ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the use of the word ‘Dalit,’ that has been defined and redefined in the context of India, in an attempt to present a viewpoint called ‘Becoming Dalit’ by combining discussions of Dalit Studies with studies of inter-caste marriage. Specifically, it presents a discussion of Dalit inclusion in Nagpur and a neighbouring village named U, in contemporary India, from the perspectives of both Dalits and caste Hindus. It defines this Dalit inclusion as an attempt by Buddhists or Dalits to incorporate caste Hindus into their Ambedkarite movements. Particular attention is devoted to a water purification project conducted by the Buddhists, that can be reframed as the sharing of food or water among different castes, as well as inter-caste marriages between Dalits and caste Hindus as an alliance that shakes the logic of descent in the local society. The concluding section of this chapter presents a discussion of the accounts given by a caste Hindu woman who married a Dalit activist and a former Buddhist woman who married a Muslim man. The question arises of whether the sharing of food or water and inter-caste marriages can support collaboration between caste Hindus and Dalits or mutual self-transformation on both sides.
