The World's Greatest Democracy

Today our group had a series of powerful conversations about the process of positive identity building in the Dalit community. I find this significant because affirmative action movements in India as well as the United States are met with resistance by people who refuse to accept that race and caste discrimination is not only pervasive but are traceable causes of the inequality experienced by disenfranchised minorities in both countries. By confronting their identity as Dalit publically they are able to raise awareness of their alienation---and eliminate arguments that caste "does not exist."

I must confess that I had thought the caste structure had largely withered away with the establishment of the Indian Republic. If caste existed at all, I had been fairly certain it was mostly predicated on phenotypic lines. After my conversation with Dalit activists, it is clear that this is simply not true in either the rural or the urban context. India is enjoying a "global moment" and its burgeoning economy is now mentioned in conjunction with any conversation invoking the "world's greatest democracy." According to Professor Crenshaw, caste is a word that does not have a place in development discussions outside of India. Even internally, many urban dwellers claim to be caste blind. However, rural atrocities such as gang-rapes and murders are inflicted upon Dalit who dare to push back against the power structure of their villages. Newspapers are reluctant to report these incidents and they are not dealt with in the national press. When, Anoop, who works for INSIGHT magazine (a publication devoted to the plight of Dalits in India) presses journalists on their position, he is told that its is ultimately "in India's best interest" to maintain the appearance of a peaceful and tolerant society. This attitude is incredibly oppressive. Yet, members of the Dalit Foundation appear to have found a unique means of fighting back. In our meeting with them we learned that the word "Dalit" is now taken to mean a person who believes in equality. The implication is of course a belief that there is a deep structural inequality to be combated through government efforts for equal opportunities.

It would seem that the Dalit versus Hindu nationalist view tracks more closely with the silence of a female voice in the Black movement. Even at this time, after the black movement has largely quieted down. This is siginficant because without a multiplicity of voices from the wide swath (or voices at all) it will be hard to present the case for a continuing need for equal opportunity.

Looking forward to my own project, looking at intersections of disability and caste I can begin a critical assessment of "success stories". The narratives published by the N.C.P.E.D.P. , the national disability association provide stories of triumph where disabilities are usually locomotive and more importantly did not appear at birth. Unlike Dalit, these men and women have two opportunities to form an identity. Even though the statistics for hiring of disabled persons is still low (less that 2% of India's top 100 companies), ironically the visibility of their disability may be beneficial to them.