Dalit Festival at NLSIU
April 20, 2024
The Savitri Phule Ambedkar Caravan (SPAC), a student collective at NLSIU, organised the Dalit Festival 2024 to observe Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s Jayanti in April. Each year, the month of April is celebrated as Dalit History Month. Through this fest, SPAC aims to introduce the NLSIU student body to various facets of Dalit literature and Dalit life in general. The fest is centred around various facets of Dalit and other Bahujan cultures. This year, the Dalit Fest includes a series of events which began on the day of Ambedkar Jayanti (14th April) and will be spread out across the entire month. The series began with the following events:
Cultural Night and Open Mic (14th April) | OAB Quad: The fest started with a Cultural Night/Open Mic. Students at NLS were invited to share their talents in dance, music, poetry, and other genres at this open mic event. The night also featured a stand-up set by Ravi Gaikwad. Gaikwad is a stand-up comedian who tackles injustice and caste with humor and believes in using comedy as a political instrument.
Velivada: An Art Exhibition (15th – 19th April) | NAB Foyer: In its second edition, the art exhibition Velivada (a Telugu word meaning Dalit Ghetto), featured various Dalit artists- including Jithin Lal, Bao (thebigfatbao), Shrujana, and Sudharak Olwe. Some of the art works were displayed in the NAB Foyer till 19th April.
Movie Screening (17th April): The film ‘Kaakos’, a Tamil documentary directed by Divya Bharathi, was screened on campus as part of the Dalit Fest. This documentary has received acclaim for its unflinching portrayal of manual scavenging in India. The film was denied certification by the CBFC, following which, Bharathi had to release the movie on YouTube for free viewing.
Dalit Women Speak: A Discussion (19th April) | OAB 301: The week concluded with ‘Dalit Women Speak’, a discussion on the issues faced by Dalit women. The speaker for this session was Cynthia Stephen, who is known for having worked with women in India at the grassroot levels and is currently working as a consultant in the International Justice Mission Bengaluru.
Display of books at the NLSIU Library: Besides the Dalit Fest, the Shri Narayan Rao Melgiri Memorial National Law Library at NLSIU also hosted a special book display commemorating the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar from 14th to 19th April 2024. As part of this event, the Library displayed books focusing on the life, works, and contributions of Dr. Ambedkar. This collection included works authored by Dr. Ambedkar, as well as scholarly publications and resources exploring various facets of his legacy. This event was hosted with the intention to encourage members of the NLS community to engage with the literature, and reflect on the enduring relevance of Dr. Ambedkar’s teachings in today’s world.
Follow this page for further updates on past and upcoming events conducted during the month.
For more details related to the Dalit Fest, please reach out to Ravi Jonwar, Parul Bhushan or Aman Meena from SPAC.