Prof
Gail Omvedt has passed way on Wednesday the 25th of August 2021. We
have lost an authoritative voice on the dynamics of our contemporary movement
and society. Gail Omvedt is quite familiar name for almost all the organic
intellectuals and serious activists from Phule - Ambedkarite movement all over
the world. Gail herself was an organic intellectual par excellence and academic
activist with glaring intellectual integrity.
In the wake of Gail’s sad demise, there is an outpouring
of condolences and obituaries paying homage and commemorating her biographical account,
which is not less interesting and inspiring than a storyline of any heroic
saga. Gail’s journey from Minnesotta, USA to Kasegaon, Sangli from Maharashtra
, Her writings , her dedication to the
Bahujan cause through her relentless
social activism and social scientific knowledge production, Her rich oeuvre of
books and all are testimony of her core philoshophical historical –political
perspective of social life . The
principles she believed in till her last breadth could be seen the ideas ,
issues and ideologies she tackled in her writings such as Cultural revolt in colonial India, Seeking
Begampura, Buddhism in India, Dr .Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule, Dalit and
the Democratic Revolution, Understanding Caste, We Will Smash the Prison and New
Social Movement in India.
I
still remember my first meeting with Gail Omvedt in BAMCEF convention in 2003
in Hyderabad were I remember her talking on the vital importance of
institutional leadership rather than an individual leadership centred on any
meglomaniac. I also remember her insisting on uniting and getting brahminized,
Hinduized ST/SC and OBC on bahujan platfrom so as to free India from the
clutches of Brahmin-Bania nexus.
It
is not surprise that one of the greatest Bahujan leaders manyawar Kashiramji
compared Gail’s PhD thesis that was later on published as ‘Cultural Revolt in
Colonial India’ with Mao’s Red book. Red book was an essential reading and
reference book written by Mao Tse Tung for the Chinese activist during the Cultural
Revolution in China. Kanshiram ji insisted that every cadres should read this
book and carry it during fieldwork.
Besides
being a scholar and academic Gail was always in forefront of social activism
through Shramik Mukti Dal- an organization she cofounded to fight for the
rights of labourers from unorganized sector. Even her academic pursuits like
Babasaheb Ambedkar were in congruence with her social movement she was leading.
Gail’s contribution to the sociology of Indian society could be summarized in following lines. Her research based findings
highlighted that caste in India is proven resilient to the modernity and
democracy given the revived hegemony of Brahmin-Bania ruling castes nexus. Gail
believed that Babasaheb Ambedkars conversion to Buddhism was an essentially
revolutionary step towards annihilation of caste. However, Gail Omvedt’s
greatest contribution and intellectual integrity lies in reiterating that
against Brahminical varna based caste system only Bahujan thinkers, Bahujan
ideology, and its proponent can offer
the practical alternative for formation
of Casteless society in India .
Jai
Jyoti ! Jai Bheem ! Jai Bharat !!!
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