Prema Jyothi
I notice Prema Jyothi at the advocacy training MRG is giving to Dalit organisations in Chennai, India, not just because she’s wearing a tracksuit rather than the traditional salwar kameez. Her self-confidence, conviction and determination to bring about change for Dalits is evident every time she stands up to speak.
More than one-sixth of India's population live a precarious existence, shunned by much of society because of their rank as Dalits (formerly known as ‘untouchables’) at the bottom of India's age-old caste system. Dalits are discriminated against, denied access to land, forced to work in degrading conditions, and routinely abused at the hands of the police and of higher-caste groups reluctant to let go of their privileges. In what has been called India’s “hidden apartheid,” entire villages and schools in many Indian states remain completely segregated by caste. A raft of national legislation and constitutional protections serve only to mask the societal discrimination and violence faced by Dalits on a daily basis.
Prema works as a District Coordinator with the Human Rights Forum for Dalit Liberation (HRFDL) in Bengaluru , Karnataka. HRFDL works on a diverse range of issues including land, fact finding for presentation of atrocity cases against Dalits, Dalit students, litigation, child development and provision of primary health centres.
However one of the key attributes of the organisation is that it upholds the values of gender equity and promotes Dalit women leadership through a transparent and participatory approach to its work. Prema tells me that her organisation rigidly sticks to its principles in this case and is committed to equality in gender representation at all levels.
Dalit women are routinely discriminated against not only because of their sex but also because of religious, social and cultural structures which have given them the lowest position in the social hierarchy. The stigma of ‘untouchability’ makes them especially vulnerable victims of all kinds of discriminations and atrocities. In areas of health, education, housing, employment and wages, application of legal rights, decision-making and political participation, and rural development, Dalit women have been almost entirely excluded from development policies and programmes. When I ask Prema how she overcame these tremendous obstacles she tells me her story...
As a little girl she always had high expectations of herself - when she was 11 she decided she’d like to be a doctor – however her parents were not able to afford the expensive school and medical college fees. Determined not to accept the same fate as her poorly-educated family, she continued to work hard at her studies and began to open her eyes “to the injustices faced by Dalit communities.” She was particularly angered by the conditions faced by Dalit women and it created what she calls “a revolution in my mind.” Her dreams (aided and abetted by her newfound interest in the writings of the late Dalit leader Dr. Ambedkar) soon changed from a career in medicine to becoming a community worker. When she was 18 her talents and commitment were soon spotted by HRFDL on a visit to her village, who went on to support her during her time at university.
Prema initially worked in the corporate sector as she was interested in studying how it dealt with India’s Scheduled Castes. The term Scheduled Castes (SC) by which Dalits are also called, refers to a list of socially deprived castes prepared by the British Government in 1935. The schedule of castes was intended to increase representation of SC members in the legislature, in government employment, and in university placement. SCs are also explicitly recognised by the Indian constitution and are protected under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Prema soon realised however that the corporate sector not only couldn’t provide her with job security she needed but also had no room for “revolutionary people” like her. After just a few months she left her job and began her 8-year career with HRFDL in order to use her “education to contribute to the community.”
Prema is particularly interested in supporting women and children in the field of education, and includes her parents and brothers in this, who support her “but are struggling.” She’s still young, and although of the marrying age, tells me, “I want to take my time before I get married; I have very high requirements of my future husband.” Whoever he may be he’ll certainly need to understand her passion and commitment to improve the lives of her fellow Dalits. I get the impression that somehow he will....
Interview by Emma Eastwood, MRG Media Officer