Cambridge Inequality Lab

Daughter of an Auto-Rickshaw Driver: Deepali Salve’s Journey from the Slums of Mumbai to the Frontlines of the Ambedkarite Movement. Some people rise above their circumstances to change their own destiny. Others rise to change the destiny of an entire community. Deepali Salve belongs to the latter. I first met Deepali Salve in Nanded, Maharashtra, in 2022. She had travelled all the way from Mumbai, all alone, to listen to our Ambedkarite speakers. When I asked her about her journey, she replied simply, “Yes, Dada. I came here to listen to all our Ambedkarite speakers.” I did not know then that this meeting would become the beginning of a shared journey of struggle, organization, and social transformation. As we spoke about the condition of our people, the atrocities committed against Dalits, and the continuing injustice faced by our communities, Deepali expressed a pain that went far beyond her personal experiences. She said, “Dada, when I see the condition of our people and the atrocities committed against them, I feel that we are still living under Peshwa rule.” Her words struck me deeply. They reflected the anguish of a young Dalit woman who had witnessed inequality and understood that silence could never be the answer to oppression. That day, we shared more than our concerns. We shared a determination to organize, resist, and build a movement that could give our people a stronger collective voice. From that conviction emerged the All India Independent Scheduled Castes Association (AIISCA)—an effort to organize our communities, assert our rights, and carry forward the unfinished mission of Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. But we also understood that political awareness and social mobilization alone were not enough. Our children needed education. Our girls needed opportunities. Our most marginalized students needed guidance, resources, and someone who would tell them that their dreams were possible. This realization led us to establish the Savitribai Phule Resource Centre (SRC). Today, we have more than 15 centres, helping students from marginalized backgrounds pursue higher education. Every year, more than 100 students move towards higher education in some of India's premier institutions. Behind every student who succeeds is a family that dares to dream, a young person who refuses to surrender, and a movement that believes no child should be denied an education because of caste, class, or circumstances. Deepali is an inseparable part of this struggle. Her own life tells a powerful story of courage, sacrifice, and determination. She comes from Anand Nagar, a Dalit-dominated slum in Chembur, Mumbai—a community where poverty restricts opportunities, where girls often struggle to pursue education, and where early marriage can bring an end to their dreams before they have a chance to take flight. Her father drives an auto-rickshaw. Her mother works as a sanitation worker and is associated with Stree Mukti Sanghatana. They may not have possessed great financial resources, but they possessed something far more powerful: the determination to educate their children despite every hardship. Through their sacrifices, they gave their children the opportunity to imagine a different future. From a government school in Jalna to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar High School and Acharya College in Chembur, Deepali continued her journey against the odds. Poverty could have limited her opportunities. Social stigma could have weakened her confidence. The barriers of caste and gender could have forced her to abandon her aspirations. But she refused to let her circumstances define her destiny. Today, she is a PhD scholar at the University of Mumbai, the Maharashtra General Secretary of AIISCA, and a Director of the Savitribai Phule Resource Centre. She is also breaking barriers as one of the rare women from her neighbourhood to pursue a doctorate.