Baby Kamble to Bama Dalit Women Write Differently
Purnachandra Naik2016, Economic and Political Weekly
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Abstract
By writing in a “Dalit style of language,” taking recourse to oral tradition, the Dalit woman elides and invents words, breaks the syntactic structure to express the Dalit world, thereby countering the hegemony of the upper-caste/upper-class language which seeks to impose order and obedience.
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Portrayal of Dalit Women in Baby Kamble
Baby Kamble"s Autobiography "The Prisons We Broke' highlights the plight of the Dalit Women especially from the Mahar caste of Western Maharashtra. It also depicts the transformation in their life due to Ambedkarite Movement. Dalit Women gave up all the customs and religious beliefs which made them slave for thousand years and they accepted a new way of life which realized their status as Human beings. The self-respect and rejection of Gods and Goddesses of Hindu religion is the key feature of The Prisons We Broke. It is also a critique of Patriarchal order prevalent among Mahars.
Analysing the Painful Recountal of Dalit Women in Baby Kamble’s The Prisons We Broke
Dalit Literature represents a powerful, emerging movement in the Indian literary traditionand its reverberations are now being heard all around the world. One more addition to the Dalit literature is Baby Kamble’s autobiography The Prisons We Broke which portrays the socio-economical, cultural and political conditions of Dalit community in Indian society. It highlights the plight of Dalit women who receive inhuman treatment and suffer at every front. In Indian society women are always subjected to a subaltern state and are marginalized. Women face subjugation in various forms everywhere in India, traditional taboos legitimize their exploitation. For Dalit women, the situation is even worse, as they suffer from the triple oppression becauseof their gender, economical condition and their low caste.
Now the Powerless Speaks: A Study of Bama's Sangati and Baby Kamble's 'The Prisons We Broke' From a Dalit Feminist Standpoint
In the context of the powerful and the powerless in the social formation of India, caste system has been a matter of immense debate and discussion. Continuing for the centuries, (presumably from the time of the arrival of Aryans) caste system has been a parasitical condition prevailing, thriving and continually reforming, throughout India. Being an Indian one cannot but face its grips from the birth. Moreover, due to the recent phenomenon of reservation on the basis of caste, debates have been more frequent than before. In this paper, I intend to focus on dalit women, who are often considered as 'dalits among dalits', as represented in the literature written by them. For my present purpose I have chosen Bama's Sangati and Baby Kamble's The Prisons We Broke, two seminal novels written by dalit women writers, in order to discuss whether and how the dalit women are affected by the power dynamics functioning not only through the upper caste people (both men and women) but also lower caste men. And we will discover in the course of the study that state, gender, caste, class, religion, and community, each of them form an intersection in order to continue this disbalance of power. And this power here is not just electoral power but a state-generated, religion-fed hierarchy which continues to uphold gender and caste discrimination. And this becomes apparent when we see how the image of dalit women as represented by male writers stand in stark contrast to that of the female writers. A story of helplessness and limitation then becomes a courageous struggle for survival and self-identity.
BABYTAI KAMBLE' NOVEL THE PRISONS WE BROKE: FROM WOMEN AND DALIT PERSPECTIVE
Journal of Critical Review, 2020
Babytai Kamble’s autobiographical work The Prisons We Broke was originally written in Marathi as Jina Amucha and was later translated into English by Maya Pandit. For study point of view, it can be seen as two sections according to manifestation of ideas put into the biography. Firstly, portrayal of Dalit women within their own community. Secondly, the role played by fellow women in upper-caste Hindus in the social order. In The Prisons We Broke, Babytai Kamble uses her life as a source to identify Dalit oppression painting a raw imagery of the crude realities of their world. Growing up in a Maharwada in Maharashtra puts her in prime position to witness Dalit oppression at one of its worst, because Maharwadas are the epitome of the prejudices of the Hindu caste system which are most prevalent in and around Maharashtra. Maharwadas usually consist of close to 15 families belonging to the Mahar caste situated in the outskirts of villages of Maharashtra, which ironically owes its etymological origins to the Mahars who are the original inhabitants of these regions. Maharashtra being one of the states where the caste structure is most prevalent, The Prisons We Broke is justified in being a comment upon Dalit oppression. That is not to say that this dominance has not been met with backlash. In fact, Maharashtra has witnessed Dalit rebellion in literature, war, religious practices inter alia over centuries. The Prisons We Broke is one such attempt, albeit one of the firsts by a Dalit woman justifying its narrative on women’s issues as well as Dalit’s causes. Babytai Kamble was a pioneering voice of intersectional feminism in India. As a Dalit woman, she understood the complexities of caste, class and gender-based oppressions and their overlapping nature. Her life and work through which he exposes the social dichotomy, provides a critical lens into the intersectionality of feminism.
Trajectory of Agony and Caste Consciousness among Dalit Women; A Study of Subaltern Voice from the Periphery in Baby Kamble's & Urmila Pawar's Autobiographies
The caste-based discrimination began with the establishment of Varna system in four stratification of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras in Indian society. Such caste division was made based on profession and occupation in ancient India. Dalits are considered as outcast due to the oppression faced by them. Though the Indian constitution has enacted the laws for the protection of the rights of Dalits, though Dalits are economically and politically accepted yet they are left away in society, they are not given social platform and are not exposed in society. Dalits come under social hierarchy as the oppressed community who are subjected to the caste-based oppression. In India, the unique caste system, the upper caste and the lower caste divide the classes. The social division is mentioned as perpetual and is seen in number of religious scriptures and such religious scriptures are called as dharma shastras. Autobiography is a preferred genre among majority of Dalit writers because they wish to reveal the truth as they have experienced in their life in Indian society. Dalit does not only denote a specific caste in Indian society and life, but it also denotes all those who have been oppressed by the machinery of social forces in the name of caste, creed or patriarchy. This research aims to explore the plight of Dalit women and the multilayers of the oppression under which their entity and identity are suffocating. In this regard this paper aspires to explore the trajectory of agony among Dalit women in two powerful writers Baby Kamble and Urmila Pawar's autobiographical narrative which are potential enough to scratch and debunk the ruthless stories of Indian women's plight in the society and their struggle to liberate themselves from shackles of slavery and claiming the victorious trophy; establishing a position of their own. Dalit literature is the literature by Dalits, for Dalits and of Dalits that tells the age long tale of insult of human dignity and human esteem. In the vast country like India, many communities exist together and most of them practice different cultures, customs, and traditions. Among them Dalits are one of the communities who are marginalized in the name of Varna system and have been considered untouchables, unheard and unseeable. Dalits form the most different community with different challenges Dalits are considered to be the most marginalized community a historical reference is made several centuries before and during the Vedic times Dalits existed
Stepping out of the 'Difference': Discerning the Dalit Female Standpoint in Bama's Sangati
Sage Publishers, 2020
The term Dalit carries, within itself, a structural negativity since its inception in every sphere of life be it political, social or economic. It encapsulates the trials and tribulations of a crushed and suppressed community, which is known as the 'Dalit community'. Dalit literature is a manifestation of the life of Dalit community, which is nothing but a painful saga of an endless suffering. Initially, it was viewed as an all-male affair, but in recent times we have seen the emergence of very powerful narratives by Dalit females. Thus, paving the way for Dalit feminist literature with a new perspective and new ideology which can be termed as 'Dalit female standpoint'. It unravels some hidden territories of Dalit females' lives and talks about their situation, location and experiences. Sangati, a very powerful novel written by Bama, a Dalit female writer, stands testimony to the things mentioned above as it presents the agency and audacity of the Dalit women who question their subjugation and raise a step against the biased society. Their knowledge towards the outer world gives them a new outlook and fresh perspective on life as they reexamine gender relations as fundamental to the broader ideologies of caste. The present article seeks to explore the life conditions of Dalit females as they are caught in the vortex of caste, gender and class and their grit and resolve to survive despite all odds by harping on their oppositional consciousness.
Dalit Women Write Back _ A Study of Dalit Literature by Women.pdf
Dalits are considered as people of discrete set of low castes, who have been marginalized and oppressed in every possible way. Dalits have recently started showing resistance against oppression through their writings. Many Dalit writers like Bama, Baby Kamble and Arjun Danglay, came up with their own stories of pain and suffering, narrating the agony of Dalit life in its true fashion. Dalit men writers were the first to write their ordeals but of late Dalit women have also come into the literary scene by expressing themselves through their autobiographies. These Dalit women autobiographies are generally written in Indian regional languages like Marathi and Tamil. Dalit writings became a matter of great interest after movements led by Jotiba Phule and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. In my paper I shall deal with the necessity and impact of some famous translated Dalit women autobiographies.
Contextualising Dalit women’s voices: A study of Urmila Pawar and Bama’s autobiographies
2021
Since the beginning of resistance against patriarchy, women’s issues have become an integral part of public sphere globally. This has been possible due to their constant struggle to understand their own agency that women have got their due representation. However, the issue of Dalit women’s representation has not effectively managed to be heard and losing its sheen as it lacks agency owing to the homogenisation of their experiences with the elite ones. In this regard, an independent and autonomous assertion of Dalit women has emerged possibly through writings, particularly; life narratives. Therefore, various Dalit women writers viz. Baby Kamble, Urmila Pawar, Bama, Gogu Shyamala and others have started registering their presence in the literary world through autobiographies, memoirs, narratives etc. Dalit women writers audaciously expose the society which has objectified them, abused them and stripped them off their identity and has effectively maintained patronising stance. The pr...
THE LITERARY HERALD AN INTERNATIONAL REFEREED ENGLISH E-JOURNAL Rejection to Resistance: A Study of Dalit Feminism in Bama's Karukku and Sangati Rejection to Resistance: A Study of Dalit Feminism in Bama's Karukku and Sangati
2015
This research paper highlights the need of Dalit feminist writings as these writings provide a platform to the marginalized women of this community. Referring to Bama's two major works we can easily trace the atrocities that dalit women undergo in professional and personal sphere. The best part about both these works is that it ends with self realization that empowers the author and in turn the readers for the better tomorrow. Noida It is not so much that subaltern women did not speak, but rather that others did not know how to listen, how to enter into a transaction between speaker and listener. The subaltern cannot because their words cannot be properly interpreted. Hence, the silence of the female as subaltern is the result of failure of interpretation and not a failure of articulation. (195) Gayatri Spivak's argument that the voice of the subalterns is not heard properly clearly highlights the need of dalit feminist writings. Dalit women writing protests the established ...
Breaking Chains and Healing Lives: A Study of Dalit Women's Health through Baby Kamble's The Prisons We Broke
Literature & Aesthetics, 2024
This research delves into the repercussions of colonialism on women's health and caste dynamics in India, focusing on Dalit women's experiences within the penitentiary system, as depicted in Baby Kamble's memoir The Prisons We Broke. Applying an intersectional approach and critical health theory, the study seeks to examine the interplay between caste, gender, and additional factors such as the socioeconomic background in shaping the health and well-being of incarcerated Dalit women. The literature discussed highlights the repulsive conditions and scarcity of resources these women encountered during pregnancy and other feminine health conditions. By probing the intersections of caste, gender, and socioeconomic determinants within the prison environment, this article amplifies the often-muted voices of Dalit women. Through a meticulous analysis of Kamble's literary work, we contribute to the appreciation of the resilient human spirit. It advocates for a more equitable society encompassing both men and women.
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The present paper aims to focus on various forms of oppression and resistance to it by Dalit Women by making a close analysis of the autobiographies and literary works written by or on Dalit women. Division of society in the community is not restricted to caste division, also exist in gender equalities. Dalit women experience a different degree of oppression from both upper caste Hindu and Dalit men where Dalit Women are still biased by being women, poor and Dalit. The significance of this paper is in that it tries to highlight the powerfulness and celebrate the resistance of the women against multiple power discourses which attempt to govern and rule them.
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Dalit feminism emerged as a response to mainstream Indian feminism, which tended to downplay caste related issues. Dalit feminism studies not only the patriarchal oppression of Dalit women at the hands of upper-caste men but also from the members within their own caste. Baby Kamble grapples with this issue as a writer as well as an activist. This paper attempts to study the intersectional impact of caste, gender and class in her work The Prisons We Broke using the Dalit feminist theoretical approach. It attempts to analyse the textual representation of Dalit women's predicament not only through the portrayal of the interlinked complexity of caste, gender and classbased oppressions but also through the intersection and overlapping of these realities within the autobiographical rubric of writing. In her seminal work, Baby Kamble exposes the deprivation of Dalits and the struggles and oppression of Dalit women. Kamble seems to immerse or place herself within the community but does not leave out the complexity of identity for a Dalit woman. Her autobiography thus disrupts the standard concepts of autobiography that place individual at the centre. As opposed to the existing gap among mainstream feminist movement, there seems to be a scope to reshape feminist solidarity among the Dalit feminist scholarship. This paper builds upon the major concerns shared by Dalit feminists within the social structures that assert the subjugation of Dalit women using the lens of caste and gender. It further attempts to extend the theoretical scope and applicability of Dalit feminism by exploring the conceptual specificity of the social reproduction of the social location-based knowledge of Dalit women's predicament.
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Indian literature in regional languages is full of local colors and regional flavors. They highlight the issues of ethnicity, caste groups, marginal entities in a language full of energy and rebellion. This somewhat is expressed in a violent language by using slangs, abuses on the other hand it runs like a peaceful river enriching the lives of people on its banks. Dalit literature from Maharashtra has given voices to the people who are thrusted out of the threshold of villages. The community considered as untouchable, forsaken from many human rights of living a normal and respectful life. Present paper is an attempt to trace the use of language in Baby Kamble"s Marathi auto-narrative Jin Aamuch(1990) from ethnolinguistic point of view. Baby Kambale"s Jin Amuch highlights the socio-cultural ethos of Mahar community in Maharashtra. The autonarratives describes the various rituals, customs and mores prevalent in the community. It also highlights the caste hierarchy deeply rooted in the Hindu religious milieu in India. Baby Kambale"s narrative is an anthropological journey that depicts the nuances of vivid belief system, dichotomies as described in the narrative.
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Dalit Literature represents a powerful, emerging movement in the Indian literary traditionand its reverberations are now being heard all around the world. One more addition to the Dalit literature is Baby Kamble's autobiography The Prisons We Broke which portrays the socio-economical, cultural and political conditions of Dalit community in Indian society. It highlights the plight of Dalit women who receive inhuman treatment and suffer at every front. In Indian society women are always subjected to a subaltern state and are marginalized. Women face subjugation in various forms everywhere in India, traditional taboos legitimize their exploitation. For Dalit women, the situation is even worse, as they suffer from the triple oppression becauseof their gender, economical condition and their low caste. This paper is an attempt to deliberate on the harsh realities of struggle, subjugation and suffering of Dalit women as depicted in The Prisons We Broke. As we know Dalit women are positioned at the lowest rung of the social hierarchy they are subjected to inhumane living conditions, violence and discrimination which deprive them of opportunities, choices and freedoms in all sphere of their life.
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India has been a democracy for over six decades, and it has progressed by leaps and bounds in different spheres, from roads to the moon; it has proved its charisma and calibre in contexts of discoveries and new theories. But do its social credentials stand up to scrutiny? No, in spite of progressing this much, inequality soared to the highest levels in some areas, and it has not translated into greater welfare for the majority of the Indian population. Dalit community is one of those unfortunate people who are lacking in social honour because of their class and caste. As of now, their literature is the most circulated means to know about their situation, and we will see that most of the literature available is in the form of their biographies and autobiographies. Here, I am looking for the cultural dynamics and power relations responsible for the crippled existence of 'a Dalit female' and how they get a Dalit female standpoint to speculate over the situations and strive for betterment by analyzing a Dalit female narrative The Prisons We Broke by Baby Kamble.
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Literature has always mirrored society and its various issues, using stories, novels, plays, and poems to highlight societal problems. These literary forms influence readers, prompting them to reflect on these issues. Literature plays a significant role in raising awareness and addressing societal problems. Dalit literature, in particular, has shed light on the trauma and suffering experienced by Dalits in their daily lives. Dalit women writers have notably articulated the struggles and hardships faced by Dalit women, striving for their emancipation by emphasizing the importance of education. Among these writers, Bama and Sivakami have distinguished themselves, creating a significant impact in the literary world. This article explores the challenging journeys of their female characters, who navigate their troubled lives with determination, courage, and resilience, ultimately overcoming numerous obstacles. The ways in which these brave Dalit women confront and address their challenges are remarkable. Their ability to find a place in a male-dominated society is commendable, as each character asserts her individuality and voices her dissent in a patriarchal world.
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The emergence of the Dalit Panther Movement in 1970's, mooted the cause of the Dalits' creative effort. All Dalit writing is regarded as political writing, as a strategy of resistance to social oppression that the Dalits have borne over years within the caste-plagued culture. It was only after 1980 and 1990s that the Dalit voice could find a place in the Tamil literary canon. Until then the Dalit voice remained unheard and the Dalit consciousness was submerged within the greater mainstream ideology and discourse. With the Dalits taking up the autobiographical mode by writing down their experiential reality, they slowly managed to carve a niche for themselves in the literary sphere. With the emergence of women Dalit writers, patriarchal hegemony became the centre subject that a Dalit woman explored. They prepared the ground for a sustained critique of not only domestic violence, abuse of the Dalit women but also of the hegemonic bureaucracy and social structures. The need for a Dalit feminist standpoint to evaluate the Dalit women's life outside the framework of the elitist notions of the feminist agenda became the concern of the Dalit women writers. Bama Faustina deals at length with the above themes in her autobiography Karakku published in 1992 and translated into English in 2000 by Lakshmi Holmström.
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IJELR, 2021
This paper attempts a study on how Tamil dalit writer Bama delineates subjugation and exploitation of Dalit women and the way how they protest to all these kinds of injustice with special references to select short stories from her anthology of short stories "Just One Word", translated into English by Malini Sheshadri in 2018. Being a dalit feminist writer Bama introduces her readers to the lived experiences of dalit women with an ironical overtone interrogating the layers of marginalization and the female space they have been provided by the caste oriented patriarchal society. A dalit feminist perspective has been undertaken to study Bama's select short stories from her Just One Word.
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