The Dalit Panthers were an activist group behind the Dalit Panther Movement – a movement advocating for the rights of the ‘untouchables’, the bottom-most caste in India. Since ‘untouchables’ were not allowed access to printing, they self-printed their poems, short stories, and articles on scraps such as on the backs of bus tickets.
More information can be found here and here.
The work of the Dalit Panthers is being preserved by The Dalit Panther Archive. And in case you’re wondering, yes, they were inspired to protest by the Black Panthers in the US, which speaks about how one civil rights movement can spark another on the other side of the globe.
ADDC 401 Fall 2019 