Ambedkar Lecture Series-27

The University as a Site of Resistance : Identify and Student Politics

Ambedkar Lecture Series-24

Book Talk – TAMARIND ACHE

Ambedkar Lecture Series-23

India’s Elite Institutions and the Multiple Metamorphoses of Caste

Youtube link Part1  Part2

BSG had its February month Ambedkar Lecture Series on Topic – India’s Elite Institutions and the Multiple Metamorphoses of Caste by speaker Prof. Deepak Malghan. About the speaker: Deepak Malghan is a theoretical ecological economist with primary interest in the general theory of scale. Scale measures the proportional relationship between the economy and ecosystem that contains and sustains it. Among other recognitions for his contributions to scale theory, he received the 2015 VKRV Rao Prize in Social Sciences, India’s top award for a social scientist under the age of forty-five. He is the first ecological economist and the first engineer to be recognized by a VKRV Rao Prize. His prize-winning scale theory based reformulation of ecological economics will appear as a monograph in 2019. In 2014-2015, Malghan was awarded the Fung Global Fellowship at Princeton University where he initiated a new multi-year book project to chronicle the global history of the idea of efficiency. Malghan is an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB). Beyond theoretical ecological economics, his lab at IIMB has also pioneered new approaches to ethnic inequality and stratification. He is also an adjunct faculty at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) where he works on problems in urban hydrology. Malghan holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, and an MPA from Princeton University. He also holds a trade certificate as an electrician with a specialization in alternator rewinding and renewable energy technologies.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-22

Media and Representation: US and India comparative experiences

***Due to technical issues we haven’t done Youtube live but will upload video soon and put Youtube link****

BSG had its October month Ambedkar Lecture Series on topic – Media and Representation: US and India comparative experiences by speaker Kenneth J. Cooper. He is Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and editor, veteran of 30 years at major newspapers such as the Washington Post and Boston Globe. Currently, an independent writer for national magazines, freelance editor and consultant on journalism projects. Exploring new interest in the Middle East and developing a major writing project, a historical narrative set in Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. Specialties: National politics and government, Indian subcontinent, education, health, journalism, books.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-21

Ambedkar, Gandhi and Thackeray : Narratives of Migration

Youtube video link  Ambedkar, Gandhi and Thackeray : Narratives of Migration

BSG had its September month Ambedkar Lecture Series on Topic: Ambedkar, Gandhi and Thackeray – Narratives of Migration by speaker Chinmay Tumbe. He is an IIMA author of “India Moving: A History of Migration”. A little bit of India too moves with every migrant. From adventure to indenture, martyrs to merchants, Partition to plantation, from Kashmir to Kerala, Japan to Jamaica and beyond, India Moving is the first book to map out the great migrations that have made the country and the world a more diverse place to live in. To understand how millions of people have moved-from and to India-the book embarks on a journey laced with evidence, argument and wit, providing insights into topics like the slave trade and the migrations of workers, travelling business communities such as the Marwaris, Gujaratis and Chettiars, refugee crises like the Partition, and the roots of contemporary mass migration from Bihar and Kerala, covering a terrain that often includes seemingly unrelated topics like mangoes, dosas and pressure cookers. India Moving shows the scale and variety of Indian migrations and argues that greater mobility is a prerequisite for maintaining the country’s pluralistic traditions.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-20

Indian media and the marginalized communities : Issues of diversity and inclusion

BSG had its August month Ambedkar Lecture Series on Topic: Indian media and the marginalized communities : Issues of diversity and inclusion by speaker Ms. Arfa Khanum Sherwani. She is a senior television journalist and former anchor at Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV) where she hosted a daily analysis show called Desh Deshantar. She also worked with Aamir Khan Productions for Satyamev Jayate and NDTV. She is currently a senior editor at “The Wire”. She is also a East-West Center (EWC) senior journalist fellow and Robert Bosch Media Ambassador fellow. In the age of aggressive nationalism where our politics and media is demanding not unity but uniformity, the space for diversity within the Indian society and the issues of the communities living on the margins of Indian democracy is increasingly decreasing. The nationalism narrative is empowering the traditionally dominant social groups and is further marginalizing our poor and disadvantaged groups . As a media insider, she will discuss the above at length and also highlight the perils of exclusion of the issues and voices of the weakest of our society and its implications for Indian democracy.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-19

The warmth of Other Suns and the notions of caste as applied to racial hierarchies in America

BSG had its July month Ambedkar Lecture series on 11th July, 2018 on topic – The warmth of Other Suns and the notions of caste as applied to racial hierarchies in America by speaker Isabel Wilkerson. She is Pulitzer Prize winner.

Isabel Wilkerson is a gifted author; but also a very radical thinker. Boston Study Group is very proud to have her as our July speaker. Her book, ‘The warmth of other suns’ is the historical study of the Great Migration. ‘We have to understand that migration is not about geography; it’s a search for freedom’, Isabel emphasized. ‘The six million people in U.S. fled from one part of their own country to another to escape the caste system’. With clear insights from both sides, Isabel described Race as actually Caste in U.S. ‘You can explain the discrimination well if you think of it as Caste; so I use the word Caste.’ Isabel pointed out four main reasons that she believes it is better described as Caste while also acknowledging that there are perhaps many more things in common between both systems of power. Endogamy is the first big one. As caste system is survived through endogamy between the different castes, there was a strict control over mixed race marriages. The ‘one drop blood’ theory clearly describes that mixed race marriages and their offspring’s were looked down upon. Second, the concept of purity and pollution is applied to race similar to caste. Isabel cited that after migration, when Black communities settled in D.C., they faced the concept of pollution to a great degree. Often in bars their glasses were broken after they drank from them. Third, communities were delineated to their assigned roles to certain occupation in the society. Fourth, there was an attempt to bring divine ordination by distorting Churches for justification of dehumanization of communities. This is very starkly similar to how Caste perpetuates itself. Black communities were reminded to ‘stay in their own place’ and not ‘overstep’ their rules in social spaces, figuratively and literally. Isabel also shared many personal stories and of people she met during this journey of writing her book. She emphasized that the stories of communities fleeing from caste during Jim Crow era should be told with courage, fortitude and a sense of agency in their life rather than shame. ‘It was not giving up on life, it was a journey for new hope’, she smiled.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-18

Spotted Goddesses – Dalit Women’s Agency Narratives on Caste and Gender Violence

Youtube video link  Ambedkar Lecture Series: Spotted Goddesses – Dalit Women’s Agency Narratives on Caste and Gender Violence

Ambedkar Lecture Series-17

From Lynching to Triple Talaq

Youtube video link  Ambedkar Lecture Series: From Lynching to Triple Talaq

Ambedkar Lecture Series-16

Caste, Class and Nationalism

Youtube video link  Ambedkar Lecture Series: Caste, Class and Nationalism

Ambedkar Lecture Series-15

RETHINKING DALIT FEMINISM

Youtube video link  Ambedkar Lecture Series: Rethinking Dalit Feminism

Ambedkar Lecture Series-14

THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL STATUS OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN PAKISTAN

Ambedkar Lecture Series-13

SHIT INDIA: MANUAL SCAVENGING AND PRACTICES OF CASTE IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA

Youtube video link  Ambedkar Lecture Series: Shit India: Manual Scavenging and Practices of Caste in Contemporary India

Ambedkar Lecture Series-12

NON-CASTE SOCIETIES, EPISTEMOLOGY AND CHALLENGES IN INDIA: A TRIBAL INDIANS PERSPECTIVE

Youtube video link Ambedkar Lecture Series: Non-caste societies, epistemology and challenges in India: A tribal Indians perspective

BSG had its January Ambedkar Lecture Series on topic “Non-caste societies, epistemology and challenges in India: A tribal Indians perspective” by Dr. Raile Rocky Ziipao. Summary will be posted soon.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-11

AMBEDKAR’S UNFINISHED AGENDA IN UNITED NATIONS

Youtube video link Ambedkar Lecture Series: Ambedkar’s Unfinished Agenda in United Nations : Part 1    Part 2    Part 3  

A talk and panel discussion, organized by Boston Study Group on Saturday, 9th December, 2017 at Brandeis University was enriching in more than one way. The discussion brought together speakers from various countries and communities together to discuss forms of marginalization which affects them all. The opening remarks were made by Dr. Suraj Yengde, W.E.B. Du Bois fellow, Harvard University along with introduction of the speakers, and the session was moderated by Dr. Rajesh Sampath, Associate Prof of Justice, Rights and Social Change, Heller School of Social Policy and Management.

‘We have survived, we will survive- but the political interest will not survive if we don’t listen to 200 million whose rights are being compromised.” Paul Divakar Namala, Chairman of Asia Dalit Rights Forum opened his talk with this powerful statement. He enlightened the audience about the construction of ‘work and descent’ terminology by UN which was due to a failure to capture the discriminatory practices altogether in a word. He emphasized on developing a common language among different communities facing discrimination to bring the issue to the forefront instead of working in isolation at grassroots. He remarked, “Global focus is important to prevent overshadowing of our discrimination”.

Magda Matache, Director of Roma program at Harvard University sketched an outline of the various discriminations being faced by Roma community who are being referred as ‘athingalos’ meaning untouchable. She explained that less than 1% of the Roma population was in colleges and only 10% succeeded at high school level. Roma populations also faced severe discrimination in job market and were not considered competitive enough. She emphasized that Roma population needs to have a social capital to atleast say what is right and what is wrong. Her call was to shift the focus from ‘’Minority as the problem to Majority as the target’’ for social change.

Abdarahmane Wone, Council for Development of Social Science Research, Senegal focused on the slavery which is being faced by Haratin people even now, mentioning that ‘’Past is Present and Present is Past’’ for them. He spoke about the intersection of discrimination against Haratin people who were not only black but also descendants from families of slaves. Thus, it is an inter-generational marginalization which they face. While emphasizing on the globalization of the issue, Abda remarked that media and internet have brought the world smaller which should be harnessed in the fight against discrimination.

The panel discussion after lunch was a vibrant conversation between these brilliant speakers who responded to many questions from the audience and imagining an outline to work together in future. The talk had a total attendance of 20 participants apart from online viewership.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-10

MASTER AND SLAVES

Youtube video link Ambedkar Lecture Series: Master and Slaves

BSG had its Ambedkar Lecture Series of the November month on topic Master and Slaves: Rethinking “What Congress and Gandhi have done to the Untouchables” (1945), by Dr. Dilip M. Menon, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.

The talk looked critically at this statement of Ambedkar’s opposition to the politics of nationalism as embodied in the Indian National Congress and Gandhi. It is an excoriation of the bad faith represented by the nationalist policy of transforming the struggle for recognition by untouchables in India from a political strategy of separation into a guided one under the nationalist umbrella. Apart from a critique of ameliorative politics, Ambedkar offers a rejoinder to Gandhi’s fast of 1930 which put paid to the idea of separate electorates for untouchables as a guarantee of political equality. The epigraph to the book from Thucydides, “It may be your interest to be our masters, but how can it be ours to be your slaves”, introduces a radical reframing of the relation between nationalist leaders and the untouchables.

Summary from the talk:

Ambedkar Lecture Series for November included a talk by Prof. Dilip M. Menon, Director, Center for Indian studies in Africa, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. He focused his talk on ‘Master and Slaves’ using the analogy for Gandhi and Untouchables. He explored the ideology of Dr. Ambedkar as seeking fraternity vis-à-vis Gandhi who valued his reputation more as the savior of untouchables. While the ‘humiliating railway experience’ of Gandhi in South Africa is well advertised, Ambedkar’s struggle and humiliation is ‘normalized’. This itself speaks to caste dynamics of historians and selective writing of history. Discussing, Dr. Ambedkar’s text, What Gandhi and Congress have done to Untouchables?, Menon maintained that Ambedkar writes about what they have done ‘to’ the untouchables not ‘for’ the untouchables since their contribution to the community is not positive but indeed harmful. While Gandhi maintained that the question of caste was religious, it was oxymoronic on his part that untouchables existed in Hinduism through exclusion. Ambedkar advocated for direct action and social mobilization apart from the Constitution which he saw existing in the liberal framework of democracy wherefore law was inadequate to create fraternity. The idea of fraternity or ‘Maitri’ comes from Buddhism which itself emerged from rebellion against Brahminical forces to begin with. The lecture shed light on various myths around Gandhi as a tall leader who dwarfs in the magnanimity of Ambedkar’s justified presence in the Indian politico-social scene. By bringing forth an alternative narrative of the harm done by Gandhi’s regressive ideology for the untouchables as compared to Dr. Ambedkar who envisioned a society based on liberty, equality, and fraternity, Menon concluded that Ambedkar needs to be read in various gestures to get a grasp of his scholarship and vision.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-9

PLURALISM AND THE POST-MINORITY CONDITION

Youtube video link Ambedkar Lecture Series: Pluralism and the Post Minority Condition by Speaker – Khalid Anis Ansari

BSG had its Ambedkar Lecture Series of the October month on topic “Pluralism and the Post-Minority Condition” at Harvard University. Speaker of the lecture series will be Mr. Khalid Anis Ansari.

Khalid Anis Ansari is a Director, Dr. Ambedkar Centre for Exclusion Studies & Transformative Action (ACESTA), Glocal University, India. He works in the field of social and cultural theory and is interested in grassroots organizing, scholarly interventions to publicize the history of resistance movements, and the social and political aspirations of subordinated caste Pasmanda Muslims. He was awarded the HIVOS PhD Fellowship—Pluralism Knowledge Programme (2010-2013) for his doctoral work on caste movements among Indian Muslims with the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH), Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Summary from the talk:

Dr. Khalid Anis Ansari enlightened the group about aspects of discrimination within the Muslim community. ‘Minority politics has failed Pasmanda community’, he said explaining that although 85 percent of Muslims in India are from Pasmanda (or Dalit) community, they face economic and social violence at the hands of ‘upper-caste’ Muslims. He emphasized that Pasmanda Muslims are grossly underrepresented in parliament and do not have any attention directed towards them as Muslims are grouped together as a minority. Although caste system is not ‘supposed’ to exist in Islam, segregation in mosques and graveyards is a common occurrence in India which shows that caste transcends religion. The ‘Pasmanda movement’ led by many scholars such as Ali Anwar embraces the identity of Pasmada group and is trying to raise awareness about the ‘fake’ minority narrative of upper caste Muslims. The movement stands to advocate for Pasmanda Muslims in relation to issues of personal law, reservation and electoral politics, as well as demands of legal action against physical violence on the community. The lecture highlighted the need for scholarship among other religious groups which face caste-based discrimination as a culture of harm.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-8

CASTE, MEDIA AND DIVERSITY

Youtube video link Ambedkar Lecture Series: Caste, Media and Diversity by Speaker – Sudipto Mondal

BSG had its September month Ambedkar Lecture Series on the topic “Caste, Media and Diversity” at Harvard University. Speaker of the lecture series was Mr. Sudipto Mondal, a writer and journalist who is one of few dalits to break into the top echelons of India’s highly casteist english media. He visited U.S. in connection with his upcoming book. Sudipto shared precepts from his book with the group. He weaved a poignant and heart-warming tale of struggle of our young Dalit icon, Rohith Vemula which has shaped the contemporary anti-caste struggle in many ways. The connections and social movements after Rohith’s institutional murder including Jignesh Mewani’s role in boycotting cow skinning in Gujarat and student resistance in universities was discussed. It was followed by a lively discussion among the author and audience about resistance within classrooms and his own struggle within the casteist media groups. The lecture highlighted another aspect of caste discrimination within Indian society and emphasized on the values of resistance to hold fast Ambedkarite struggle in India.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-7

DISCUSSION WITH ENTREPRENEUR AND DALIT ACTIVIST

Mrs. Kamala Hemchuri, is a prominent Dalit women activist. She has been a very active civil society leader in the country changing lives of Dalit youth through education. By equipping hundreds of Dalit youths with skills and competency required for a self-sustained and dignified life, PDRC (www.pdrc.org.np) has carved a distinct niche for itself amidst a number of organizations working in the field of education and competency development.

Summary form the discussion:

Kamala Hemchuri, a Dalit activist and entrepreneur from Nepal joined Boston Study Group for ‘Ambedkar Lecture Series’ for August. She is President of ‘Professional Development and Research Center (PDRC)’, an organization working to empower Dalit youth in Kathmandu, Nepal. She was joined by Reemya from New Jersy, who herself has worked for PDRC for many years. She has recently translated Dr Ambedkar’s iconic text ‘Annihilation of Caste’ in Nepali language and published it. Dalits in Nepal have actually not read Dr. Ambedkar due to inaccessibility of language. She believes that unless the masses are educated about the ideas to break caste, they will not be able to emancipate themselves. She has gifted one copy of her book to Boston Study Group. She is now in the process of translating ‘Who are Untouchables’ into Nepali as well.

Post introductions and a hearty lunch, Kamalaji explained about the Dalit context in Nepal. While constitution of Nepal was being drafted, representation of Dalits was a constant issue they faced. She explained how even after agreement of certain affirmative action policies, Dalit rights were being violated. Eventually, certain representation of Dalits was included in the constitution after constant struggle. She emphasized that there is a huge gap between political movement and cultural movement in support of Dalits in Nepal, which is not very different from India.

Sharing some statistics, Kamalaji mentioned that according to Government of Nepal there are only 13% Dalits while in actual (as per many surveys by other agencies) there are 20% Dalits in Nepal who amount to about 6 million people. Of these more than 50% live under poverty line. Dalit female literacy rate is only 24% and school drop-out rate for Dalits is very high. Amidst this, there are very minimal efforts being taken by government for improving their lives, socially as well as economically. She believes that education is the key.

PDRC has been working to empower Dalit youth by providing them career exposure and mentoring them for various career choices. Thousands of Dalit youth in Nepal have benefitted by associating themselves with PDRC as they become doctors, engineers, lawyers and civil servants. PDRC has recently registered a branch in Baltimore as a 501 (c) organization in order to raise funds for Nepal chapter. Many students are now interested in studying abroad but do not have any guidance for this. Apart from scholarships, these young minds need nurturing and help to navigate the education system here. This is expected to be a collaboration point between PDRC and Boston Study Group.

It was requested by Kamalaji for Boston Study Group to be engaged in this effort to provide mentoring support for Dalit youth from Nepal who do not know much about the higher education sector in U.S. Boston Study Group has affirmed that they would be more than happy to collaborate with PDRC in this effort and will provide handholding support to Dalit youth from Nepal for preparing them to study abroad. However it is essential to have mentors and a lead role from Nepali counterparts in this effort. Kamalaji has assured that she will identify and introduce Boston Study Group members to other Nepali Dalits who want to collaborate for mentoring Dalit youth from Nepal. This seems like a new beginning for Boston Study Group to engage in cross-country collaboration for improving access and mentoring support to young minds who want to break free from the chains of caste. Jai Bhim!   

Ambedkar Lecture Series-6

KARMA AND FIGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE

Boston Study Group presents, Ambedkar lecture series on topic Karma and Fight Against Injustice delivered by venerable Bhante Ananda, Secretary of Maha Bodhi Society (Bangalore, India).

                                                                                                         Time: 6pm to 9pm

         Venue: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  Classroom 56-167 (Whitaker Building), 02139, 21 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142

Highlights from the talk:

Intention we produce in our mind is karma. Having intended one performs actions through part, through speech and through mind and whatever action we do that is ‘kamma’ or karma. When we produce intention and we perform the action — it is a force that produces karmic energy that which has capacity give results. We are acting everyday with intention based on ignorance or generosity/wisdom i.e. Wholesome and unwholesome mind.

Without intention actions are not karmas.It is not same as killing a person. Intention is what makes it an action .Kamma is the intention and the action that you perform following the intention.

First verse of Dhammapada –

Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā manoseṭṭhā manomayā

Manasā ce paduṭṭhena bhāsati vā karoti vā

Tato naṃ dukkhamanveti cakkaṃ’va vahato padaṃ.

Mind precede everything. Before everything mind moves. Mind is the greatest thing. It is mind made.

Among the people there exists three kind of views: 

1. Predetermination –because of the past kamma

2. Everything is god controlled

3. Whatever happens it is without cause and without reason 

Buddha rejected all the above views by saying if everything is fixed where is the thing of changing it for improvement or progress ?We can change the course of life even at the very last moment of our life by doing good.

Injustice is something unpleasant is happening.There are 24 conditions among them, kamma is one. We can change the influences of the past and the present karma.

How are you going to deal with the people who are doing injustice to you?      –We should be able to get good things from the people and leave aside the bad things. With compassion and action, you should fix the problem of injustice. 

Ambedkar Lecture Series-5

INDIAN CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE AND CURRENT CHALLENGES

Youtube video link Ambedkar Lecture Series: Indian Constitution, Structure, and Current Challenges – Prof. Suresh Mane

Boston Study Group presents, Dr Suresh Mane, former Head of Department of Law, University of Mumbai, author of 13 books on various issues spanning constitution, sociology, political ecology of caste and historian of bahujan movement of India. An imminent intellectual of noted calibre Dr Mane will deliberate upon the Constitutional challenges in the age of right wing populism and the comparative prospects of Afro-American and Dalit experiences.

Venue: Classroom located near Kendall redline station (MIT),
Building E52-164

Ambedkar Lecture Series-4

BSG has organized its this month lecture series with honorable Dr. Y. B. Satyanarayana. He is author of “My Father Balliah”, a well-known academician and champion of the Dalit cause.

Venue: Harvard University, CGIS Building South S050, 1737 Cambridge Street, Cambridge MA 02138, USA

Ambedkar Lecture Series-3

BSG Monthly Lecture Series in Honor of Black History Month presents Black and Dalit Liberation: Lessons for Today

A conversation with Mimi Jones, Civil Rights Leader &  Prof. Tony Van Der Meer, Africana Studies, UMass Boston.Friday, Feb 24, 6:30 pm | UMass Boston 2110, University Hall, 2nd Floor | 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125

Internationalism was a hallmark of the Black Power movement. It included engagement and identification with third world movements. A little known impact is the formation of the Dalit Panthers in urban Western India in 1970 to fight caste oppression. Currently well over half a billion people in India are victims of the caste system, with at least 270 million designated by dominant ideology as ‘untouchable’. 

The parallels between ‘racial’ and caste oppression extend to on-going lynching and sexual violence, resurgence of supremacist ideology, cultural hegemony, escalating accumulation of economic power, and lack representation at all levels of power. On the flip side, both movements suffer/ed from serious deficiencies including the pitfalls of ‘charismatic masculinity‘, oppressive behavior, relegation of the lessons of feminism, and an inability to build long-term, equitable, sustainable, and autonomous mass movements.  

Mimi Jones and Tony Van Der Meer will share their insights on movement building – past and present, and reflect on lessons and pitfalls from the past. We will also explore themes of solidarity building between the Black and Dalit movements and implications for future organizing. 

Mimi Jones, long time Roxbury resident and community activist, was on the front line in the Civil Rights Movement as a youth. As a teenager during the height of the Movement in the 1960’s, she pursued and engaged in direct action to confront and challenge racism, segregation and discrimination. She was involved in a myriad of grassroots organizing and social and political campaigns waged by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). 

Professor Van Der Meer is the former Chairman of the Black Political Task Force of Boston. Professor Van Der Meer’s area of research is focused on African diaspora religion and culture and its image in the mass media. He is a specialist in Community Economic Development and Urban Politics. 

Ambedkar Lecture Series-2

In the Ambedkar lecture series segment was a talk by fervent Dalit rights activists and student leaders from New Delhi Sanghapali Aruna Lokhitakshi.  Ms Sanghapali spoke on the topic “The role of Dalit women in movement building” offering historical and contemporary glimpses of contribution of the Dalit women in social and civil rights movement. Reporting on the activities of her organization, BAPSA (Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association) Ms Sanghpali offered insights on the university campus student alliances of Dalitbahujan student groups.

Ms Sanghapali’s talk highlighted the issues of appropriation of Indian left organizations to suppress the identity-based politics of Dalitbahujan students. This talk highlighted on-going student activism in the wake of Dalit student suicide Rohith Vemula.

Ambedkar Lecture Series-1

The Ambedkar Lecture Series at Harvard University kick started with inaugural lecture by prominent Dalit rights activist Manjula Pradeep. Ms Pradeep is a noted human rights figure on the global scene. Her talk explored various facets of osocial justice movements in India and in Gujarat. Her organization, Navsarjan Trust of which she is the first elected Dalit female executive director, has been an active agent in airing the grievances of the conditions of Dalits and Tribal communities in India. Ms Pradeep emphasized the importance of Dalit women’s leadership in the human rights struggle. Ms Pradeep is a  fierce fighter who is a well-known leader of the Dalit rights movement nationally and internationally.

Her talk was followed by screening of a movie “No More Now” that featured Ms Pradeep and her activism around women empowerment. Participants from south Asia solidarity alliances in Greater Boston area, Michigan and New York area were present in the audience.