Dalit

"Dalit" refers to socially, economically and historically marginalized communities predominantly in India ^[source?]. It also means "broken/scattered" in Sanskrit and Hindi ^[source?]. The term dalits was in use as a translation for the British Raj census classification of Depressed Classes prior to 1935. It was popularised by the economist and reformer B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956), who included all depressed people irrespective of their caste into the definition of dalits. Hence the first group he made was called the "Labour Party" and included as its members all people of the society who were kept depressed, including women, small scale farmers and people from backward castes.

Dr. Ambedkar fought for a separate electorate for Dalits in Ramsay MacDonald’s Communal Award during British Raj. This award would have ensured adequate representation of Dalit community enabling them to vote for their candidate.

In 1932, the British Raj recommended separate electorates to select leaders for Dalits in the Communal Award. This was favoured by Ambedkar but when Mahatma Gandhi opposed the proposal it resulted in the Poona Pact. That in turn influenced the Government of India Act, 1935, which introduced the reservation of seats for the Depressed Classes, now renamed as Scheduled Castes.

Dalit (from Sanskrit ‘dal’ which means to split, to crack, to break) is the name given to a group of people who have been historically considered outcasts in Hindu societies from South Asia (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh)^[source?] and Eastern Africa (Somalia)^[source?]. Today, the Dalits, formerly known as "Chandala" (Untouchables)^[source?], have increasingly adopted the term “Dalit” as their way out of the social segregation imposed by the caste system.

New leaders like Kanhaiya Kumar subscribe to this definition of "dalits", thus a Brahmin marginal farmer trying to eke out a living, but unable to do so also falls in the "dalit" category. Ambedkar himself was a Mahar, and in the 1970s the use of the word "dalit" was invigorated when it was adopted by the Dalit Panthers activist group. Gradually, political parties used it to gain mileage.