Given different socio-economic structures, and acute landlessness among the Dalits of East Punjab... more Given different socio-economic structures, and acute landlessness among the Dalits of East Punjab, the agendas of conversion to neo-Buddhism and sanskritisation, the two most popular Dalit social mobility models in India, have failed to strike a cord among the Dalits in this border state of northwest India. But that does not imply that Dalits of Punjab have failed in improving their social status. On the contrary, they have been very vocal in their assertions for social justice and dignity, and pressing for a due share in the local structures of power; a clear indication of a significant surge of Dalit social mobility in Punjab. The question that still remains largely unexplored, however, relates to the patterns of Dalit social mobility in Punjab that have emerged independently of the agendas of conversion to neo-Buddhism and sanskritisation. The study aims to map out the contours of an emerging alternative Dalit agenda in Punjab, which is conspicuous by its absence in existing Dali...
This paper situates peasant struggles in a larger context to unravel the consequences of the accu... more This paper situates peasant struggles in a larger context to unravel the consequences of the accumulated agrarian distress in Punjab. The Punjab peasantry has a rich legacy of resistance against the injustice of the statecraft. The all-inclusive character of the present peasant movement, to engage people across castes, classes, creeds, gender, regions, religions and ethnicity is an outcome of this legacy. Beyond these features, the significance of the movement also lies in the understanding of the protesting people about the importance of land, food sovereignty and the responsibility of the democratic state to ensure food security for the marginalized.
This article intends to explore how neoliberal market economy impacts social democracy in globali... more This article intends to explore how neoliberal market economy impacts social democracy in globalising India and examines its implications for the millions of Dalits. It argues that the institution of social democracy, which flourished in India during the Nehruvian era of mixed economy and welfare state, seems to be fast approaching its demise under the ongoing process of neoliberalism. It further argues that the fast-expanding domain of the corporate sector and the free flow of global capital, in conjunction with the gradual withdrawal of the welfare state, will not only widen inequalities, but also stifle the growth of social democracy in the country.
... the society such as the farm labourers, Harvesting Combine and Tractor owners, Commission age... more ... the society such as the farm labourers, Harvesting Combine and Tractor owners, Commission agents, Marketing Committees and Mandi Board, Labour ... In their joint paper Stock Prices and Money Velocity in India: A Note, Debashis Acharya and Arun Kumar Goaplswamy revisit ...
1 The term Dalit (literally, grounded, oppressed, or broken) is the "politically correct" nomencl... more 1 The term Dalit (literally, grounded, oppressed, or broken) is the "politically correct" nomenclature that came to be used by the Mahar community in the late twentieth century for the "untouchables" (the people who have traditionally occupied the lowest rung of the Hindu caste hierarchy). The term includes Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. However, in current political discourse, the use of Dalit is mainly confined to Scheduled Castes.
<jats:p> Social exclusion of Dalits in India is often understood in terms of discriminatory... more <jats:p> Social exclusion of Dalits in India is often understood in terms of discriminatory social structures embedded in oppressive cultural domains of pure versus polluted. Territorial demarcation of Dalits from upper/dominant castes is yet another way of perpetuating and sustaining social exclusion while segregating them in separate neighbourhoods built on the Varna principle of graded social inequality. However, over the last few years, Dalits have gathered some strength to say no to social exclusion while re-territorializing their segregated living spaces into radical sites of social contestation. Dalit counterculture and alternative Dalit heritage are what provided the necessary material for the re-territorialization of Dalit segregated neighbourhoods. The central concern of this study is to unravel what led to transformation of separate Dalit neighbourhoods into social territoriality of contestation. </jats:p>
Punjab is widely known for its rivers, fertile land, and sacred places speckled with Hindu, Sufi,... more Punjab is widely known for its rivers, fertile land, and sacred places speckled with Hindu, Sufi, Sikh, and indigenous/pagan shrines. It has also earned the distinct trademark of being a proud food-bowl-state of north India. Its engaging role in the freedom struggle of the country and the innumerable sacrifices made by its freedom fighters are well known over the world. The formation of the Ghadar Party (also known as Hindi Association of the Pacific Coast) by the Punjabi immigrants in North America in 1913 for liberating India from the British rule; the rise of the Babbar Akalis in 1920s for self rule; the emergence of the radical movement (Naxalites) in the beginning of the 1970s for furthering the cause of peasants and workers; and the rise of the Khalistan movement in the 1980s for the establishment of a separate Sikh state, all put together represent Punjab as a land of resistance against all sorts of dominations and discriminations. Punjabi resistance draws heavily on the heroic deeds of the Khalsa , primarily aimed at establishing a Halimi Raj in the name of formless God where no one would be discriminated against on primordial or ascriptive values. Another peculiarity that sharply distinguishes Punjab from the rest of the country is the bloody partition forced on it on the eve of independence. The partition of Punjab, in fact, is one among the few forced and violent mass exoduses the twentieth-century world witnessed.
The 2009 Vienna attack on the lives of the two highest ranking visiting Ravidassia Sants hailing ... more The 2009 Vienna attack on the lives of the two highest ranking visiting Ravidassia Sants hailing from Indian Punjab is generally perceived by the followers of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, one of the most popular Dalit religious centres and a symbol of Dalit assertion in northern India, as an attack on their separate Dalit identity. The question of separate Dalit identity in Punjab is related to rising Dalit consciousness that emerged among the followers of Guru Ravidass, an untouchable Sant-poet of the medieval North Indian Bhakti movement. Ravidass imaginatively chose poetry as the method for non-violent social protest towards the establishment of a casteless society free from all forms of structural bindings and social dominations. After a gap of couple of centuries, the Sants of Dera Sachkhand Ballan carried forward the legacy of Guru Ravidass by carefully carving out the markers of a separate Dalit identity in the state. The Vienna incident has not only brought Dera Sachkhand Ballan t...
The recent violent conflicts in Punjab represent a typical case of a marginal community's (da... more The recent violent conflicts in Punjab represent a typical case of a marginal community's (dalits) fight against social exclusion and the resistance that it encounters from a dominant caste. Despite improvement in economic position over the years, there has not been a commensurate improvement in the social status of dalits even after their conversion to Sikhism as caste iniquities, in the form of dominant cultural patterns, still persist in Punjab. The emergence of a large number of deras as alternate spiritual sites for the oppressed is linked to this phenomenon.
Dalit social exclusion emanates from structures of cultural differentiation and spatial demarcati... more Dalit social exclusion emanates from structures of cultural differentiation and spatial demarcation. The structures of cultural differentiation are entrenched in the oppressive social system of caste hierarchy. They are further fortified with the seamless social boundaries of segregated Dalit neighbourhoods. If graded caste hierarchy reduced Dalits to the lowest rung on the scale of social status, their segregated neighbourhoods ghettoized them within the socio-spatial boundaries of oppressive territorial demarcations. Until recently, segregated Dalit space used to be a submissive site of despair, dependence and helplessness. All public amenities and sacred domains of mainstream religions were/are housed within the well-guarded neighbourhoods of the upper/dominant castes. Dalit neighbourhoods were/are deprived of all such essential facilities and access to the sanctum sanctorum of the mainstream religious centres. However, embolden by the presence of a large number of Ravidass Deras, Dalits have come to muster enough strength to assert for their distinct and independent socio-cultural and religious identity, which in turn prompted them to ask for their long denied due share in the local structures of power. The mushrooming of Ravidass Deras and the concomitant rise of separate Dalit identity is an apt case for a critical study of Dalit social mobility in contemporary East Punjab.
Given different socio-economic structures, and acute landlessness among the Dalits of East Punjab... more Given different socio-economic structures, and acute landlessness among the Dalits of East Punjab, the agendas of conversion to neo-Buddhism and sanskritisation, the two most popular Dalit social mobility models in India, have failed to strike a cord among the Dalits in this border state of northwest India. But that does not imply that Dalits of Punjab have failed in improving their social status. On the contrary, they have been very vocal in their assertions for social justice and dignity, and pressing for a due share in the local structures of power; a clear indication of a significant surge of Dalit social mobility in Punjab. The question that still remains largely unexplored, however, relates to the patterns of Dalit social mobility in Punjab that have emerged independently of the agendas of conversion to neo-Buddhism and sanskritisation. The study aims to map out the contours of an emerging alternative Dalit agenda in Punjab, which is conspicuous by its absence in existing Dali...
This paper situates peasant struggles in a larger context to unravel the consequences of the accu... more This paper situates peasant struggles in a larger context to unravel the consequences of the accumulated agrarian distress in Punjab. The Punjab peasantry has a rich legacy of resistance against the injustice of the statecraft. The all-inclusive character of the present peasant movement, to engage people across castes, classes, creeds, gender, regions, religions and ethnicity is an outcome of this legacy. Beyond these features, the significance of the movement also lies in the understanding of the protesting people about the importance of land, food sovereignty and the responsibility of the democratic state to ensure food security for the marginalized.
This article intends to explore how neoliberal market economy impacts social democracy in globali... more This article intends to explore how neoliberal market economy impacts social democracy in globalising India and examines its implications for the millions of Dalits. It argues that the institution of social democracy, which flourished in India during the Nehruvian era of mixed economy and welfare state, seems to be fast approaching its demise under the ongoing process of neoliberalism. It further argues that the fast-expanding domain of the corporate sector and the free flow of global capital, in conjunction with the gradual withdrawal of the welfare state, will not only widen inequalities, but also stifle the growth of social democracy in the country.
... the society such as the farm labourers, Harvesting Combine and Tractor owners, Commission age... more ... the society such as the farm labourers, Harvesting Combine and Tractor owners, Commission agents, Marketing Committees and Mandi Board, Labour ... In their joint paper Stock Prices and Money Velocity in India: A Note, Debashis Acharya and Arun Kumar Goaplswamy revisit ...
1 The term Dalit (literally, grounded, oppressed, or broken) is the "politically correct" nomencl... more 1 The term Dalit (literally, grounded, oppressed, or broken) is the "politically correct" nomenclature that came to be used by the Mahar community in the late twentieth century for the "untouchables" (the people who have traditionally occupied the lowest rung of the Hindu caste hierarchy). The term includes Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. However, in current political discourse, the use of Dalit is mainly confined to Scheduled Castes.
<jats:p> Social exclusion of Dalits in India is often understood in terms of discriminatory... more <jats:p> Social exclusion of Dalits in India is often understood in terms of discriminatory social structures embedded in oppressive cultural domains of pure versus polluted. Territorial demarcation of Dalits from upper/dominant castes is yet another way of perpetuating and sustaining social exclusion while segregating them in separate neighbourhoods built on the Varna principle of graded social inequality. However, over the last few years, Dalits have gathered some strength to say no to social exclusion while re-territorializing their segregated living spaces into radical sites of social contestation. Dalit counterculture and alternative Dalit heritage are what provided the necessary material for the re-territorialization of Dalit segregated neighbourhoods. The central concern of this study is to unravel what led to transformation of separate Dalit neighbourhoods into social territoriality of contestation. </jats:p>
Punjab is widely known for its rivers, fertile land, and sacred places speckled with Hindu, Sufi,... more Punjab is widely known for its rivers, fertile land, and sacred places speckled with Hindu, Sufi, Sikh, and indigenous/pagan shrines. It has also earned the distinct trademark of being a proud food-bowl-state of north India. Its engaging role in the freedom struggle of the country and the innumerable sacrifices made by its freedom fighters are well known over the world. The formation of the Ghadar Party (also known as Hindi Association of the Pacific Coast) by the Punjabi immigrants in North America in 1913 for liberating India from the British rule; the rise of the Babbar Akalis in 1920s for self rule; the emergence of the radical movement (Naxalites) in the beginning of the 1970s for furthering the cause of peasants and workers; and the rise of the Khalistan movement in the 1980s for the establishment of a separate Sikh state, all put together represent Punjab as a land of resistance against all sorts of dominations and discriminations. Punjabi resistance draws heavily on the heroic deeds of the Khalsa , primarily aimed at establishing a Halimi Raj in the name of formless God where no one would be discriminated against on primordial or ascriptive values. Another peculiarity that sharply distinguishes Punjab from the rest of the country is the bloody partition forced on it on the eve of independence. The partition of Punjab, in fact, is one among the few forced and violent mass exoduses the twentieth-century world witnessed.
The 2009 Vienna attack on the lives of the two highest ranking visiting Ravidassia Sants hailing ... more The 2009 Vienna attack on the lives of the two highest ranking visiting Ravidassia Sants hailing from Indian Punjab is generally perceived by the followers of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, one of the most popular Dalit religious centres and a symbol of Dalit assertion in northern India, as an attack on their separate Dalit identity. The question of separate Dalit identity in Punjab is related to rising Dalit consciousness that emerged among the followers of Guru Ravidass, an untouchable Sant-poet of the medieval North Indian Bhakti movement. Ravidass imaginatively chose poetry as the method for non-violent social protest towards the establishment of a casteless society free from all forms of structural bindings and social dominations. After a gap of couple of centuries, the Sants of Dera Sachkhand Ballan carried forward the legacy of Guru Ravidass by carefully carving out the markers of a separate Dalit identity in the state. The Vienna incident has not only brought Dera Sachkhand Ballan t...
The recent violent conflicts in Punjab represent a typical case of a marginal community's (da... more The recent violent conflicts in Punjab represent a typical case of a marginal community's (dalits) fight against social exclusion and the resistance that it encounters from a dominant caste. Despite improvement in economic position over the years, there has not been a commensurate improvement in the social status of dalits even after their conversion to Sikhism as caste iniquities, in the form of dominant cultural patterns, still persist in Punjab. The emergence of a large number of deras as alternate spiritual sites for the oppressed is linked to this phenomenon.
Dalit social exclusion emanates from structures of cultural differentiation and spatial demarcati... more Dalit social exclusion emanates from structures of cultural differentiation and spatial demarcation. The structures of cultural differentiation are entrenched in the oppressive social system of caste hierarchy. They are further fortified with the seamless social boundaries of segregated Dalit neighbourhoods. If graded caste hierarchy reduced Dalits to the lowest rung on the scale of social status, their segregated neighbourhoods ghettoized them within the socio-spatial boundaries of oppressive territorial demarcations. Until recently, segregated Dalit space used to be a submissive site of despair, dependence and helplessness. All public amenities and sacred domains of mainstream religions were/are housed within the well-guarded neighbourhoods of the upper/dominant castes. Dalit neighbourhoods were/are deprived of all such essential facilities and access to the sanctum sanctorum of the mainstream religious centres. However, embolden by the presence of a large number of Ravidass Deras, Dalits have come to muster enough strength to assert for their distinct and independent socio-cultural and religious identity, which in turn prompted them to ask for their long denied due share in the local structures of power. The mushrooming of Ravidass Deras and the concomitant rise of separate Dalit identity is an apt case for a critical study of Dalit social mobility in contemporary East Punjab.
Guru Ravidass, one of the most celebrated untouchable sages of the 15th-16th century, is known as... more Guru Ravidass, one of the most celebrated untouchable sages of the 15th-16th century, is known as a leading star of the bhakti movement, especially the nirguna sampradaya or sant parampara (sect or tradition of devotees of a formless God) of the later medieval centuries in Northern India. He was a cobbler, sage, philosopher and social reformer, all rolled into one, who coined bhakti (devotion of non-anthropomorphic God) as a method of social protest against the centuries old oppressive system of social hierarchies and inhuman practice of untouchabilitybased on low-caste birth. As with all low-castes, he too fell victim to such all sorts of pernicious social restrictions and practices emanating from Hindu Chatur-Varnavyavastha. It was owning to such socio-religious practices that despite his being a Hindu, Guru Ravidass, because of his low-caste birth, was not allowed to take a dip in the holy water of river Ganga at his home town of Banaras (Varanasi). Moreover, being a low-caste Hindu, Guru Ravidass was also not allowed to perform the conventional form of bhakti of Hindu Gods/Goddesses. His most refereed hymn, Naam Tero Aarti Majan Murare, Hari Ke Naam bin Jhuthe Sagal pasaare, not only alludes to such social exclusionary practices and unravels their inner hollowness, but also articulates a voice of revolt against them. He dubbed all brahminical rituals and religious ceremonies as Jhuthe Sagal pasaare (fake activities). Guru Ravidass refused to surrender before such oppressive social structures. To move upward on social hierarchy, he did not discard the religion he was born into, nor abandon his so-called 'polluted' hereditary occupation of making and mending shoes. He devised a new form of bhakti based on deep faith in nirakar (formless) God and continuation of his hereditary leather-work. This unique middle pathfree from religious rituals and sectarian formalities, and dignity of labourwas novel and daring given the rampant religious bigotry of his time.
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