Dear reader,
I have been busy last couple of months so we haven’t been able to publish much in that time period. But thank you so much for all your love: we have more than 500 subscribers to this newsletter now.
You don’t wanna miss
Remembering the emancipatory ideals of Savitribai Phule
January is an important month for the Satyashodhak because Savitribai Phule was born on January 3, 1831. Phule was not just a phenomenal teacher, she was also a revolutionary activist. On the occasion of her birth anniversary, Damni Kain chronicled her life and work.
Do also read
मुकुंदराव पाटील: ग्रामीण पत्रकारितेचा आद्य तपस्वी
In case you missed
A first-person account about Savitribai Phule
Savitribai Phule was a revolutionary figure from 19th century. The first-person account by Govind Kale, who lived with Savitribai and Jotirao Phule in the 1880s, is very important because it brings Savitribai’s personality in front of our eyes quite vividly. This particular excerpt is part of a longer essay published in 1928 and was translated to English from Marathi by Sonali Kale.
My recommendations
Satyendra More. The Memoirs of a Dalit Communist: The Many Worlds of R.B. More
This paper is a review of R B More’s autobiography, which has recently been translated to English from Marathi. R B More was Babasaheb Ambedkar’s associate in Mahad Satyagraha before joining communist party full-time. The paper critically engages with various claims in the book as well as certain acts of commission and omission by the editors, translators, publishers, etc. If someone is interested in intersections between Ambedkarite movement and the left movement, I’d highly recommend reading this review.
I would also like to deviate from the format and recommend two recently launched projects in this edition.
Ambedkar International Center Authors Lab
Ambedkar International Centre (AIC) has started this project to encourage writers from Bahujan communities. The AIC will award prizes worth USD500/each to three submissions with the most potential to be made into books. The selected participants will also receive one on one mentoring from Sujatha Gidla and Gaurav Pathania. The last date to submit the application is March 14. I am part of this initiative as one of the reviewers.
CEDE (Community for the Eradication of Discrimination in Education)
CEDE is a network of lawyers, law firms, judges, and other organisations and individuals, who are committed towards reforming the Indian legal profession. Disha Wadekar, Anurag Bhaskar and Avinash Mathews are the people behind this project. If you are a lawyer or a Bahujan student studying law, I would highly recommend getting in touch with them.
I hope you enjoyed reading this newsletter. Do follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.
With love,
Tejas Harad