Makers of Modern Dalit History

by Sudarshan Ramabadran, Guru Prakash Paswan

In late nineteenth-century Kerala, a man flamboyantly rode a villuvandi (bullock cart) along a road. What might sound like a mundane act was, at that time, a defiant form of protest. Riding animal-pulled vehicles was a privilege enjoyed only by the upper castes. This man, hailing from the untouchable Pulaya community, was attacking caste-based discrimination through his act. He was none other than Ayyankali, a social reformer and activist.

Featuring several such inspiring accounts of individuals who tirelessly battled divisive forces all their lives, this book seeks to enhance present-day India’s imagination and shape its perception of the Dalit community.

Based on original research on historical and contemporary figures such as B.R. Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Gurram Jashuva, K.R. Narayanan, Soyarabai and Rani Jhalkaribai, among many others, Makers of Modern Dalit History will be a significant addition to the Dalit discourse.

This definitive volume on some of the foremost Dalit thinkers, both past and present, promises to initiate a much-needed conversation around Dalit identity, history and politics.

Genres: History, Biography, Politics, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 26, 2021

Reviews

[Pradeep Rajput · Rating 2 out of 5]

पुस्तक के शीर्षक का हिंदी अनुवाद होता है "आधुनिक दलित इतिहास के निर्माता"। दलित शब्द की उत्पत्ति कुछ १००-२०० वर्ष पूर्व हुई, और इसका शाब्दिक अर्थ होता है दला हुआ अथवा दलन किया हुआ। सामाजिक रूप से शोषित और पिछड़ी जातियों के लिए इसका प्रयोग कुछ ६०-७० वर्षों में अधिक हुआ है। पुस्तक में ऐसे १८ व्यक्तियों से परिचित कराया गया है, जिन्होंने इस सामाजिक बीमारी को चुनौती देने का कार्य किया और अपने समाज के उत्थान में सहयोगी हुए। पुस्तक का शीर्षक है "आधुनिक दलित इतिहास के निर्माता", पर पुस्तक में आपको "वैदिक काल", "उत्तर वैदिक काल" , "मध्य युगीन काल" और "आधुनिक काल" से जुड़े व्यक्तियों का परिचय मिलता है।

पुस्तक से परिचय कराते हुए लेखक ने एक लम्बी भूमिका तैयार की हुई है, जहाँ आपको पूरी पुस्तक का परिचय हो जाता है। यदि आप आगे न भी पढ़ें तब भी आप पुस्तक के बारे में ठीक ठीक जानकारी प्राप्त कर लेते हैं।

इस पुस्तक को किस श्रेणी में रखा जाए ये भी प्रश्न उठता है, क्योंकि इसे इतिहास के रूप में प्रामाणिक नहीं माना जा सकता। पर इसमें जिन व्यक्तियों से परिचित कराया गया है, वे सब इतिहास में एक महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाते हैं। इस कारण से इसे लोक कथाओं की श्रेणी में रखकर पढ़ना ही उचित होगा।

दलित शब्द जिसका सामाजिक रूप से शोषित वर्ग के लिए पिछले कुछ समय पूर्व ही चलन बढ़ा है, ऐसे सामाजिक वर्ग में वैदिक और उत्तर वैदिक काल के महर्षि वेद व्यास और महर्षि वाल्मीकि को रखना किस प्रकार उचित समझा जाये ये भी प्रश्न उठता है। यदि आप वेद व्यास जी को सामाजिक रूप से शोषित वर्ग का मानते हैं, तब महाभारत में उनसे अधिक महत्वपूर्ण व्यक्ति आपको ढूंढने से भी नहीं मिलता। मैं यहाँ वर्ण व्यवस्था और जाति व्यवस्था के आधार पर मूल्यांकन नहीं कर रहा जैसा लेखक ने किया है। मैं केवल ये प्रश्न कर रहा हूँ कि क्या आपको महर्षि वेद व्यास सामाजिक रूप से शोषित जान पड़ते हैं?? क्योंकि मुझे महाभारत में उनसे अधिक प्रभावी व्यक्ति कोई दूसरा जान नहीं पड़ता।

आदि कवि वाल्मीकि जी के विषय में भी यही कहा जा सकता है कि वे सामाजिक रूप से शोषित वर्ग के जान नहीं पड़ते। लेखक ने इन दो महर्षियों के विषय में लिखने से पूर्व न महाभारत पढ़ी है और ना ही वाल्मीकि रामायण, क्योंकि उन्होंने संदर्भ में इन ग्रंथों को नहीं जोड़ा है। बिबेक देबरॉय जी की रामायण का सन्दर्भ अवश्य मिलता है, पर उसमें से लेखक ने वाल्मीकि जी का क्या परिचय लिया समझ नहीं आता, क्योंकि लेखक लिखता है "चूँकि वाल्मीकि जी के विषय में अधिक जानकारी प्राप्त नहीं होती, और चूँकि वाल्मीकि समाज आज के समय में शोषित वर्ग है, इसलिए वाल्मीकि जी को दलित मान लेना चाहिए।

लेखक ने अधिकतर व्यक्तियों का परिचय लोककथाओं अथवा इंटरनेट पर उपलब्ध ब्लॉग पढ़कर दिया है, क्योंकि स्रोत में अधिकतर उन्हीं ब्लोग्स और लोककथाओं का ही संदर्भ जोड़ा गया है। इस कारण से पुस्तक को किसी भी व्यक्ति के विषय में प्रामाणिक दस्तावेज नहीं माना जा सकता। झलकारी बाई के जीवन का परिचय देते हुए उस पाठ का शीर्षक लेखक ने दिया है, "रानी झलकारी बाई", अब में तब से यही ढूंढने का प्रयत्न कर रहा हूँ कि झलकारी बाई किस राज्य की रानी थीं। इस पर से आपको अंदाज आ सकता है कि लेखक ने पुस्तक लिखते हुए किस तरह का शोध कार्य किया होगा।

लेखक ने ये भी लिखा है कि "आज भी हजारों दलित स्त्रियों पर ऊँची जाति के लोग बलात्कार जैसे घिनौने अपराध करते हैं । इनके विरुद्ध कई सामाजिक संस्थाएँ और दलित संस्थाएँ आज काम कर रहीं हैं।" इससे लेखक का क्या अभिप्राय है समझ नहीं आता क्योंकि उन्होंने इसमें कहीं भी क़ानून व्यवस्था को नहीं जोड़ा। लेखक को क्या ये लगता है की क़ानून व्यवस्था कुछ काम नहीं कर रहीं। उन्होंने किस आधार पर इन शब्दों को कहा है, ये तो वही जाने।

पुस्तक को पढ़ा जाना चाहिए अथवा नहीं, ये तो पाठक वर्ग स्वयं ही विचार कर सकता है, पुस्तक १८ व्यक्तियों से परिचित तो कराती है पर उनमें से बहुत कम है जो आधुनिक दलित इतिहास के निर्माता कहे जा सकते हैं।

[SRI RAMA CHANDRA GANTI · Rating 3 out of 5]

Name of the Book - Makers of Modern Dalit History
Authors - Sudarshan Ramabadran & Guru Prakash Paswan
Publisher - Penguin Random House, 2021
Pages - 172 + 49 pages introduction
Tags #indic #dalit #makersofmodernindia #Indicbook Club 1000

A personal confession: Even after being a voracious reader I knew only 12 out of 18 persons profiled in the book; this is something to be ashamed of. Not that one should know everything. But then these are the icons of social change. All of us should know about them. As rightly pointed out by the authors, most of these icons are forgotten; may be because of that fact that their due place in the history was not given to them.
Weaknesses of the book
i. The biographies should have been arranged in a chronological order in which they appeared on the scene (i.e. birth)
ii. Some names have a disconnect with the title of the book – for example: Valmiki and Ved Vyasa appear to be wrong selection in the list. So is Udham Singh. These names are not identified with the Dalit history or emancipation of Dalits in anyway. Just finding their caste and connecting them with the modern Dalit history doesn’t make sense.
iii. Not all of them were forgotten as claimed by the authors. The so-called creators like Valmiki, Veda Vyasa are household names in India; and Ambedkar is celebrated as an architect of modern India.
iv. Some important names do not find their place in the list: Mahatma Phule, Uda Devi Pansi, Narayana Guru, Damodaram Sanjeevayya, Ilairaja;
Strengths of the book
i. Lucid language
ii. Authentic information supported by bibliography / references
iii. Powerful and crisp narration

The literature written by the Dalits and that written by others about Dalits has been accepted as a separate entity known as Dalit literature. Literature on subaltern communities is the need of the hour. The 18 men and women profiled in the book are from the sub-altern community who have been forgotten over the years. Most of these don’t figure out in the mainstream intellectual discourse. Apart from other things, Dalit community needs an inspiration which tells them that they can raise themselves from their present lives.
Whatever may be the historical reasons for the oppression and subjugation of men by men, it is not acceptable anymore. Those who were marginalised were subjected to hunger, poverty, illiteracy, violence and oppression.
The long introduction to the book takes you to the journey of the origins of the words Dalit and the literature on Dalits in Marathi and Punjabi language and constitutional measures for the affirmative action taken; further it also touches the history of various political / social movements for social democracy in India pre & post independent India.
When a certain section of people are discriminated and subjugated to oppression, it is natural that they develop bitterness towards the oppressor and the religion / religious symbols supporting such marginalisation. The beauty of this book is that it celebrates the non-violent means of fighting discrimination and empowering themselves by these select men and women.
The greatest take away from this book is that Dalit assertion is very much necessary and is evident around us in every sphere of life but the energies are to be channelised to seek representation in a constructive way. The Dalit narrative is all about empowerment.
On the eve of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, it is very pertinent to remember these men and women who stood against all odds and shaped India-today. Though, the affirmative action measure through the constitution yielded some positive results, still a large chunk of the sub altern community faces socio economic disparity and income inequality. Social discrimination and oppression and caste violence are still rampant in the hinterland of India, if not in the urban set-up. The fate of Dalit women is very pathetic - because being poor, rural, illiterate, low caste and woman is a deadly combination - leading to constant oppression. Everyday these women face physical violence and rape & murder. Don’t know how many amrit mahotsavas it would take and how many ambedkars we need to improve their state. Equality is a far distance dream for many of them.
A common thread in the lives of these 18 men and women is that they educated themselves. Their lives follow the Ambedkar’s mantra of educate, organise and agitate. It is a different thing that even after getting educated, Ambedkar and Meira Kumar faced discrimination in their lives but still it is the only way to move ahead in the uneven & unfair world. All these lives show that education empowers. The saddest truth is that inspite of all the affirmative measures in education and employment millions are out of the basic education. So, any dalit empowerment measure should start with bringing these millions to schools. As long as they are outside the schools, we can’t expect the social change we are looking or aiming for.
Ayyankali was the key voice of the Dalits of that time. From an adiyan himself (a slave) to becoming a hero of the subaltern, his was an inspiring journey. My acquaintance with Babuji (Jagjivan Ram) was that Apr 5 was a holiday in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and I used to pass through his statue near Fateh Maidan, Hyderabad everyday. I was under the impression that he was a big leader from Andhra Pradesh. Later, I came to know about this great social reformer - who belongs to the entire country. Dakshayani Velaydhan I never came across this name while reading about making of the Indian constitution. Pleasantly surprised to know that she was the first dalit woman who went to the constituent assembly. Gurram Jashua - my favourite telugu writer Mahakavi Jashua is in the small list of dalit icons in the book. His magnum opus Gabbilam can be no less than Kalidasa’s Megah Sandesam. In a hindi text book during my school days there was a small story about Raidas / Guru Ravi Das who famously states मन चँगा तो कटौती में गंगा (meaning To the pure, everything is pure). Raidas, the cobbler says that water in his water bowl, used while stitching chappals is equals to holy ganges water - if you are pure at heart. This was etched in my memory ever and changed my meaning of religion, for ever. Ravidas shifted his bitterness of caste discrimination towards devotion. Today his place of birth is a symbol of dalit identity and dalit awakening. Kabir one of the three famous weavers of India (as I remember our telugu literary giant chinaveera bhadrudu saying this) - Thiruvalluvar, Kabir and Gandhi (all are my most favourties). No one influenced my life than Kabir himself. The book rightly refers Kabir as the critical insider withing Indian intellectual tradition. This mystic poet’s hymns 541 in numbers, the largest of an individual, were included in the Guru Granth Sahib - the holy book of Sikhs. The authors note that today’s dalit narrative is replete with agony, victimhood and protest but there are icons like Kabir who stood for the common man, all along. Manyavar Kanshiram is a unique leader who carved out a niche for himself in the national political arena. A great visionary, a political entrepreneur, as the authors call him, made Babasaheb’s dream of dalits capturing power. Today Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is something, one cant ignore. Kanshiram made this possible through social engineering. KR Narayanan our first dalit president was one of my favourites. His life is a perfect example of the power of education. Nandanar one of the 63 Shaivite saints. I was disappointed to note that his life story has not been covered enough by the authors. Rani Jhalkaribai was a trusted advisor to the 1857 legendary Rani Lakshmibai. She did not receive attention by the historians for the role she played in the 1857 war. In the local folklore she is referred to as Goddess Durga. Champion of the underprivileged and the disillusioned Jogendra Mandal life says that he didn’t get the deserved position in the independent India’s history. He is an underrated personality. We have a habit of asking people to prove their patriotism and loyalty (like we do in the case of Indian Muslims). It happened to J.Mandal also. His loyalty to India has been questioned again and again because he chose to work with Muslim league. Not a day passes without remembering Sage Valmiki or Sage Veda Vyasas, for Indians. Valmiki his greatest work Ramayana is part of every Indian’s daily life. His, another great work Yoga Vasishtam is all about advaita Vedanta. Veda Vyasa (one of the 3 Krishnas around whom the entire story of Mahabharata revolves around - 1. Sri Krishna 2. Krishna Dwaipayana- Veda Vyasa 3. Krishna -Draupadi) is remembered everyday as part of the prayers by all Hindus. He belongs to guru Parampara. His birthday is celebrated as Guru Purnima (Teachers day) in India. Ramayana & Mahabharata are the heritage of Indic civilisation. Veda Vyasa’s Bhagavatapurana and The Bhagavad Gita (part of the Mahabharata) are other great works. These two writers are the most celebrated writers in India and the world. They are considered rishis/sages. Sant Janabai - Lord Vitthala’s devotee and a doyen saint of the Varkari tradition of Maharashtra contributed to the Bhakti movement of Maharashtra. She wrote more than 300 Abhangas and is a household name in Maharashtra. Sant Janabai voiced the double injustice of being a woman and a shudra. (I have added another 3 dimensions to this list - illiterate, rural and poor). She was the caretaker of Sant Namdev was an interesting thing note. Savitribai Phule is a household name today - thanks to the social media. She used education as a catalyst for empowerment and stood against all odds. Indian women owe her so much. The first female teacher of India S.Phule’s contributions to education were unparalleled. She was the torch bearer. She encouraged and inspired a whole generation of campaigners for gender justice in Maharashtra - like Dr. Anandi Bai Gopal Joshi, Pandita Ramabai, Tarabai Shinde and Rambai Ranade. Many do not know that she was very good at writing poems. Phules are the inspiration for the nation today. Udham Singh - his biography is very well captured by the authors. Most of his story and struggles were not know to the general public. A great revolutionary’s life eclipsed from the history books. Baba Saheb Ambedkar - The architect of modern India Ambedkar is a household name. He was the most educated person in the world and he was also the architect of the Indian constitution for the free India. He dedicated his life for the underprivileged. His statues in every nook and corner of the country point out to the direction the underprivileged have to take (the constitution in left hand and index finger of the right hand pointing to the sky). Undoubtedly, he is the biggest social reformer of our times. There is a lot of information is available in the public domain about Baba Saheb. The authors should have focused on some unknown facts about him.

The last but not the least. My most favourite and thrilling read - from the 18 icons in the book was Soyarabai - wife of another great person Chokha Mela. Both were the devotees of Lord Vitthala and part of Varkari movement. In the words of the authors “they raised a peaceful war against the social discrimination”. Soayabai’s life story touched my heart. It was a spiritual experience to know her. I am blessed to know about her. She attained sainthood by practising the noblest and simplest of virtues and values. Her story is very inspirational. Hers is an extra ordinary life.

Conclusion:
1# Social reforms, affirmative measures like reservations are out of the reach of the millions of poor, dalit and marginalised. Education is the only panacea to empower the marginalised.
2# There is no doubt that Hindu religion needs further reforms to be more inclusive. If the ills of Hinduism were just intruders from the middle ages, it is the duty of the hindu reformers to take steps to eliminate them. The religious leaders cant disown their responsibility of the ills of the society like discrimination against the fellow human beings.
3# Dalit assertion to seek representation is visible in the short profiles given in the conclusion - like Milind Kamble (DICCI), Tina Dabi, Arjun Mehawal and others.
4# it is the time to move beyond tokenism
Baba Saheb gave his life fighting the ills of social discrimination and he dreamt for the annihilation of caste. But the way dalit movements are going is going to strengthen the caste in the society. May be this is the new way of fighting with the system.
Lastly, I find that politics’ vote banks, and regional aspirations appropriate the icons like Ambedkar. Therefore, Ambedkar is shown / seen as the leader of the Dalits - whereas he was one of the architects of modern India. This is the discrimination we do to Baba Saheb even after his death.
Recommendations: This small book captures 18 icons of the ancient and modern India who wrote the Dalit history. Since most of the names are out of public memory, one should read this book. I recommend this book with 3.5 stars to students and all others who are interested in the history of the sub-altern communities in India. This book will make you to read further about these and other icons.

[Aryan Prasad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew of Guru Prakash Paswan from the podcasting space, where he used to be much more nuanced and articulate than in his current role as an official spokesperson for the BJP. This book, however, dispenses with that nuance. And it is not in the way one expects from a party member, but quite oppiste from it.

The book is not intended to be an academic tome, as the authors make note in the introduction. They also "state that profiles that the reader will find in the book are a combination of historical facts, stories that people have told about them over generations." So some of the information is questionable or just plain wrong. The actual biographies are short, 6-9 pages on average.

When Paswan does cite academic works, he mostly references those with opposing ideological views, such as Suraj Yengde and Christophe Jaffrelot, rather than engaging with scholars like Badri Narayan who offer a more meaningful challenge. Only in the chapter about Kanshiram does his Kanshiram: Leader of the Dalits find a reference. His own Chamcha Yug is also referenced. But the authors have ensured that the subjects' own views are sanitised to the point where, beyond basic dates and places, most entries sound alike. Especially when writing about modern politicians, the entries are hagiographic in nature. A lot of the inclusions are questionable, but it was the exclusion of Mayawati that was most striking.

The writing itself is amateurish. Events in a person's life are often repeated, written for a second or third time as if happening for the very first time, which can be confusing. Furthermore, the authors love to insert random modern facts in places where they have no utility.

Anyway, Fascinating Hindutva: Saffron Politics and Dalit Mobilisation still remains the best exposition for Hindutva engagement with SCs, for that side fails to produce any intellectual self-assessment and must wait for others to wrtie.

[Rahul Sribastab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for understanding the problems within our own civilization; the Caste word was coined in Portugal and used by the Britishers in India to describe the Jati-barna system, but that doesn't make it any less problematic. The post-Vedic period would be the darkest period in our chapters because we divided our own people and the Brahmins started making these people lament having been born, They subsequently introduced anti-dalits and anti-women laws, and from that point India began having the dark chapter. However, India is not the only society that has hierarchy; every single civilization has some sort of hierarchical system, but the jati-barna system was so unique, the authors of "Makers of Dalit History" were able to write such an excellent book that discusses the issues and the dalit minds. And how political parties in contemporary India take advantage of the caste structure for their own benefit.

It is untrue or just partially true that the Mughals or the British were to blame for whatever occurred to India. The caste system itself is the primary factor in the downfall of Hindu civilization. We often place the blame on others because it is practical and convenient. Malechas like Aurangzeb, on the other hand, were just a reflection of our own karma. Since the caste system is still in place in contemporary India and our generation is responsible for eradicating it and forging a stronger bond within our civilization, starting with this book will help you better comprehend the issues facing our own people.

I want to finish it with a beautiful remark of B.R Ambedkar;
"The Hindus wanted the Vedas, they sent for Vyasa, who was not a caste hindu. The Hindus wanted an epic, they sent for Valmiki, who was an untouchable, The Hindus wanted a constitution and they have sent for me."

[अभिषेक मुण्डेल · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine being a Chamar, Chandal or a Bhangi, imagine your own caste, your own identity being referred as an abuse by large section, including by many of those who claims to 'champion the Dalit rights', how difficult it would be to 'constructively fight' against the odds to 'rise through the ranks'.

The book rather than getting into the pessimism which dominates all the social and political conversation, offers an introduction to 18 unique Subaltern Dalit Personalities from the fields ranging from Independence Movement, Education, Health, Politics to Legislation and spirituality, who despite being from the 'socially disadvantaged sections' have not only 'rose through the ranks' but 'exceled' in their respective fields.

[Mohit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makers of Modern Dalit History brings to the fore those individuals who have been either completely forgotten or half-forgotten. History in India has been written in a particular way in the years since the Independence, partly due to colonial hang-over and partly due to an agenda, of a handful few, to set a certain narrative. This book is a small step to undo that historical injustice and unravel before us those characters who fought against all odds, with grit and determination, and were steadfast in building a socially cohesive society.

Many of the characters in this book made their impact much before Independence. So, this then raises a question - If post-independence was an agenda-and-narrative driven history, what about the pre-independence years? A perfectly valid question. This needs to be answered and understood in a larger historical context. Our culture and teachings have had an oral tradition since time immemorial. Some accounts were written down which are now known as manuscripts. Most were destroyed during the 800-900 years of invader rule. What is now left is not even one percent of the history of our great Bharatvarsha. So, we need a copious amount of in-depth research in the field of history. Kudos to the authors - Sudarshan Ramabadran and Guru Prakash Paswan - for taking a step in that direction. And, thanks to Abhinav Agarwal, @IndicBookClub and @IndicAcademy for adding wings to the book and helping it reach many more readers.

History needs to be told and re-told in different forms, like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, lest it's forgotten and gathers dust in someone's library. A society then loses an easy opportunity to correct its past mistake(s).

A must-read book for both the students and enthusiastic readers of History.

[Richa Badola, Author · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makers of Modern Dalit History is a joint effort by Sudarshan Rambadran and Guru Prakash Paswan. The book is well researched project to document the adversity and travails of the subaltern communities that make an important weft of our social fabric but are belittled or kept disadvantaged in the social ladder. The book documents eighteen luminaries from such disadvantaged backgrounds who defy the impossible to chart pathbreaking course of their lives. The personalities have been picked from far back in history like Kabir Das, Guru Ravidas, Rani Jhalkaribai, Veda Vyasa, Sant Janabai, Ayyankali, to closer in time such as Jogendranath Mandal, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Udham Singh, B R Ambedkar etc.
Most individuals we have known with some details and some only by name. So it made for a pleasant and interesting read to know some unknown details from these life accounts not just about the adverse situation made due to the political, religious , social rules that they had to face and fight but also how they were able to motivate and take the masses along with them. Some facts like Guru Nanak , Guru Raidas and Kabir were contemporary and met together at least once was an eyeopener. The book must be read to find some such nuggets in those biographical chapters.
The language of the book is simple and without jargons so that one easily slips from one chapter to the next. And herein lies a little catch for one to catch the moment, era, ethos of an individual and then retain the flavour, one needs to forego jumping too quickly from one to the next. Other than that, the book is a reminder to the difficulties faced by a part of our society but the authors maintain the tone in a positive way rather than be recriminatory, exhorting for equity and progress for all within the framework of existing social and constitutional structures.

[Abhishek Bhagotia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minds on the margin are not marginal, they have revolutionize, reorganised and reformed society by getting into the system and making that change.

[Abhimanyu Pundeer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long live revolution
इन्कलाब जिंदाबाद।