• Dr. ANIL M SHENDE

The very first question that comes to our mind while studying Dalit Liberation Movement is Who is a Dalit? The confusion centres on the connotations of the word 'Dalit' which is originally used as a Marathi & Hindi translation of the British term 'Depressed Classes'. There are varieties of nomenclatures such as Untouchables, Harijans, Depressed Classes, Dalits, Servile Classes, Weaker Sections, Panchamas, Atishudras, Avamas, Antyajas and Scheduled Castes. The term 'Depressed Classes' refer to those castes, which belong to the lowest rung of the Hindu caste hierarchy and whose touch and proximity is considered polluting by the Caste Hindus. This was a British innovation from are article written by Dr. Annie Besant in the Indian Review, February 1909 with the caption 'The Uplift of the Depressed Classes. Further, the term 'Depressed Classes' was mentioned in the Census Report 1921, but the castes constituting the 'Depressed Classes' were not defined. The term 'Depressed Classes' was used before 1930, but since the enactment of Government of India Act 1935, they are consistently referred to as 'Scheduled Castes.'

caste, class, country, India, movement, people, report, revolution, religions

"A Study on DALIT LIBERATION MOVEMENT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no.885-887, April-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904R34.pdf

"A Study on DALIT LIBERATION MOVEMENT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no. pp885-887, April-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904R34.pdf