Quest for Emancipation in the Writings of Dalit Women Muse India

Literary Herald, 2023

The narrative of resistance found in Dalit literature is directed against the dominance of Brahmanic literature, which presents a limited, skewed, and prejudiced picture of reality. The pretense of being omniscient and all-encompassing while presenting a narrow, one sided, twisted and biased view of reality. The society is changing. So it is obvious that the role of literature and expression must be changed accordingly. In an effort to create a contemporary, democratic, and secular Indian identity, the Dalit movement opposes the anti-caste movement. The first Dalit literary work appeared in the Indian state of Maharashtra in 1958. After independence, the phrase "Dalit," which means "downtrodden, subjugated, or broken," was used. In the 1930s, it was employed as a translation of "depressed classes" into Hindi and Marathi. The word typically used was "Untouchable" or "Shudra" Dalit, we can say, is not a caste but an image of change that can bring revolution in the society. It includes Schedule tribes, impoverished peasants, women (who are viewed as less valuable than men), and anyone else who is being abused politically or financially in the name of religion.

History testifies the presence of cleavages in every society, characterized by atrocities, discrimination, exploitation and subordination that raised peoples demand for justice and equality. It is this idea of equality that forced people to protest in the form of movements. The Dalit Movement also began as a protest movement in India. The Dalits, also called as Atisudra, Panchama or Outcasts, at present constitute one of the most depressed and marginalized sections of Indian society. Socio-cultural exclusion, economic deprivation and political exploitation of centuries made them to break out of such kinds of age-old prejudices. Hence, they began to protest with the help of literatures, or forming organization like the Dalit Panthers, which came to be recognized as the Dalit Movement. This paper is an attempt to bring forth the various aspects of Dalit’s lives that led to the movement, in the radiance of four Dalit literatures.

International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research (IJFMR), 2024

India, recognised as one of the world's fastest-growing nations, bears the burden of a deeply entrenched caste system. This paper delves into the historical backdrop of suppression, the plight of the oppressed, and the genesis of Dalit literature. It meticulously examines the trajectory and breadth of the Dalit literary movement, which is often rooted in the philosophical tenets espoused by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Furthermore, it scrutinises the harsh realities faced by Dalits and their commendable efforts to challenge social hierarchies. Dalit literature serves as a powerful medium for conveying the poignant social and political experiences of the Dalit community within the caste-based framework of Indian society. It sheds light on the myriad social factors shaping the lives of Dalits and their interactions with both Dalit and non-Dalit communities. Through vivid narratives, it elucidates the struggles endured by the Dalit community in their quest for equality and liberty. The relentless efforts of Dalit movements, coupled with the impactful discourse presented in Dalit literature, have contributed to a perceptible shift towards equality within Dalit social dynamics. The legal prohibition of discrimination based on caste and gender signifies a significant milestone in this ongoing journey. Dalit literature encapsulates the journey of the oppressed, from grappling with questions of identity to striving for social parity. This paper underscores the transformative potential of Dalit literature as a catalyst for social change, offering a glimpse into the evolving landscape of equality and justice within Dalit communities. Through their literary expressions, Dalit writers continue to champion the cause of social justice and advocate for the rights and dignity of all individuals, irrespective of caste or gender.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND ANALYTICAL REVIEWS, 2024

There is a difference in the writing of women and men writers of the Dalit literature. The Dalit Women writers have got a new platform to express themselves with emergence of feminism during 1970. Feminism is a social movement and in the initial stage this movement was confined to upper caste and educated women only. The Dalit men writers had written about the Dalit women but it was from their own point view. It was just like writing Dalit literature by non-Dalit writers. Dalit men writers had not depicted Dalit women characters as their equal partners but as a weaker sex. Dalit women's sorrow could not be presented in literature by men Dalit writers and the upper caste women writers. So they have come forward to write on their own life in their own words like the Afro-American women. Dalit women have also come forward to fight against their sexual harassment.

Dalit means all those people of different castes and sub-castes who were traditionally subjected to individual discriminations on grounds of untouchability, and categorized as the untouchables, downtrodden, exterior classes, depressed classes or Scheduled Castes. "The organizational or institutional efforts made by Dalit leaders for the liberation of the downtrodden masses could be termed as Dalit movement. It is a movement of protest against untouchability, casteism and superstitions. It aims at the uplift of the Dalits to the level of non-Dalits". It stands for acceptance of a new social order based on equality, liberty, and social justice and social, economic, cultural and political development of the Dalit." It is the movement to regain self-respect and equal human status in the society.

Journal of English Language and Literature

In Indian society, the Dalits who are known earlier as untouchables or Shudras have been suffering in the name of Casteism. Even after more than 70 years of achieving Independence, the Dalits are bearing the brunt of torture and humiliation at the hand of upper caste people in many states in India. Dalits, being born in lower castes, are the worst target of embarrassment, dishonour, torture and discrimination. They have been inflicted violence physically or mentally in such a cruel manner that their whole identity is trampled underfoot. For centuries their life has been an epic of traumatic experiences. Their survival was possible at the behest of upper caste people who otherwise treated them like beasts. The wishes and dreams of the Dalits didn’t matter as they had no right to dream for a world of joy and progress. With the passage of time, people in the Dalit community realised the traumatic situation and sufferings of their brethren and decided to give voice through literature to...

The Creative Launcher

Feminist movements and Dalit feminist movement in India are mainly based on the experience of Repression and gender discrimination. Patriarchy, gender disparity and sexual violence are the basic reasons for these movements and they also find place prominently in the writings of Dalit women as they have come forward to write their experiences from women's point of view around 1980s. Baby Kamble, Urmila Pawar in Marathi, Geeta Nagabhushan in Kannada, P. Shivakami, Bama in Tamil have got national level consideration. Dalit women were raped; insulted and abused by the upper caste people. They are insecure in the society as they have been exploited on the various levels. This feeling of insecurity of the Dalit women is the central theme of their writings. These women writers have come forward to express their ideas, their experiences in social violence as well as in domestic violence and thus they protest their traditional existence with anger and anguish. Geeta Nagabhushan’s dalit n...

This research paper attempts to study the emergence of the term dalit and its various interpretations. Though the opinion of pro minent figures like Gandhi, A mbedkar, Phule, EV Ramaswami, Dalit Panthers Movement, Marxist, and others are analyzed, the contemporary writers have not been included in this paper. Further I analyse the term "dalit literature" and its various implications. I argue that the representation of dalit literature celebrates the dalit condition as an unparalleled one an d a permanent entity. It ignores the differences within the dalit communities; rather they concentrate on building on similarities. Through these similarit ies they create a dalit identity and culture that defines "Dalitness' which is not only national but international in its inspiration. To this end dalit writers find and celebrate the similarities of dalit literature with Black literature inspired by the Panthers Movements in USA. Thus transformation of the "dalit" identity" represents a new type of polit ical assertion that confronts, counters and redesigns older forms of struggles, against both class and caste exploitation.

AMRJ PUBLICATION , 2021

The concept of caste Dalit ,as well as the literature created by Dalits in India, has been thoroughly examined in this paper. Dalits have written a diverse range of literary works based on their own personal experiences. The experiences of being a Dalit has inspired them to represent their inhuman situation ,which is exacerbated by India's infamous caste system, which has existed for centuries. The beginning of the caste system with beginning of Hindu religious theology, where in India are there stratification/Savarnas among Hindu communities. The Dalits are on the fourth rung of the social ladder. as a Dalit , they are treated even worse ,as if they were an animal. they have been denied their basic human rights and the dignity to live as human beings for many years, they have been subjected to various forms of humiliation, torture, and slavery, and they have been denied the right to live. This long standing denial has caused India's Dalit community to vent their anguish and sense powerlessness via various forms of writing. They have spoken out against the harsh Hindu caste system that continues to oppress them in all aspects of life through their micronarratives.