Gail Omvedt

Gail Omvedt (2 August 1941 – 25 August 2021) was an American-born Indian sociologist and human rights activist.[1][2][3][4] She was a prolific writer and published numerous books on the anti-caste movement, Dalit politics, and women's struggles in India. Omvedt was involved in Dalit and anti-caste movements, environmental, farmers' and women's movements, especially with rural women.

Gail Omvedt
Born(1941-08-02)2 August 1941
Minneapolis, Minnesota,
United States
Died25 August 2021(2021-08-25) (aged 80)
Kasegaon, Sangli District, Maharashtra, India
OccupationWriter, essayist, activist
Alma materCarleton College
University of California, Berkeley
Period1970–2021
Notable works
  • Dalits and the Democratic Revolution
  • Seeking Begumpura
  • We Shall Smash this Prison: Indian Women in Struggle
  • Reinventing Revolution: New Social Movements and the Socialist Tradition in India
Notable awardsDr. Ambedkar Chetna Award, Manavwadi Rachna Manch Punjab, August 2003, Savitribai Phule Puraskar, Padmashri Kavivarya Narayan Surve Sarvajanik Vacanalay, Nashik, 2002
Spouse
​
(m. 1976)​
ChildrenPrachi Patankar (daughter)
RelativesIndumati Babuji Patankar (mother-in-law)

Omvedt's dissertation was titled Cultural Revolt in a Colonial Society: The Non-Brahman Movement in Western India, 1873-1930.

Omvedt's academic writing includes numerous books and articles on class, caste and gender issues. Besides undertaking many research projects, she was a consultant for FAO, UNDP and NOVIB and served as a Dr Ambedkar Chair Professor at NISWASS in Orissa, a professor of sociology at the University of Pune and an Asian guest professor at the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, Copenhagen. She was a senior fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and research director of the Krantivir Babuji Patankar Sanstha.

Biography

Gail Omvedt was born in Minneapolis, and studied at Carleton College and at UC Berkeley where she earned her PhD in sociology in 1973. When she went to India for the first time in 1963~64, she was an English tutor on a Fulbright Fellowship.[5] Omveldt again came to India for research in the 1970s. At that time she met her future husband, Bharat Patankar, and his social activist mother, Indumati Patankar. After marrying Bharat, she lived with her husband and his extended family in a village called Kasegaon in Indian state of Maharashtra.[6] She became an Indian citizen in 1983.

In the years before her death she was working as a consulting sociologist on gender, environment and rural development, for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Oxfam Novib (NOVIB) and other institutions. She was a consultant for UN agencies and NGOs, served as a Dr. Ambedkar Chair Professor at NISWASS in Orissa, a professor of sociology at the University of Pune, as Asian guest professor at the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, Copenhagen and as a senior fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. She was a visiting professor and coordinator, school of social justice, University of Pune, and a fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. Gail Omvedt was a former chair professor for the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair of Social Change and Development at IGNOU. Omvedt died on 25 August 2021 in Maharashtra at the age of 80.[7][8][9]

Activism

Omvedt worked with social movements in India, including the Dalit and anti-caste movements, environmental movements, farmers' movements and especially with rural women. She was active in Shramik Mukti Dal, Stri Mukti Sangarsh Chalval which works on issues of abandoned women in Sangli and Satara districts of southern Maharashtra, and the Shetkari Mahila Aghadi, which works on issues of women's land rights and political power.[10]

Views

Gail Omvedt was an Ambedkarite scholar who contributed immensely to the anti-caste movement.[11][12][13][14][15][16] Omvedt was critical of the religious scriptures of Hinduism (or what she specifically regarded as "brahminism") for what she argued is their promotion of a caste-based society.

In addition to her criticism of their purported advocacy for the caste-system, Omvedt also dismissed the Hindu tradition of venerating the Vedas as holy. In a 2000 open letter published in The Hindu addressed to then-BJP President Bangaru Laxman, she gave her perspective on the Rigveda:

As for the Vedas, they are impressive books, especially the Rg Veda. But to take them as something holy? Read them for yourself! Most of the hymns are for success in war, cattle- stealing, love-making and the like. They celebrate conquest; the hymns about Indra and Vrtra sound suspiciously as if the Aryans were responsible for smashing dams built by the Indus valley people; though archeologists tell us there is no evidence for direct destruction by "Aryan invasion", the Rg Veda gives evidence of enmity between the Aryans and those they called dasyus, panis and the like.[17]

Omvedt posits that Hindutva groups foster an ethnic definition of Hinduism based on geography, ancestry and heritage in order to create a solidarity amongst various castes, despite the prevalence of caste-based discrimination.[18]

Omvedt endorsed the stand taken by Dalit activists at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism that caste discrimination is similar to racism in regarding discriminated groups as "biologically inferior and socially dangerous".[18]

She called the United States a "racist country" and has advocated for affirmative action; however, she compared American positive-discrimination policies favorably to those of India, stating:

It is a sad comment on the state of Indian industrialists' social consciousness that such discussions have begun in an organised way in the U.S. before they have been thought of in India itself. [19]

and, with respect to perceptions of "group performance", in the United States and India, Omvedt wrote:

Whereas the U.S. debate assumes an overall equal distribution of capacity among social groups, in India the assumption seems to be that the unequal showing of different caste groups on examinations, in education, etc. is a result of actual different capacities.

She on occasion supported big-dam projects[20] and GMO crops.[21][22]

Controversy and criticism

Andre Beteille's criticism

Omvedt's portrayal of caste-discrimination and violence as forms of "racism" was opposed by the Indian government[23] and sociologists in India, including Andre Beteille, who while acknowledging that discrimination exists, deeply opposed treating caste as a form of racism "simply to protect against prejudice and discrimination", describing such attempts as "politically mischievous" and "worse, scientifically nonsense".[24][25] Beteille argues (that):

In the past, some groups claimed superior rights on the ground that they belonged to the Aryan race or the Teutonic race. The anthropologists rejected such claims on two grounds: first, on the ground that within the same human species no race is superior to any other; but also on the ground that there is no such thing as an Aryan race or a Teutonic race. We cannot throw out the concept of race by the front door when it is misused for asserting social superiority and bring it in again through the back door to misuse it in the cause of the oppressed. The metaphor of race is a dangerous weapon whether it is used for asserting white supremacy or for making demands on behalf of disadvantaged groups.[26]

Marxist critique

Omvedt was criticized for a perceived "anti-statist" bias in her writing as well as "neo-liberal" economic sympathies. Scholars have also questioned the sincerity of her claims regarding the "authenticity" of her work, writing:[27]

In this paragraph, Omvedt is transformed from dangerous American outsider to revolutionary insider, player of a song proclaiming: 'We will cut the throats of the rich!' The chapter strategically ends with these words, which, written and sung though they are by anonymous labourers, can be heard only through Omvedt's (technological) agency. The rest, as they say, is history. The remainder of the book unsubtly suggests what Omvedt does not say explicitly--that she has accepted the leadership role thrust upon her by the initially skeptical masses.

Works

Omvedt's dissertation was on Cultural Revolt in a Colonial Society: The NonBrahman Movement in Western India, 1873-1930 (reprint of 1976 book) (New Delhi, Manohar, 2011).

Omvedt's academic writing includes numerous books and articles on class, caste and gender issues, most notably:[28]

  • Cultural Revolt in a Colonial Society: The NonBrahman Movement in Maharashtra (Scientific Socialist Education Trust, 1966)
  • "We Will Smash This Prison!.: Indian Women in Struggle " (Zed, 1980)
  • "Violence Against Women: New Movements And New Theories In India" (Kali for Women, 1991)
  • Reinventing Revolution: New Social Movements in India (M.E. Sharpe, 1993)
  • Gender and Technology: Emerging Asian Visions (1994)
  • Dalits And The Democratic Revolution: Dr. Ambedkar And The Dalit Movement In Colonial India (Sage India, 1994)
  • Dalit Visions: the Anticaste movement and Indian Cultural Identity (Orient Longman, 1995)
  • Growing Up Untouchable: A Dalit Autobiography (Rowman and Littlefield, 2000)
  • Buddhism in India : Challenging Brahmanism and Caste (SageIndia, 2003)
  • "Ambedkar: Towards an Enlightened India " (Penguin, 2005)
  • Seeking Begumpura: The Social Vision of Anticaste Intellectuals (New Delhi, Navayana, 2009)
  • "Understanding Caste: From Buddha To Ambedkar And Beyond" (New Delhi: Orient Blackswan, 2011)
  • Songs of Tukoba with Bharat Patankar she has published (translations) (Manohar, 2012)
  • Jotirao Phule and the Ideology of Social Revolution in India[29]

Awards
  • Honorary Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, 1964–65[30]
  • Fulbright Fellowship as Tutor in English in India, 1963-1964[5]
  • University of California Graduate Fellowships, 1964–65, 1965–66[30]
  • American Institute of Indian Studies, Junior Fellowship for PhD research in India on "The NonBrahman Movement in Maharashtra," January–December 1971[30]
  • American Association of University Women, Fellowship for research on "Women's Movement in India," January–December 1975[30]
  • Savitribai Phule Puraskar, Padmashri Kavivarya Narayan Surve Sarvajanik Vacanalay, Nashik, 2002[10]
  • Dr. Ambedkar Chetna Award, Manavwadi Rachna Manch Punjab, August 2003[10]
  • ABP Majha Sanman Purskar, 2012[30]
  • Matoshree Bhimabai Ambedkar Award (2012)[10]
  • Vitthal Ramji Shinde Award, April 2015[30]
  • Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Sociological Society, 2018[31][32]

See also

References
  1. Dutt, Yashica. "Long Live Comrade Gail". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  2. "India Will Remember Gail Omvedt Forever". The Wire. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  3. BAVADAM, LYLA. "Gail Omvedt, voice of Dalits, passes away". Frontline. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  4. Yengde, Suraj (25 August 2021). "Gail Omvedt took caste to global audience that was fed only a Brahminical point of view". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. Vinoth Kumar, N (25 August 2021). "Gail Omvedt: Revolutionary activist who fought passionately for Dalit rights". The Federal. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  6. "Gail Omvedt, social researcher and activist, dies at 81". The Indian Express. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  7. Yasir, Sameer (1 September 2021). "Gail Omvedt, 80, Dies; India Became Her Home, the Caste System Her Cause". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  8. "US-born Dalit scholar Gail Omvedt passes away in Sangli | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  9. Deshpande, Alok (25 August 2021). "Researcher, author Gail Omvedt passes away". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  10. IANS (25 August 2021). "US-born Dalit scholar Gail Omvedt passes away in Maharashtra's Sangli". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  11. "Scholar, Ambedkarite movement activist Gail Omvedt dies at 81". Hindustan Times. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  12. "In Merging Scholarship and Activism, Gail Omvedt Made Academic Research Accessible for All". The Wire. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  13. Bhalerao, Mansi (30 August 2021). "A Tribute To Gail Omvedt: The Author Who Re-Envisaged 'Begumpura'". Feminism In India. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  14. Service, Tribune News. "Gail Omvedt: She gave us insight into anti-caste ideology". Tribuneindia News Service. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  15. Scroll Staff. "Author, human rights activist Gail Omvedt dies at 81". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  16. "How Gail Omvedt was embraced by Dalit-Bahujan communities". 31 August 2021. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  17. Omvedt, Gail (11 October 2000). "An open letter to Bangaru Laxman - II". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  18. Gail Omvedt, Hindutva and ethnicity[Usurped!], The Hindu, 25 February 2003
  19. Gail Omvedt, Mythologies of Merit, Outlook, Aug 29, 2003 (requires registration)(Convenience link) Archived 18 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  20. "Gail Omvedt, Open Letter To Arundhathi Roy". Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2006.
  21. Gail Omvedt, Burning Farmer's Fields (Part 1), The Hindu, 9 November 2010,
  22. Gail Omvedt, Burning Farmer's Fields (Part 2), The Hindu, 10 November 2010,
  23. An Untouchable Subject?, NPR, 29 August 2001 Archived 28 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  24. Discrimination that must be cast away[Usurped!],The Hindu, 3 June 2001
  25. Andre Béteille, Race and caste, The Hindu, 10 March 2001 Archived 28 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  26. AndreBeteille (13 May 2006). Ideology & Social Science. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-93-5214-157-9. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  27. SAPs, Dust, and Hot Air: Gail Omvedt and Liberalization, Ghadar, 1 November 1998 Archived 11 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  28. "Books by Gail Omvedt". Archived from the original on 23 January 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  29. Omvedt, Gail (11 September 1971). "Jotirao Phule and the Ideology of Social Revolution in India". Economic and Political Weekly.
  30. "Bharat Patankar's Wife Gail Omvedt Passes Away". Sakshi Post. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  31. "Lifetime Achievement Awards". insoso.org. Indian Sociological Conference. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021. So far the Life-Time Achievement Award has been given to: 1) ... 36) Prof. Gail Omvedt 37) ...
  32. "44th All-India Sociological Conference begins in Mysuru". The Hindu. 28 December 2018. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021. Sociologist and scholar Gail Omvedt said on Thursday that the world was going through a period of turmoil, with democracies being trampled by the State in various countries. She was speaking after receiving the lifetime achievement award presented on the first day of the 44th All-India Sociological Conference at St. Philomena's College here.
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