National Alliance of Pasmanda Organizations (NAPO) In a meeting of various pasmanda (dalit and backward caste) muslim and other dalit/OBC organizations/intellectuals held in Lucknow on June 30, 2013 the following resolutions were adopted in the wake of Lok Sabha Elections 2014: a) Boycott of any political party supporting the ashraf-driven demand of TOTAL MUSLIM …
Support Water Tanks for Rural Families in Drought-hit Solapur
Appeal to support buying water tanks for rural families in drought-hit Solapur district [Via Chetana Sawai] We all are aware that Maharashtra is badly hit by drought this year and some of the districts are worst in the context of availability of drinking and portable water. Sangola is one of the blocks in Solapur district …
Fact Finding Report on the Murder of three Dalit youths in Sonai, Maharashtra
Kunal Shirsathe & Manisha Tokle [Translated from Marathi by Shivali Tukdeo] “I saw my son cut up in pieces. I cannot endure the grief. Did my son commit a crime by falling in love with a girl from the Maratha caste? They had plans of getting married. But he was murdered by those people. They are …
Caste of Staff Displayed on College Website
[Via Babasaheb Ambedkar Channel on social media] Caste of Staff displayed on College Website by Saraswati Social Work College of Washim, Maharashtra. Protest & write Email to the Principal regarding this act. ~~~
Questions of name
Gail Omvedt “Dalit”, “Scheduled Caste”, “Ex-Untouchable” and “Harijan”. These are only some of the many words used to refer to the most oppressed sections of Indian society, “untouchable” in the traditional caste order, performers of the most degrading task, and still today caught in the throes of poverty, discrimination and the remnants of untouchability. “Dalit” …
Dr Ambedkar and Engaged Buddhism
Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar Introduction It must be mentioned in the beginning that, though Dr Ambedkar took oath in Yeola (in District Nasik of Maharashtra) in 1935 that, though ‘he was born a Hindu, he would not die a Hindu’, and he fulfilled his mission after nearly 21 years, by formally embracing Buddhism on 14th October, …
Killings in the name of witchcraft
Karthik Navayan [A February, 2010 article in Oneworld South Asia gives us an idea about the scale of the problem of ‘witch-hunting’ in rural India: ‘Statistics on witch-hunting crimes compiled by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) are a cause of concern. The NCRB reported that in 2007, 177 cases of witchcraft-related murders were reported …
Dr. Suryakant Waghmore: Subalterns have a role in making of civil society
Dalit and Adivasi Students’ Portal (First published in the ‘Dalit and Adivasi Students’ Portal’ in 2010) Dr Suryakant Waghmore is an Assistant Professor, Centre for Social Justice and Governance, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. He has been recently awarded with his Doctorate degree from University of Edinburgh, Scotland …
Jotirao Phule: Shetkaryaca Asud (Introduction)
Translated by Gail Omvedt and Bharat Patankar A brief introduction to Phule: Jotirao Phule (1827-1890) is considered a founder not only of the anti-caste movement; in Maharashtra he is also looked upon as father of the farmers’ movement, the women’s movement, and a bahujan-oriented environmental movement. He was born in a Mali (gardener jati) …