There was something malevolent in the inequality, and now I knew it. It acted in the depths, it dug deeper than money.” – Elena Ferrante, The Story of the Lost Child
Drum beats resound around the ‘country’ that I come from. For those willing to listen, there is ferment brewing and people gathering to challenge and dismantle caste discrimination and hierarchies that have been prevalent for centuries. What was often relegated by many, including human rights organisations and the left political parties, to the periphery is making itself heard. Strongly, on its own terms, and to its own beat.
One of those incandescent groups is #Dalitwomenfight as supported by the All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch, that did a session on caste based sexual violence at the AWID Forum 2016. Christina Dhanaraj, one of the organisers says, “This was the first participant-led session in AWID by Dalits” This year, there were in fact two such sessions. When asked about AWID, Christina says that it is in itself quite impressive. “People usually say Inclusive and intersectional when they have been anything but that. They are just words, but AWID was intentionally inclusive of several communities.”
Read the full feminist talk in GenderIT.org .