Dalit Literature Towards Dalit Liberation: A Study of P. Sivakami’s The Grip of Change

Pages:167-169
Devi Rani (Reseach Scholar, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana)
Devi Rani (Reseach Scholar, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana)

It is a well established fact that “Knowledge is power” and literature is that potent source of knowledge whichprovides power not only to the privileged sections but also to the marginalized section of society (Bacon n.p).Literature has always played a significant role in raising the social consciousness and inspiring people to bring about required change.Be it Feminist literature, Afro-American literature, Post- colonial literature or any other literary movement for that matter, each proved to be an outstanding medium of consciousness raising and liberating the oppressed humanity in their respective fields.Similarly,Dalit literature also paved the path of Dalit emancipation since its emergence.Dalit literature, which came into its own as a collective voice after 1960, evolvedout of a stringent agitation to speak out the age-oldsufferings and struggle of the dalit masses which have been either suppressed or sidelined by the mainstream elite class literature. Though, the term “Dalit” literally means oppressed and “downtrodden, who have been “crushed down” under the centuries old tyrannical caste system and dehumanizing untouchability(Wikipedia n.p). But largely it is considered synonymous to the Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes as they have been the most depressed and worst victim of Casteism. Therefore dalit literaturetraces out the trajectory of Dalit liberationfrom the stigma of untouchables andcontributes in establishing the identity of Dalit as dignified. Since the mainstream literature was monopolized by the high-caste and elite-class writers,the Dalits found hardly any place in their writings. It either ignored the lower castes or if touched dalit’s issue at all, was merely a detached depiction of the depressed image of Dalits whichcommunicated an inferiority complex among dalits. Therefore dalit writers challenge the hegemony of high-caste imposition and showcase a revolutionary dalit consciousness in their writings. In the words of Baburao Bhagul, “Dalit is the name of total revolution; it is revolution incarnate”(Poisoned Bread 289). Dalit literature conveys theradical and ardent desire to overthrow the oppressive system. Though, the signs of this liberating spirit are visible in the history at various junctures but it is manifested most emphatically in the speeches and writings of Baba Sahib Ambedkar. He is considered the father of Dalit literature and dalit consciousness for it was he who imparted the awakening trio message of “educate”, “agitate” and “organize,” and declared the ideological battle against the entrenched caste system andthus broke ground for dalit emancipation(qtd. in Ambrose Pinto 140).The collective efforts of Dalit leaders, writers and scholars like Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule and Dalit Panthers along with many other socio-political and literary movements enabled the Dalits to burst out their pent up anguishes.Thus so-far Dalit literature has been proved a worthy platform of raising and liberating dalit consciousness.The regional sub-branches of dalit discourse are sprouting from different corners of society. Dalits are outpouring their experiential reality inGujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada,Hindi, Tamil and English languages to name a few.Dalit expressions have taken all known forms of literature, such as poetry, autobiographies, novels, short stories and critical essays etc.