Q: What is identity politics? Discuss the main trends in Dalit movements in India.

Model Answer:

What is Identity Politics ?

Identity politics refers to political mobilisation based on shared ascriptive identities such as caste, race, religion, gender, rather than primarily on class or ideology. It seeks recognition, dignity and representation for historically marginalised groups. In India, Dalit politics is a central form of identity politics because caste is a foundational axis of inequality and humiliation.

Identity politics combines what Nancy Fraser calls “politics of recognition” (dignity, respect, symbols) with “politics of redistribution” (resources, jobs, land). Charles Taylor’s emphasis on recognition helps explain why Dalit movements insist on self-respect (ijjat), naming (“Dalit” instead of “Harijan”), and cultural assertion, alongside policy demands like reservations.

Main trends in Dalit movements in India

1) Early anti-caste and reformist phase (late 19th–early 20th century)
– Jotiba Phule’s Satyashodhak Samaj, Narayana Guru, Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana emphasised education, critique of Brahminism and religious reform.
– Region-specific movements (Adi-Dravida, Nadar, etc.) sought higher ritual status and state support.

2) Ambedkarite radical-constitutional phase
– B.R. Ambedkar shifted from Sanskritisation to structural change: separate electorates, reservations, temple-entry struggles (Mahad Satyagraha), and conversion to Buddhism.
– Formation of All India Scheduled Castes Federation signalled autonomous Dalit politics rather than dependence on Congress or upper-caste parties.

3) Post-independence institutional and integrationist phase
– Use of constitutional safeguards, reservations, and welfare programmes; emergence of Republican Party of India.
– Yet, as Rajni Kothari notes, Dalits often became “vote banks” without substantive empowerment; dominance of upper-caste leadership persisted.

4) Militant and autonomous assertion (1970s–1990s)
– Dalit Panthers (inspired by Black Panthers) articulated a radical, pan-Dalit identity and produced powerful Dalit literature (Gail Omvedt).
– Kanshi Ram’s BSP redefined politics as “Bahujan” mobilisation, making state power “the master key” for social change.

5) Contemporary trends
– Intersectional politics: Dalit women’s organisations (e.g., NFDW) highlight caste–class–gender nexus (Sharmila Rege, Gopal Guru).
– Cultural and transnational assertion: memorialisation (Bhima-Koregaon), social media activism, and engagement with global human rights forums on caste.
– Critiques (Anand Teltumbde) warn against electoralism, NGO-isation and fragmentation along sub-caste and regional lines.

Dalit identity politics has evolved from reform to radical assertion; its future lies in deepening democracy through intersectional solidarities and everyday annihilation of caste.