e n

Prof Manoj K. Jha invokes Periyar, the Phules, Ambedkar in Rajya Sabha

‘Periyar, Savitribai Phule, Jotiba Phule, Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar – just look at their shared thoughts and beliefs. Why do our Dalitbahujan thinkers do not think the way you do, the way your resolution does? There is something amiss somewhere. Why is this happening?’

(On 25 March 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rakesh Sinha moved a private member’s resolution in Rajya Sabha. The resolution, among other things, sought establishment of research foundations at the state and district levels along the lines of the National Research Foundation for rejuvenating India’s knowledge tradition. Prof Manoj Kumar Jha, who represents the Rashtriya Janata Dal, opposed the resolution. This is the English translation of a major portion of Jha’s speech, telecast by Sansad TV)

Deputy Speaker, sir, I know that when we people talk about Macaulay, we rain barbs at him. But we should also consider why Dalitbahujan thinkers don’t do that. Why do they believe that Macaulay opened some doors? 

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: Prof Manoj K. Jha invokes Periyar, the Phules, Ambedkar in Rajya Sabha

About The Author

Manoj Kumar Jha

Prof Manoj Kumar Jha is a member of Rajya Sabha and a professor of Political Science in Delhi University. He has authored books, contributed to books and journals and writes regularly for newspapers and magazines. Among his books are 'Riots as Rituals' (Manak Publishers, New Delhi, 2009) and 'In Opposition to Silence' (AlterNotes Press, New Delhi, 2009).

Related Articles

An international web conference to build synergies between nomadic peoples’ movements
The Asian continent boasts a huge diversity of gypsies/nomads, such as pastoral, peripatetic, forest and sea nomads spread across many countries. Yet the two...
‘How many economists have seen the inside of a factory?’
Prof Jean Drèze says academia hasn’t had much influence on politics in India and that white supremacists in the US, who are a powerful...
‘Vaazhai’: Love, compassion and resilience amid the harshness of Dalit life
Vaazhai is a testament to how personal experience can shape a filmmaker’s narrative arc, with Mari Selvaraj’s socially charged storytelling elevating the film’s themes....
Dawn of coalition governance in Tamil Nadu
The rise of parties like the VCK, the changing dynamics within the major Dravidian parties, and the evolving expectations of the electorate all point...
RSS and the question of caste
On the one hand, they celebrate the Constitution Day and pay obeisance to the Constitution of India. On the other hand, they consistently talk...