| Director | Anand Patwardhan |
|---|---|
| Genre | documentary film |
| Runtime | 199 min |
| Country | India |
Jai Bhim Comrade begins with a description of the Indian caste system and its oppression of the Dalit community. The film includes a song by Dalit poet and activist Vilas Ghogre, followed by a shot of a newspaper clipping describing his suicide in reaction to the Ramabai killings in 1997. The Dalit singer, poet, and activist Vilas Ghogre hanged himself in protest at the incident. After narrating the incidents surrounding the killing, the documentary follows Patwardhan on his visits to the families of those killed in the firing, as well as to Ghogre's wife. The film tries to reconstruct the incident by interviewing witnesses on both sides. The footage shot by a civilian bystander is used to contradict the description of the incident given by the police.
The film then shows interviews with many of Ghoghre's colleagues, who discuss the state of Dalit politics in India. In a voice-over, Patwardhan describes the life of Ambedkar, and his activism against the caste system. The interviews are interspersed with other Dalits describing difficulties and discrimination they face in their lives. This section of the documentary also explores the relationship between the Dalit activist movement. The film describes the complicity of the Shiv Sena in the Ramabai killings, and shows Bal Thackeray at a public rally stating that Muslims need to be exterminated. The film then contrasts the Shiv Sena's attempts to portray itself as the champion of the Dalit cause, with the speeches and songs of the Dalit leaders attempting to counteract this.
The second part of the film focuses on contemporary Dalit activism, chiefly the activities of the Kabir Kala Manch, a troupe of singers using their performances to raise awareness and support for their cause. Many clips of songs and protests are shown, together with interviews with the leaders of the troupe. The film describes the initial successes of the troupe during the protests that followed the Khairlanji massacre in 2006. The ideology of the group was a mixture of that of Ambedkar fused with left-wing ideology. However, the group was soon branded a Naxalite outfit, and led to it being targeted by the Anti-terrorist squad. Several members were forced to go on the run, while others were arrested. The film ends with interviews with the mothers of two of the members of Kabir Kala Manch that had been forced to go underground.