Dalit Panthers
Dalit Panthers | |
---|---|
Founder | |
Founded | 9 July 1972[a] |
Ideology | Dalit socialism Anti-casteism Buddhism Marxism |
The Dalit Panthers is a social organisation that seeks to combat
Formation and influence
The backdrop for the formation of the Dalit Panthers was set by various socio-political developments in Maharashtra. The first non-Congress state governments were established in 1967, and global youth political movements gained momentum. The Yuvak Kranti Dal had been formed in Maharashtra, and a mass conversion of Dalits to Buddhism occurred in 1956. The period also witnessed a significant land rights movement led by Dadasaheb Gaikwad and an extension of reservation benefits to converted Buddhists in the late 1960s.[4]
Litterateur
The Dalit Panthers were largely inspired by the Black Panther Party, a socialist political party that sought to combat racial and economic discrimination against
Worli riots
Prior to the foundation of the Dalit Panthers,
In the same year, the organisation was attacked by civilians, mostly Shiv Sena's supporters,
The organisation's heyday lasted until 1977.[2]
Ideology
The Dalit Panthers advocated for and practised radical politics, fusing the ideology of
Despite its name and of being generally accepted as a party of the Scheduled Castes of Maharashtra, the organisation did not seek to be an only-Dalit movement; instead, they used of the term "Dalit" to refer to all lower-caste communities and poor among the caste Hindus.
Comprising working-class individuals, the Panthers garnered support by addressing popular unrest through literature, such as Daya Pawar's 'Kondwada' and J V Pawar's 'Nakebandi.'[4]
Martyrdom and Dissolution
In 1974, the Worli riots erupted following an event featuring Dhasal and Dhale as speakers. Police repression and attacks by Shiv Sainiks led to the first Dalit Panther martyrs, Bhagwat Jadhav and Ramesh Deorukhkar's death. The movement faced internal challenges during the Emergency when Dhasal expressed support for Indira Gandhi, leading to a crisis within the Panthers.[13]
After the 1976 Nagpur conference, Raja Dhale and J V Pawar departed to form the 'Mass Movement,' marking the second stage of the Panthers.
Post-1976, a new generation of leaders, including Arun Kamble and Ramdas Athawale, took charge, renaming the movement the 'Bharatiya Dalit Panthers.' They played a crucial role in expanding the Panthers' influence to every village, supporting movements like Naamantar for renaming Marathwada University after Ambedkar.
In 1988, Athawale became a minister, and the Panthers were officially dissolved. Subsequent attempts to form a united Republican Party were short-lived.[4]
Legacy
The Dalit Panthers prompted a debate on what should be the ideological focus of the struggle of the down-trodden of Indian society: Buddhism or Marxism and caste or class.[8]
Although their political impact is source of controversy, the Dalit Panthers' impact in the literary and cultural area is more clear.[8] They led a renaissance in Marathi literature and art,[5] and created a new Dalit literature of protest that expanded the frontiers of traditional Marathi works.[8] Their works introduced a multi-caste perspective that seek to depict the fears and hopes of all Indian exploited segments, conceiving the idea of an Indian "proletariat".[8] Opposing what was perceived as "bourgeois" literature, the Panthers used the patois of the Dalit suburban people to represent those who lived in the ghetto.[8] Ultimately, literary critics recognised their innovative and independent style of expressing the hitherto mute masses.[8]
The Black Panther Party acknowledged and supported the Dalit Panthers through the Black Panther newspaper, which circulated worldwide on a weekly basis from 1967 to 1980.[citation needed]
Pawar commented that no organisation fully continued their legacy or replaced the Dalit Panthers' spot as a radical group. He said, "I cannot think of anyone who could replace us, as many end up compromising on their idealism in quest for power in politics. But, the movement for a new radicalism is waiting to be born".[2]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b There are different recordings on the day of the foundation. Mamta Rajawat in Encyclopedia of Dalits in India states it was established in April 1972,[1] while Mid-Day's Prutha Bhosle affirms it was on 29 May 1972,[2] and Sebastian Maria Michael, author of Dalits in Modern India: Vision and Values, states it occurred on 9 July 1972.[3]
- ^ Several sources state that Raja Dhale was among its founders,[3][6] but Pawar himself have told that Dhale was invited to him some time after the establishment.[2]
- ^ A commentator on Economic and Political Weekly in 1974 analised that their radicalism was more formal than real as their political influence was limited to Mahars, which made them a "fourth faction of the RPI".[7]
References
- ^ Rajawat 2004, p. 325.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bhosle, Prutha (21 July 2019). "The last Panther". Mid-Day. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Michael 2007, p. 173.
- ^ a b c "History headline: The rise, dissolution of Panthers". The Indian Express. 21 July 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Satyanarayana & Tharu 2013, p. 55.
- ^ a b c d "Dalit Panther founder launches new body". The Times of India. 13 April 2002. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Economic and Political Weekly 1974, p. 716.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gokhale‐Turner 1979, p. 77.
- ^ a b c d Gokhale‐Turner 1979, p. 86.
- ^ a b Gokhale‐Turner 1979, p. 87.
- ^ a b Mody 1974.
- ^ a b Economic and Political Weekly 1974, p. 715.
- ^ "Excerpt: Dalit Panthers; An Authoritative History by JV Pawar". Hindustan Times. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
Bibliography
- "Dalit Panthers: Another View". Economic and Political Weekly. 9 (18): 715–716. 1974. JSTOR 41497050.
- Gokhale‐Turner, Jayashree B. (1979). "The Dalit Panthers and the Radicalisation of the Untouchables". The Journal of Commonwealth & Comparative Politics. 17 (1): 77–93. .
- Michael, S. M. (2007). Dalits in Modern India: Vision and Values. SAGE. ISBN 978-0-7619-3571-1.
- Mody, Navroz (19 January 1974). "Atrocities on Dalit Panthers". Economic and Political Weekly. 9 (3): 44. JSTOR 4363353.
- Rajawat, Mamta (2004). Encyclopaedia of Dalits in India, Volume 1. Anmol Publications. ISBN 978-81-261-2084-0.
- Satyanarayana, K.; Tharu, Susie (2013). The Exercise of Freedom: An Introduction to Dalit Writing. New Delhi: Navayana. ISBN 978-8-18905-961-3.
Further reading
- Contursi, Janet A. (1993). Political Theology: Text and Practice in a Dalit Panther Community, The Journal of Asian Studies 52 (2), 320-339 – via JSTOR (subscription required)
- Murugkar, Lata (1991). Dalit Panther Movement in Maharashtra: A Sociological Appraisal, South Asia Books. ISBN 0-86132-246-0.
- Sebastian, M. (1994). Liberating the Caged Dalit Panther, Emerald Publishers
- Pawar, J. V. (2017). Dalit Panthers: An Authoritative History, Forward Press. ISBN 978-9387441040