The book analyses political and social transition at the juncture of Indian Independence in 1947 from the British to Indians, with a view of Dalits, who got initial emancipation under the British rule from Hindu Varna system and Brahmanical Tyranny. The book highlights the issues of untouchability, Mahar Movement, Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Phule and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

The complete alienation of Dalits from resources like land, water, and agricultural implements has led to the collective demand for an equal share in productivity. This book discusses the range of socio-economic and cultural problems faced by the Dalit community. The movement advancing the rights of Dalits took place both before and after independence, however they varied in intensity, and concerned land ownership and fair wages, self-respect, social dignity, and the demand for equal rights. This movement appeared to have significantly changed the very mindset and attitude of upper caste people to restrain themselves and not to resort to any discrimination or humiliation of Dalits. However, this seems to have been only a temporary phenomenon, and the practice of suppression and humiliation continues today. This book explores the circumstances of Dalits in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, and the current efforts attempting to achieve more social equality for the caste here.

This book, companion to the much-acclaimed Dalit Literatures in India, examines questions of aesthetics and literary representation in a wide range of Dalit literary texts. It looks at how Dalit literature, born from the struggle against social and political injustice, invokes the rich and complex legacy of oral, folk and performative traditions of marginalised voices. The essays and interviews systematically explore a range of literary forms, from autobiographies, memoirs and other testimonial narratives, to poems, novels or short stories, foregrounding the diversity of Dalit creation. Showcasing the interplay between the aesthetic and political for a genre of writing that has ‘change’ as its goal, the volume aims to make Dalit writing more accessible to a wider public, for the Dalit voices to be heard and understood. The volume also shows how the genre has revolutionised the concept of what literature is supposed to mean and define. Effervescent first-person accounts, socially militant activism and sharp critiques of a little-explored literary terrain make this essential reading for scholars and researchers of social exclusion and discrimination studies, literature (especially comparative literature), translation studies, politics, human rights and culture studies.

Jobymon Skaria, an Indian St Thomas Christian Scholar, offers a critique of Indian Christian theology and suggests that constructive dialogues between Biblical and dissenting Dalit voices – such as Chokhamela, Karmamela, Ravidas, Kabir, Nandanar and Narayana Guru – could set right the imbalance within Dalit theology, and could establish dialogical partnerships between Dalit Theologians, non-Dalit Christians and Syrian Christians. Drawing on Biblical and socio-historical resources, this book examines a radical, yet overlooked aspect of Dalit cultural and religious history which would empower the Dalits in their everyday existences.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to dalits in India (who comprise over one-sixth of the country’s population) from the origins of caste system to the present day. Despite a plethora of provisions for affirmative action in the Indian Constitution, dalits are largely excluded from the mainstream except for a minuscule section. The book traces the multifarious changes that befell them during the colonial period and their development thereafter under the leadership of Babasaheb Ambedkar in the centre of political arena. It looks at hitherto unexplored aspects of the degeneration of the dalit movement during the post-Ambedkar period, as well as salient contemporary issues such as the rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party, dalit capitalism, the occupation of dalit discourse by NGOs, neoliberalism and its impact, and the various implicit or explicit emancipation schemas thrown up by them. The work also discusses ideology, strategy and tactics of the dalit movement; touches upon one of the most contentious issues of increasing divergence between the dalit and Marxist movements; and delineates the role of the state, both colonial and post-colonial, in shaping dalit politics in particular ways. A tour de force, this book brings to the fore many key contemporary concerns and will be of great interest to students, scholars and teachers of politics and political economy, sociology, history, social exclusion studies and the general reader.

This book breaks new ground in the study of Dalit Literature, including in its corpus, a range of genres such as novels, autobiographies, pamphlets, poetry, short stories as well as graphic novels. With contributions from major scholars in the field, it critically examines Dalit literary theory and initiates a dialogue between Dalit writing and Western literary theory.

INTRODUCTION DALITS IN INDIA: THE SCENARIO SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND ISSUES IN EMPOWERMENT OF DALITS SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF DALITS MAJOR ANALYSIS—DALIT UPLIFTMENT – SUGGESTIONS STEPS AND MEASURES FOR DALIT UPLIFMENT Index

1. An Overview 2. Ex-Scheduled Castes of South India 3. Contemporary Issues 4. Dalit Theology 5. Caste Influences in Rural India 6. Economic Conditions 7. Privileges Other than Reservations 8. Social and Educational Problems9. Privileges in the Field of Education 10. The Drop-out Dilemma 11. Scheduled Castes: Industrial WorkersIndex

In 1909, while still in South Africa, Gandhi publicly decried the caste system for its inequalities. Shortly after his return to India though, he spoke of the generally beneficial aspects of caste. Gandhi’s writings on caste reflect contradictory views and his critics accuse him of neglecting the unequal socio-economic structure that relegated Dalits to the bottom of the caste hierarchy. So, did Gandhi endorse the fourfold division of the Indian society or was he truly against caste? In this book, Nishikant Kolge investigates the entire range of what Gandhi said or wrote about caste divisions over a period of more than three decades: from his return to India in 1915 to his death in 1948. Interestingly, Kolge also maps Gandhi’s own statements that undermined his stance against the caste system. These writings uncover the ‘strategist Gandhi’ who understood that social transformation had to be a slow process for the conservative but powerful section of Hindus who were not yet ready for radical reforms. Seven decades after it attained freedom from colonial powers, caste continues to influence the socio-political dynamics of India. And Gandhi against caste—the battle is not over yet.

1. Empowerment – Safety Mechanism for Women, 2. Safety Planning and Designing Mechanisms to Combat Gender Based Violence, 3. Identification of Forms of Abuse and Abusers – A Safety Mechanism for Women, 4. An Analysis of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, 5. Generation Safety Rights of College Students, 6. Contacts of Social Networking Sites on Women’s Self Defense, 7. Knowledge of Women’s Self-Defense and Self-Protection, 8. Study on Girl Child Abuse: Chennai, 9. Forms of Abuse, 10. Enhancement of Safety and Security of Women, 11. Study on the Prevalence of Domestic Violence Against Women in Kothavalchavadi Slum, Chennai, 12. Some Insights into Gender Inequality in the Indian Labour Marketm, 13. Strategies for Enhancing Women’s Safety in Public Spaces, 14. Influence of Self Defense Programme for Adolescent Girls, 15. Violation of Child Rights by Deviant Parents in the Slums and Protective Mechanisms, 16. Sexual Harassment of Women in Sports, 17. Rape Victimization: Consequences, Preventive Approach and Restorative Justice Perspective, 18. Girl Students’ Safety Rights Practices in Co-Education Colleges, 19. Violence Against Women, 20. Domestic Violence and Abuse Against Women in India – An Overview, 21. Women’s Safety in Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 22. Socialization and Securing Children: An Analysis, 23. Empower Women to Rebuild Society, 24. Preventing Gender-Based Violence Through Safety and Security Mechanism, 25. Protection of Working Women Rights - Constitution Provisions and Judicial Approaches, 26. Assisted Reproductive Technology Abuse in Gestational Surrogacy, 27. Need of Life Skill Education for Adolescent Girls, 28. Violence Against Dalit Women: A Study in Selected District of Tamilnadu, 29. Health and Social Consequences of Violence Against Women and Girls, 30. A Study on Women Empowerment and Self-Help Group with Reference to Madurai District, 31. Aspects of Women Empowerment, 32. Protecting Women with Disabilities From Violence in India, 33. Gender Issues: The Role of Women in Agricultural Sector, 34. Women Workers and Perceptions of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in India, 35. Forms of Abuse of Women Village Panchayat Presidents, 36. An Intelligent Security System for Violence Against Women in Public Places, 37. Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 38. Consequences of Abuse Leading to Violence in Women and Child – An Analytical Review, 39. Social Exclusion of Differently – Abled Women, 40. Harassment of Women in Public Spaces: Three Case Studies, 41. Socio-Economic Empowerment of Tribal Women – An Indian Perspective, 42. Protect Female Children From Abuse, 43. Safety and Security Needs of Girl Children, 44. Women Tackling Violence in Public Places, 45. Building Safe and Inclusive Cities For Women and Girls, 46. Buildng a Safety Strategy for Women and Girls, 47. Violence Against Women, 48. The Upshot of Sky Yoga Intervention on Emotional Stability and Integrity Among Adolescence at NPTC, 49. Strategies for Adolescent Reproductive Health in India, 50. The Need for Safety and Security of Adolescent Girls in Public Spaces with Special Reference to Ponmalaipatti Area of Tiruchirappalli District, 51. Women Entrepreneurship in India: Challenges and Problems, 52. A Study on the Harassment of Kulal Beedi Rolling Women in Day-to-Day Life and Defence Mechanism, 53. Safety and Security Needs of Women and Girls in Public Spaces, 54. Analysis of Commonly Identifiable Traits and Styles Amongst the 50 Most Powerful Women in Global Business, 55. Preventing Bias in Implementing Women Development Prorammes, 56. A Study on Safety and Security of Women Employees in Information Technology Sector: A Sociological Perspective, 57. Planning and Designing Mechanism for Women at WorkPlace.