ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on Dalit women in relation to the issue of rape and 'honour'. In a globalised, liberalised, self-consciously forward-looking country, an essay on honour may appear anachronistic. While the public debates put rape high on India's political agenda, they, at the same time, exposed deeply entrenched patriarchal attitudes towards women. Dalits in Nampalli are in a better position compared to most rural Dalits in India and they are likely to see further improvements in their standard of living in the near future as Vijayawada expands as the capital. This is especially so for the small minority of Dalits who own land, who are now overnight lakhshapatis. In addition to the caste difference, there is also discernible class differentiation within both the Dalit communities meaning that impoverished and relatively well-off Dalits live side by side. Dalits are appropriating honour. The chapter argues that honour drives three major changes in Dalit women's lives: education, marriage and work.
