"This important volume traces the history of the Dalit movement form its origins to the death of its most famous leader, B.R. Ambedkar, in 1956. Focusing on three states - Andhra, Maharashtra, and Karnataka - the author skillfully analyzes the ideology and organization of the movement and its interaction both with the freedom struggle, particularly with Gandhi and Gandhism, and the class struggles of the workers and peasants, and their dominant idealogy - Marxism."--Pub. desc.

This important book traces the history of the Dalit movement from its beginning in the 19th century to the death of its most famous leader, B.R. Ambedkar, in 1956. Focusing on three states--Andhra,Maharashtra and Karnataka--Dr Omvedt analyses the ideology and organization of the movement and its interaction both with the freedom struggle(particularly with Gandhi and Gandhism) and the `class` struggles of the workers and peasants (and their dominant ideology-Marxism). She also provides a historical account of the origin and development of the caste system.

Jaffrelot argues that the trend towards lower-caste representation in national politics constitutes a genuine "democratization" of India and that the social and economic effects of this "silent revolution" are bound to multiply in the years to come.

Born in 1891 into an untouchable family, Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is the acknowledged modern Indian leader of the struggle against social injustice. In this concise biography, eminent scholar Gail Omvedt presents the inspiring story of how Ambedkar got educated, overcame the stigma of untouchability and gradually rose to become a lawyer of international repute, a founder of a new order of Buddhism and a framer of India’s Constitution. She contextualizes Ambedkar’s argument with the elite nationalists, particularly Gandhi, that India could never be truly free without the liberation of its most oppressed sections.

Dalit Visions explores and critiques the sensibility which equates Indian tradition with Hinduism, and Hinduism with Brahmanism; which considers the Vedas as the foundational texts of Indian culture and discovers within the Aryan heritage the essence of Indian civilisation. It shows that even secular minds remain imprisoned within this Brahmanical vision, and the language of secular discourse is often steeped in a Hindu ethos. The tract looks at alternative traditions, nurtured within dalit movements, which have questioned this way of looking at Indian society and its history. While seeking to understand the varied dalit visions that have sought to alter the terms of the dominant order, this tract persuades us to reconsider our ideas, listen to those voices which we often refuse to hear and understand the visions which seek to change the world in which dalits live.

The rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has been one of the most significant developments in the politics of Uttar Pradesh since the 1980s. This study is based upon extensive fieldwork in Western UP, government reports of the period when the party was in power, and interviews of dalit leaders both within and outside the party.

SAGE Classics is a carefully selected list that every discerning reader will want to possess, re-read and enjoy for a long time. These are now priced lower than the original, but is the same version published earlier. SAGE`s commitment to quality remains unchanged. This fascinating book constitutes a unique exploration of 2,500 years of the development of Buddhism, Brahmanism and caste in India. Taking Dr Ambedkar`s interpretation of Buddhism as its starting point, Dr Gail Omvedt has researched both the original source of the Buddhist cannon and recent literature to provide an absorbing account of the historical, social, political and philosophical aspects of Buddhism. In the process, she discusses a wide range of important issues of current concern. Dr Omvedt maintains that the revolutionary audacity of Dalit leaders such as Dr B,R. Ambedkar, despite their often subversive reinterpretation of the Buddhist tradition, is in tune with the basic ethos of original Buddhism. Ambedkar found his own middle way by avoiding both the straitjacket of the Marxist ideological response to suppression and the tame reformist within the fold of Hinduism. Since there has always been a struggle of hegemony between competing religious systems, the author argues that given the ascendant position of Buddhism from the 4th century BC to the 6th century AD, ancient India should actually be described as ‘Buddhist India’ and not ‘Hindu India’. Providing an entirely new interpretation of the origins and development of the caste system, which boldly challenges the ‘Hindutva’ version of history, this book will attract a wide readership among all those who are concerned with the state of contemporarty India’s policy and social fabric.