This book focuses on the theme of Dalit struggles for dignity in India. It begins by documenting the role of India’s Dalits in ensuring inclusion of the term “dignity” in the Indian Constitution of 1950. Introducing Ambedkar’s concept of “moral stamina”, which emphasised the role of ethical ideas in democracy, the Introduction pairs this idea with the notion of dignity and demonstrates the foundational influence of these two concepts in Dalit activism and writings. Six essays explore the distinct trajectories of Dalit groups in search of religious alternatives. They reveal an ethical understanding of religion in which conversion to Christianity as well as the appropriation of indigenous religious traditions – such as Buddhism and the Sant religion (associated with the poet-saints Kabir and Raidas) – are shown as initiatives to reconstitute untouchable selfhood by challenging the discourse of caste orthodoxy. Three of the essays show the struggle against caste-Hinduism by analysing changes in the sartorial, spatial, and occupational arenas. These essays take Dalit Studies into under-explored territories and suggest ideas for further research. By focusing on the theme of dignity, this volume highlights shifts in the study of Hinduism, caste inequality, and Dalit Studies over the past decade. It will be seen as indispensable by all students of caste, religion, politics, and history.

[Source: Orient BlackSwan]