Almost always cast in aspects of pathos and abjectness, the Dalit also struggles against a representational trap. Here’s why we decided to depart from the norm and choose celebration.
For a nation given to hero worshipping, it is understandable that Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary is being celebrated with ritualistic fanfare and fervour this week. A public holiday will be observed, and fulsome tributes paid to the Father of the Constitution, who as the country’s best-known Dalit icon sought to erase India’s long-entrenched caste system that denied, deprived, and disadvantaged a large section of our citizens.
About 130 years after his birth and 65 years of his death, it cannot be said that we as a free and proud nation have delivered on Ambedkar’s goals. While this year’s anniversary—like in all the preceding years—will not be short in symbolism, we undoubtedly have lost sight of, and short-shrifted, the substantive causes that Ambedkar stood for and strived to achieve. India is yet to be freed from the curse of casteism. Deep-rooted faultlines that perpetuated prejudices against many continue to fester and flourish. For that matter, these may have worsened. Dalits—no less than a quarter of our 1.3 billion population—register rarely in our national consciousness.
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Elections are an exception when the community is courted, and their votes sought after. This apart, it’s mostly occasions of gloom and doom: A Hathras here or a Khairlanji there, when the sheer senselessness of the atrocities against Dalits shake us out of our collective stupor. The outrage over, it is back to business as usual with Dalits bearing the brunt of our biases, denied basic dignity.
Though stringent laws proscribe untouchability and discrimination, society continues to be harsh on them. Crime statistics speak volumes of the sordid state: No less than 10 Dalit women are raped in this country every day, while a crime—ranging from an insult to bodily harm—is committed against a Dalit every 15 minutes. Reams have been written, and more will be written, about the dismal situation of the community. But nothing seems to alter their destiny. They continue to be victimised for what is perceived to be the smallest of infractions—from a groom riding a horse to a man sporting a moustache.
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That overwhelming despair has unmistakably been the dominating narrative to describe Dalits is not without reason. But in this special issue of Outlook, we depart from the customary description of Dalits by dwelling on personalities from the community who have excelled in their crafts, overcoming steep odds. Outlook’s credo has always been to be different. We desist from dishing out run-of-the mill fare and when Suraj Yengde, a Dalit and a Harvard scholar, suggested that we celebrate inspirational Dalit figures, rather than wallowing in trademark distress, the powerful idea made us sit up.
Painstakingly put together by our editorial team led by Managing Editor Sunil Menon, this issue is a celebration of those who are self-made and worth emulating. In Yengde’s words, “They are snazzy, dapper, sexy, attractive, and full of attitude to go with. They are so common and yet so rare that one can feel they belong with them.” Since that’s the case, there are no Mayawatis or Chandrasekhar Azads—politicians dedicated to the cause of Dalits—on the list. Instead, we applaud fifty Dalit achievers—some famous, some unsung and hidden from public view.
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Take Bollywood comedian Johnny Lever. While he guarantees laughter onscreen, there is a lot to smile about with the others featured in the following pages. Consider Hima Das, the national-record-holding athlete lovingly nicknamed Dhing Express after her small hometown in Assam. Nothing, including her humble background and being born a Dalit, could deter her from sprinting ahead and winning laurels. Others on the list are no less accomplished, from Chennai-based film-maker Pa Ranjith to Arivu, a fabled rapper, playback singer and lyricist whose creation has been produced by none other than A.R. Rahman. They are distinguished Dalits who, after all, earned their spot in the sun.