Anti-Caste Activists

Students may choose any of the activists listed below to research. Afterward, they should write a 1-page essay and email it to HumanistMutualAid@gmail.com. In the essay, please highlight the three most important ideas or contributions of the activist and share your own reflections, thoughts, and reactions to their views. You can write about as many of the activists as you wish.

Bhim Rao Ambedkar - Often hailed as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Ambedkar was a pioneering jurist, economist, and social reformer who tirelessly fought against oppression of Dalits and the caste system, and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement.worlddalit.orgWikipedia

Jyotirao (Jyotiba) Phule - A radical 19th-century social reformer, Phule worked to eradicate untouchability, advocated education for women and lower castes, and founded the Satyashodhak Samaj ("Society of Truth Seekers") to foster social equality.

Savitribai Phule - A trailblazing educator and social reformer, Savitribai established the first girls’ school in Pune (1848) alongside Jyotiba Phule. She challenged caste and gender discrimination through activism and education.

Iyothee Thass - An early anti-caste activist and Siddha practitioner, Thass converted to Buddhism urging the Paraiyar community to do the same, and founded the Panchamar Mahajana Sabha in 1891 to organize outcastes (Panchamas) for social and political reform.

Bhagya Reddy Varma - Known as a key social reformer in Hyderabad (1888–1939), he actively campaigned against untouchability, and led the Adi-Hindu movement by establishing the Adi-Hindu Social Service League in 1924 for empowerment of the Depressed Classes.

Ruth Manorama - A tireless champion of justice, Manorama has worked extensively at grassroots and policy levels for Dalit women, domestic workers, slum dwellers, and marginalized laborers—mobilizing communities and advocating for rights against caste, gender, and class oppression.

Meena Kandasamy - A poet, writer, and anti-caste activist, Kandasamy foregrounds Dalit lived experiences and caste oppression through her literary works. Starting as editor of The Dalit, she continues exposing casteism and gender violence in her writings.

Thol Thirumavalavan - As MP and president of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Thirumavalavan is a vocal political leader challenging caste-based violence and advocating for the rights of the oppressed, especially in Tamil Nadu.The Times of India

Kshama Sawant - Based in Seattle, USA, she has publicly supported campaigns to ban caste discrimination and has tied caste abolition to her platform advocating workers’ rights, equality, and wealth redistribution.