Today, we had an appointment at the Indian Social Institute to meet with Dalit members who are involved with Insight, a magazine which works to educate and promote awareness of Dalit issues. It was a very productive meeting; everyone seemed very engaged, and there were a variety of viewpoints shared. One lady who came with her daughter offered reasoned opinions and asked penetrating questions regarding the role of the women’s movement in the United States, and how it compared to the potential for the Dalit women’s movement to succeed (which directly relates to my project). Professor Crenshaw offered a critique of the current state of the American movement of women, particularly highlighting that the black feminism movement is not a grassroots movement but an academic one, and how, due to the current political climate in the United States, now is the moment for a global feminism movement because such a presidential campaign can spark new energy and interest in discussing the progress of intersectional feminism.
Another man continually interrupted Professor Crenshaw, and declared challengingly that “We (as Dalits) have it worse than you do (as African Americans in the United States). It was interesting to see Professors Crenshaw and Harris handle his outbursts in a very calm and rational matter, and discuss the idea that this is a global struggle against many common issues- colonialism, white privilege, social hierarchies to name a few. It made it seem like this isn’t the first time that such a reaction has occurred. It offers a reminder that we are dealing with sensitive and explosive issues relating to the intersectionalities of race, caste, and class, and people have strong personal opinions that we must honor and appreciate while continuing the dialogue. Additionally, this discussion and debate cannot purely be held in a neutral academic setting; the emotional backgrounds of persons involved in these communities must be taken into account as well, and how to transform this energy into mutual understanding of both (similar) situations.
When I received the Dalit study circle book, I didn’t sign it, and I fumbled with it for a bit as I figured out what to do before passing it on. I found myself somewhat apprehensive of someone asking why I didn’t, or if I’m a Dalit, because I wasn’t sure how to reply to the inquiry without coming off as discriminatory or too forceful in my denial. It made me consider how non-Dalits who support the movement deal with their dual roles as not being members of the community, but still advocating for Dalits. Unlike the United States, where differences in race can often easily be perceived by sight, its almost impossible to determine who is a Dalit simply by looking at a person. My experience and questions underlie a larger inquiry about the ability to handle activisim in conjunction with perceptions of caste and class that have been established for thousands of years and are nearly ingrained in the minds of the Indian population.
Similarly, today, in addition to be mistaken as a Dalit, I was also taken for a native of Delhi, a girl from Bombay, and told that I look South Indian. My immediate reaction to the last remark greatly surprised me; the first thing I thought was “I’m not dark enough to be South Indian.” Although I quickly recovered and realized that the man meant my features looked South Indian, and was not at all commenting on the color of my skin, it was telling to me to see how I have also been indoctrinated with the concepts of fair skin as it relates to a person’s background and hometown. It was an eye-opening experience for me, as a part of the Indian community, to see that even as a student in this environment, my personal history may influence my perception of the individuals around me, a bias I must consider and overcome as I continue to learn during this trip and conduct impartial academic research on my project.
Professors Crenshaw, Harris and Camila went from the conference to attend a Dalit festival, an initiative of the Dalit Foundation to create a space for Dalits all over India that is conducive to communication, cultural immersion and enjoyment. It offered a mixture of live music, Godda paintings (indigenous/Dalit art) and original writings from Dr. Ambedkar, and showcased the beauty of grassroots mobilization in building a strong sense of Dalit identity and empowerment. One of the revelations that came from talking to people at the festival was that Hinduism is a very recent invention in India- it is only about 160 years old. This invariably leads to questions that directly affect the Dalit Community, such as how Hinduism came to be so intrinsically interrelated with the caste system that is thousands of years older?
These are questions we will continue to ask today, as we meet with the editors of Insight, as well as visiting the Dalit Foundation so we will have the opportunity to get a second look at the community building initiatives that are taking place all across India.
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