Dalit Theology By Sathianathan Clarke & Yoginder Sikand

Dalit Theology By Sathianathan Clarke & Yoginder Sikand



Subscribe ToSustain Us
Popularise CC
Join News Letter
Iraq
Peak Oil
Climate Change
US Imperialism
Palestine
Latin America
Communalism
Gender/Feminism
Dalit
Globalisation
Humanrights
Economy
India-pakistan
Kashmir
Environment
Gujarat Pogrom
WSF
Arts/Culture
India Elections
Archives
Links
Submission Policy
Contact Us
Subscribe To OurNews Letter
Name: E-mail:

Dalit Theology
By Sathianathan Clarke & Yoginder Sikand
07 October, 2007Countercurrents.org
Sathiannathan Clarke was, till recently, AssociateProfessor at the United Theological College,Bangalore, one of the leading Christian seminaries inIndia. His book on Dalit Christian liberation theologywas pubished by the Oxford University Press.
Q: How did you get interested in Dalit Christiantheology?
A: I was born in an urban middle-class family and Idid not have much knowledge of Indian rural society.When I was doing my degree in social work I gotexposed to rural life and had the opportunity to studyit in a somewhat systematic manner. That set methinking as to how I could get involved in any form ofsocial transformation. By then I had already decidedthat I would like to serve the Church. Then, I went onto do my Master`s degree, and for my dissertation Istudied the socio-economic conditions of sweepers inthe Madras Corporation.
After that I joined the united Theological College,Bangalore, which is one of the leading Christianseminaries in India. At that time we had started acourse in non-Christian religions. The Hinduism thatwas taught here, as in other Christian seminaries, wasessentially the classical, textual, Brahminicexpression of Hinduism. But we had a person teachinghere called A.P. Nirmal who was talking aboutalternate expressions of Indian religions, about Dalittheology. And I, for one, was fascinated with this newdevelopment that was just then beginning to emerge.
Between 1984 and 1987 I lived in a small village inthe Chingulpet district of Tamil Nadu, where I servedas a priest to fourteen village congregations, 99% ofwhom were Dalits. That was when I really got involvedin working with Dalit groups, organising agriculturallabourers, providing relief during floods and so on.Those three years of working with rural Dalits at aface-to-face, everyday level were really instrumentalin developing my interest in Dalit issues, includingDalit theology. Later, I went to the USA for mydoctoral studies in religion. There was a lot ofopenness there regarding popular religion, and sothat`s how I decided to study Dalit religion andliberation theology.
Q: In the course of your studies, what did youdiscover?
A: To put it very briefly, I found that there is asolid basis to argue that Dalit religion is not thesame as Hindu religion, as Hindutva ideologues wouldinsist, although it is certainly interactive with it.On the other hand, some see Dalit religion as acomplete counter-culture or counter-religion neatlydivided from Hinduism, but that`s not how I see it. Inmy view there is a symbolic interaction between thetwo forms that comes about in such a way that thesubjectivity of the Dalits is written into theirsymbolic world-view. Most of my work lifts up theresistive and constructive elements of Dalit religion,but not simply as either a counter to BrahminicHinduism or its `other` face.
Q: How does Dalit theology differ from liberationtheology as it has developed in South America?
A: Dalit Christian theology actually developed in thewake of the emergence of liberation theology in SouthAmerica and black theology in the USA. All thesetheologies are a counter to the colonialist, westernChristian theology, which is highly individualisticand does not take history, especially that of theoppressed, seriously. But what marks Dalit Christiantheology out is the centrality it gives to thequestion of caste and caste oppression, which isunique to India. Caste is an important category inDalit Christian theology in analysing socialoppression. This should be seen in the light of thefact that the leadership of the Indian ChristianChurch sought to convince its own members thateveryone was equal in Jesus Christ, that we are allpart of the body of Christ, despite the existence ofgross discrimination against the Dalits inside theChurch itself. What Dalit theology began to do was toforce the Church to recognise this discrimination andoppression of the Dalit Christians.
Q: What about the role of the Dalit experience indeveloping Dalit theology?
A: Yes, that has been central, too. A.P. Nirmal usesthe term `pain-pathos` to describe this, and he seesthis as the basis of constructing Dalit theology. Andthis argument of God being preferentially intertwinedwith the lives, experiences and struggles of theDalits was seen as the source of Dalit theology. Sothe message that was put across very forcefully wasthat a genuinely Indian Christian theology was notsimply about celebration and joy, but was also rootedin the sufferings of the Dalits.
Q: Does the question of Dalit pride, in terms of apositive affirmation of Dalit identity, play a centralrole in Dalit theology?
A: It certainly does. Dalit theology affirms theidentity of the Dalits before God as people among whomGod is working for struggling against oppression. Herethe role of affirming pride in terms of who they seethemselves as in God`s eyes is central. This givesthem ammunition to place their identity with pridebefore the wider human community.
Q: Has Dalit Christian theology managed to emerge as amass movement or is it still restricted largely to thefour walls of the seminaries?
A: It is difficult to answer that question in explicitterms. Today, many Dalit communities are beginning tofeel empowered by claiming their Dalit-ness and usingthat as a means of protesting against iniquitousChurch structures as well as a means for expressingtheir identities and their special relationship withGod. On the other hand, many Dalit Christiansthemselves have not responded positively to theemergence of Dalit theology. They say, "We embracedChristianity primarily to escape our Dalit identity,so why are you trying to impose it on us again?". Theysay that they are now Christians and so have nothingto do with the Dalits. In other words, you have bothsorts of reactions to Dalit theology from DalitChristians. And then there are some Dalit Christianswho say that much of this theological business is ofno relevance for the common masses. They say, "You sitaround in seminaries and get free trips abroad forconferences to talk about Dalit theology, but wereally do not get to share in all that". Now this sortof reaction is a protest against the ways in whichDalit theology is being done, but it is also aknowledgeable protest. It comes from Dalit Christianswho identify themselves as Dalits in order to makethis critique.
Q: Are the reflections that are emerging from DalitChristian formulations being preached to Christiancongregations from the pulpits of the churches?
A: I should hope that this is being done, but,frankly, very little follow-up work has been donethere. One of the main reasons is the apathy ofinfluential Church leaders, most of whom are ofso-called `upper` caste background. I see the role ofDalit Christian theology as challenging the structuresof the status quo, both within as well as outside theChurch, which are primarily casteist. That is itsprophetic function based on what we believe thatChurch should be. This is the task of unveiling thestructures of power that are putting on a mask ofneutrality to hide the operation of caste within theChurch but are still using the power of caste in waysthat are unjust. Dalit theology has another importantrole--that of empowering Dalit communities to reclaimtheir positionality in a way that could lead them tobring out their own experiences and express them intheir own symbolic modes. This would add strength totheir struggle for empowerment and for a more equaldistribution of power and resources. And this isactually happening today, through a networking of manyresistive forces, of which Dalit Christian theology isone. This is part of the general awakening of thebroader Dalit community.
Q: Why has so little been written on liberationtheology by non-Christian Dalits so far?
A: That I cannot say, but perhaps that is due to thefact that there are actually relatively very few Dalitwriters, although their number today is certainly morethan a decade ago. Further, a question that must beasked here is whether the modality of writing in andof itself has historically been more geared to certaincastes than to others. Denied access to writing andeducation for centuries, the Dalits have expressedthemselves, their pains and their struggles primarilythrough oral traditions, folk tales, songs, etc..
Q: Do you think non-Dalits can write Dalit theology?
A: I myself am not a Dalit, so in terms of what itmeans to reflect on Dalit `pain-pathos` I cannotreally write Dalit theology myself. However, what I,as a non-Dalit, can do is to interrogate the writingsof Dalit theologians and lift up offerings from theDalit communities that could form importantingredients of a Dalit liberationist perspective. Inother words, at the very most I, as a non-Dalit, cansimply be a facilitator of the process of developingDalit theology. So, I would not call myself a Dalittheologian, but simply a theologian who writes aboutDalits and Christianity. What I want to stress here isthat the Dalit Christians must be careful not to beco-opted by caste Christians. They must not let casteChristians appoint themselves as their spokesmen totell the world what Dalit theology is all about.
Q: What impact has the development of Dalit Christiantheology had on the thinking of non-Christian Dalits?
A: Not much, I guess. I`m associated with a forumcalled Scholars for Social Justice, which includesmany non-Christian Dalit academics. They do not knowmuch about Dalit Christian theology, although they areaware that there is this fervour in the Christiancommunity because the Christians have started puttinga lot of money into arranging Dalit conferences.
Q: What role does Ambedkar play in Dalit Christiantheology?
A: What we share with Ambedkar, and what needs to beresurrected today, is the potency, value andusefulness of religion as a symbolic framework. Thiscomes out very strongly in Ambedkar. Ambedkar believedthat true liberation for the Dalits was not possiblewithout religious change, or, in other words, areinterpretation of who the Dalits were. So, in thislink between religion and social emancipation, DalitChristian theology and Ambedkarism share much incommon. Where the two might differ is on the questionof the world-view of the Dalits themselves, somethingthat Ambedkar does not really explore. It almost seemsthat he believed that it was completely overwhelmed bythe dominant Hindu ethos. But what recentanthropological studies have done is to look a the"good sense" preserved in the world-views of Dalitcommunities that are not just fragment of Brahminicalschema. This suggests the possibility of retrievingliberative elements from the world-views of the Dalitsthemselves while constructing a Dalit liberationtheology.
This "good sense" to be found in Dalit world-views isto be distinguished from what Gramsci calls "commonsense"-- something that is placed hegemonically on thedominated. I do this in my discussion of the role ofthe drum in Dalit religion in my book on Dalittheology. There I show that according to some the drumis simply a Brahminical design or device to force theDalit drummers to reiterate their low status, becausewith the drum they had to deal with the skin of deadanimals, which was considered a source of "pollution".But you can twist that around and consider thesubjectivity of the Dalit drummers themselves. In acontext where they were completely denied access tothe written word, where all communication was centredround the temple which they could not enter, here youhave a people who, based on what they do every day,can pick up an instrument and use it in such a waythat it starts mediating, just like the scriptures do,between them and God.
Q: How does Dalit Christian theology see the questionof religious conversion?
A: I think here we share a lot in common withAmbedkar. Conversion of Dalits to religions likeSikhism, Buddhism, Islam or Christianity has beenabove all a protest against Hinduism and its castestructures. So, it`s more of a social issue than anindividual quest for spiritual truth. Gandhi sawconversion of Dalits to non-Hindu religions as simplya result of Dalit "vulnerability" and "gullibility".Ambedkar, however, strongly refuted Gandhi, sayingthat in converting to another religion, the Dalitshave consistently, consciously and collectively made adecision based on what they have been denied byHinduism and what they are going to get by joininganother community. His point was that religion andreligious conversion is a social phenomenon and thatnot everybody needs to jump for joy in their hearts inorder to be convinced of something. In India, saysAmbedkar, religion has always been a socialphenomenon, and he says that the Dalits will usewhatever it takes, including change of religion, to beconverted into what it means for the Dalits to be mosthuman. The highly individualistic way of looking atreligious conversion is really a Brahminic way ofperceiving things, which is very different from howDalits have seen it---as a means of social liberation.As Ambedkar did, we need to counter the whole ideathat the Dalits are passive, dumb and easily misledinto conversion. That really disrespects theirhumanity. We need to see how conversion has been usedby them as a powerful means of critiquing andchallenging the structures of "upper" castedomination. But at the same time, we need to be awareof the fact that even after their conversion, theDalits have continued to suffer discrimination. In thecase of Dalit Christians, the oppression is from thewider society as well as from within the Christiancommunity itself.
Q: Many Dalit communities have sought to shed theirDalit-ness by claiming a higher caste status forthemselves and adopting the practices and beliefsassociated with Brahminic Hinduism. What do you feelare the potentials and limitations of this form of thequest for upward social mobility?
A: This process, called Sanskritisation bysociologists, has never succeeded in taking the Dalitsforward, and so to my mind, it should be unveiled ancountered. It only further divides the Dalits andstrengthens the caste system and Brahminism. Frankly,today this strategy will not work because there are noincentives for that, because in politics and in theeconomic sphere the Dalits are now finding that it infact pays to assert, rather than deny, their Dalitidentity. So, as I see it, the trend is towardsassertion of Dalit pride, and reclaiming andgalvanising their identities. That was the path takenby Ambedkar, and I really feel that that is the wayforward.
Q: But what dangers do you see to the Dalit movementfrom the process of Sanskritisation?
A: Primarily, Sanskritisation threatens to co-opt theDalits into a hegemonic Brahminic system, where theywill still be at the bottom of the heap. You will findthat there is almost no debate in Hindu circles at allon what caste or varnashrama dharma ought to mean. Andhere, too, is the immense danger that the Dalitliberation project faces from Hindutva. The Hindutvaagenda is concerned, above all, to weave together thewhole country into an ordered organism with BrahminicHinduism at its heart, disciplining anyone who daresto dissent. This disciplining will be primarilydirected against social groups such as Dalits,tribals, Christians, Muslims and others who arepushing for the recognition of their own ontologicaldifferences in order to improve their social andeconomic positions.


Leave A Comment &Share Your Insights

postCount('sikand071007');
Comments
Comment Policy

digg_url = 'http://countercurrents.org/sikand071007.htm';
Digg it! And spread the word!
Here is a unique chance to help this article to be read by thousands of people more. You just Digg it, and it will appear in the home page of Digg.com and thousands more will read it. Digg is nothing but an vote, the article with most votes will go to the top of the page. So, as you read just give a digg and help thousands more to read this article.
Send this page to a friend');
}
else { document.write('Send this page to a friend');
}
// End -->
Send this page to a friend



Get CC HeadlinesOn your Desk Top
Subscribe ToSustain Us

Search Our Archive



16 Online Users