Dalit Panther
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Dalit Panthers
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|---|---|
| Leader | Bappusaheb Bhosale |
| Founder | Namdeo Dhasal and J. V. Pawar |
| Founded | 29 May 1972 |
| Ideology |
Dalit Socialism Anti-Brahminism Anti-Casteism Buddhist-Ideology |
Dalit Panthers is a social organisation that seeks to combat caste discrimination. It was founded by Namdeo Dhasal and J. V. Pawar on 29 May 1972 in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The movement saw its heyday in the 1970s and through the 1980s, and was later joined many Dalit-Buddhist activists.
The Dalit Panthers were inspired by the Black Panther Party, a socialist movement that sought to combat racial discrimination against African-Americans, during Civil Rights Movement in the United States, which occurred in the mid-20th century. The initiative to form the Dalit Panther Movement was taken up by Namdeo Dhasal, J. V. Pawar, and Arun Kamble in Bombay. They conceived the movement as a radical departure from earlier Dalit movements, due to its initial emphasis on militancy and revolutionary attitudes, akin to attitudes espoused by their Black American counterparts.
The Black Panther Party acknowledged and supported the Dalit Panthers through their Black Panther newspaper which circulated weekly worldwide from 1967-1980..
Most members were young men, some of whom were Neo-Buddhists. Most of the leaders were literary figures whose academic qualifications ranged from not having a basic education to master's degrees. The controversy over Raja Dhale's article titled "Kala Swatantrya Din" (Black Independence Day), published in Sadhana, the Dalit Panthers' official publication, on 15 August 1972, created a great sensation and built recognition for the Dalit Panthers through Maharashtra. The Panthers' support of Dhale during this controversy brought him into the movement and made him a prominent leader. As a result, branches of the Dalit Panther Party were established in many parts of Maharashtra, as well as other states, such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
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