Bahujan

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Bahujan is a Pali term frequently found in Buddhist texts, with a literal meaning of "the many", or "the majority". In a modern context, it refers to the combined population of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Muslims, and minorities, who together constitute the demographic majority of India. [1] [2] The word bahujan appears in the dictum "Bahujana sukhaya bahujana hitaya cha" ("for the happiness of the many, for the welfare of the many"), articulated by Gautama Buddha. [3] [4]

In the post-independence era, the term bahujan was introduced into Indian political discourse and given its modern definition by anti-caste social movements inspired by the work of B. R. Ambedkar and Jyotirao Phule, [5] [6] and often associated with Dalit Buddhism. The outlook of these movements is sometimes referred to in English as Bahujanism, and is positioned by its proponents as a majoritarian philosophy demanding social equality for backward castes, religious minorities, and other disadvantaged communities, in opposition to the dominance of the Forward Castes. Similarly, the term bahujanisation has been used to refer to the coalescence of various movements advancing the interests of particular backward castes and communities into a broad united front seeking comprehensive social change. [7]

The word bahujan features prominently in the names of political parties basing their political programme on this philosophy and campaigning as advocates for groups included under the bahujan umbrella, such as the Bahujan Samaj Party, Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi, Bahujan Mukti Party, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, and the Bahujan Shakti Party of Nepal.

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References

  1. ↑ "What is Bahujan, Mandal, and Kamandal Politics in India?". The Justice Mirror. 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  2. ↑ Chishti, Seema (2022-01-27). "The substance of the U.P. elections". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  3. ↑ Madan, Gurmukh Ram (1999). Buddhism: Its Various Manifestations. Mittal Publications. p. 47. ISBN   978-81-7099-728-3.
  4. ↑ "Governance in Classic India" (PDF). Transparency India organization. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  5. ↑ Roy, Indrajit (2015). "Transformative politics: The imaginary of the Mulnibasi in West Bengal". In Chandra, Uday; Heierstad, Geir; Nielsen, Kenneth Bo (eds.). The Politics of Caste in West Bengal. Routledge. pp. 169–192. ISBN   978-1-317-41477-3.
  6. ↑ Jaffrelot, Christophe (2003). India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes in North India. Columbia University Press. p. 153. ISBN   978-0-231-12786-8.
  7. ↑ "Transformation of Bahujan Power in Telangana: The Concept of "Bahujanization" is to Construct the Bahujan Identity" (PDF). Indian Political Science Associationn. p. 529-536. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
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