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Leadership in Dalit Movement: Analyzing Post-Ambedkar Dalit Leadership in Maharashtra

Presenter:

· Rahul Sonpimple Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi (New Delhi, India)

Timeslot:

07/28 | 09:40-10:00 UTC+2/CEST

Abstract

The post-Ambedkar period is marked with the emergence as well as breakdown of the Dalit movement and leadership in Maharashtra. Although, the loss of its leader- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, affected the nature and direction of the Dalit movement, the post-Ambedkar period of the Dalit movement has also seen new developments not only in the nature of the movement but also in its leadership. However, very little attention has been paid to the modern Dalit movement and its leadership. Moreover, leadership from oppressed sections of the society has been mostly understood through the dominant theoretical approaches. Nevertheless, with the development of new theoretical approaches in social sciences and the growth in knowledge about different marginalized sections, leadership theories and literature have undergone inevitable changes. In this context, the present paper will first discuss the various dynamics within leadership approaches and lay down the context for understanding and analyzing the post-Ambedkar Dalit leadership. The present paper is divided into two major sections. The first section discusses the brief history of Dalit leadership in post-Ambedkar period. The second section maps the socio-political and historical background of emergence of Dalit leaders, their role and contribution in the Dalit movement in post Ambedkar time. Subsequently, the third section will analyze Dalit leadership in post Ambedkar period from a perspective from below. The fourth section- Beyond Normative Analysis, moves beyond the dominant academic understanding on Dalit leadership and proposes the ‘follower-leade