Dalit Hermeneutics in ICT
Dalit hermeneutics is not merely for understanding but for
transformation. It seeks to move away from the present order of caste hierarchy
to new world order of egalitarianism. As a contextualized liberative
hermeneutics with the social option of promoting the political agenda of the
Dalits, it seeks to enable them to emancipate themselves from the clutches of
untouchability. Dalit Biblical heremeneutics, therefore, can never be elitist,
authoritarian and individualistic but subaltern, participatory and
communitarian.
The interpretative key of the Dalit hermeneutics consists in a
‘rejection’ and at the same time in an affirmation. What is it that is rejected
and what is it that is affirmed? Dalit heremeneutics rejects exclusion (the
imposed identity) and affirms inclusion (the identity of being co-human with
other humans). This is the foundational norm of the critical principle of the
Dalit hermeneutics. It does not engage itself with the pretension of scientific
objectivity. It is not interested in archaeology of meaning to be excavated
from the Biblical texts set in the context of the world of antiquity. Rather it
is a future-oriented enterprise. Dalit hermeneutics tends to become more
socio-critical (actual conflicts) than socio-pragmatic (apparent harmony).
Moreover, it is convinced that every form of dehumanization of the other is
ultimately dehumanization of oneself. Such a principle of interpretation is not
only a contribution to Dalit liberation, but equally it is a contribution to
the liberation of the entire human community.
The Dalit world creating its own texts and Biblical texts creating
its worlds are in dialogue with each other: Complex philological intricacies
may not occupy the primacy of place; rather the thread – line of stories and
discourses will be the central characteristics of Dalit interpretation. By its
foundational orientation, Dalit hermeneutics is free from ‘excessive
textualism, disparagement of both major and popular religions, and
homogenization of the poor’. To speak about ‘Dalit hermeneutics” as a single
category is an inadvertent denial of the identity-specific modes of
interpretation of the meaning-giving stories for the empowerment of various
Dalit communities across the sub-continent of India. Even before Dalits were
converted to Christianity, they had their own traditions, mythology, legends,
proverbs, moral teachings, customs, festivals and folk religions. Dalit
hermeneutics transcends the binary notions of Christian and non-Christian, and
sees religious pluralism not as an exception but as a norm. It is able to draw
on a larger theological pool, and is not confined to a particular religious
source. Those whose faith understands the Bible as ‘inspired’ could attempt at
deploying its text for emancipating the Dalits.
The common heritage of the Dalits like popular tales, legends, fold
dramas (kuthu), riddles, lullaby, lamentations, songs, sung during collective
labor, are to be placed along with the texts to be hermeneutised. This is to
enable the common heritage and another text to engage each other with mutual
osmosis. In this process, such texts (say the Bible or any other) cannot claim
a special privilege or authority for setting norms to the native non-textual
traditions of the Dalits. The overriding criterion for the genuine Dalit
hermeneutics is the ethical necessity of annihilation of discriminatory
hierarchy.
Dalit Reading of
the Bible
The
proponent of this method was Maria Arul Raja. Dalit
hermeneutics is not merely for understanding but for transformation. It seeks
to move away from the present order of caste hierarchy to new world order of
egalitarianism. As a contextualized liberative hermeneutics with the social
option of promoting the political agenda of the Dalits, it seeks to enable them
to emancipate themselves from the clutches of untouchability. Dalit Biblical
heremeneutics, therefore, can never be elitist, authoritarian and
individualistic but subaltern, participatory and communitarian. The
interpretative key of the Dalit hermeneutics consists in a ‘rejection’ and at
the same time in an affirmation. Dalit heremeneutics rejects exclusion (the
imposed identity) and affirms inclusion (the identity of being co-human with
other humans). Dalit hermeneutics tends to become more socio-critical (actual
conflicts) than socio-pragmatic (apparent harmony). Dalit hermeneutics is free
from ‘excessive textualism, disparagement of both major and popular religions,
and homogenization of the poor’.
Dalit
hermeneutics transcends the binary notions of Christian and non-Christian, and
sees religious pluralism not as an exception but as a norm. It is able to draw
on a larger theological pool, and is not confined to a particular religious
source. Those whose faith understands the Bible as ‘inspired’ could attempt at
deploying its text for emancipating the Dalits. The common heritage of the
Dalits like popular tales, legends, fold dramas (kuthu), riddles, lullaby,
lamentations, songs, sung during collective labour, are to be placed along with
the texts to be hermeneutised. This method strongly focus on the image of
God. Dalit experience of divinity could be characterized as the agrarian
pluralism of deities and the value of mankind regardless of their status.
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