[INDOLOGY] "Caste passing"

[Nagaraj Paturi]

In contemporary narrative literature including the narratives in Indian
films, there is a formula: A person born into a caste considered as
panchama (harijan /sc/ dalit in contemporary parlance) being brought up by
a 'upper' caste (usually a Brahmin) social reformer to become a Vedic
scholar or a brahmanical dancer/ musician (if the person brought up is a
woman) and after getting acceptance of the society, in a twist of the
narrative, the actual identity of the person getting exposed, the reformer
getting ridiculed by his neighbourhood , the reformer arguing about the
actual character being more significant than birth and the 'caste passing'
person getting accepted by the neighbourhood.

On Sun, Jan 21, 2018 at 5:03 PM, Manu Francis <manufrancis at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Nagaraj Paturi,
>
> Yes, you are right.
> Novels are also part of the query.
>
> With very best wishes.
>
> --
>
> Emmanuel Francis
> Chargé de recherche CNRS, Centre d'étude de l'Inde et de l'Asie du Sud
> (UMR 8564, EHESS-CNRS, Paris)
> http://ceias.ehess.fr/
> http://ceias.ehess.fr/index.php?1725
> http://rcsi.hypotheses.org/
> Associate member, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Culture (SFB 950,
> Universität Hamburg)
> http://www.manuscript-cultures.uni-hamburg.de/index_e.html
> https://cnrs.academia.edu/emmanuelfrancis
>
> 2018-01-21 10:16 GMT+01:00 Nagaraj Paturi <nagarajpaturi at gmail.com>:
>
>> The query was for
>>
>> "I am searching for *references in** Indian literature* and *classical
>> texts *of instances of "caste impersonation", i.e. when an individual or
>> a group "passes" as a caste which is not their original birth group. My
>> search includes such instances in *contemporary literature*"
>> (highlighting mine)
>>
>> Since the first sentence has Indian literature and classical texts , I
>> thought 'contemporary literature' in the second sentence means contemporary
>> literary texts such as novels. Am I right?
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Jan 21, 2018 at 2:56 AM, Tyler Williams via INDOLOGY <
>> indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
>>
>>> Addendum: one of his publications that bears directly on the subject is:
>>>
>>> 2014. “Lal Beg Underground: the Passing of an ‘Untouchable’ God.” In
>>> Knut A. Jacobsen, Mikael Aktor and Kristina Myrvold, eds., *Objects of
>>> Worship in South Asian Religions: Forms, Practices, and Meanings*, pp.
>>> 143-162. New York: Routledge.
>>>
>>> On Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 3:25 PM, Tyler Williams <
>>> tylerwwilliams at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear Dr. Francis,
>>>>
>>>> Joel Lee <https://anso.williams.edu/profile/jl20/> at Williams College
>>>> in the US has written on the phenomenon of caste 'passing' in contemporary
>>>> South Asia and is also interested in historical and literary precedents. I
>>>> am sure that it would be fine if Dr. Headley contacted him directly, but I
>>>> would also be happy to introduce them if she prefers.
>>>>
>>>> Best,
>>>> Tyler Williams
>>>> University of Chicago
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Jan 19, 2018 at 10:56 AM, Manu Francis via INDOLOGY <
>>>> indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dear Colleagues,
>>>>>
>>>>> I forward below a query on behalf my Colleague Zoé Headley.
>>>>>
>>>>> (on her current project "Studies in Tamil Studio Archives and Society
>>>>> (S.T.A.R.S.)"
>>>>> see e.g:
>>>>> http://www.ifpindia.org/content/studies-tamil-studio-archive
>>>>> s-and-society-stars
>>>>> and
>>>>> http://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/video/2018/01/19/une-autre-hi
>>>>> stoire-de-l-inde-ecrite-par-ses-photos_5244050_1650684.html)
>>>>>
>>>>> Any help will be much appreciated.
>>>>>
>>>>> Her query is:
>>>>>
>>>>> "I am searching for references in Indian literature and classical
>>>>> texts of instances of "caste impersonation", i.e. when an individual or a
>>>>> group "passes" as a caste which is not their original birth group. My
>>>>> search includes such instances in contemporary literature"
>>>>>
>>>>> With very best wishes.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>>
>>>>> Emmanuel Francis
>>>>> Chargé de recherche CNRS, Centre d'étude de l'Inde et de l'Asie du Sud
>>>>> (UMR 8564, EHESS-CNRS, Paris)
>>>>> http://ceias.ehess.fr/
>>>>> http://ceias.ehess.fr/index.php?1725
>>>>> http://rcsi.hypotheses.org/
>>>>> Associate member, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Culture (SFB 950,
>>>>> Universität Hamburg)
>>>>> http://www.manuscript-cultures.uni-hamburg.de/index_e.html
>>>>> https://cnrs.academia.edu/emmanuelfrancis
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> INDOLOGY mailing list
>>>>> INDOLOGY at list.indology.info
>>>>> indology-owner at list.indology.info (messages to the list's managing
>>>>> committee)
>>>>> http://listinfo.indology.info (where you can change your list options
>>>>> or unsubscribe)
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Nagaraj Paturi
>>
>> Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.
>>
>>
>> BoS, MIT School of Vedic Sciences, Pune, Maharashtra
>>
>> BoS, Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth, Veliyanad, Kerala
>>
>> Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies
>>
>> FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education,
>>
>> (Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA )
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>


-- 
Nagaraj Paturi

Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.


BoS, MIT School of Vedic Sciences, Pune, Maharashtra

BoS, Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth, Veliyanad, Kerala

Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies

FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education,

(Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA )


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