“Social media gives us the opportunity to reclaim a free, unbiased space to express our struggles, our stories,” said 30-year-old Bahujan poet Yogesh Maitreya, who uses his Instagram page to talk about caste, love, and discrimination.
Not just him, several young Bahujan artists, musicians and poets are taking to social media, especially Instagram, to talk about Dalit issues, reminisce Ambedkar-Phule’s teachings and register their dissent against caste oppression, through their art.
“Looking at the politics and the fabric of Indian media, it is mostly dominated by Savarnas. They decide the gaze, the perspective on all social issues. Dalits have their own space to express themselves freely on social media. We started asserting our work, our identity and gradually garnering attention and recognition,” says Maitreya, who owns a publication dealing with Dalit literature.
A study in 2019 had revealed startling data on how Indian media – spanning TV, newspapers and digital media…