Abhijay Srekanth- Week 11


We demand our dignity, and aren't afraid to die for it- within the first two minutes, Sangarsh highlights the problems that dalits are forced to endure, and that they're fed up.

Dabolkar's speech calls for a fight against the caste system that oppresses them. He openly asserts that the formal state apparatuses have never cared and never will, and that the protections that Ambedkar envisaged within the constitution will only be actualised through mobilization. Chants of "Dalit Panther's Zindabad" echo across the gathering as the congregation for the day comes to an end

Throughout the documentary, themes of religion, communalism and the role of the state emerge. The juxtaposition of grass-roots anticaste movements with the BSP's rise and fall serves as an interesting analytical tool. Grass-roots anti-caste movements recognise structural problems (the police and local governments being savarna tools), and attempt to deal with them. Disputes around land grabbing and forced labour are common problems brought to the viewers attention.

The commentary on religion and caste is quite interesting. Leaders throughout the documentary call for an abandonment of Hinduism, in line with Ambedkar's principles- a call that leads to assassinations by right-wing extremist groups. The violence that the savarnas use to establish their dominance is frightening to put it lightly. Any divergence from the Hindu fold is treated with extreme violence- be it non-hindus, or lower-castes attempting to escape the smriti's oppressive mandates. The Muslims dont have an issue eating with us, it's just the hindus". The documentaries commentary on the use of communal violence as a tool of cementing caste hierarchies continues to be incredibly relevant today, with the current government's actions.

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