Photographer Padmasree Sudharak Olwe and professor and researcher Y S Alone, along with moderator Amrith Lal discussed caste and the current political aspirations of India on the fifth edition of Kerala Literature Festival. The discussion started with exhibiting Sudharak's photographs in the venue. He was a page 3 photographer who later decided to capture the inside life of the social castaways. His photos give an insight about what all goes in this part of the society. He challenged the Brahminic national culture of the time and deeply criticised the same.
Y S Alone said that politics in India should be divided into Ambedkar and anti-Ambedkar, as the discussion progressed. Ambedkar constructed the constitution in a way that it ensures the rights of the people of India. While Gandhi sees the caste discrimination only as untouchability, Ambedkar sees it as the problem in the society. He wishes for Rights of equality irrespective of caste or gender. Now there is an Ambedkarisation of Indian society in this time” said Y.S Alone. He opined that the youngsters, who were brought up with caste discrimination, are trying to get out of their upbringing and people have started demanding their rights.
Y S Alone also addressed Sudharak’s photos as ‘empathetic images.’ “Empathetic images are important while sympathetic images are bad as they will not make you change. The images of an equal society are not from the real India. They are media generated and as such they do not bring a significant rage for the inequality in India. We should bring about a political consciousness in our art and in our life”, he added.