Bob Dylan. Article 15 Movie

1. Here is where your
presentation begins
Blowin' in the Wind
of Caste: Bob
Dylan's Song as a
Catalyst for Social
Justice in Article 15

2. Introduction :
● The caste system treats India's "untouchable"
Dalit people very poorly. Art and music help
spread awareness of injustices.
● Bob Dylan's renowned 1963 protest song
"Blowin' in the Wind" served as the powerful
catalyst for the 2019 Hindi film Article 15 to
boldly confront the harsh realities of entrenched
casteism in modern Indian society.
● “for having created new poetic expressions
within the great American song tradition”(“Bob
Dylan – Facts - NobelPrize.org”)

3. How does the incorporation of Bob Dylan's song "Blowin' in the Wind"
in "Article 15" serve as a catalyst for challenging caste-based
discrimination and advocating for social justice within the film's
narrative?

4. The Caste System's Ugly Realities :
● The regressive caste system in India has pervaded
society for centuries, codifying discrimination,
oppression and denial of human rights for those
designated as the "untouchable" Dalits, born into
the lowest social stratums through no fault of their
own.
● Despite official abolition, the harsh reality is that
archaic caste prejudices remain insidiously
entrenched, especially in rural areas.
● Lack of access to education and employment, forced
occupational ghettos, economic deprivation, and
vulnerability to exploitation and violence merely for
their birth status.

5. "How Many Times..." - Dylan's Poetic Reckoning
● Released in 1963 as the American civil rights
movement catalyzed a cultural reckoning
● Bob Dylan's seminal "Blowin' in the Wind"
emerged as a universal anthem questioning
institutionalized injustice and inequality. (Jha)
● Rhetorical refrain "the answer my friend is blowin
in the wind" invoked a profound reckoning with
the human costs of warfare, racism and casteism.

6. The Genesis of an Anthem
● Penned by the 21-year-old Dylan in 1962, amidst the
fervid struggles for racial equality and climate of
social upheaval, "Blowin' in the Wind" drew direct
inspiration from the rousing spirit of historic
freedom songs that had given voice to the oppressed
for generations.
● Voice, guitar and harmonica.(Harris)
● Rise of the Protest Singer (1962-1963)

7. Capturing the 60s Zeitgeist
● "Blowin' in the Wind" transcended
its origins to capture the very
zeitgeist and restive spirit of the
1960s counterculture movements.
● Popularity through its 1963 cover by
Peter, Paul and Mary, elevating it to
the status of a ubiquitous
generational rallying cry.(Dreier)

8. What is Article 15 ?
● Prohibition of discrimination on grounds
of religion, race, caste, sex or place of
birth.
● 2. No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place
of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability,
restriction or condition with regard to
● a. Access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public
entertainment; or
● b. the use of wells. tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public
resort maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to
the use of the general public
● 3. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any
special provision for women and children(“Article 15 - Constitutional
Provision”)

9. "The Answer Blowin' in the Wind" in Article 15
● “How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?”(Dylan)
● 1960s ethos with modern-day India, the 2019
film Article 15 deploys "Blowin' in the Wind" to
searing effect in its sobering portrayal of caste
discrimination.
● Dylan's anthem establish an unflinching tone
from the outset, echoing the confusion
confronting protagonist Ayan over how to uproot
the systemic injustices plaguing his rural
surroundings.(Roy)

10. Continue…
● “Yes, ’n’ how many seas must a
white dove sail
● Before she sleeps in the sand?”(Dylan)
● Two young Dalit girls found
hanging from a tree, sparking
global outrage
● The haunting photograph became
emblematic of ingrained caste evil
● “Yes, ’n’ how many years can some
people exist
● Before they’re allowed to be
free?”(Dylan)
● The film depicts the horrific
working conditions of manual
scavengers.

11. Lalgaon - A Metaphor for Oppression
● “Yes, ’n’ how many times must the cannonballs
fly
Before they’re forever banned?”(Dylan)
● Geographical setting, Lalgaon emerges as a
metaphor for the caste system's oppressive
underbelly festering across India's social fabric.
● Portrayal of the locality's rampant corruption,
dehumanizing living conditions for the
marginalized, and deeply-entrenched prejudices.
● Willfully blind eye towards, resonating with
Dylan's timeless refrain - "The answer is blowin' in
the wind.(Sinha)

12. Continue…
“Yes, ’n’ how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn’t see?”
(Ignoring police brutality and a broken justice system)
“Yes, ’n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?”
(The cries of the Dalit people for justice go unheard)
“Yes, ’n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?”
(The 2 girls' deaths represent countless others hidden by a
corrupt system)(Dylan)

13. Real Life Example
Aj unke liye, ek tarike se, waisa hi hoga ki jaise
wo 20-30-40 saal pehle wapas apne kisi adivasi ki
taur par jungle mein chale. Aj ki raat kaafi mushkil
hone wali hain.”
Kya isse adivasiyon ka labh milna chahiye? Kya
SC/ST Act jo hain usse inki shakti aur badhni
chahiye?(NL Team)

14. ● Dr Singh, a former assistant
professor at the university’s Daulat
Ram College was abruptly
terminated in 2020.
● Singh's protest, lasting over six
months, has been repeatedly and
forcefully thwarted by Indian
police.
(“The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act, 1989”)(Zaffar and Singh)

15. Conclusion
● Though separated by decades, Bob Dylan's legacy of social justice
anthems in the 1960s and Article 15 share a powerful common thread.
● Both relentlessly push society to confront its failings. Indian Constitution
is “The Answer” of Dylan.
● The message is clear: dismantling systemic discrimination requires not
silence, but personal awakening that ignites collective action.

16. Thank You

17. References :
“Article 15 - Constitutional Provision.” Ministry of Education, https://www.education.gov.in/fundamental_rights_article-15.
Accessed 27 March 2024.
“Bob Dylan – Facts - NobelPrize.org.” Nobel Prize, 5 June 2017, https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2016/dylan/facts/.
Accessed 27 March 2024.
Dreier, Peter. “The Political Bob Dylan | Dissent Magazine.” Google Scholar, http://www.peterdreier.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/04/Political_Bob_Dylan.pdf. Accessed 27 March 2024.
Dylan, Bob. “Blowin' in the Wind | The Official Bob Dylan Site.” Bob Dylan, https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/blowin-wind/.
Accessed 27 March 2024.
Harris, Alex. “The Impact and Meaning of Bob Dylans Blowin in the Wind.” Neon Music, 16 February 2024,
https://neonmusic.co.uk/the-impact-and-meaning-of-bob-dylans-blowin-in-the-wind/. Accessed 27 March 2024.
Jha, Subhas K. “Wouldn't have made Article 15 without Bob Dylan's song: Anubhav Sinha.” The Asian Age, 8 July 2019,
https://www.asianage.com/entertainment/bollywood/080719/wouldnt-have-made-article-15-without-bob-dylans-song-anubhav-
sinha.html#google_vignette. Accessed 26 March 2024.

18. Mandal, Dilip, and Sana Hashmi. “Ayushmann Khurrana's Article 15 wants you to believe caste system came from outer space.” ThePrint,
30 June 2019, https://theprint.in/opinion/ayushmann-khurranas-article-15-wants-you-to-believe-caste-system-came-from-outer-
space/256291/. Accessed 27 March 2024.
NL Team. “'Soren in jail like Adivasis in jungle': Complaint against Sudhir Chaudhary for comments against Soren.” Newslaundry, 1 February 2024,
https://www.newslaundry.com/2024/02/02/soren-in-jail-like-adivasis-in-jungle-complaint-against-sudhir-chaudhary-for-comments-against-soren.
Accessed 27 March 2024.
“The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.”
https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/The%20Scheduled%20Castes%20and%20Scheduled%20Tribes.pdf. Accessed 8
April 2024.
Roy, Priyanka. “movie review | Ayushmann Khurrana shines in Article 15.” Telegraph India, 28 June
2019,https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/ayushmann-khurrana-shines-in-article-15/cid/1693375. Accessed 27 March
2024.
Sinha, Anubhav, director. Article 15. Benaras Media Works Zee Studios, 2019.
Zaffar, Hanan, and Rupinder Singh. “Dalit scholar’s protest exposes casteism in India’s higher education.” FairPlanet, 7 March 2024,
https://www.fairplanet.org/story/dalit-scholars-protest-exposes-casteism-in-indias-higher-education/. Accessed 27 March 2024.