Noted Scholar, Feminist and Anti-Caste Activist Gail Omvedt Passes Away at 81

Gail Omvedt, an American-born Indian scholar noted for her work on women’s and anti-caste movement in India, passed away on August 25 at the age of 81 at her residence in Maharashtra.

Omvedt was a prominent voice in the Bahujan movement and authored several books on Dalit politics and women’s struggle. Through her work, she ensured that feminism must speak of caste and class along with gender.  She also participated in various women’s, environmental and anti-caste movements throughout her life.

She co-founded Shramik Mukti Dal, a socio-political organisation based in Maharashtra, along with her husband and activist Bharat Patankar.

During her studies in the United States, Omvedt visited India for her doctoral research on social movements and studied the work of 19th century anti-caste social reformer and writer Jyotirao Phule.

She was born in Minneapolis and after her visit to India during her Phd research, she again returned to the country and finally settled here in 1978. She lived with her husband Bharat Patankarand his family in a village called Kasegaon in southern Maharashtra. She had been an Indian citizen since 1983.

Besides her and her husband, Omvedt’s mother-in-law of Indumati Patankar was also an activist who had participated in the freedom struggle and organised women’s movements.

Omvedt took forward American writer and historian Eleanor Zelliot's work on Babasaheb Ambedkar and placed it in the context of Jyotirao Phule and his Satyashodhak Samaj's work, according to the Dalit Intellectual Collective. She saw caste as material force and not only as a social practice and ideology. “This was a dialogue that ought to have been taken forward by feminists and the left but sadly we did not do that in the measure that her thought deserved,” the Collective said expressing condolences upon her demise.

Several political leader including Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar expressed condolences.

“Dr.Gail Omvedt dedicated her life to the propagation of Phule-Ambedkar movement,women's liberation,abandoned women, dalits & Buddhist movement and remained a dedicated activist to the end. My heartfelt tributes on behalf of entire Ambedkar family to Dr. Gail Omvedt,” Prakash Ambedkar said on Twitter.

Among other noted figures, historian Ramachandra Guha said, “Deeply saddened to hear of Gail Omvedt’s passing. Apart from her major works on the great anti-caste social reformers, she also wrote an important book on the women’s movement in India, as well as many insightful essays on peasant and envrionmental struggles (mostly in EPW).”

Human rights lawyer and Dalit activist Kiruba Munuswamy paid tribute to the late scholar saying, “We cannot thank you enough for your contributions to the anti-caste/Ambedkarite movement, the immense knowledge and inspiration you have left us. Your legacy of social justice activism will be carried forward.”

Communist Party of India (Marxist) said 'India has lost one of the most important voices of the marginalised section in country.'