THE DUAL STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY: REGIONAL DALIT MOVEMENTS AND THE INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE
Keywords:
Indian Freedom Struggle, socio-cultural, Regional Dalit MovementsAbstract
The Indian struggle for independence constitutes a complex tapestry woven from both the political resistance against external colonial rule and the profound socio-cultural conflicts against entrenched internal hierarchies [1, 2]. This extensive academic research paper employs a Subaltern-Critical framework to rigorously analyze the seminal contributions of two pivotal regional Dalit movements—the Satyashodhak Samaj in Maharashtra and the Self-Respect Movement in Tamil Nadu—to the broader history of Indian nationalism. These movements fundamentally contested the hegemonic definition of Swaraj (Self-Rule), asserting that political liberation lacked efficacy without the prerequisite of social and economic equality, human dignity, and the establishment of 'Real Democracy' [3]. The study meticulously investigates their Dual Conflict against the synergistic forces of British imperialism and indigenous caste-based oppression, exploring their foundational philosophies, operational modalities, and their enduring, transformative influence on the drafting and ideological core of the Indian Constitution [4, 16].
Downloads
References
Gail Omvedt. (2008). Dalits and the Democratic Revolution: Dr. Ambedkar and the Dalit Movement in Colonial India. (3rd ed.). Sage Publications. pp. 1-25. B.R. Ambedkar. (1945). What Congress and Gandhi Have Done to the Untouchables. (1st ed.). Thacker and Company Limited. pp. 177-180. Dhananjay Keer. (1971). Mahatma Jotirao Phooley: Father of Indian Social Revolution. (2nd ed.). Popular Prakashan. pp. 100-115. E.V. Ramasami ‘Periyar’. (2005). Why Were Women Enslaved? (Translated ed.). The Periyar Self-Respect Propaganda Institution. pp. 5-10. B.R. Ambedkar. (1930-1932). Speeches and Writings at the Round Table Conferences. Vol. 2. Government of Maharashtra Publications. pp. 503-509. Jotirao Phooley. (1873). Gulamgiri (Slavery). (Original Marathi Edition). Bombay: Satyashodhak Samaj. Jotirao Phooley. (1883). Shetkaryacha Asud (Cultivator’s Whipcord). (Original Marathi Edition). Pune: Satyashodhak Samaj. Rajendra Vora. (2010). 'Satyashodhak Samaj: An Evaluation of its Contribution to the Lower Classes'. Economic and Political Weekly. Vol. 45, No. 34. pp. 13-17. V. Geetha and S.V. Rajadurai. (1998). Towards a Non-Brahmin Millennium: From Iyothee Thass to Periyar. (1st ed.). Samya. pp. 300-320. Eleanor Zelliot. (1992). From Untouchable to Dalit: Essays on the Ambedkar Movement. (1st ed.). Manohar Publishers. pp. 15-30. P.C. Joshi. (1990). 'The Freedom Struggle and the Question of Social Change'. Social Scientist. Vol. 18, No. 8/9. pp. 3-21. K. Manickam. (1985). The Dravidian Movement: A Historical Perspective. (1st ed.). New Century Book House. pp. 45-60. Christophe Jaffrelot. (2005). Dr. Ambedkar and Untouchability: Analysing and Fighting Caste. (2nd ed.). Columbia University Press. pp. 110-125. Yogendra Singh. (1986). Modernization of Indian Tradition. (Revised ed.). Rawat Publications. pp. 30-45. A.R. Desai. (1948). Social Background of Indian Nationalism. (4th ed.). Popular Prakashan. pp. 240-255. Granville Austin. (1999). The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation. (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 27-50. Sumit Sarkar. (1983). Modern India 1885-1947. (2nd ed.). Macmillan India. pp. 60-75. David Hardiman. (1987). The Coming of the Devi: Adivasi Assertion in Western India. (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1-15. Ranajit Guha. (1997). Dominance Without Hegemony: History and Power in Colonial India. (1st ed.). Harvard University Press. pp. 100-110. Rosalind O'Hanlon. (1985). Caste, Conflict, and Ideology: Mahatma Jotirao Phule and Low Caste Protest in Nineteenth-Century Western India. (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 200-215. Gail Omvedt. (1976). Cultural Revolt in a Colonial Society: The Non-Brahman Movement in Western India, 1873-1930. (1st ed.). Scientific Socialist Education Trust. pp. 150-165. G. B. Sardar. (1970). The New Age: Socio-political and Historical Thought of Jotirao Phule. (1st ed.). Pune University Press. pp. 40-55. N. C. Nanda. (2001). E.V. Ramasami Periyar: A Study in the Politics of Equality. (1st ed.). Sterling Publishers. pp. 80-95. M. S. S. Pandian. (1992). The Image Trap: M.G. Ramachandran in Film and Politics. (1st ed.). Sage Publications. pp. 10-25. Ravinder Kumar. (1982). Essays in the Social History of Modern India. (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 180-195. Bipin Chandra, et al. (1989). India's Struggle for Independence. (1st ed.). Penguin Books. pp. 260-275. S. P. Sharma. (2015). 'The Role of Social Justice in Indian Constitutionalism'. Journal of Constitutional Law. Vol. 15, No. 2. pp. 45-60.
