Dalit Shahirs Of Maharashtra

Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: In Suresh Bhat's ghazals, a fight against oppression

Suresh Bhat, who had failed his exams and faced humiliation because of a deformed leg, found the strength to fight because of the Ambedkarite literature he read

Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: Vilas Ghogare sang of Ambedkar with his iktara

Vilas Ghogare portrayed the dreadful life of the workers that he observed up close, since he was a worker himself in Mumbai. He also spoke of his life as a Dalit — a life that he had inherited.

Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: Arjun Hari Bhalerao's perseverance amid adversity

Despite creating a body of influential work and being one of the Dalit shahirs who took Ambedkar and his ideas to some of the most marginalised people in villages, Arjun Hari Bhalerao's work is still not known to many today

Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: How Vithhal Umap strove to keep the art form alive

Vitthal Umap almost rescued some of the old genres in the Shahiri tradition and tirelessly performed them to keep them alive

Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: B Kashinand's verses of optimism

Dalit shahir B Kashinand was optimistic, determined and a dreamer of the Prabuddha Bharath (Enlightened Bharath)

Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: Prahlad Shinde's dual approaches to music

Prahlad Shinde sang many of the Ambedkarite movement’s songs. But he also sang ‘devotional’ and ‘folk’ songs which brought him widespread popularity.

Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: Prakash Patankar's songs against caste

“Song is not a means of livelihood for me [sic]. It is a weapon to bring awareness in society,” Prakash Patankar said

Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: Nagorao Patankar's quest to reclaim history

The lyrics of a song that Nagorao Patankar performed in 1935 before BR Ambedkar went: "Dalito Ki Tawarikh/ Mulk Hindostan Se Pucho (The history of Dalits/ Ask the country called Hindostan)"

Dalit shahirs of Maharashtra: The unsung genius of Uttam Mule

Though his songs were popular and even sung by established singers, Uttam Mule was never given due credit