Browsing by Subject "Dalits"

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Open Access
Development of a dalit self: vasant moon and the aura of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2020) Biswas, Saswati
The development of self and a sociological approach to the study of self-identity are informed by mutual relationship between self and the society. The former impacts the society through individual actions reflected in the working of groups, organizations and institutions. Society on the other hand influences the individual through shared meanings and values which enables one to participate in social action and reflect upon oneself as the other. In the case of India where the Hindu society considers a group of people as avarnas also referred to as dalits or untouchables there is a great deal of complexity and layering in the interaction between self and society. The selves of the dalits evolve in constant interaction with the wider society through the complexities which till today are characterized by a great degree of exploitation and humiliation exercised by the upper castes. In this paper an attempt has been made to study the life of Vasant Moon which shows how a dalit person overcame the obstacles of life and evolved as a worthy member of his community under the influence of B.R Ambedkar who inspired and moulded the lives of innumerable dalits of a whole generation.
Open Access
From Quest for Justice to Dalit Identity: A New Look on the Crisis of identity of the Scheduled Castes of West Bengal
(University of North Bengal, 2015-03) Barman, Rup Kumar
In the recent years, it has become a common fashion among the social scientists, journalists and popular writers alike to classify the Scheduled Castes of India as Da/its. Being induced by the 'Dalit Panther movement' of the 1970 's, academics of both Dal it and non-Dalit social background; have reinterpreted the protests of the Scheduled Castes against upper castes' oppression and their writings under the banner of 'Dalit Discourse '. These trends eventually have encapsulated the Scheduled Castes within the/old of 'Dalit identity'. However, a major section of the Scheduled Castes of West Bengal has reservation to accept 'Dalit identity ' what the Dalit writers and non-Dalit scholars are· trying to impose on them. Rather, they are more comfortable to be identified as Scheduled Castes in the society. This paper has analyzed that the social movement of the Scheduled Castes of late colonial Bengal is losing its dignity in the recent years because of classification of the Scheduled Castes merely as Dalits. Simultaneously the author has argued that 'construction of Dalit identity' of the Scheduled Castes is a theoretical imposition on theh1 at least in case of West Bengal.