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Role of phenomenon By Chandrabhan Prasad In this ongoing series on Dalit emancipation, I have been focusing their on emancipation from caste-based occupations. The focus is on Dalits working in socially degrading occupations. In my column dated March 9, I wrote about the caste-neutral occupation of fruit vendors. In the last paragraph of my column I had written: "What the Dalit organisations, Governments, and private sector have to keep in mind is that there will never be a situation when all Dalits engaged with socially degrading occupations can be emancipated. What we need to is to unleash a phenomenon which propels a majority, if not all Dalits, to escape from caste-based occupations and enter into socially acceptable occupations." Some of my esteemed readers thought if I should elaborate on the role of "phenomenon" in Dalits' emancipation. What I actually meant in my column was that, there is no way that any proactive policy by the State or any other group can directly reach out to all Dalits. What is however, possible is that, we reach out to families and localities to create role models and achievers among them by embracing just one member from such families. These achievers will then propel their respective families in changing their lives. The role of "phenomenon" therefore, is a critical point in Dalits' emancipation. But, how does that work? Suppose there is a Dalit family of seven. The couple is either landless agricultural labourer, or working in a socially degrading occupation. If one son manages to educate himself and gets a Government job or a job in the private sector, he becomes different from other members of his family. He dresses well, buys good clothes, on the whole his entire body language changes. The achiever son then decided to do something for his poor parents and other siblings. He takes the responsibility of liberating the other members of the family. Or, his family members, relatives watch he rise and follow in his foot steps. This is called the "phenomenon". This phenomenon is more evident amongst Dalits who never went to schools, or dropped out. In my ongoing village-stay program, I am a witness to this spectacular phenomenon. In each village that I visited I found that almost every other Dalit family has a member working in a big town or city. Here, too, is a pattern. If the first migrant found work in a city or a town others would follow him. If the first migrant was a driver, almost all those who would follow him would becomes drivers as well. If the first migrant worker was a mechanic, others who follow him would also became mechanics. If the first migrant worker became a fruit seller others who followed him would also become fruit vendors. Needless to say, this didn't occur to any Government or NGO initiative. This happened because of the phenomenon propelled by local role models. So, when the Government or private sector embraces just one member from a Dalit family and help him becoming a driver, florist, ice cream or fruit vendor, he under goes a change. Now, he has new friends in the just acquired new occupation. He starts dressing like his co-workers. With extra money in his pocket he thinks of providing better education to his children. He now knows what his co-workers think about those working in socially degrading jobs. In the process, he develops a deep sense of hatred for the occupation in which he once was or would have joined. He now takes responsibility of liberating the rest of his family members. Or, his family members and relatives watch his sudden rise, and start thinking of switching over to new professions. I know a Balmiki family. One member of the family became a money lender a decade-and-a-half back. Now, all members of his family are into the same business. I came across a Dalit family near my native village where all members of the family are painters. I know a Dalit family, where both the brothers are taxi drivers in Mumbai. In all the above cases, their children are going to school. This is the role that the phenomenon in Dalits' emancipation plays.
