Priya Jain (Against the motion)
The digital world is opening new paths for Dalit politics and connecting the youth of the community in new ways. Mobilisations that have previously been limited to a few urban areas only, are now widely spreading across various areas as well. Does this mean social media plays a crucial role in Dalit mobilisation? Without a doubt, social media has enhanced the voice of Dalits in the public discourse, but a few lessons offered by experiences of digital empowerment from the rest of the world require consideration. One such lesson suggests that unequal access to the digital universe can privilege some voices over others. In my standpoint of view, I shall argue that despite digital Dalit activism, the transformative effects regarding #DalitLivesMatter digital footprint remains limited. My argument shall explore how printed novels are more creative than the Twitter/Instagram/Facebook stories.
Dalit literature has been one of the most important literary movements to emerge in post- independence. Literary depictions of the experiences of marginalized groups have gained major significance in contemporary times, when issues related to gender and caste violence have been under critical focus. The recent increase in Dalit printed novels like, Dalit Feminist Theory: A Reader, Suraj Yengde’s Book: Caste Matters, from a Shepherd Boy to an Intellectual: My Memoirs by Kancha Ilaiah, etc. brings to the forefront the experiences of social stratification among the Dalit community, whose voices have long been silenced. Words are used as weapons to express their trauma as well as rage against the caste system and societal evils. Overall, Dalit printed novels gives a message about their community. Even graphic novels play an essential role, with regards to creativity juxtaposed with dissent. For instance, No laughing matter: The Ambedkar Cartoon written by Unnamti Syama Sundar focuses on Dalit oppression, through personal issues. Bhimayana, the graphic novel written by Srividya Natarajan and S. Anand, is an account based on the experiences of untouchability and oppression faced by B.R. Ambedkar. The book is filled with Gond artwork by Durgabai Vyam and Subash Vyam. Originating in a marginalised Adivasi community, Gond art plays a powerful role in voicing the stories of oppression and activism in ‘Bhimayana.’
Radical activism on the ‘new’ media fosters ‘digital divide’ therefore, symbolic of what Bourdieu calls ‘cultural capital’. In fact, the student activists — who have themselves taken recourse to digital activism, often question the liberatory aspects, in Judith Butler’s (1997) words, the ‘post liberatory’ subjectivity mainly characterized by the New Media. Most Dalits remain untouched by the growth of social media. Three-fourths of Dalits, even today, reside in rural India, and among those who are urban residents, many lack internet access. The digitally
empowered Dalits are more likely to be city dwellers and with a higher socioeconomic status. With the availability of cheaper smartphones, these constraints will hopefully lift. The term “slacktivism” has been revived and used by critics such as Morozov (2009) and White (2010) to negatively compare online civic activism as mere posturing.
The social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have options to Retweet or repost, which dismantles the ongoing process of creation, hence limiting the creativity. These platforms also have a limit on how much you can write, which is not in the case of printed novels, wherein a Dalit can talk about their oppression lucidly.
There is also a certain kind of censorship in social media. In the political sphere, the rise of political bots has created a new layer of computational propaganda on social life, gaining newfound influence on the shaping of public opinion. This has blurred lines between genuine and fake political audiences. Hence, #dalitlivesmatter was dominated by #alllivesmatter and when the counter public called out the atrocities faced by Dalits through the upper caste, the upper caste was quick enough to create a new discourse. The upper caste’s superior narrative that not all upper caste practice untouchability overtook the #dalitlivesmatter narrative. Hence, due to social media being more a quick medium; inculcates a passive aggressive discourse; in turn dehumanising the #dalitlivesmatter. Hence, printed novels are a more creative medium; since they can be interpreted in different ways, and one can read between the lines. The printed novels are longer lasting, whereas hashtags tend to fizzle out more quickly.
