Dalits and OBCs in Indian Democracy: Between Emancipation and Assertion
T. Santhi
Assistant Professor, PG & Research Department of History, Vellalar College for Women (Autonomous), , Erode638012
R. Rajeshwari
Assistant Professor, Department of History, Thanthai Periyar Govt. Arts and Science College (A),, Tiruchirappalli620 023, Affiliated to Bharathidasan University
This study examines the political and social assertion of Dalits and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in post-independence India, highlighting their transformative role in reshaping the country’s caste-driven power structures. The study traces the evolution of Dalit mobilisation from the Republican Party of India to the Dalit Panthers and the Bahujan Samaj Party, emphasizing shifts from symbolic resistance to strategic electoral politics. It contrasts this trajectory with the OBC assertion, which often stems from agrarian and intermediary caste groups that converted land-based power into political influence, particularly in North and South India. While Dalit movements seek dignity and citizenship rights rooted in historical exclusion, OBC mobilisation reflects a consolidation of emerging elites seeking broader representation. The paper also explores the role of Leftist movements and caste-based organisations in articulating class and caste grievances.
Keywords: Dalit assertion, OBC mobilisation, caste politics, affirmative action, electoral democracy, social justice, Ambedkarite movements.
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