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Refrain from using word Dalit, stick to Scheduled Caste: I&B Ministry tells media


Alam_dar

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Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/refrain-from-using-word-dalit-stick-to-scheduled-caste-ib-ministry-to-media-5338274/

 

What is your opinion regarding this issue?

 

I personally question the intentions of BJP and the High Court Judge. When Dalits themselves don't have any problem with this word, why then the honourable judge is ordering to change the name of the community without their approval? 

 

Word Dalit has been associated with history of millions of people and their sufferings. Removing their identity is not going to change the facts. 

 

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This is similar to African American history. Does America still call them with similar words ? This word shows people are still oppressed which is not the case for majority of people. There are exceptions again. This word is used for political reasons than anything.

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6 hours ago, Alam_dar said:

Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/refrain-from-using-word-dalit-stick-to-scheduled-caste-ib-ministry-to-media-5338274/

 

What is your opinion regarding this issue?

 

I personally question the intentions of BJP and the High Court Judge. When Dalits themselves don't have any problem with this word, why then the honourable judge is ordering to change the name of the community without their approval? 

 

Word Dalit has been associated with history of millions of people and their sufferings. Removing their identity is not going to change the facts. 

 

Erm word Dalit has only been in use since 20th century.

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9 hours ago, gattaca said:

This is similar to African American history. Does America still call them with similar words ? This word shows people are still oppressed which is not the case for majority of people. There are exceptions again. This word is used for political reasons than anything.

And for the political reasons it is tried to demolish this name, but this time not from the community itself, but by the others, and then pressurizing them to use for themselves only the name of "Schedule Cast", which has no history and which is not even passes to the fashion of names of the other castes. 

 

Was Brahim not used for the political reasons? Was Khastriya not used for the political reasons? Why then only to remove the word Dalit in names of politics, and that too without the approval of that community?

 

The very basic question still stays there, is it not the right of the community itself to decide a name for them? 

 

Quote

This word shows people are still oppressed which is not the case for majority of people.

If we go according to your logic i.e. world Dalit means people still oppressed, then the word Brahmin should also still mean the people who oppressed others and their name should also be changed. 

 

Therefore, I don't think this argument holds any value. 

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10 hours ago, Stradlater said:

Erm word Dalit has only been in use since 20th century.

In whole earlier history, they were not allowed to choose a name for themselves, and they were called 'untouchables' by the others (in this case high caste Hindus). Therefore, this earlier history means nothing in this case. 

 

Then came the British people, who were again the "others" and they gave them the name of "Schedule Caste". Why should this community accept this name which has been given to them by the British people? Recent history shows that this community was not so comfortable with this name, and thus some how the name Dalit appeared, and it got popularity among this community. 

 

Dalit rights groups are saying that this term now holds political significance and a sense of identity. There is nothing derogatory in the use of the word ‘Dalit’. It gained currency in the sixties and seventies with Dalit literature. 

 

Therefore, from the history point of view, then it is only the "recent past" when this community got the right to take any name for them themselves. And they chose the world Dalit.

 

===

 

There are few Indian laws about women rights and Dalit rights, which are controversial. Arguments could be brought against them and they could be opposed. 

 

But the name of this community was a non-issue. BJP using it as tactics to hide the Indian Past. But this is a mistake and may backfire. 

 

Edited by Alam_dar
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