Mapping Dalits: Contemporary Reality and Future Prospects in Punjab

Book Details

• Author: Paramjit S. Judge

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 2009

• ISBN: 8131602680

• Binding: Hardcover

• Pages: 240

• Cover: Hardcover

• Package Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches

About the Book
Social Mobility of Dalits in Punjab explores the evolving social mobility patterns of Dalits in rural and urban Punjab, focusing on four critical dimensions: education, empowerment, emigration, and entrepreneurship. While Punjab is often seen as free from the acute caste-based inequalities and atrocities common in other Indian states, the caste system continues to persist in the daily lives of Punjabis.

Despite visible changes among the Dalits, not all castes within this marginalized group have successfully transformed their social and economic status. More mobile groups, such as the Ad-Dharmis, have developed their own distinct, insulated worlds where the Dalit identity is deeply intertwined with self-perception. Urban Dalits have experienced rapid social and political changes, especially in local empowerment, but some aspects of their social lives, including caste-based beliefs, remain resistant to transformation. One such example is their continued preference for caste endogamy, and the emphasis on caste identity, especially under the influence of the Bahujan Samaj Party, presents a significant challenge to the idea of eliminating the caste system entirely.

This book provides an in-depth, empirical investigation of these dynamics, offering valuable insights into the changes and limitations experienced by Dalits in Punjab.

About the Author / Editor
Paramjit S. Judge is a Professor of Sociology and the Coordinator of the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. His research spans social movements, diaspora studies, and historical sociology. He has authored and published extensively, including works such as Insurrection to Agitation: Naxalite Movement in Punjab and Religion, Identity and Nationhood: The Sikh Militant Movement.

Gurpreet Bal is a Professor of Sociology and the Head of the Department of Sociology at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Her academic interests include development, sociology of literature, and sociology of work and entrepreneurship. She has co-edited works such as Development, Gender and Diaspora: Context of Globalisation and Reconstructing Identities.