Dalit Humanism, Literature and 'Technologies of Deification'

This paper attempts to analyse the plea for a social change made by the anti-caste movements in India, of which the dalit movement is perhaps considered the leading light. It tries to situate the aim of this movement for a better future against some of its own basic assumptions. The focus of this article is the ideology of communism, with the case of Annabhau Sathe, an acclaimed writer in Marathi who was also a communist. It also addresses the political repercussions of the depictions of Sathe as a leader merely of the Matang dalits.