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Dawn of Dalit?
Ashok K Singh
A three-day seminar held recently to debate and deliberate on introducing Dalit
Studies in universities provided fascinating insights into the space this
emerging but exciting area of research could occupy in higher education. The
area opens up the possibilities of studies of thought and ideas, issues and
concerns from ancient to the modern world. It has the potential of bringing
about truly radical changes in the way one is taught to look at our history and
society, politics and culture, literature and art, and everything that concerns
human relationships. It has the potential to upset many established notions of
social sciences and our understanding of Indian history. In fact, the debate
over the writing of Indian history that has so far engaged the attention of
historians would appear to be intellectual banter if the depth of Dalit Studies
was truly explored and mapped. Last month, a beginning was made
towards exploring the content material for evolving a curriculum for
Dalit Studies in Indian universities. Deshkal Society, an NGO that has been
working among a section of Dalits in Bihar, took the initiative in taking the
issue to the doorsteps of higher education for debate. It is noteworthy that
the Deshkal Society thought to involve the administrators of universities -
vice chancellors and pro-vice chancellors - and the teaching community of Bihar
to discuss what could form the course material and content of Dalit Studies at
the higher education level. Amazingly, the response of the teaching community
and the administrators was overwhelming. At Bodh Gaya in Bihar, over 200
college teachers gathered to attend the opening session of the seminar.
It was a deliberation of a kind. By the end of the three-day seminar, the
issue was not whether Dalit Studies should or should not be taught at the
universities. None of the participants representing top ranking universities
even remotely questioned the desirability of introducing Dalit Studies. Some,
however, wanted the issues to be debated thoroughly before rushing in to
setting up new departments where Dalit Studies could be taught as a discipline
of post-graduate research. Some speakers cautioned against Dalit studies
suffering the same fate as Gandhian Studies and Women's Studies in the
universities.
Their worry was purely on account of the failure of the universities to
link the studies of Gandhian thought to employment opportunities. The same was
said of women's studies. Universities that had opened the department of
Gandhian Thought with enthusiasm were forced to close shop for lack of
interests on the part of students. Gender Studies still attract students at
home and abroad but the interest of students has waned there as well. It may
have something do with the decline of the feminist movement on the campus and
outside all over the world.
It would be a tough task for the universities to fashion the curricula for
Dalit Studies once they decide on incorporating the subject as part of the
post-graduate studies or setting up a separate new department of higher studies
and research altogether. Who is a Dalit? Some one born in a caste identified in
the Scheduled list of the Constitution? Or would it include even those who are
outside the list but remain at a similar social and cultural level?
The most fascinating debate took place when the seminar came to discuss
Dalit literature. What is Dalit literature? Something written by someone born
in a Dalit caste or someone outside it? What is a Brahmin produces first rate
poetry, story or a novel around issues that concern Dalits? Will such writing
qualify as Dalit literature? For instance, where would one place the celebrated
Kannada writer UR Ananthmurthy? His novel, Sanskara, that deals with the issue
of untouchablity with the sensibility that few works of literature (whether by
Dalits or non-Dalits) have displayed, earned him worldwide acclaim. Will
Sanskara qualify as Dalit literature? Ananthmurthy himself is a Kannada
Brahmin. He was present at the seminar and, in fact, presided over the session
on Dalit literature. He was not expected to comment on the issue.
There is a strong and vocal school of Dalit writers who firmly believe that
only writings by born Dalits must qualify as Dalit literature. They present a
simple argument. Nobody can feel the pain and suffering of a Dalit except a
born Dalit. Therefore, few outside the Dalit caste can express their suffering
with the intensity of feelings that a Dalit writer can. Though there are
historical pointers to the contrary, it is difficult to quarrel with such an
approach. The French grandmasters Zola and Balzac produced great novels about
something they were thoroughly unfamiliar with. Ananthmurthy's great novel is a
case in point.
Then there are the social sciences that will form the major area of studies
and research of the Dalit Studies curricula in the universities. History,
Sociology, Political Science will be the major disciplines that will have to
incorporate and assimilate areas of Dalit Studies. They will present even more
complex issues of inclusion and exclusion that will influence the course
material and content of Dalit studies. Most Dalit intellectuals will advocate
the rewriting of history and sociology from the perspectives of Dalits to
qualify as disciplines to be taught at the post-graduate levels. But one is
sure the area of studies will evolve its own character as it develops after
being included in the university.
The importance of Dalit Studies can be reemphasised not merely from the
perspective of Dalits but also non-Dalits. One of the major objectives of Dalit
Studies will be to sensitise the non-Dalits with the issues and concerns of the
Dalits. Therefore, it would be erroneous to speculate that Dalit Studies would
target mainly the Dalits. That will be one way of ensuring that Dalit Studies
don't meet the fate of Women's Studies.
Some vice-chancellors who attended the seminar promised to take the
initiative to introduce Dalit Studies in their universities in Bihar. It was
agreed that introducing a paper or two dealing with Dalit Studies at the
post-graduate level could make a beginning. Because, setting up independent
departments would require some policy matters to be sorted out. The seminar
left nobody in doubt that the introduction of Dalit Studies would vastly enrich
the university curricula. The Deshkal Society will now need to embark on the
second phase of its project by actively working with the universities until the
Dalit Studies become the part of the curricula of higher education.
There is pressure from students, researchers and universities for working
on this count. There is a substantial presence of Dalit students and
researchers in the major national universities. They have been churning out
important research papers, MPhil and PhD in areas of Dalit interest. The
quality of research suggests these have vast potential to develop into
independent branch of academics. The on-going political empowerment of Dalits
must be reflected in the educational and the cultural institutions. Dalit
Studies will act as a bridge between Dalits and non-Dalits in promoting greater
understanding in society - past and present.
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An educated man without character and humility was more dangerous than a beast.
If his education was detrimental to the welfare of poor, he was a curse to
society.
-Babasaheb Dr B R Ambedkar
Please visit www.ambedkarscholarship.org
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