• Swapan Kumar Sarkar

Since centuries, the human rights violation is one of the major problems of India. It is the caste based Indian society that promotes violation of Dalit human rights. Manu, the Hindu law giver laid down the rule that there are only four Varnas of the Hindus. They are Brahmins, Kahatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras. People outside these four Varnas are untouchables. These untouchables are known as the Dalits, who are economically, socially, politically exploited from centuries. The inhuman and barbaric practices committed against the Dalits, led them to protest against the caste –based hierarchical system of India that has divided Indian society on the basis of caste and gender. Dalit movement in India has its roots in the reformative Bhakti Movement. The Bhakti Movement was anti-caste, anti-elite, pro -women, pro-poor, anti-Sanskrit, and affirmed that genuine love of God was sufficient to find solutions to social problems. The movement attracted large numbers of the lower castes and poor, including women. Among the Bhakti saints, there were some who belonged to the Brahmin caste, who raised their voice against the social discrimination. Eknath was one of the Bhakti saints, who belonged to the Brahmin caste. Ramananda was the pioneer of Bhakti movement in India, who opened the door for religions for all sections of the society. Among his followers were Raidas, Kabir, Dhanasena, Pipa, Ghanna. All Bhakti saints aimed to established social inequality for the untouchables. The present paper is an attempt to analyse the role of the Bhakti movement in establishing a pattern of questioning the Hindu social order which later provided a platform for an organised Dalit Movement with a strong voice for social reforms.

Dalit, Bhakti, Discrimination, social, saints

"Bhaktism and Dalit in India: A Case Study", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no.522-524, April-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904C86.pdf

"Bhaktism and Dalit in India: A Case Study", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no. pp522-524, April-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904C86.pdf