The Political Sociology of Dalit Assertion

Untouchability has been the historical curse of the outcastes of India. But the heart of the matter is that untouchability has also been the root cause of the degraded and degenerating Indian social order. Further, seclusion, deprivation, exploitation and discrimination of the Dalits are historical as well as everyday phenomenon. In the same manner, Dalit protest, revolt and movements are also historical and contemporary processes. Right through the book it has been argued that atrocities and discrimination suffered by the Dalits and their assertion for liberation are two sides of the same coin. It is these two interlinked processes. Which has provided a new identity to the Dalits. But these processes have followed one of the most relevant discursive paths as well as action programmes. This emerging identity in its turn has strengthened its resolve to fight every forms of discrimination and also determine the path for liberation. Thus, Dalit assertion and Dalit struggle for emancipation have come to stay. This book attempts to identify some of these factors. It is hoped that this book would further the Dalit discourse for liberation and emancipation.