Dalit History Threatens the Powerful
That is why they want to erase, destroy and jail it
Originally published on The Print on 01 April, 2018 08:51 am IST
Dalit protesters take part in a bike rally in Thane, Mumbai after Bhima Koregaon violence | PTI Photo
For Dalit Bahujans to have a future, we must know our past and have self-determination over the knowledge we build.
“Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunters.”
As we enter ‘Dalit History Month 2018’, I am struck by the violence that Dalit history brings up for the powers that be. This is the year thousands of Dalits were attacked, with many still in jail, for celebrating the battle of Dalit resistance at Bhima Koregaon. It is also the year when Dalits, who have always celebrated Ambedkar Jayanti at the UN, have been removed as co-sponsors of their own event because the Indian mission feels that Dalits are not necessary for the celebration of Ambedkar, and, more importantly, that if they are involved, they will bring up the issue of “caste”. If the attacks on our celebrations weren’t disturbing enough, there is the continued destruction and desecration of the statues of our leaders, Ambedkar and Periyar.
This is how threatening Dalit history is. They erase it, destroy it, and jail it as if these actions could erase the resistance to caste apartheid. As long as Dalits are alive, our history will thrive. The very presence of Dalits and our history is a threat to all those who benefit from our exploitation. This is one of the reasons I co-founded Dalit History Month and created Project Mukti. I believe that for Dalit Bahujans to have a future, we must know our past and have self-determination over the knowledge we build.
Ever since I realized that the history I was taught as a child was that of my oppressors, I knew I had to unearth the history of my people, my community, and my ancestors. I am not talking of the history of a hundred or thousand people. It is the history of 25 percent of India’s population - 330 million people. That is equivalent to the population of the United States. Do we not merit the world’s attention when we represent five percent of the world’s population in India alone?
Dalit Bahujans are the backbone of India’s growth and development. We till the land as agricultural laborers. We lay bricks to build the country’s great infrastructure. We clean the streets and the surroundings to create a healthy environment for others. We starve our families to feed others’ children. We fight at the forefront to safeguard the country, the rulers, and the landlords.
Most importantly, we have led the battles to fight the inhumane caste apartheid. We break the shackles of caste slavery and continue to rise to heights beyond Brahminism, where we create our own ecosystem of liberation – through Dalit Bahujan movements, art, literature, businesses, and, of course, education.
As one of the founder-members of Project Mukti – the first technology collective helping Dalit Bahujan Adivasi women, gender non-conforming, and trans leaders beat the caste apartheid in South Asia – I am committed to Dalit Bahujan and Adivasi knowledge and history. It is an honor to stand with all these communities, which refuse to let the light of Dalit history go out in this difficult time.
This year, inspired by the vitality of the movement for Dalit history, Project Mukti is supporting over 20 events across India to celebrate Dalit History Month. These events are meant to celebrate Ambedkar by lifting the voices of Dalit Bahujan leaders and movements all over the nation. These historical milestones, the stories of our leaders, of our movements, are the real inspiration for our movements today.
The events that we are supporting for Dalit History Month include celebrations at Indian universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University, Ambedkar University Delhi, Savitribai Phule Pune University, and English and Foreign Languages University. The events will be held by radical Dalit women collectives and leaders like Fatima Bernhard and Cynthia Stephen, and Buddhist organizations like Manuski Trust. You can read the full list of recipients below. Dalit History Month as a whole is growing all around the world, with new events in Germany, the UK, and the US.
Pankaj Anand, Dalit Bahujan Adivasi Collective AUD, New Delhi
Sumeet Samos, BAPSA JNU, New Delhi
Preeti Mahendrabhai Vaghela, Navsarjan Trust Dholka, Ahmedabad
Mrs. Archana Sonavane, Manuski Trust, Pune
Dr. Burnad Fathima Natesan, Society for Rural Education and Development (SRED) Arakkonam, Vellore
Rajni Mishal & Manisha Mashaal, Swabhiman Organization, Kurukshetra
कौशल देवी, ज्ञान गंगा शिक्षा समिति बहड़े की पोस्ट कैलाशपुर, Saharanpur
Gowthama Meena, Social Media Activist, Chennai
Dr. Manisha Meshram, United Dalit Student Federation JNU, New Delhi
Dr. V Rajunayak, EFLU, Hyderabad
Gargie Pradip Mangulkar, Freelancer currently working on various projects with SOPPECOM, Pune
Dravid, Student, Chennai
Siddharth, Lugansa Production, Chennai
Anantharam Akrishnan, Tamil Nadu Open University, Chennai
Assumptha, Abhithi Foundation, Pondicherry
Bhavana, Group of Buddhist Ambedkarite Individuals, Srikakulam
Amit Kumar, Sankisa Lokamitra Foundation UP, Kannauj
We know that our history shapes our present and future, and now, more than ever, we cannot risk staying silent. We must continue to celebrate our leaders, revolutionaries, historical moments, movements, places, art, and culture. These are our oral histories that have been passed on to us by our great, great ancestors, who may not be great historians by profession but are great historians by heart.
Dalit history is here to stay and we are not going anywhere. Dalit history is not only the key to Dalit Bahujan futures, it is, in fact, the only key to the future of India.
Jai Bhim, Jai Savitri, Jai Fatima, and Jai Birsa!