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.

Contents

History

Inspired by Black History Month, a group of Dalit women launched the Dalit History Month project in April 2015. [15] The Dalit History Month collective originally included Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Christina Dhanuja, Maari Zwick-Maitreyi, Sanghapali Aruna, Asha Kowtal, and Manisha Devi. [16] [17] Sanghapali Aruna and Thenmozhi Soundararajan came up with the idea during discussions at the Color of Violence conference in Chicago. [18] [19] Dalit History Month is now community-led.

Significance

Dalits are discriminated against because of their caste, despite such discrimination being illegal in India. [20] [21] [22] Ignorance and absence of Dalits in Indian history by mainstream authors is discussed during Dalit History Month. [23] Issues faced by Dalits are pondered upon by citizens. [24]

In 2022, Canada's British Columbia province has recognised April as Dalit History Month. [25] [26]

In March 2024, the city of Burlington in Ontario Province, Canada, declared April as Dalit History Month [27] and April 14th as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equity. [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. R. Ambedkar</span> Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer (1891–1956)

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly debates, served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru, and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement after renouncing Hinduism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahujan Samaj Party</span> Indian political party

The Bahujan Samaj Party is a political party in India that was formed to represent Bahujans, referring to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (OBC), along with religious minorities. According to Kanshi Ram, when he founded the party in 1984, the Bahujans comprised 85 percent of India's population, but were divided into 6,000 different castes. The party claims to be inspired by the philosophy of B. R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Narayana Guru, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, and Gautama Buddha.

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

Dalit, also some of them previously known as untouchables, is the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold varna of the caste hierarchy and were seen as forming a fifth varna, also known by the name of Panchama. Several scholars have drawn parallels between Dalits and the Burakumin of Japan, the Baekjeong of Korea and the peasant class of the medieval European feudal system.

Caste-related violence in India has occurred and continues to occur in various forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambedkar Jayanti</span> Birth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar, festival and holiday

Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti is observed on 14 April to commemorate the memory of B. R. Ambedkar, Indian politician and social reformer. It marks Ambedkar's birthday who was born on 14 April 1891. His birthday is also referred to as 'Equality Day' by some in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar</span> Indian politician and social activist

Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar, popularly known as Balasaheb Ambedkar, is an Indian politician, writer and lawyer. He is the president of political party called Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi. He is a three-time Member of Parliament (MP). He was a member of the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha of India and twice represented the Lok Sabha constituency of Akola, Maharashtra. He has served in both houses of the Indian Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleanor Zelliot</span> American writer and historian

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thenmozhi Soundararajan</span> Indian American Dalit Rights Activist

Thenmozhi Soundararajan is an Indian American Dalit rights activist based in the United States of America. She is also a transmedia storyteller, songwriter, hip hop musician and technologist. She has been actively campaigning for the rights of the marginalized in the midst of structural casteism. She is the founder of Equality Labs, the largest Dalit civil rights organization in the United States. Soundararajan is known for her advocacy work against caste discrimination in the United States and India, and for her contributions to the field of media and technology justice. She has co-authored reports on hate speech and disinformation on social media, and has spoken out against caste-based harassment in the tech industry. Soundararajan's book "The Trauma of Caste" explores the intersection of caste, gender, and mental health, and advocates for the recognition and healing of caste soul wounds as a prerequisite for caste abolition. She has also been involved in art and storytelling projects, including the creation of the #DalitWomenFight movement and the curation of Dalit History Month.

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National Dastak is an Indian web channel launched on 20 December 2015 and is focused on the issues of Bahujan and marginalised sections of India that are often ignored by mainstream media. Mr Shambhu Kumar Singh is the senior editor of National Dastak.

Sanghapali Aruna, also known as Sanghapali Aruna Lohitakshi, is a human rights activist from India, best known for her work on Dalit women's rights. She is the Executive Director of Project Mukti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi</span> Indian Political Party

The Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi is an Indian political party founded by Prakash Ambedkar on 20 March 2018. The party is primarily based in Maharashtra in India. Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi follows Phule-Ambedkarite ideology.

Caste discrimination in the United States is a form of discrimination based on the social hierarchy which is determined by a person's birth. Though the use of the term caste is more prevalent in South Asia and Bali, in the United States, Indian Americans also use the term caste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meena Kotwal</span> Indian journalist

Meena Kotwal is a Dalit journalist, human rights defender, and the founder of The Mooknayak, an online news channel and website focused on social justice for the Dalit minority and marginalised people.

The Mooknayak is an online news website founded in 2021 with a focus on social justice for the Dalit minority and marginalised people. The Mooknayak means "the leader of the voiceless" and the online news outlet founded by Dalit journalist Meena Kotwal is named for the Mooknayak newspaper founded by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar in 1920.

<i>Mooknayak</i> Marathi newspaper

Mooknayak was a Marathi fortnightly-Newspaper founded by B. R. Ambedkar in 1920. The newspaper aimed to reveal the pain and rebellion of society. The first issue of Mooknayak was published on 31 January 1920. This paper was published from Mumbai. An educated youth of Mahar caste named Pandurang Nandram Bhatkar edited this Newspaper. Because Ambedkar was working as a professor in Sydenham College. Therefore, he could not work as an editor openly. So he appointed Gyandev Dhruvanath Gholap as the manager of Mooknayak. Ambedkar himself wrote the foreword in the first issue titled 'Manogat'. He also wrote articles in the next thirteen issues. Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu of Kolhapur had given financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for Mooknayak. Ambedkar published Mooknayak in the Marathi language, Because Marathi language was the common language or folk language of that time and B. R. Ambedkar's area of work was Maharashtra. Also at that time the Dalit people of Maharashtra were not very educated, they could only understand Marathi.

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