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Raidas: Poet-saint of the Bahujan-Shraman culture

There is a long tradition of poetry among the so-called Shudra and Ati-Shudra castes. Raidas is one of the key poet-saints of this tradition. He mounted a decisive challenge against the Varna-caste system and dared to dream of an egalitarian society that also didn’t discriminate along religious (Hindu-Muslim) lines – a society where man was looked up to not on the basis of his birth but his human qualities

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About The Author

Siddharth

Dr Siddharth is an author, journalist and translator. His books include ‘Samajik Kranti ki Yoddha Savitribai Phule: Jivan ke Vividh Aayam’ and ‘Bahujan Navjagran aur Pratirodh ke Vividh Swar: Bahujan Nayak aur Nayika’. He has translated Badrinarayan’s ‘Kanshiram: Leader of Dalits’ under the title ‘Bahujan Nayak Kanshiram’ (Rajkamal Prakashan). He has also edited and annotated Ambedkar’s ‘Jati ka Vinash’ (translated by Rajkishore, Forward Press)

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