A
Brief Note on “How Egalitarian Are the Social Sciences in India?”
In his essay “How
Egalitarian Are the Social Sciences in India?” Gopal Guru examines the functioning
of egalitarian principle in the practice of Social Science in India . Mr. Guru argues
that the practice does not seem to be on the ground of egalitarian principle
since it exhibits difference as inferiorised empirical social science and the
privileged abstract social sciences. Or in other words, Mr. Guru perceives that
the practice in Social Sciences as divided into emperical shudras and the theoretical Brahmins.
The
first section of the essay deals with the justification of importing
egalitarian principle for critiquing the practice of social science in India.
The cultural hierarchies which play a major role in the academic field are
discussed in the section. The second section discusses the condition that seems
to adversely affect the growth of reflective capacity within the intellectually
deprived group; Dalits and OBCs. The third section is an argument around the
moral stamina as the necessary condition for doing theory. The fourth section is the criticism of the
theoretical claims that have been made on behalf of Dalit by Non – Dalit.
Egalitarian
Principle and Social Science Practice
Gopal
Guru makes a close observation of Egalitarian principle, which in its primary
stage of importation and practice, was absolutely necessary and democratic. He
provides several reasons for its importation in the academic circle and thereby
justifying its inevitability. It brings out a sense of moral responsibility of
the practitioner of Social Science to claim her/his authenticity. But, at the
same time, it interrogates epistemological imperialism and hierarchical division
of theoretical and empirical approach to Social Science. The absence of
egalitarian principle would create negative effect on Dalits and adivasis since
the hegemonic practice in Social Science would lead to caricature of these
communities as epistemologically dumb and push them into empirical ghettoes.
The absence would also crush the confidence of the margianlised. Hereby Mr.
Guru questions whether the egalitarian principle have been used in Sociasl Science practice in India. He states
that there have been lamentations over the standards of Social Science
practice, especially of theory, not over its authoritative and intimidating
character.
Mr. Guru argues that a canonical
practice mode is being followed in the circles by the self appointed juries who
would decide what correct practice is but however they lack the authenticity
since it is borrowed from the west unreservedly.
Social Context of Intellectual
Hierarchies
Here
the material context that seems to adversely affect the growth of reflective
capacity being shared. Though knowledge
is generated via labour process, reflective ability is developed only in
certain kinds of labour process. The
labour process involving imagination and innovation will develop the reflective
ability of the agent. Innovative
knowledge system, but, cannot be created by the Dalits in their pertaining
social set up; thus resulting in the failure of intellectual capacity to
reflect. Dalits were forced to avoid any kind of intellectual reflective
ability in their field of occupation. Ghettoization laid to the loss of
confidence in developing theoretical potential. For reflective capacity Dalits
in needed freedom; from immediate context which was constraining an also from
the trap of struggle for survival. Financial security was not there. There was a lack of intellectual and cultural
resources in the community of Dalits.
Hierarchical Past Survives in the
Cultural Present
According
to Mr. Guru, it is epistemological closure - due to historically yielded
cultural inequalities - which prevented Dalits from speaking in an abstract
universal language. The writings of
Indian and Foreign Scholars well located TTB were fortunate receivers of modern
education from the imperialists. They travelled abroad for empirical
research. Canonization of discourse with
the help of well – defined ground rules, procedures and protocols stopped
Dalits/Bahujan from entering theoretical ‘agrahara’. This further did not
elevate to higher levels of complexity and formulation and approximation of
experience. The creation of language became an effective mean to restrict the
entry of Dalits into academic circles.
Mr. Guru puts forward certain examples of public harassment that Dalits
had to face in public seminars.
Moral
Conditions of Reflective Capacities
There
requires, what Mr. Guru calls ‘moral stamina’ to resist temptations for
temporal gains. Moral stamina includes discipline, patience and endurance for
not becoming vulnerable to temporal gains. Study and mastering of theory
requires all these qualities. But, he observes that Dalits have tendency to get
attracted to studies with glamorous and easy spheres of mobility. Anyhow, Mr.
Guru does not have any intention to prevent choice of Dalits to do empirical
research. However, he finds that Dalits feel no need of theorizing their
experiences since they claim full length knowledge of what ‘reality’ is. They also feel that theory makes one arrogant
and egoistic. The claim is that their lived experience is rich enough. In this context of approach to studies, Mr. Guru
proposes that there is a need to reflect organically on their own experience
from going back and lost in their unique
experience.
Dalits Need Theory as a Social
Necessity
Mr.
Guru argues that in order to confront reverse orientalism, Dalits need theory. This is to alter and subvert the usual
hierarchal order of inferior empirical self and superior theoretical self. This also leads Dalit to become subject of
their own thinking rather than becoming the object of somebody else’s thinking. The Non- Dalit intellectual representation
anyways leads to Jajmani relationship.
Theoretical elevation of Dalits seems to stand through what he terms as ‘Muknayaks’
or the Non-Dalit representators of Dalits. Mr. Guru suggests an advance in
theoretical approach which is necessary for Dalits to have a revolutionary
understanding and politics. He opines that Dalit theory must be critical of the
limitations of Marxist and liberal method.
Dalits Need Theory as Inner Necessity
Mr.
Guru proposes several reasons for why Dalits need theory as inner necessity.
First of all it is required in order to reflect on the Dalit experience and to
reach theoretical heights from walking out from Dalit experience, which is a
practice usually seen in the academic circles.
He states that it is helpful for gaining scholarship and social cause. Also
he observes that there is a necessity of translating of technical content which
would prevent the orientation – empirical inferiority and theoretical
superiority. He feels that this would also helps to expand social base of Social Science’s conceptual
landscape.
The role of egalitarian
principle in the practice of social sciences does favour equal opportunity for
all to grab their choice of study even if it is empirical or theoretical.
However, Dalits/Adivasis/OBCs do not seem to get elevated in the theoretical
arena which is capable of expressing their subjective position as well as
experience in the society in an effective way. Mr. Guru feels the need of
becoming the ‘subject’ rather than the object of their experiences for which
the Dalits, with ‘moral stamina’, have to get engaged in theory. He advocates
the need of subverting the ‘orientalism’ of theoretical and empirical stands in
the social science practice.
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