As the quote below indicates, the Dalit Panthers were a group shaped after some of the ideologies of the Black Panthers. Dalits are know as untouchables and they are at the very bottom of the caste system. They were resisting the oppressive nature of the caste system and the marginalization that it caused these people, especially by the caste members at the top. The government at this point was run by the upper members of the caste system so Dalits felt as if their needs were being ignored by those in power. In their manifesto linked below, there’s a clear explanation of all the tiers of their organization and ideological aspects.

“Due to the hideous plot of American imperialism, the Third Dalit World, that is, oppressed nations and Dalit people are suffering. Even in America, a handful of reactionary whites are exploiting blacks. To meet the force of reaction and remove this exploitation, the Black Panther movement grew. From the Black Panthers, Black Power emerged . . . We claim a close relationship with this struggle.“