Dalit History Month

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Dalit History Month
DalitHistoryMonth April15Editathon 05.jpg
B. R. Ambedkar portrait at one of the earliest Dalit History Month events
Observed byAmbedkarites, Dalits, Anti-caste communities, and others
Liturgical colorDifferent shades of Blue
TypeCultural, Political
SignificanceCelebration of Dalit history, leaders, movements, and milestones.
CelebrationsTalks, Lectures, Rallies, Social Media Lives, Public discourses
Date 1 April
FrequencyAnnual
Started byThe Dalit History Month Collective

Dalit History Month is an annual observance as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the Dalits or Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] It is celebrated in April all over the world by Ambedkarites, followers of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. [6] [7] Discussions, [8] storytelling, [9] history projects, [10] special publications in media, [11] and art works [12] are organized during this month. [13] [14] The Canadian Province of British Columbia recognized April as Dalit History Month. [15]

Contents

History

Inspired by Black History Month, a group of Dalit women launched the Dalit History Month project in April 2015. [16] The Dalit History Month collective originally included Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Christina Dhanuja, Maari Zwick-Maitreyi, Sanghapali Aruna, Asha Kowtal, and Manisha Devi. [17] [18] Sanghapali Aruna and Thenmozhi Soundararajan came up with the idea during discussions at the Color of Violence conference in Chicago. [19] [20] Dalit History Month is now community-led.[ citation needed ]

Significance

Dalits are discriminated against because of their caste, despite such discrimination being illegal in India. [21] [22] [23] Ignorance and absence of Dalits in Indian history by mainstream authors is discussed during Dalit History Month. [24] Issues faced by Dalits are pondered upon by citizens. [25]

In 2022, Canada's British Columbia province has recognised April as Dalit History Month. [26] [27]

In March 2024, the city of Burlington in Ontario Province, Canada, declared April as Dalit History Month [28] and 14 April as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equity. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalit</span> Marginalized castes in India and other South Asian countries

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Equality Labs is a South-Asian Ambedkarite organisation co-founded by Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Aruna Sanghapali and Valli Karunakaran in 2015. The organisation focuses on addressing caste discrimination within the South Asian diaspora and has conducted significant research on the issue. They released a groundbreaking report in 2016, presenting the first-ever survey on caste and caste discrimination in the US. Equality Labs has actively advocated for marginalized communities, shedding light on pervasive caste discrimination experienced by Dalits and other marginalized groups, including on college campuses. Additionally, they have conducted research on hate speech and disinformation on platforms like Facebook India, calling for stronger content moderation policies to address targeted hate speech against marginalized communities.

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The Vaanam Art Festival is an annual cultural event organized by filmmaker Pa Ranjith's Neelam Cultural Centre. The festival aims to celebrate Dalit culture, promote social awareness, and provide a platform for artistic expression. It takes place in April, coinciding with Dalit History Month and the birth month of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

References

  1. ↑ "The new 140-character war on India's caste system". Washington Post. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  2. ↑ Harad, Tejas (26 April 2017). "Writing Our Own Histories – Why We Need Dalit History Month". Feminism In India. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  3. ↑ "Dalit History Month 2023 | 30 days to build bridges". Sideesh Gautam. The Hindu. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  4. ↑ "Dalit History Month: 10 Dalit literature you should read to educate yourself". The Times of India . 8 April 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Dalit History Month and its significance". Westminster.ac.uk. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Krishnan, Mini (13 April 2018). "Celebrating Dalit History Month". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  7. ↑ Says, Rohit. "The roots of Dalit rage". Himal Southasian. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  8. ↑ "caste can no longer be ignored: US conference will discuss dalit culture's resistance". The News Minute. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  9. ↑ Chari, Mridula (15 April 2018). "Resistance and resilience: Dalit History Month 2018 showcases neglected histories and untold stories". Scroll.in. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "Dalit history threatens the powerful. That is why they want to erase, destroy and jail it". ThePrint. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  11. ↑ "The Dalit History Month series". The News Minute. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  12. ↑ "Ambedkar Jayanti 2017: Here's a look at Dalit History Month to explore forgotten narratives". Firstpost. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  13. ↑ Gnanadason, Aruna. "Resisting Injustice: Seeking New Ways to Speak!". CrossCurrents . Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  14. ↑ Arvind Kumar Thakur (2019). "New Media and the Dalit Counter-public Sphere". Television & New Media . 21 (4). SAGE Publications: 360–375. doi:10.1177/1527476419872133. S2CID   203109605.
  15. ↑ "Canada Province of British Columbia A Proclamation Proclamation" . Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  16. ↑ Chitnis, Rucha (26 October 2015). "Meet the Indian women trying to take down 'caste apartheid'". Yes! Magazine. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  17. ↑ Mathew, Shannon (6 December 2016). "The Dalit History and the Dalit Present – An Interview with Christina Dhanaraj". YP Foundation. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "Watch - Sanghapali Aruna, 'The Woman Who Made Twitter's Legal Head Cry'". The Wire. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  19. ↑ "Meet the Indian women trying to take down 'caste apartheid'". Public Radio International. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  20. ↑ "#DalitWomenFight Brings Fight Against Caste-Based Violence to U.S." NBC News. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  21. ↑ "Dalit history month: In UP's Chitrakoot upper-caste sanitation workers outsource cleaning to lower-castes, paying them paltry sums as wages". Firstpost. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  22. ↑ Slater, Joanna (19 August 2019). "A young Indian couple married for love. Then the bride's father hired assassins". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  23. ↑ "US to hold first ever Congressional briefing on caste discrimination in the country". The News Minute. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  24. ↑ Chari, Mridula (14 April 2015). "On Ambedkar Jayanti, Dalit History Month rewrites the history of the marginalised community". Scroll.in. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  25. ↑ "Dalit History Month: Education Is a Distant Dream for Some Children". The Wire. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  26. ↑ "Canada's British Columbia Declares April As Dalit History Month In Historic Move". IndiaTimes. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  27. ↑ "Canada's British Columbia recognises April as Dalit History Month". India Today. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  28. ↑ Singh, Pratikshit (19 March 2024). "TM Exclusive: Canadian City Honors Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Designates April as 'Dalit History Month'". The Mooknayak English - Voice Of The Voiceless. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  29. ↑ Singh, Pratikshit (19 March 2024). "TM Exclusive: Canadian City Honors Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Designates April as 'Dalit History Month'". The Mooknayak English - Voice Of The Voiceless. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
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