User talk:Dr. Sanjaya Das

Bold textRedefining Dalits in India in the Era of Knowledge EconomyBold text

The word "Dalit" clicked dozen of times when the planning for designing an interdisciplinary program titled Post graduate Diploma in Social Transformations Management"( PGDSTM)commenced. The word is quite familiar to my early childhood and childhood days, when a group of children (of simialr age group) drawn from various castes join together under a big banyan tree of my village. The objective of coming to that place because of its suitability and claenliness to play any game in large or small group. Chidren from Brahmin, Kayastha, Kshtriya,Nai( Baraber),Radhi( who processes dry grains),Tanti(weavers),     Gold Smith(Baniya), and Chamar( who trims branches of coconut tree and date trees).

Dalit"-- the word which was used for the first time in Indian Contemporary Literature by Jyotirau Phule in the nineteenth Century. Victor Premsagar, Father of our nation, Rettamalai Srinivasan, Ayyankali and Dr. B.R.Ambedkar are the eminent social thinkers and reformers who categorized "dalits" under the umbrella like structure as dalits. Government of India ( in its constitution) used the word dalits synomous to "untouchables" and essentally include people from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Communities.

The perspectives in which "dalit" is defined need to be reexamined. Dalit is contextual and prevailing within society and among all castes. If a brahmin does any barbaric activity, we codemn the Brahman's act as dalit.

Dalit, is a physical state of individuals who fail to dressed up well and remain neat and clean. Dalit signifies the mental state of those individuals who are involved in certain manual activities which is not possible by other strata of society. Though such manual activities are the essential to our society, yet they donot receive recognition at par with other vocations or jobs.

It is difficult to interpret the term "dalit" in the post independent era and especillay in the era of knowledge economy.

What is worth submitting that: 1. More Anthropological studies are required to define dalits. 2. The usage of the term is contextual. 3. Though primarily the term signifies Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and under privilged yet its usage is global to all castes. 4. Hindu epics, such as, Maha Laxmi Puran and Ramayan reveal that even in the eyes of God, all are equal--- may be rich or poor or underprivileged. 5. Certain tarditional vocations are to be officially declared and to be open for all castes of the society. Modern technologies may be used for improving the productivity. ( for example, in hopitals the person who handles the dead body during post mortem is not officially recognised vocation though without such work and workers no hospital can run well).