Dalit Panther Movement

The Dalit Panther Movement was formed in 1972, when the Dalit youths came forward and took up the task of bringing all the Dalits on to one single platform and mobilizes them for the struggle for their civil rights and justice. It demonstrated that the lower castes were not willing to accept indignities and their worst conditions without protest. To Panthers, Dalit meant members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, Neo-Buddhists, the working class, the landless and poor farmer, women, and all those who are being exploited politically, weaker economically, and neglected in the name of religion. The most crucial factor for the rise of the Dalit Panther Movement was the repression and terror under which the oppressed Scheduled Castes continued to live in the rural areas.

The action plan for the Dalit Panthers was incorporated into the manifesto which consisted of 18 demands pertaining to the emancipation of Dalits. The manifesto reflected the enthusiasm of the Dalits to mobilize the poor masses in order to fight against the partisan and exploitative social system in the country. The Dalit Panther Movement spread to cities such as Bombay, Poona, Nasik, and Aurangabad where a large number of Dalit population is concentrated. Since its inception, the Panther Party was solely based on the ideology of Dr Ambedkar and was quite radical in nature. However, later in other states at least a faction of the Panthers was found inclined to the leftist, especially to the Marxist ideology. Namdev Dhasal and a few others firmly believed in the Marxist ideology.

For him, the Dalit struggle is for a part of the larger design for the worlds oppressed. In this manner, they tried to create a class consciousness among the Dalits. They purposefully opted for confrontation and total revolution. However, they contin­ued to draw inspiration from Dr Ambedkar also and a part of their ideology is drawn from Marxism as well. The other prominent figure of the movement. Raj Dhale, was finding some basic differences with the manifesto drafted by Dhasal. He accused Dhasal of receiving, Communist support. He also criticized the Communists of the country for having failed to bring any fundamental changes in the life of the downtrodden. Raj Dhale expelled Dhasal and some of his supporters for alleged disloyalty to the Panthers, majority of the followers remained with Raj Dhale.

After the split in the organization in 1974, some Panthers united and continued the Dalit Panther Movement under the leadership of Prof Arun Kamble, Ramdas Athawale, and Gangadhar Gade. They took the initiative over the problems of reservation and other concessions granted to the Dalits in various parts of the country. In more recent years they revived the party by opening more branches in the northern part of the country. However, the movement is still confined to urban centers with majority of the Dalits con­centrated in rural areas remaining untouched.

Comments

Post a Comment

Golwalkar Mission of Hindu Rashtra

Amar Shaheed Vira Pasi: The 185th birth anniversary Dalit Freedom Fighter of the 1857 Revolt

Image
The 185th birth anniversary of Amar Shaheed Vira Pasi Amar Shaheed Vira Pasi, meaning "Immortal Martyr Vira Pasi," is  a revered figure, particularly among the Pasi community in India .  He is remembered for his bravery and sacrifice in the fight against British colonial rule.  His story is often celebrated during events organized by groups like the Veer Bharat Pasi Trust and Pasi Vikas Sansthan.  Amar Shaheed Vira Pasi is a great Dalit freedom fighter who is remembered as a brave warrior in the Dalit narrative. He was a security guard of Raja Beni Madhav Singh of Murar Mau, in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. Raja Beni Madhav Singh was arrested for taking part in the Revolt. One night, Vira Pasi entered the prison and helped the king escape. This was a big insult to the British administration. They decided to capture Vira Pasi dead or alive, and placed a reward of Rs. 50,000 on his head. However, they were unable to capture him. Another story narrated about their role in ...
Read more

Dharana (Concentration) and Samadhi (Absorption) in Yoga Yagnavalkya

Dharana (Concentration) and Samadhi (Absorption) in Yoga Yagnavalkya  This chapter focuses on Dharana (concentration) and Samadhi (absorption), the sixth and seventh limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. It details various techniques for achieving these states, including focusing on the heart space and specific chakra deities. It also explores the concept of Samadhi as a merging of the individual self with universal consciousness, distinguishing between supported and unsupported forms.  The chapter elaborates on Dharana, describing six types of concentration practices. One approach involves fixing the mind on the space within the heart. Another focuses on the five chakra deities, using specific syllables (lam, vam, ram, yam, ham) and the Om mantra to connect with them. It culminates in a discussion of Samadhi, the ultimate goal of yoga. Yajnavalkya describes it as a state of complete absorption where the individual self dissolves into the universal consciousness. He distinguishes between tw...
Read more

चेतना का रहस्य

Image
चेतना का रहस्य   "चेतना का रहस्य" (Chetana ka Rahasya) का अर्थ है चेतना की गहराई और उसके रहस्यमयी स्वरूप को समझना। चेतना, संस्कृत शब्द "चित्" से निकला है, जिसका अर्थ है "जानना" या "अनुभव करना"। यह मन की वह शक्ति है जो हमें आत्म-जागरूकता, अनुभव, और बाहरी दुनिया के प्रति सचेतनता प्रदान करती है। हिंदू दर्शन, आयुर्वेद, और योग में चेतना को जीवन का मूल तत्व माना जाता है, जो आत्मा (आत्मन्) से जुड़ा है और शरीर, मन, और आत्मा के बीच संतुलन बनाता है। चेतना का रहस्य: प्रमुख बिंदु आध्यात्मिक दृष्टिकोण : चेतना को आत्मा का प्रकाश माना जाता है, जो जीवन को संभव बनाती है। यह वह शक्ति है जो मिट्टी, जल, अग्नि, वायु, और आकाश जैसे भौतिक तत्वों को एक जीवित प्राणी में रूपांतरित करती है। योग और ध्यान के माध्यम से चेतना का विस्तार होता है, जिससे व्यक्ति अपने "मैं" की सीमाओं को तोड़कर विश्व के साथ एकता का अनुभव करता है। यह योग का मूल अर्थ है—मिलन। सद्गुरु के अनुसार, चेतना का विकास तब होता है जब व्यक्ति अपनी शारीरिक पहचान से ऊपर उठकर अपनी आंतरिक प्रज्ञा से ज...
Read more