Question 4:

What is the difference between Neo dalits and Pseudo Dalits?

ANSWER by Shekhar Bodhakar

Once you understand what the word "dalit" means, you will realize that the term "Neo-Dalit" makes no sense at all and mustn't  be used.

Dalit means ‘ground down’, or ‘broken to pieces’.


[Academic Ref]: Anupama Rao, Representing Dalit selfhood


the word 'DALIT" is an adjective, derived from the verb, ‘dalan’ meaning ‘oppression’ (but is often incorrectly used as a noun) and is, in proper context, used to describe:

ANY continually suppressed and downtrodden *PERSON*, mentally crushed and broken, who most likely would be a woman, minor, widow, divorcee, orphan, disabled person, labourer, a person from SC, ST , OBC or any other oppressed minority group.

A dalit, a continually suppressed victim of atrocities, could be a Brahmin who has been and still is unfairly treated in an inhumane way

(What is the exact meaning of hindi word Dalit?)

The term "PSEUDO DALIT is used to donate a person who, as per the dictionary definition of "dalit", is not really a dalit but, for whatever reason, prefers to call him/herself a dalit. 

Well to do academics, politician and entrepreneurs who call themselves dalits are really Pseudo-Dalits. 

~Shekhar Bodhakar

Also Read:

1. What is the Indian caste system and how does it work?

2. Why should Hindu Identity be given up?

3. What is the exact meaning of Hindi word, “Dalit”?

4. Do Dalits in India consider themselves Hindus?

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