombay. Their manifesto  defined this word. Though this word has now come to mean Untouchables, the Panthers have included Tribes, Muslims, Women and all ' persecuted minorities..'

Names of the Dalits

The Dalits are called by different names in different parts of the country. These names were given  as expressions of contempt. They include: Dasa, Dasysa, Raksasa, Asura, Avarna, Nisada, Panchama, Chandala, Harijan, Untouchable. Each of these names has a history and background.  

Besides these names, there are a number of other titles or names which have been given to them at the level of the regional language. For example, Chura in Punjab (North West India), Bhangi or Lal Beghi in Hindi (North India), Mahar in Marathi (Central India), Mala in Telugu, Paraiya in Tamil and Pulayan in Malayalam (South India). These names carry within them the two-term contrast of "we-the pure" and "you-the impure". In response to these  labels, the Untouchables have chosen to give themselves a name and this is 'Dalit', which refers to the hardship of their condition of life. This name is a constant reminder of the age-old oppression. The term is also an expression of their hope to recover their past self-identity.  By the British, the Dalits were named 'the Depressed Classes' and 'the Scheduled Castes', in the Scheduled Caste Act of India, 1935. Mahatma Gandhi named them 'Harijans' which means 'children of God' : but this term was not welcomed by the Dalits because it did not adequately describe their condition.

Dalit Definitions and  Politics 

There's a fairlyrecent entity started in 2002 called the Dalit Freedom Network.  The  DFN claim is that Dalit comprise a staggering 25% India's total total population. These 250 million people are the “outcastes” of Indian society – the “untouchables” – those called the “unborn”, as it would have been better for them had they never been born.

The DFN  defines The Dalit  as being  'among the poorest of the world’s poor'; stripped of their 'basic humanity,' are denied 'basic human rights', and 'entrenched in a system that gives them no freedom'.

DFN claims: "The ruling caste tells them they are Hindu, yet they are denied access to the temples, cannot become temple priests, and due to lack of education, cannot even read their scriptures. Dalit women are sold into bonded prostitution. Even finding a place to bury their dead is a problem."

A very intersting angle is taken by those campaigning for the 'rights of Dalit Christians'. On one of their websites, it says:

Dalit does not mean low caste. Dalit does not mean any religion. Dalit refers to some unique people with distinct culture and traditions.