It is difficult to think of another person who fought so hard and so consistently against Brahmanism for the sake of the dignity and the rights of the Shudras, Atishudras and women. Even today, when the inequality spawned by capitalism and globalization has made life so difficult for the poor, the Dalits and the Adivasis, Phule’s convictions continue to guide the Indian Dalit and feminist movements, writes Sujata Parmita