Mumbai: They recited poetry in running buses, at public toilets, and taxi stands. Once, one of their leaders, the mercurial Namdev Dhasal, even dressed as a taxi driver and held a poetry reading session with cabbies. The Dalit Panthers opposed the entrenched political and literary establishment of Maharashtra. Inspired by the Black Panthers of America, the Dalit Panthers, founded in 1972, through the 1970s and 1980s fought the day-to-day humiliation of the marginalized using raw language that was lapped up by the working class. The sex workers of Kamathipura, the exploited farmers, and laborers identified with these radicals. This was reflected at the launch of 'Dalit Panther: The Truth Underlined' at B R Ambedkar Bhavan in Dadar East on Monday.
Arjun Dangle's Meticulous Research
Arjun Dangle, a writer and founding member of the Dalit Panthers, mined a mountain of information scattered in magazines, newspaper articles, and public lore. Being a participant was an advantage in creating a fascinating tale, which translator Maya Pandit found challenging yet satisfying. "I accepted the offer to translate this monumental work also because I had read Namdev Dhasal's poetry collection Golpitha quite early. 'You call this rubbish poetry?' is how Pandit's uncle had reacted when an excited Pandit showed it to him."
Golpitha: A Revolutionary Poetry Collection
Golpitha depicts the marginalized underbelly of Mumbai, including the red-light area of Kamathipura, using street slang. It broke the convention of poetry writing in Marathi. "I found the same energy in Dangle's prose which defined the radicals of the Dalit Panthers movement," said writer-activist Pandit.
Literary and Historical Significance
While writer-visual artist Sanjeev Khandekar likened the movement to "a bolt of lightning" and called leaders (Dhasal, J V Pawar, Raja Dhale, and others) "literary rebels," Magsaysay awardee journalist-author P Sainath called the book "a serious literary work of historical significance." "The Panthers believed that the enemy is not an individual. The enemy is the system. They fought Brahminism and capitalism," said Sainath.
Ambedkar's Legacy
Ambedkar was referred to repeatedly. Sainath said that Ambedkar's memory has been "restricted to the architect of our Constitution." "Not many discuss that Ambedkar led the greatest struggle on this planet for human dignity," said Sainath, who called himself a product of the 1970s when the Dalit Panthers movement began.
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