Conflicting identities in dalit movement in Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Dalit movement in India can be treated as socio-economic and politico-cultural movement. Since Dalits are marginalized and treated as excluded by the mainstream caste ridden society, the voices of protest emerged within the Dalit groups and manifested severally as anti-untouchable, temple entry and rights of equality movements during the Colonial phase of history in India. They are all sporadic and isolated events which failed to draw the attention of the mainstream society. With the support of the Colonial regime few individuals like Ambedkar spearheaded the depressed classes’ movement. Despite this, the movement did not achieve the status of unified movement. Each Dalit group had their own path under different banners. Each Dalit movement has highlighted different issues related to Dalits and varied around ideologies. In the process of articulation of Dalit identity connected with the self-esteem and the self-image of a community became poly-vocal. Each movement mainly concentrated on the social and Dalit identity, not on the economic issues. When it comes to the States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, there were sixty one Dalit castes located in these States. Within these sixty one Dalit groups, Malas and Madigas are demographically dominant. Each Dalit group had their own identity, traditional occupation and caste myths. All these Dalit groups were known as Panchamas or Avarnas or Chandalas or untouchables. These untouchable groups started fighting against the upper castes dominant ideology to eradicate untouchability and caste discrimination. On one hand, they are fighting against the non-Dalit people and on the other hand they are fighting among each other. The conflicts among the Dalits are traditionally linked to the origin of these communities. Even now one can identify the above mentioned conflicts in the present day Dalit movement. From this perspective the present thesis is intend to trace out the types of conflicts in the Dalit movement.