Why is fair “lovely”? And why is dark not lovely? Is it the fairness of skin that determines our loveliness? Of course not! Yet, we have been frequently oriented to believe that the fairer you are, the lovelier you become, and vice-versa. This sort of idea is racist and discriminatory; it sets the standards of superiority and inferiority based on caste and color. In fact, such superiority is simply a perception developed by the elite to maintain control over people through a systematic programming of their minds. We can challenge such discriminatory ideologies by kindling a sense of pride within us. Indeed, pride is a strong weapon in combating stigma, as is evident from the Afro-American Civil Rights Movement. Taking pride in one’s own prowess and power can also help fight untouchability so as to reinvent the identity of the artisan people known as Dalits today.
The Afro-American Civil Rights Movement is a landmark in the history of the fight against racial discrimination. Although the founding documents of the United States of America enshrined equality for all, Afro-Americans were deprived of their rights to ‘life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.’ Even the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) issued by President Abraham Lincoln, which officially outlawed slavery, did not produce any substantial results for Afro-American slaves. They continued to be segregated in public places. The Civil Rights Movement was a reaction to this segregation and racial discrimination imposed on the Afro-American people for centuries, known as ‘Jim Crow System’. The movement reached its pinnacle in the 1950s and 1960s, inspiring many around the globe.[break]
Although the Movement is often highlighted for its non-violent approach, it should also be noted for the sense of pride it garnered among the Afro-American people. It was through the movement that the segregated people who suffered slavery for generations finally realized their strength, what they called ‘Black Power.’ To what extent the ‘Black power’ was instrumental in the movement’s success is debatable, but it surely gave a new identity to Afro-Americans. They began taking pride in their own art and culture. As a result of this soul-searching movement, there was an upsurge of Black music and literature that boosted the pride of the larger Afro-American community. James Brown’s ‘Say it Loud, I am Black and I am Proud’ and Bob Marley’s ‘Young, Gifted and Black’ are but a few examples of such music. Likewise, many Afro-American literary figures including Richard Rights, Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin and Tony Morrison inked the experiences, expertise and aspirations specific to their community in different forms of literature. With efforts like these, the former slaves were successful not only in attaining considerable space in US polity, but also in reinventing their identity as a powerful community with a wonderful cultural background. We can see its impact even today, five decades after the Civil Rights Movement. Had Afro-Americans not been able to inculcate pride and confidence and establish a distinct identity, the predominantly white America might not have accepted a black man to the White House twice.
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The Afro-American Civil Rights Movement can be a great reference for the Dalit movement in Nepal, though that does not mean that Dalit activists should mimic whatever the Afro-Americans did. They can devise their own strategies based on their culture and core strengths, which they could be proud of.
Speaking of pride, people might ask whether Dalits should be proud of being treated as untouchables, or of the severe poverty that many of them are living with. Once you identify yourself as a Dalit, you might be denied a room to rent, even in the capital city of Nepal. Acceptance might be a great challenge for the so-called untouchable people. The underlying values of Nepali society, which largely share the notion of Sanskritization and Westernization, present the most challenges.
Sanskritization, as defined by social scientists, is a process of cultivating the values and custom of the so-called high-caste people by the rest. To have pride, therefore, you need to possess those values and customs like education, employment, fair complexion, and above all, high caste. Likewise, the notion of Westernization emphasizes the power and position of an individual. Social values like these make Dalits wonder how they can be proud of their identity. Socially, they suffer the stigma of untouchability, and economically, they belong to the most vulnerable group. Then, what could they be proud of?
There are many ways in which the Dalit can be proud. Indeed, taking pride is a soul-searching process, and it ends with valuing what we have rather than what we do not have. It is a process of acknowledging one’s strengths and competences that have a positive impact in society.
In fact, Dalit artisans have a great heritage of accomplishments. Their dexterity is evident not only in the advancement of Nepali society, but also in the making of the country. They have contributed in every stage of nation-building. They are the people who designed and developed Khukuri for the great Gurkha warriors who fought British imperialists. They designed and produced dresses, jewelries, equipments and utensils, and also preserved culture through their musical agility. There is not a single Dalit caste without a traditional occupation. This is the heritage that they could take pride in. Taking pride in their own prowess could help them establish their identity and raise their traditional skills to a new height, making them competitive in the modern world of technological advancement.
Untouchability and social exclusion, which Dalits have been suffering for a long time, have injected them with inferiority complex. It is therefore necessary for Dalits to deal with both logical and psychological dimensions of caste-based discrimination. Inculcating pride among them could be instrumental in this regard. There is no reason for Dalits to feel inferior. Though they are not powerful in the traditional sense of privilege and possession, their ability to live even amidst multiple sufferings makes them the most powerful people. They could creatively employ this power to reconstruct their social status.
As a people of enormous power and wonderful artisan skills, Dalits have every reason to be proud. It is through the acknowledgement of their core strength that they could challenge the existing stigma of untouchability, and reinvent their identity.
khyamu06@gmail.com
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