Theme evening: The 'Dalit'

The evening opens up a multi-layered approach to the reality of life for the Dalit, whose social position in India is characterized by deeply rooted social hierarchies. Two multimedia presentations shed light on both structural discrimination and cultural patterns of interpretation that continue to have an impact today. Prof. Dr. Indranil Acharya deals with literary representations and shows how narrative schemes stabilize social role models. In addition, Helma Ritscher reports on an educational scholarship near Varanasi that has been providing students from the Dalit community with access to further education for years. This combination of scientific analysis and experiential knowledge creates a space in which social mechanisms are questioned and development paths become visible. Indian grooves by Prashanthi Sankaran will provide an atmospheric structure to the evening and invite visitors to the information stands of various organizations - including Andheri Hilfe e.V., Indienhilfe Köln e.V. and Spic Macay - to engage in conversation, get to know initiatives and reflect on responsible promotion of social participation. The event will take place on June 10, 2026 in St. Michael's on Brüsseler Platz and will provide a reflective look at negotiation processes between tradition, individual biography and social transformation.