My Speech in Dalit Women Speakout Conference-2017
Dear sisters,
We have gathered here to talk about Dalit women liberation. I hope our discussion happening here will reach the international community beyond India which portrays itself as a powerful nation. Because, our discussion has the power to change the understanding of today’s politics. A lot of you might be puzzled on why a Transwoman, who is so oppressed and marginalised, is talking about the oppression Dalit women face. There might be questions on the correlation between Dalit women and Transwomen. I hope to engage on all these questions with you and extend my hand in sisterhood hoping you will walk with me in my struggle as a dalit trans woman. Like the radical Tamil poet Inkulab said “only an oppressed person can relate another oppressed person’s pain”. Keeping what he said in mind; I am here to talk about Dalit women liberation. Because we are never just one identity. We are dalit, we are women, we are sisters, we are fighters. Our path to womanhood might be different but our struggles against caste patriarchy, against male domination in workspaces, in educational instituions, in our homes, our communities and society at large are similar.
“To leave inequality between class and class, between sex and sex which is the soul of Hindu Society untouched and to go on passing legislation relating to economic problems is to make a farce of our Constitution and to build a palace on a dung heap”, said Ambedkar. The caste system which has produced and re-produced patriarchy over the ages needs to be destroyed completely for our liberation. We who are gathered here all agree on this. But as dalit women, how do we fight against all the aspects of caste which might not be visible or acknowledged by even the men in our communities? That is the question. As a trasn woman, my gender has been questioned several times. My caste does not give me access. And today I am standing here, speaking at the plenary of such a big dalit women's conference. That is a big victory for not just me but for all of us. Because we have proven that the dalit women's movement will embrace and accept and walk with all kinds of oppressed women.
"I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved" said Dr B. R. Ambedkar. I wish he was there to see us all here now. He would be so proud to see the progress we have made. We have scholars, activists, scientists, technology experts, business women, students etc here. And this is our progress as a community.
But even now the majority of the women of our communities face caste based sexual violence, are economically exploited, are landless, have no access to basic water, food and education. This is the result of caste and gender oppression. And our nation seems to have no conscience when it comes to our constitutional citizenship rights. Let us also remember that it is in the name of collective consciousness that the judge pronounced Afsal Guru guilty and hanged him..
The collective consciousness of this country which roared during Nirbhaiya’s rape remained silent when the women of Bhotmange’s family belonging to the Dalit community from Khairlanji in Bhandara district of Maharastra was paraded naked and sexually assaulted by the dominant Kunbi caste members before hacking them to death. The courts which sentenced Nirbhaiya’s rapists to death refused to even book the rapists of Khairlanji massacre under SC and ST Prevention of Attrocities Act. The court and the government geared up when Swathi was hacked to death in Nungambakkam; but remained silent when Nandhini, a Dalit woman from Sirukadambur village in Ariyalur district, was gang raped.
The sexual harassment unleashed on Dalit women is not just based on gender, but is also casteist. That is what the statistics on sexual harassment shows us. It clearly has a caste angle. The collective consciousness of this country is one which rages when non-Dalit women are sexually harassed and killed, but remains silent when Dalit women are sexually harassed and killed. We boast of our democracy with all these atrocities thriving in it. The collective consciousness which remains silent on Dalit women issues reeks of hypocrisy when it rages for “every women’s liberation”. Our cry for Dalit women liberation here is the work done by Savitribai Phule, Jhalkari Bai, Fathima Sheikh, Meenambal, Dakshayani Velayudhan. We are the daughters of Phoolan Devi. And we will achieve our full humanity and justice by any means necessary. Jai Bhim!
We have gathered here to talk about Dalit women liberation. I hope our discussion happening here will reach the international community beyond India which portrays itself as a powerful nation. Because, our discussion has the power to change the understanding of today’s politics. A lot of you might be puzzled on why a Transwoman, who is so oppressed and marginalised, is talking about the oppression Dalit women face. There might be questions on the correlation between Dalit women and Transwomen. I hope to engage on all these questions with you and extend my hand in sisterhood hoping you will walk with me in my struggle as a dalit trans woman. Like the radical Tamil poet Inkulab said “only an oppressed person can relate another oppressed person’s pain”. Keeping what he said in mind; I am here to talk about Dalit women liberation. Because we are never just one identity. We are dalit, we are women, we are sisters, we are fighters. Our path to womanhood might be different but our struggles against caste patriarchy, against male domination in workspaces, in educational instituions, in our homes, our communities and society at large are similar.
“To leave inequality between class and class, between sex and sex which is the soul of Hindu Society untouched and to go on passing legislation relating to economic problems is to make a farce of our Constitution and to build a palace on a dung heap”, said Ambedkar. The caste system which has produced and re-produced patriarchy over the ages needs to be destroyed completely for our liberation. We who are gathered here all agree on this. But as dalit women, how do we fight against all the aspects of caste which might not be visible or acknowledged by even the men in our communities? That is the question. As a trasn woman, my gender has been questioned several times. My caste does not give me access. And today I am standing here, speaking at the plenary of such a big dalit women's conference. That is a big victory for not just me but for all of us. Because we have proven that the dalit women's movement will embrace and accept and walk with all kinds of oppressed women.
"I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved" said Dr B. R. Ambedkar. I wish he was there to see us all here now. He would be so proud to see the progress we have made. We have scholars, activists, scientists, technology experts, business women, students etc here. And this is our progress as a community.
But even now the majority of the women of our communities face caste based sexual violence, are economically exploited, are landless, have no access to basic water, food and education. This is the result of caste and gender oppression. And our nation seems to have no conscience when it comes to our constitutional citizenship rights. Let us also remember that it is in the name of collective consciousness that the judge pronounced Afsal Guru guilty and hanged him..
The collective consciousness of this country which roared during Nirbhaiya’s rape remained silent when the women of Bhotmange’s family belonging to the Dalit community from Khairlanji in Bhandara district of Maharastra was paraded naked and sexually assaulted by the dominant Kunbi caste members before hacking them to death. The courts which sentenced Nirbhaiya’s rapists to death refused to even book the rapists of Khairlanji massacre under SC and ST Prevention of Attrocities Act. The court and the government geared up when Swathi was hacked to death in Nungambakkam; but remained silent when Nandhini, a Dalit woman from Sirukadambur village in Ariyalur district, was gang raped.
The sexual harassment unleashed on Dalit women is not just based on gender, but is also casteist. That is what the statistics on sexual harassment shows us. It clearly has a caste angle. The collective consciousness of this country is one which rages when non-Dalit women are sexually harassed and killed, but remains silent when Dalit women are sexually harassed and killed. We boast of our democracy with all these atrocities thriving in it. The collective consciousness which remains silent on Dalit women issues reeks of hypocrisy when it rages for “every women’s liberation”. Our cry for Dalit women liberation here is the work done by Savitribai Phule, Jhalkari Bai, Fathima Sheikh, Meenambal, Dakshayani Velayudhan. We are the daughters of Phoolan Devi. And we will achieve our full humanity and justice by any means necessary. Jai Bhim!
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