Sunday, June 27, 2010
Breaking boundaries
September 15, 2010 3:13:46 PM
Chandrabhan Prasad
One of the supreme blockages Dalits face in breaking boundaries comes
from stereotypes woven around them. Typecasts around Dalits dampen
their self esteem, which limits their self belief. Some time back, I
had written that of the top ten Dalit owned businesses in Agra, eight
were in the non-leather segment, and five in the hotel business. On
that count, Agra Dalit businesses should be known for hotel industry.
But, in popular public imagery, Agra Dalits are known for their
specialisation in leather trade. This is what I call the Dalit
stereotype as this goes on to suggest that Dalits are expected to do
well in occupations associated with their social identity.
The recently concluded Pune Dalit Expo has expressively dealt with
many Dalit stereotypes. The participants in the Expo were expected to
be predominantly into leather industry. Many guest participants from
Delhi and elsewhere, who came to the Expo, were surprised to meet
Dalits builders, sugar millers, machine tool makers, and Dalits in
food and beverages industry. Above all, the Expo presented Dalit faces
who have successfully broken boundaries and entered into areas where
it was considered that only traditional players could shine. Dalits
are making their forays in the following areas:
n OICL: A software professional, Pratibha Kambale owns Oceanic
International Corporation Ltd, a BPO. Her clients are mostly British
companies. In her 100 plus strong workforce, she employs youth of all
castes. Pratibha is set to open an office in London. Pratibha comes
from an average Dalit middle class family with no previous business
history.
n Horizon: Vivek S Dolas owns Horizon, a Brain Development Academy
offering educational services. Brain Gym is one of their major
products. The Brain Development Program offers training in
concentration, memorising, insight, speed reading and information
processing. Highly technical and sophisticated, children of the rich
are Horizon's main client base.
n Krish: Inspired by the science fiction film, Satsul Sonawal started
this security equipment making company. With business operations
spread across India, Krish manufactures CCTVs, watches with spy
cameras, pens, neck , cameras, sunglasses and caps with spy cameras,
Biometric Door Access System, to name a few. Krish offers 40 highly
sophisticated electronic gadgets.
n Comsolve Mediatech Pvt Ltd: This Lalit Bansod owned company is a
service provider dealing in Internet Bandwidth, Internet Securities,
BPO, Video Conferencing etc. Maharashtra's major corporations are
Lalit's customers.
n Content: Sunil Mane's Content or Concept Communications Pvt Ltd is a
media solution company providing services such as Media Strategy,
Corporate Films, Public Relations, Media Management, Branding &
Promotions etc. Top corporate houses are Sunil's main customer base.
More than two dozen Dalit entrepreneurs I met at the Expo are in
businesses considered brainy and requiring soft skills. In all such
enterprises one need not inherit businesses from families, and neither
do such businesses require big capital. The most fundamental
requirement in these businesses is that the owner should be a
thoroughly skilled professional. Most of these Dalit entrepreneurs
come from humble families and none, to repeat, none has any previous
family history of business and enterprise. Also, most of the above
soft skill driven enterprises are non-traditional.
The Pune's Expo opened a new window to Dalit youth. The Expo proves
beyond doubt that Dalits too can succeed in intellectual areas. The
Expo also establishes that globalisation is bringing newer enterprises
in India which are free from social taboos. The Expo also establishes
that the new enterprises don't have any Caste monopoly. In other
words, no Caste can claim expertise in such enterprises as all are
new. Dalits can now claim their share on equal footing.
But, that's not enough. The dynamic and visionary Milind Kambale must
spread branches of DICCI all over India and organise Dalit Expos
everywhere.
More than anything else, the modern day Dalits bubbling with
aspiration need motivation. With limitless desire to make a point,
Dalits have enough talent to break all boundaries built around them by
the nasty casteist history.
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