DALIT MIGRANTS: ASSERTION, EMANCIPATION, AND SOCIAL CHANGE

Book Details:

• ISBN: 9783031778636

• Author: Ajeet Kumar Pankaj

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Binding: Hardback

• Number of Pages: 163

• Publication Year: 2025

• Sale Territory: India Only

About the Book
Dalit Migrants: Assertion, Emancipation, and Social Change offers a detailed exploration of the everyday experiences of Dalit migrants in urban settings, focusing on their access to welfare services and state institutions. The book delves into the complex issue of caste, particularly the challenges faced by Dalit migrants in terms of integration, and examines how the social work profession can help marginalized communities achieve better integration.

The text traces the migration of Dalits from rural areas to urban centers, a social and economic phenomenon driven by the search for better employment opportunities. Since Dalits' livelihoods in rural areas are often tied to their caste, urban migration is frequently a means of escaping caste-based occupational limitations. This book looks closely at how caste identity impacts the social mobility and integration of Dalit migrants in cities, shedding light on the ongoing struggles for emancipation and the role of the state in perpetuating or addressing exclusion.

Key themes covered include caste, migration, and the dynamic relationship between Dalit migrants and the state, as well as their assertion of rights and social change in cities.

Contents

• Introduction

• Mumbai/Bombay Migration, Caste, and Dalits

• Bhima Koregaon: Deconstruction, Construction, and Reconstruction of Dalit “Pride”

• Religion, Politics, and Ideology: Migration and Everyday Assertion

• Caste and Migration: The City – A Site for “Inclusion” and Emancipation

• Entitlement, Deprivation, and Basic Services: Everyday Experience of Dalit Migrants with the State

• Conclusion

About the Author / Editor
Ajeet Kumar Pankaj is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Regional Campus Manipur, India. He holds a Ph.D. from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai. His research interests span caste, migration, social exclusion, social policy, and community development. Dr. Pankaj has published extensively in national and international journals and has worked on projects related to migration and urbanization in sensitive areas like Kashmir and Manipur. He was a recipient of the DAAD Contact-Grant Fellowship for a research stint in Germany in 2017. Currently, his research is focused on the precarity of ‘gig migrant workers.’