Great Scholar Blog pays tribute to late Professor C.Parvathamma,
the first woman economist of India, one of the most brilliant Indian woman & a top class
Ambedkarite Dalits of India. She just accomplished what our Savior Dr.Ambedkar
dreamed of the educated dalits to do to India.
Prof. C. Parvathamma 1927-2006
Here is piece wriiten on the obituary of C. Parvathamma
the first woman Sociologist published in the latest issue of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW Vol.42-No.3 25 January)
We mourn the passing away of Prof. C. Parvathamma (1927-2006) the first Dalit woman Sociologist of India and of course, the first generation of Dalit Sociologist. She passed away on 1st of August, 2006 at the Age of 79 in Mysore . She was former Head of the Department of Sociology, University of Mysore, and a recipient of and Rajyothsava Award (1990), Gargi Award (1999), Nadoja Award (2005). Widely admired Sociologist, prolific writer and respected teacher, Prof. Parvathamma was possibly the best Sociologist Mysore ever produced along with Prof. M N Srinivas.She obtained her Ph.D. at Victoria University , Machester under the supervison of Max Gluckman and contributed immensly to our understanding of South Indian village society and Dalits in India . In her pioneering ethnographic work and volumes on northern Karnataka villages, Prof. Parvathamma brought out with great sensitivity the power relations in village society and the oppression of landowning communities. Her writings, especially on Lingayats and their beliefs, are very impressive. Her discussions and research on Virasaivism as an anti-Brahmanical movement in South India is a much acclaimed contribution in the subject of Sociology. As an insider, she also evaluated the role of Dalit politicians and vehemently criticized them for their self-fulfilling prophesy and paying lip service to the problems of Dalits. Scheduled Castes at the Cross-Roads and New Horizons and Scheduled Castes both from Ashis Publications, New Delhi were pionreering works on Dalits by a Dalit in 1980s.
Through her dedicated study and research, she produced some of the best reports on the depressed classes and other marginalised sections of the society,
which, at one time, enabled the State Government to take corrective policy measures for the upliftment of these classes. Her academic credentials cannot be judged only though her seventy research articles and eleven books as the second genration Dalit Sociologists reveal the baggage of cultural capital she has passed on to them by sharing her life experiences as a pioneer in the profession . At the XX All India Sociological Conference in 1993 held at St. Aloysius College Mangalore she mesmerised one and all with her powerful lecture which was full of ideologcial anecdotes. Her one sentence which still resonates in my conciousness is, “If this nation needs one Gandhi then it needs thousnds of Ambedkar to break free form the age old tyranicl Hindu Social Order”. As an institution builder, Prof. Parvathamma played a critical role in building the Sociology Department of Mysore University. She was instrumental in creating a tradition of research and also in publishing Sociological works through Prasaranga. She also was member of a number of commiteees and of the first Govering Body of the ICSSR at the time of its inception.Even after her retirement from the university service in 1988 she continued her urge and zeal for research, and established the ‘Center for Research in Rural and Tribal Devlopment’ in Mysore itself. Coming from an untouchable family and being a woman, she suffered from triple discrimination. She faced a great ordeal when she could not find a rented accomodation in Mysore even after completing a Ph. D. from Menchester and becoming a Lecture at Mysore University . But through her grit and hard work she made a space for her in corridors of acedimeia where Dalits were never welcomed. It is really unfortunate that her contribution was not recognised either in Karnataka or outside and she remained in oblivian, although through her writings she kept on reminding her unpresent presence in the subjct of Sociology and in the policy formulations. She will remain alive for ever in the profession of Sociology and keep on inspiring the coming generation of Sociologists.
http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2006/08/03/prof-parvathamma/
http://atrocitynews.wordpress.com/2007/01/29/c-parthamma-paases-away/
A Pie in the Sky ? by Mrs Dr C Parvathamma,
studies the reservation policies implemented in the 1950's by the Indian
government.These policies, which were supposed to last for ten years, are still used in
the contemporary Indian society and have dangerous consequences.
Indeed, since reservations within government jobs and schools keep increasing, upper caste members try to get scheduled castes’ certificates and the latter try to get tribal certificates. The reservation race has become, as the author says, « a national sport », each trying to get his share, with the political support of the community members. This certificates smuggling is reinforced by the various lobbies, more powerful for the caste than for the tribes.The study mixes historical, cultural, sociological and anthropological elements and shows – through the comparative analysis of a tribal population (Katu Kuruba) and a schedule caste population (les Kuruba)- the perversity of a caste-based policy. The author points out the differences between these two groups and enables the reader to understand the very notions of caste and tribe. Mrs Parvathamma insists on the role of the NGO, such as DEED in Mysore District, in the construction of a political consciousness enabling the tribals to claim their rights.« The implementation of the reservation policy just underlined the differences and divisions, the author writes. It encouraged caste spirit and corporatism, instead of promoting secular, democratic and republican sentiments. »…or how the dreams of social unity promoted by independent India heroes, Gandhi and Dr Ambedkar, are being threatened by a positive discrimination for which they fought. How the very notion of diversity represents a danger for social cohesion. How a society that abolished the caste system makes it the basis of its social policy. The book is built on a series of themes: after introducing the evolution of the caste system, the author presents anthropological aspects of Kuruba and Katu Kuruba and, in the last chapters, gives a political and historical analysis of the reservation policies’ evolution.The conclusion offers suggestions for corrective measures: assessment of the impact and rationalization of the policy, classification of the eligible social groups, definition of a calendar, un-enrollment of currently eligible groups for more democracy, more efficiency, more secularism and more ethics.
http://doc-aea.datapps.com/pub_cgi/document_sho.pl?document_id=1312&lang=fr
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