What is the literal meaning of “Dalit”?
Dalit is a Sanskrit word from the root dal, meaning “broken” or “crushed”. Dr B R Ambedkar or Jotiba Phule (1827-1890, a social reformer and revolutionary) are variously credited with using the word Dalit for untouchables, as broken victims of the caste system. In the 1970s, the Dalit Panther Movement (Maharashtra, India) adopted the term Dalit. Today, the word is widely used, especially by Dalit people themselves.
