History of Dalit literature

Introduction
A new literary trend known as Dalit literature first appeared in Indian literature in the 1960s,
particularly in the Marathi language. It was accompanied by a marginalized minority known
as the Dalits. Panthers. This trend has spread to all throughout India. The movement's poets
and writers employed the phrase. The descriptive term "Dalit" has taken the place of
"Untouchable" or "Harijan." Although to the English it seemed unfamiliar Dalit literature first
appeared in the early 1960s as a result of the movement started by Dr.B.R. Ambedkar, the
unchallenged leader of the Untouchables (1891–1956). During the 1940s and 1950s, Dr.
Ambedkar's magazines such as Janata, Prabuddha Bharat, and Muknayak published some
stories and poetry about untouchables, most notably the short stories by Marathi author
Bandhu Madhav that focused on the actual lives of oppressed people. Then another theme
came after this one. Dalit literature reflects socioeconomic issues in a variety of literary
genres in a creative and intellectual way. It was an offshoot of Indian literature and
represented a new literary movement in India. Dalit literature is essentially a social and
humanistic work that addresses the social and economic exploitation of Dalits in India over a
long period of time. The slow emergence of socio economic equality in India, however, is a
positive development. All activists and Dalit literature deserve praise.
The research, "Indian Dalit Literature: Quest for Identity to Social Equality," which also
analyses the journey of oppressed or untouchables in India from socio-economic-political
perspectives, aims to elaborate the real life of the Dalit community through their literature
and positive steps towards equality. advancements to exploitations Researchers and
academics should be aware of this innovative literary force of the untouchables who were
denied their identities and their rights to equality. This topic is relevant not just in language
and literature, but also in Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology, Geography, and
more. Literature of this kind is found in Palestinian literature, African-American writing, or
other forms of what is referred to as "Black writing," etc. For this paper's approach, the
researcher used sample collecting, analytic, descriptive, and comparative techniques. She also
relied on books, journals, and online databases.
Caste and class history in India
The ability of South Asia to incorporate foreign influences while maintaining its unique
identity is frequently remarked upon. The way the Dravidian people behave is the clearest
example of their tenacity. Languages have absorbed what must be considered a significant
amount of Indo-Aryan influence, although kept their core Dravidian characteristics.
Dravidian languages must have begun to become increasingly Indo-Aryan. Compared to
3,500 years ago. The Rig Veda has linguistic elements that may be of Dravidian origin.
suggests that the Rig Veda was written some hundred years before Aryan interaction with the
Dravidian-speaking peoples. Following the Aryan invasion of India, the new "Varna"
legislation created the four castes of Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. The
fundamental definition and justification offered is that those working in the field of education
are Brahmins, those fighting on the front lines are Kshatrityas, those in business are
Vaishyas, and everyone else is a Shudra. Due to this categorization, which was based on the
skill, capacity, or ability of the employees, there are many castes according to the jobs they

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perform. But over thousands of years, the tragic reality set in, with the result that children
were assigned the caste and class of their fathers or paternal families without regard to their
occupations, abilities, or skills. It is claimed that this system was put in place to safeguard
against miscegenation, especially the native aborigines. The Shudras of the fourth class were
shunned by society and afterwards referred to as untouchables. Many invaded governments
failed to think for their welfare.
Dalit
According to its etymology, the name "Dalit" comes from the Sanskrit word "Dalita," which
meaning "oppressed." They were considered untouchables and inferior to Brahmin,
Kshatriya, and Vaishya in Indian society and culture. In the past, people who were considered
untouchable were called Chandala or Avarna. The terms "Untouchable" or "Harijan," as
employed by Mahatma Gandhi and Narasimha Mehta throughout the 20th century. The
renowned historian J.H. Hutton referred to these untouchables as "Exterior Castes" on a
global scale. Harijan is Arabic for "people of God." This community is known formally as
Scheduled Caste. Shudras are now generally referred to as Dalits. The term "Dalit," which
means "ground," encompasses a wide range of marginalized communities. This is a term that
the author picked for himself and was developed from the Sanskrit and Marathi words
meaning broken and downtrodden.

Dalit Literature Movement

The suppressed class movement began in India in 1958 under the leadership of Dr. Bhimrao
Ambedkar, who had earlier drawn inspiration from Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. Modern
America's Black Movement served as the inspiration for this. The writing about and of Dalits
or the downtrodden is evident from the definition of Dalit literature. The suffering of
untouchables' experiences is echoed in literature. Injustice, humiliation of the caste, and
injustices and discrimination committed by members of the upper caste. It conveys the
political awareness that centered on the fight for communal self-respect and dignity. There
may be writings in this Literature. concerning environmental and natural resource
exploitation, racial discrimination against Afro Americans in the United States, and the
treatment of women as second-class citizens, homosexuals' rights, and senior citizens'
neglect.
The word "Dalit" has a broad peripheral meaning and refers to all forms of dominance
that any group may experience. Past traumas can be cured by its therapeutic abilities. The
historically underprivileged men and women received certain reform programmes from the
British Indian Empire. The untouchables were classified as the Depressed Class or the
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes when the "Government of India Act 1935" was
passed. The ordinance also included various welfare programmes to aid Dalits in their
growth. Even though Dalits were viewed as dirty and uneducated, they started to express their
dignity and sense of self in writings and speeches. Research papers, poems, plays, short tales,
novels, and other works of mass media about the exploited social existence were produced as
a result of this movement. Dalits, non-Dalits, and foreign writers were all aware of the effects
of the caste system in South Asia.

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 Madara Chennaiah, a cobbler-saint who lived in the eleventh century and is
recognized by some academics as the "Father of Vachana Poetry," was one of the first Dalit
authors. He did so under the Western Chalukyas' rule. Dohara Kakkaiah, a Dalit by birth, is
another poet who is mentioned. His six confessional poems, which have survived, shed light
on those turbulent times. In the 13th century, the Marathi Saint Chokhamela and his wife
Soyrabai used their poems (Abhanga) to express the plight of the oppressed. When the
inaugural meeting of the Maharashtra Dalit Sahitya Sangha (Maharashtra Dalit Literature
Society) was held in Mumbai in 1958, the phrase "Dalit literature" was first used. With its
passionate portrayal of a brutal society, Mi Jat Chorali (When I had Concealed My Caste),
published in 1963, caused a sensation in Marathi literature and gave Dalit literature new life.
The Dalit movement was gradually developed with the help of additional authors, including
Namdeo Dhasal (who created Dalit Panther), Daya Pawar, and N.R. Shende. According to
Gail Omvedt's article, "Dalit literature as'movement' began only in the late 1960s and early
1970s, but one of the most significant Dalit writers and a major forerunner of the movement
was Annabhau Sathe," Annabhau Sathe was "one of the most important Dalit writers and a
major forerunner of the movement" (1920-1968)[1]. He wrote in a variety of styles. Even
today, readers still enjoy reading his novels and short stories, and no other Dalit novelist has
yet to make a similar impact.
Although there were clannish aspects present as early as the 11th century, the Dalit
Movement actually began in Marathi literature in the 1960s, and it eventually spread to
Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi. The predominance of the upper class in
society was threatened by the realistic, experience-based, and honest literature created by
Dalit writers. The Dalit protagonists' fury, sadness, unwavering resolve, and hope were
presented in a frequently foul language. The Dalit authors from several Indian states
collaborate on a book. Connection to a shared purpose, shared identity, and shared political
attitude.

Concept of Dalit
The term "Dalit," which is used to describe the casteless "untouchable" sects of India,
literally means "oppressed." A group of individuals who are traditionally viewed as
untouchables go by the self-designation "Dalit," sometimes known as "outcaste." All over
India, South Asia, and the rest of the world, Dalits are a mixed population of many caste
groupings. The term "Ashprosh" (Untouchable), "Harijans" (Children of God), "Dalit’s," or
"Broken People," among others, have all been proposed to describe this group of people. The
word "Dalit" has a long history. The word "Dalit" is Sanskrit in origin and meaning
"downtrodden," "suppressed," "crushed," or "broken to pieces."It was first used in the
nineteenth century by Jyotirao Phule in reference to the tyranny experienced by the former
"Untouchable" classes of the twice-born Hindus. The term "Harijan," which loosely translates
as "children of God," was created by Mahatma Gandhi to describe the former invulnerable.

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 Indian Dalit Literature: The Struggle for Social Justice

The oppressed in the Indian caste system are shown in Dalit literature. The Dalits, as
they are known in Indian society, have a long history of living under subjugation beneath the
upper strata. So they have long been a marginalized, oppressed, and subaltern group.
However, this group has also risen and has been improving day by day thanks to the efforts of
numerous social reformers, like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Dr. Ambedkar, and Mahatma
Gandhi. There are still numerous issues with their current situation. With the beginning of
Dalit Conferences in the 1960s, a specific ethnic group introduced Dalit literature. Rather
than writing merely for entertainment, writers like Munshi Premchand, Amrita Nagar, Mannu
Bhandari, Mulk Raj Anand, Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, Malkhan Singh, Jai Prakash
Kardam, Suraj Pal Chauhan, Omprakash Valmiki, and Vasant Moon also incorporated social
commentary and criticism into their works.
They were followed by Arundhati Roy, Basudev Sunani, Bama, Sivakami, Poomani,
Marku, Mahaswetha Devi, and Paul Chirakkarode.Because it promotes the rights of the Dalit
community and encourages people to rise up against injustice, it should be understood in the
context of today's world and should not be considered "recreational" or "leisure" literature.
All around India, Dalit writing that began in Marathi has been translated into many other
languages. Dalits are prevalent. Writers from the Marathi language, including Bandhu
Madhav, Annabhau Sathe, Daya Pawar, P.I. Sonkamble, Shantabai Kamble, and Raja
Laxman Mane, Laxman Gayakwad, Hari Narake, Sharankumar Limbale, Arun Kamble,
Dhale, Namdev Dhasal, Ambadas Shinde, Waman Nibalkar, Bhimsen Dethe, Bhau
Panchbhai, Murlidhar Bansode, and Kishor Shantabai Kale is a significant contributor to
Dalit literature[5].
The social marginalisation of disadvantaged groups including Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes, and religious minorities is a major theme in Dalit writing. In Maharashtra
and Southern India, Dalit activism and literature proliferated. Dalit writing, particularly Dalit
autobiography, is distinct from other genres of literature in terms of style and intent. They
demonstrate the undervaluation of Dalits and act as an "Intellectual propaganda" aimed at
promoting political and socio economic awareness of self-written autobiographies. The use of
reference texts has always been a potent tool for detecting the presence of dalits. Dalit writers
are distressed by the deplorable state of the Dalits. They encourage other Dalits to be vigilant.
They fight for their rights, which the so-called upper classes deny them. Dalit
autobiographies serve as archives for the social reality of Dalits in modern India. These
authors depict the situations of the poor and provide dramatic experiences of poverty and
everyday existence. They are compelled to avoid participating in welfare programmes even
though they receive some benefits under the Reservation Policy. Themes in this literature also
include societal and legal injustices of this nature. Dalit authors stress on the significance of
living situations and objectively and case-by-case describe what they observe "as it existed."
Nothing that is "ugly or painful, and nothing that is idealized" is left out as the authors
portray life as it is. According to realists, the writer's primary responsibility is to accurately
convey what is perceived through the senses.

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 The upper caste individuals are criticized for ruthlessly destroying the lives of Dalits
and Tribes in India. The ambition of writers to record every occurrence and the methods by
which they can accomplish so are perennially divisive issues. Currently, Dalits saw their
literature as a tool to influence changes in social and political position. Writings are
fundamentally expressions of the truth of human life, and great works of literature portray
that reality with comprehensible, straightforward language that helps the reader's literary and
aesthetic sense.
"Although today they are fighting for the restoration of their dignity as human beings,
some people belonging to such underprivileged strata have historically believed that it is
because of the karma in their previous births that they have been born so," wrote C.T. Indra
in her Introduction to The Legend of Nandan[3]. They have been refused access to the temple
for centuries in order to see the divinity.
In the author's social life, any behavioral phenomena of people can be observed. An
author will accurately reflect in his or her literary work the social trait or people's conduct
that he or she observes in real life. In other words, a literary work that is reflectively
presenting issues, cultural occurrences, or social behavior from the author's own experience.
Dalit narratives are the accounts of Dalit victims who suffered comparable exploitation on
their own territory, much to African American slave narratives. Various social and legal
injustices are accurately depicted in this literature. They do not exploit these situations to
celebrate, but rather to inform their fellow Dalits about many instances of injustice. In Dalit
literature, there is no fictional topic and nothing about the authors' romantic lives or romances
is glorified. Dalits describe serious issues including fundamental human rights.
Dalit women used literature as a weapon during the Post-Ambedkar era to combat
mainstream feminism, which included genres like poetry, short stories, essays, novels, and
autobiographies.
Omprakash Valmiki is the author of the well-known autobiography Jonathan: An
Untouchable's Life. It was first released in 1993 as an essay titled "Ex Dalit ki Atmakatha" in
the tome Harijan se Dalit. From 1997 through 2002, Arun Prabha Mukherjee, an English
professor at York University in Toronto, translated Joothan into English. Jootha is an Indian
term for "polluted" food that is related to animals. It depicts the conflict between the upper
caste Tagas of Barla and the Chuhra (Dalits)[4]. It was communicating to me in a manner that
no other text had ever done, Mukherjee claims, in my native language of Hindi and about my
particular region of India. Joothan perfectly captures the suffering caused by deprivation,
humiliation, and Dalit atrocities. Ooru Keri: An Autobiography by Siddalingaiah virtually has
a twisting the hunger and Dalit humiliation in Karnataka. The piece first appeared as an
article in the Kannada publication "Rujuvatu," and the in 1995, Dr. D.R. Nagaraj's English
translation was published in the magazine section of "Deccan Herald." With Ooru Keri was
once more translated by S.R. in five portions of nostalgic memories. Ramakrishna, The
Music Magazine's founder and editor, published a book in 2003. Ooru Keri depicts the
deprivation and angst of Dalits in the state of Karnataka. The Siddalingaiah family works as
farm laborers and receives poor wages, occasionally none at all. Siddalingaiah attended a free
night school in spite of his extreme poverty. He started to learn self-respect and dignity from
his school teachers. He shares experiences that contrast common problems like caste
prejudice, poverty, and identity

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 According to Growing up Untouchable in India, Mahars in Nagpur are the victims of
caste, poverty, atrocities, social injustices, and legal wrongdoing. Purnabai, the motherless
Vasant Moon, worked as a maid in the homes of Europeans to support Vasant and her
daughter Malti in the Nagpur neighborhoods. Vasant depicts conflicts between upper classes
and Mahars (Dalits). Vasant experienced a social boycott, caste prejudice, and physical abuse
from upper caste individuals. Ambedkar arose in the 1930s to speak up for Dalits. Vasant has
been a part of the Samata Sainik Dal Dalit movement since he was a little lad and is aware of
the value of social welfare. He spent his entire life working for his community.
Siddalingaiah is a well-known Dalit poet, folklorist, and author. He was the founder
of the Dalit Sangarsha Samhiti and a former member of the Karnataka Legislative Council
(DSS). A good example of a public intellectual is Siddalingaiah. He received his doctorate in
philosophy from Bangalore University. Another autobiography, Vasti: Growing Up
Untouchable in India, was released in Marathi. Vasant Moon is the author. Dr. Gail Omvedt,
a professor from the United States and holder of the B.R. Ambedkar Chair on Social Change
and Development, has translated Growing up Untouchable in India into English. The late
Laird Bell Professor of History at Carleton College wrote the "Introduction" to Eleanor
Zelliot's book Growing Up Untouchable in India.
The most widely read Dalit woman's autobiography in Tamil is Bama's Karukku
(2000). The author views Karukku to be the life story of the Dalit mass rather than the life
story of a Dalit woman. Karukku was translated into English by Lakshmi Holmstrom,
founder-trustee of the South Asian Diaspora Literature and Arts Archive, who also provided a
thorough introduction to Dalit culture and literature. Bama, a former Catholic, discovered that
the basis of her discrimination stemmed from the fact that she was born a Dalit. As a Dalit
lady, however, she encountered discrimination in social settings like churches and schools.
Dalits must collaborate for their own survival if they are to continue to exist. As a result,
Dalit women also work as labourers or sweepers. They continue to be in a pitiful state as they
perform the assigned task.
When they are at work, they are frequently the targets of injustice. A Dalit woman
experiences a double curse: the curse of being a woman and the double curse of being a Dalit
in her own home. The life of a woman is cursed in this patriarchal, high caste culture. Poems
on this subject have been written by Dalit poets and poetess. Silent suffering used to be a
problem for Dalit women. Raising a voice in opposition to injustice is now a reality. While
they vehemently protest, they do not currently suffer all injustice. Disgust for Dalits, which
dates back centuries, is slowly fading from Indian society.
The orthodox upper castes have been persuaded by Dalit writers who fiercely oppose
untouchability that since we live together, why not live with human feeling and brotherhood?
The Housing Society, a short fiction by Jai Prakash Kardam, illustrates this reality. It is Vijay
Mahato's narrative. He works as the railway ministry's deputy secretary in Delhi[5]. Despite
being fifty years old, he still doesn't have a home of his own because of family obligations
including paying rent, paying for the children's schooling, and other costs. In addition to these
costs, he also needs to send money to his village-dwelling parents.
In contrast to Dalit autobiographies, which each detail a life filled with caste atrocities
and discrimination that persists beyond the autobiographer's passing, writings by upper caste
individuals tend to be happier. Experienced Dalit narratives are considerably different from

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non-Dalit narratives in a variety of ways. In contrast to Dalit autobiographies, the
autobiographies of upper caste individuals conclude with the author's uncertain future. The
majority of authors, academics, critics, and reviewers believed that Dalit literature were
examples of recent caste exploitation and persecution.
These are regarded as an epic of the Dalit people's struggle that has been told using a
variety of historical references. All of the authors portrayed their impoverished living
situations in and around Indian society, including their lack of access to culture, food, and
shelter. According to Christophe Jaffrelot, "Their (Dalit's) novels have not only drawn a
sizable readership, but they are also having a significant influence on the political
landscape”[6].
Jaffrelot calls attention to Ms. Mayawati, a well-liked politician. She was the chief
minister of Uttar Pradesh, the nation's most populous state, and the head of the Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP). Additionally, he claims that Dalit literature has contributed to a renewed
understanding of the social and political issues that Dalits face. Caste and gender
discrimination were both common in the past. In upper caste communities, tea shops, schools,
and temples, Dalits were not permitted to host events. Despite being exploited and deprived,
Dalits nonetheless make an effort to assert their rights to employment and education.
However, they frequently run against fierce resistance from the upper caste population, which
leads to rapes, killings, inhumane assaults, and other horrors. The literature has documented
the levels of humiliation and discrimination experienced by Dalits, despite the fact that their
socioeconomic situation is improving. Heartbreaking caste prejudice permeates the
narrations. They had a significant impact on the authors' life. It entails excluding or excluding
members of one group from opportunities that are available to members of another group and
is the actual behavior towards members of that group. Indeed, all of these authors promoted
independence and education. Caste is not a physical monster, as Bheemaiah notes in the
article "Dialectics of Caste Culture: A Social Crisis in Indian Nation"[7]. The phenomenon is
mainly psychological in nature.
Every Indian has ingrained caste consciousness and a trust in fate. According to the
history of human civilization, culture, and progress, in the majority of the world's regions,
one class—the powerful class—had remained at the center and the majority of humanity had
remained at the periphery. The powered class had reaped the benefits of the peripheral class's
physical and mental labor while always attempting to hold onto the center for as long as
possible. The powered class had all of the resources or sources that should have been at the
center. Therefore, the members of this class prioritized their prosperity over the welfare of
other humans, disregarding egalitarian ideologies based on religion or reason. As a result, the
periphery of mankind continued to exist in abject poverty.

India has been a multilingual, multicultural, and multi religious country since
antiquity. Preaching remained a vital factor to overcome all hurdles for the saints from upper
castes and Dalit communities in the past. Many Dalit men and women have converted to
Christianity and Buddhism in order to achieve liberation due to the tremendous and cruel
caste-based discriminations present in the Hindu religion. People who have converted their
religion also experience this kind of prejudice in their new faith. Despite their lack of
resources, many Dalits have had access to possibilities for a quality education and

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employment. For instance, some Dalit women work as nurses in Christian missionaries'
hospitals and clinics.
During its rule, the British government provided fundamental benefits including
franchises, employment, and education. In national and international venues, caste-based
issues are also highlighted by Dalit discourses in addition to political identities. The authors
and academics were invited to the discussion in order to comprehend societal discrimination.
In numerous languages, Dalit literature has created new paradigms of intellectual expression.
It monitors the welfare of the Dalits and speaks out on social and political issues. In response
to widespread abuses, Dalit caste organizations such as "Dalit Panthers of India" in
Maharashtra, "Dalit Mahasabha" in Andhra Pradesh, "Dalit Sangharsha Samiti" in Karnataka,
and "Arundhatiyar" in Tamil Nadu were created. They seek reservations and fair distribution
of possibilities. The majority of campaigners are also skilled writers. In their fight against all
types of caste-related injustice, Dalits have been extensively studied as political participants.
Through the creation of political parties, participation in elections, and holding elected
officials accountable, Dalit movements have been more involved in and engaged with
political institutions during the past few decades. The Dalit fight goes much beyond the
institutional mechanisms of interest mediation, despite Dalit parties becoming more and more
influential in Indian politics. Dalit movements have organised outside of institutions to
directly and subtly oppose caste's normative procedures and practises. Additionally, Dalits
have had to come up with new and subtler ways to oppose the social order; asserting a visible
claim to public space through the erecting of Ambedkar statues and the building of imposing
structures with an apparent "Dalit architectural style" have been important ways to do this.
There are efforts that adopt a cultural emphasis and stress in addition to these obvious issues.
Dalit literature is thriving right now, and translations of regional writings are opening up this
work to a larger audience. All of these initiatives led to a tad bit of a shift in Indians' attitudes
toward social equality.

Conclusion
In the modern world, marginalization is a complex problem that both national and
international populations find critically troubling. Its extensive occurrence is due to a number
of interconnected socio-economic developmental elements that are becoming more important
in the age of globalization. Classism is a universal phenomenon. There are several similarities
between Dalit writing from India and African-American literature. Prominent Dalit leaders
served as the inspiration for the suppressed class movement. It gave Dalit writing a fresh
vigour. The suffering of Dalits gave birth to the concepts of rejection and revolution in Dalit
literature. According to the Indian caste system, it is about those who are oppressed. It is a
crucial and distinctive component of Indian literature.
Aryan or Hindu texts include the earliest accounts of Indian culture. The foundation
of early Indian society was Varnashrama Dharma, a caste system based on work that
inexorably gave rise to racial intolerance. The Shudras were meant to serve the three elite
classes, the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas, as the Brahmins were at the top of the food
chain. They continue to be regarded as social outcasts. The Indian Constitution recognizes
them as Scheduled Castes. The social prestige of Dr. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi has

8
improved as a result of their efforts. They also promoted Dalit education, which eventually
resulted in new writing. These people, known as Dalits in Indian civilization, have a history
of living in servitude to the upper classes. In recent years, Dalit writers have been making
increasing contributions to both Indian literature and Dalit literature. National and
international critics and reviewers have shown interest in this literature. In their most recent
writings, John C.B. Webster, Josiane Racine, Jean-Luc Racine, Dr. Gail Omvedt, Eleanor
Zelliot, Christophe Jaffrelot, and numerous Indian researchers have made important
contributions on Dalit living. Dalit literature highlights the importance of Dalit identity in the
caste-hegemonic society. Additionally, Dalits can better grasp their identity by reading the
religious and educational writings of Rabinthranath Tagore, Jyotibqa Fule, M.K. Gandhi, Dr.
Ambedkar, Premchand, Mulk Raj Anand, and Vijay Tendulkar. Both Dalit men and Dalit
women enthusiastically supported Ambedkar's philosophy and were revered as the "God of
Dalits."
The primary goal of Dalit literature is authenticity of experience, not beauty of craft.
The Dalit consciousness in the literature is its most important feature. It is a philosophy that
emphasizes the human being while rebelling against the caste system. This consciousness
draws its inspiration from Ambedkarite thinking. Literature on Dalits has occasionally come
under fire for being propagandistic. This literature is alleged to lack artistic finesse. It has
also been alleged that their writing lacks impartiality and neutrality and instead captures the
fervor of a movement. Today's definition of "Dalit Literature" encompasses not only writings
on oppressed groups in India but also other marginalised communities around the globe. The
battle for human identity and dignity followed by empowerment through education is what
defines Dalit culture in the twenty-first century. A dynamic social phenomenon is culture.
Dalits used to be the silent victims. After receiving an education and becoming established in
their lives, they speak out against injustice in order to claim their human identity. Their quest
is for acknowledgement as human beings with human dignity in democratic India, not for
inciting violence or anarchy.
The study of Dalits is currently a well-established area of study within South Asian
Studies, and numerous important publications have emerged from a variety of fields.
Although the journey of Dalits from their search for identity to social equality is still ongoing,
its beneficial consequences and signals are evident all over India.
Therefore, Dalit literature is a fresh perspective on today's literature. People are
enthralled by this new charismatic aspect of writing, known as Dalit literature, with profound
awe.

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 References

[1] Omvedt, Gail, Dalit Literature in Maharashtra: Literature of Social Protest and Revolt in
Western India, South Asian Bulletin 7, 1987, Print, pp.78.

[2] Limbale, Sharankumar, Dalit Literature: Form and Purpose, Towards an Aesthetic of
Dalit Literature: History, Controversies and Considerations, Trans. & Ed. Alok Mukherjee,
Delhi, Orient Longman, 2004. Print, pp. 31-32

[3] Indra, C.T., Introduction, The Legend of Nandan, By Indira Parthasarathy, New Delhi,
OUP, 2003, Print, pp. xvi

[4] Mukherjee, Arun Prabha , Introduction, Joothan : An Untouchable' s Life, By Omprakash

Valmiki. New York: Columbia UP, 2003, Print., pp. x.

[5] Kardam, Jai Prakash, The Housing Society, Dalit Asmita, IIDS Quarterly, Oct-Dec. 2010,
pp. 53-58.

[6] Jaffrelot, Christophe, Dr. Ambedkar and Untouchability: Analysing and Fighting Caste,
New Delhi, Permanent Black, 2005, Print, pp. 4.

[7] Bheemaiah, J., Dialectics of Caste Culture: A Social Crisis in Indian Nation, Proceedings
of 2011 International Conference on Social Science and Humanity, Vol.2, Jurong West,
IACSIT Press, 2011, pp. 454- 58.

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