STUDIES IN SOCIAL PROTEST

All over Rajasthan the low untouchable castes are organizing themselves to fight against inequality, discrimination and deprivation. They often agitate for their legitimate share in economic opportunities, educational privileges and political power. Widespread collective mobilization centred round such interests has led to social protests with defined ideologies and leadership, which have brought out significant changes in the community they originate.

This is a study of one of the dominating low untouchable castes—the Meghwals, earlier known as Chamars—in Rajasthan in the wider context of sociology of social movements. The focus of attention in the book is the Meghwals and their protests and movements in the erstwhile princely states of Rajaputana against the backdrop of two important changes witnessed in the then Marwar state in early 1916: a wave of Dalit assertion and grassroots activism. An attempt is made to analyze the genesis, growth, dynamics and socio-cultural and political consequences of the movement among the Meghwals of Rajasthan.

Perhaps the only scholarly work on the Meghwal movement in Rajasthan, it will be of immense interest to sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists and all those engaged in Dalit studies.

Shyamlal is Vice-Chancellor, Patna University, Patna. He was previously Vice-Chancellor of Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur and also acting Vice-Chancellor of University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. He also held the post of Chairman, Drafting Committee, Ambedkar Foundation, Department of Art, Literature and Culture, Government of Rajasthan. Earlier, he served as Professor and Head, Department of Sociology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur and Chairman, Institute of Social Research and Applied Anthropology, Calcutta. He has also been Director of Social Science Research Centre, University of Rajasthan for many years. He is the recipient of ICSSR’s Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Fellowship for 2003-04 and 2004-05.