The present newsletter covers the update for May and June 2023. In May, I had an audience with His Holiness Dalai Lamai in Dharamsala. Following the visit, I went to Nepal for a month. The present newsletter covers the Nepal trip and more updates.
As I was going to put this newsletter out, I heard the news of the demise of Mr. Lahori Ram Balley, the fiery intellectual and a devoted Ambedkarite Buddhist of Punjab. Mr. Balley had a long career spanning six decades. He was a testimony to many changes I witnessed. I had the opportunity to meet him twice. The recent was in May. I had already resolved to start a national award in his name. It happened on July 20, his date of birth. More on this in the next edition.
Dalitality
MAY
For the May edition, I write about caste and untouchability in Nepal. During my one-month-long stay there, I learned about Nepali history through books, travels, and conversations.
Drawing from the data, I observe:
“There is no Dalit judge in the Supreme Court of Nepal. The government services are unwelcoming to the Dalits. Less than 0.7% of Dalits hold important posts in the civil services despite reservation, whereas Brahmins, whose population is 12.7%, occupy 70% of posts. The number of Dalits having a share in the state is 4.5% as opposed to the 14% mandated to reflect their representation. Due to the absence of a solid political force lobbying for the rights of the Dalits, the Dalit population has been organised under civil societies, mostly aided by some cultural and social organisations.”
You can read the complete piece of article here.
Siva Mathiyazhagan, associate director of SAFE Lab, University of Pennsylvania, looks at AI and caste. “Caste discrimination is continuing to expand online, including on social platforms, communications, entertainment, online ads, education, job opportunities, and more. India has plenty of examples of emerging technologies reinforcing caste discrimination, such as discriminatory caste-based geolocation, digital surveillance leading to criminalisation of Dalits, and Facebook’s caste discriminatory targeted ads.”
The full article is available to read here.
JUNE
In this article, I write about atrocities against Dalits. I offer a six-point agenda as a starting point. It is not exhaustive.
1. Arming the Dalit community with weapons in atrocity-prone areas for self-protection. The culprits are armed. They fearmonger the poor, helpless fiefs.
2. Having a special court and a parallel system to deal exclusively with cases of atrocities.
3. The highest offices of the government and its leaders should regularly advertise in newspapers and TV against caste-based atrocities.
4. Start an app that would live report the cases of atrocities to the local police and administration.
5. Whenever such incidents of atrocities happen, declare the constituency as inept and dry it with state funds.
6. Creating newer trained units of the Samata Sainik Dal to tackle such untoward incidents and administer values of the Constitution in society.
Sindhu Deivanayagam and Apeksha Singegol, in their article, highlight the prevailing caste biases in the art forms like dance. They write, “The art world has grappled with social stratification, including caste and class. Certain art forms are monopolised almost exclusively by Brahmins, who have valued it as “high cultures” and devalued other art forms as “low cultures”. Such derogatory hierarchies need to be challenged.” The piece can be accessed here.
Other Features/Publications
My article, placed as a lead essay for the Public Culture, “Dalit in Black America: Race, Caste, and the Making of Dalit-Black Archives”. You can read it here. The free piece on academia can be accessed here.
As mentioned in the last newsletter, I reviewed “Water in a Broken Pot” a memoir by Yogesh Maitreya,’ in Hindustan Times. It is entitled “A biography of loneliness” and is available here to read.
“Zomato Served Notice Over Casteist Ad, Dr. Suraj Yengde on NDTV Panel”. You can watch the coverage here.
Interviews in Nepal
I was on a month-long Nepal tour. There I interacted with the media and was a host of Dalit Lives Matter, Nepal organization for an event.
I was invited to be on a panel on This Morning LIVE TV. The video can be accessed here.
Media profiles
Like last time when I was in Nepal, this time too, Nepali media was generous with their time and coverage. After the #DalitLivesMatter event in Hotel Himalaya, Kathmandu
I was featured in Business 360. The article is available here.
A vlogger from Nepal had an open conversation with me and Dalit Lives Matter, Global Alliance head Pradip Periyar. You can watch it here.
As we’re at it here’s more about the event. Caste Conversation with Dr. Suraj Yengde, Why Dalit Lives Matter? The speech and conversation are available here.
Nepali Times profile Dr. Suraj Yengde, it can be read here.
The interview with Annapurna Post can be read here.
My profile in The Annapurna Express is available here.
Following Nepal, I went to Nagpur to deliver a public lecture. You can hear Dr. Suraj Yengde’s speech against the Caste system on Awaaz India TV. The complete Marathi speech can be watched here.
Nagpur’s local Vihara insisted on my time. On a Sunday evening, I went and delivered the lecture. The complete speech is accessible here.
I was featured in Online Khabar again this time. The piece can be read here.
My interview in Daily Deshonnati was published here.
Pune Trip Coverage
I went to Pune to receive a national youth award. Below is a coverage of the events.
Press Coverage of Nagpur events
Loksatta
Dainik Bhaskar
Maharashtra Times
India Seen featured me on its Instagram account, the reel can be watched here.
Last year in October, I was in San Francisco at the South Asian Literature and Art Festival. My friend, Davan Maharaj, a former LA Times chief editor was in conversation with me. The video is finally out. You can view it here.
India’s popular vlogger Anjul came down from Gwalior to Dharmasala to interview me. It was an interesting discussion where Anjul asked me probing questions. The video is available here.
Other featured works
My friend Anjali Arondekar sits with Rahul Gandhi in this deeply personal and moving conversation. “Towards Justice and Democratic Futures” | It can be watched here.
Remembering Dakshayani Velayudhan: A Malayali we consign to oblivion, Dakshayani Velayudhan, birth anniversary, Kerala, Dalit woman, first woman, Kerala caste system| The article is available here.
In Nanded, my hometown, a 24-year-old Dalit man was hacked to death. Reason: he took out a procession celebrating the Dr Ambedkar. 'Upper' Caste Men Kill Youth Who Ensured Village Celebrated Ambedkar Jayanti
In Gujarat a Dalit man was beaten for ‘wearing sunglasses’.
Celebrations
In History
May
20 May 1845 – 5 May 1914: Iyothee Thass, one of the pioneers of anti-caste, Buddhist tradition in Tamil Nadu.
6 May: Death anniversary of Shahu Maharaj
6 May: Swami Achuthanand Jayanti
15 May: First publication of Annihilation of Caste by Dr. Ambedkar
27 May: Death anniversary of Ramabai Bhimrao Ambedkar
June
1 June: Phule’s book ‘Gulamgiri’ was published
4 June: Sant Kabir Jayanti
18 June: Death Anniversary of Ayyankali
26 June: Birth Anniversary of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj
29 June: ‘Samata’ newspaper was started by Dr. Ambedkar
List of events participated in May and June
5 May: Buddha Purnima Mahotsav, Ludhiana | Special Guest: Dr. Suraj Yengde
5-6 May: St. Kabir Public School, Chandigarh
7 May: Roles and Responsibilities of Ambedkarite Middle Class, Speaker: Dr. Suraj Yengde | Hotel Shiraaz, Hoshiarpur
9 May: Public conversation with Dr. Suraj Yengde | Seminar Hall, Department of Punjabi, Punjabi University, Patiala
25 May: Caste Conversation with Dr. Suraj Yengde| Why Dalit Lives Matter? | Hotel Himalaya, Kupondole, Lalitpur
12 June: Live talk with Dr. Suraj Yengde organised by ThisMorningLive on Galaxy4K
17 June: Speech of Dr. Suraj Yengde | Utkarsh Hindi Mor Bhavan, Sitabardi, Nagpur
22 June: Loknete Bhai Vaidya Yuva National Award to Dr. Suraj Yengde| S. M. Joshi Socialist Foundation Hall, Navi Peth, Pune
#dalitlivematters This is a very crucial initiative towards society. #DrSurajYende #paybacktosocity
Namo Budhay Jai Bhim Jai Sabidhan 📚 🇮🇳 🌏 ☸️ 🙏🏻
Respected Dr.Suraj " Young generation new hope for the right justice based on Indian constitutional laws inclusions (Thanks to the father of indian constitution Bodhistva Dr.B.R.Ambedkar ) on ground reality scenarios of religious shaped devastated indian civilizations"
Gautam - Petitioner, Founder & Director Manager
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Best Regards
Critical Analyst (F.E.A & Structure), Research Scholar / Author, +13 PATENTS, Multiverse High Impact Factors, +6 International Conferences, +31 Impact Points, Socialist, Dynamic Social Activist, Religions/Educational Reformer, Petitioner, Rationalist, Founder (Sirjena “ek pehal dharmik ate samajik badlav de”, GREY DIMENSION, Gauri Lankesh Rational Ambedkarite Anti-Blue Zombies Federation Justice Feminist Wings, and Revolutionary Budha & Bodhisatva Ambedkar Rational International Advanced Cryptographic Transformation Research Foundation) and Sr. Structure Engineer at Bridges & Highways Structures (NHAI / PWD Projects behalf of MORTH) M.Tech Civil & Structure Engineering