Category: Spotlight

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer … Continue reading Epic war against caste system is the constitutional responsibility of an elected government

By Martin Macwan* To protect innocent citizens against false criminal cases is a noble principle of any caste on earth and it is not a new principle that India has discovered. However, the element of ‘innocence’ is a subjective perception in a society where the origin, preservation and protection of the caste system manifested through … Continue reading Your Lordship, with due respect… You are not Lord Almighty. What about caste prejudice in judiciary?

By Martin Macwan* The problem of land ownership, as it is being framed after the self-immolation of Bhanubhai Vankar in February, covers less than even the tip of the iceberg. For the Gujarat government, it is politically convenient to describe this incident, and many others, of violence against Dalits as an “atrocity” rather than to … Continue reading As state remains indifferent, social tension around Dalit landownership is snowballing in Gujarat

By Martin Macwan* The father of the boy who was assaulted by sharp razor on October 3 by two assailants riding a motorcycle without number plate and covered faces sports the biggest and twisted moustache I witnessed in village Limbodra of Mansa taluka. His moustache is not new or recent, as I saw his past … Continue reading Sporting a moustache: To Dalit women its a symbol of humiliation, subjugation and exploitation

By Martin Macwan* As I was driving down the road from village Baspa (about 15 km from Sami) to Radhanpur, my mind traced the memories of 2001 earthquake of Gujarat. I could see that once again the human disaster was greater than the natural, in the wake of floods. Banas waters had washed away one … Continue reading In Banaskantha, caste distinctions and prejudices have refused to be washed away with flood waters