Sociology

Caste, gender, power, and impunity: an interview with V. Geetha

Caste, gender, power, and impunity: an interview with V. Geetha

Drawing upon the rich tradition of Dalit scholarship and Dalit feminism, V. Geetha elaborates on the culture of civic and state sexual impunity in South Asia.

Authors

Sameena Dalwai, Professor, Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.

Upasana Mahanta, Professor, Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.

Albeena Shakil, Professor, Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.

Summary

V. Geetha is a feminist activist, scholar and publisher based out of Chennai. In this interview she explores the intertwined concepts of caste, gender and power, their significance in determining the socio-political capital of persons and groups, how they decide access to education and employment (hence, class), and the ability to interact with the state, assume power or be delignated from it.

She elicits several examples of violence, massacres, sexual assaults against Dalits in which caste positionality allowed serious crimes to go unpunished, even unrecognized. Drawing upon the rich tradition of Dalit scholarship and Dalit feminism, V. Geetha elaborates on the culture of civic and state sexual impunity in South Asia.

Published in: Jindal Global Law Review

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