Dalit Marxism

Introduction
Dalit Marxism is at first the recognition that the rational kernel of Marxism is inherently dalit. It is not a synthesis between Dalits and Marxists, nor a synthesis between 'dalitism' and Marxism. The first duty of Dalit Marxism is to liberate Marxism from savarna revisionism. If the failure of Marxism was to find its most revolutionary subjects, to materialise the idea, especially in South Asia, as it was first occupied and appropriated by the upper castes, that can only be resolved by making Marxism the revolutionary tool for Dalit liberation.
Marxism cannot grow without its most organic revolutionary subjects. No revolutionary theory can grow without being aligned with the cause of emancipation. Marxism in the service of Dalit emancipation is the emancipation of Marxism itself. The well-acclaimed "A Dalit Marxist Manifesto", by Chittibabu Padavala delineates what makes Dalit Marxism a distinct approach, by counterposing it with various Hindu versions of communism. The Manifesto states that "Dalit Marxism is not half-Marxist and half- Dalit. It is fully Marxist and fully Dalit. We are in no way keen on meeting our upper-caste comrade halfway. We are in the business of bringing Marxism back to where it belongs: lowest in stature and biggest in numbers of the Hindu society, the lower castes. This also means releasing Marxism from the shackles of upper-castes. Marxism can and must do better than being monopolized by the upper-castes and be abused as a tool for their upward/forward obsession. Not that upper-caste Communists do not mean to improve the world from what it is now. Some of them surely do. Only that it is easy for them to imagine a communist world than to their marginality in society. It somehow cannot be put into their minds that such pathological self-importance is a direct product and clearest expression of upper-caste privilege and upbringing."
The Current of Dalit Marxism
As a theoretical tendency, it is developed by and from the works of various anti-caste leaders, intellectuals and scholars. The Indian Left in general and the Indian communist parties in particular have always had a troublesome relationship with caste and especially with anti-caste movements. The politburos of communist parties are still mostly peopled with upper castes, so do the apex bodies of most parties in India. Dalit Marxism does not see it as problematic as these parties are structurally bound to be savanna parties. Therefore, one does not need to appeal to them, rather their role in perpetuating caste rule needs to be exposed.

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