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Dalit literature means “writing about Dalits by Dalit writers with a Dalit

consciousness”,writes Sarankumar Limbale (Limbale,19).The term Dalit literally means cut

off,oppressed, downtrodden,broken,or reduced to pieces.originally used by Jyotiba Phule ,it

designates castes and classes who have been held inferior by Varnashrama Dharma.

Comprising the 18% of Indian population ,Dalits for centuries have been subjected to the

hegemony and illtreatment of the upper castes. The efforts of social activists like Jyotirao

Phule and B.R.Ambedkar stimulated for their self recognition and inspired them to come to

the forefront.This social awakening culminated in the emergence of a literary space to record

their voice which came to be called Dalit Literature. According to Alok Mukherjee, “the

central concern of Dalit literature is how best to represent the authentic experience of Dalits”

(Limbale,10).

Essentially ,this literature constitutes writing from the margins to the centre ,intending

a revolutionary social change. Commenting on the nature of Dalit Literature, Arjun Dangle

writes: “Dalit literature is not simply literature….Dalit literature is associated with a

movement to bring about change …At the very first glance, it will be strongly evident that

there is no established critical theory or point of view behind them; instead there is a new

thinking and new point of view ‘’ (Limbale,viii).

The origin of Dalit literary voice can be traced back to the works of Madara Chennaiah

(11th century cobbler saint ),Chokhamela(14th century),Dalit Bakti poets (15-16th centuries)

and Tamil siddhas(6-13th century). But it was with the advent of strong egalitarian thinkers

like Jyotiba Phule,Ayyankali,Sree Narayana Guru ,Poykayil Yohannan,Periyor

E.V.Ramaswamy Naikkar and B.R.Ambedkar that modern Dalit literature began to take

shape as a distinguished genre first in Maharashtra and then all over in India in the early

decades of the 20th century. However the label ‘Dalit Literature’ was assigned to it in 1958 as

the first meeting of Maharashtra Dalit Sahitya Sangh. The period between 1960 and 1970 is
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considered as the heyday of Marathi Dalit Literature. Baburao Bagul’s When I Had

Concealed My Caste (1963) is the seminal work of Marathi Dalit literature which is hailed as

the epic of the Dalits. On July 9, 1972 a group of Marathi writers and activists Namdeo

Laxman Dhasal, J.V.Pawar,Raja Dhale and Arun Kamble founded the Dalit Panthers ,

gaining inspiration from the amalgamation of Phule’s ideology,Ambedkarite wisdom and the

Black Panthers Movement of the U.S. It expanded the term Dalit to include other oppressed

people such as Neo-Buddhists ,landless , poor peasants and exploited women. It also

invigourated the wriers to protest against the mainstream Marathi literature by depicting the

oppression of Dalits and their revolutionary struggle for change. The Dalit poetry and short

stories were published in Dhasal’s magazine ‘Vidroh’ ,which literally means ‘revolt’. Two

books appeared in 1992, An Anthology of Dalit Literature edited by M.R.Anand and Eleanor

Zelliot and Poisoned Bread : Translations from Modern Marathi Literature,edited by Arjun

Dangle popularised Dalit literature throughout India.

Similarly in other corners of the country ,writer activists like Bama were constituting

for a wave of change. In Uttar Pradesh ,writers like Omprakash Valmiki were catalysing for a

whirlwind to come. The first Ambedkari Sahithya Sammelan was organised in Maharashtra

in 1993 with the objective of promoting Dalit writers coming from various parts of the

country. Gradually ,Dalit literature and Dalit activism have taken roots strongly in modern

India . A galaxy of writers like Daya Pawar , Narayan Surve, Keshav Meshram ,Arjun

Dangle, Datta Bhagat ,Sarankumar Limbale , Santabai Kamble , Kamud Pawade and Urmila

Pawar contributed to the growth of Dalit writing. Dalit activists and intellectuals introduced a

case for recognition of caste based stratification in India akin to the racial discrimination in

the West, in the World Conference against Racism held in 2001 in Durban, South Africa. The

debates on caste and Dalit rights at the international level gave a new dimension to Dalit

protests and their literature. Now Dalit literature is seen as analogous to AFRICAN American

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literature reflecting the lives decoloured by torture,poverty,hunger and the resultant agony.

Narrating the homogeneity of these literatures, Limbale claims : “ These literatures have been

created through the chemistry of life and experience , society and problems , pain and

rebellion . There are numerous expressions of red –hot experience and fighting instincts in all

these literatures .”(Limbale,97). However Ambedkar discards the possibility of any other

system crueller than casteism. He says : “ There cannot be a more degrading system of social

organisation than the caste system. It is the system which deadens,paralyses and cripples the

people.’’(Ambedkar,39)

Being the writings of survival , Dalit literature glorifies existence over ideals and it

dethrones the tradional myths and customs in which Hinduism is built upon. Dalit writers

question the sanctity of Veda tradition and Hindu scriptures and condemn Manusmrithi as

they strengthen the varna system and thereby the practice of casteism. Dalit writers discard

the established tradition . this does not mean that they are devoid of any tradition of their own

. They claim the tradition of Buddha, Kabir, Phule, and Ambedkar. Dalit writing relies on

values and ideals of Humanism which has been derived from Ambedkarism. Limbale claims

: ‘’ humanism is synonymous with Ambedkarism, because Ambedkarite thought is creative

thought about fighting against the devaluation of human beings’’(Limbale,48).

Dalit literature can be termed as the literature of protest. Its purpose is ‘’to inform Dalit

society of its slavery, and narrate its pain and suffering to upper caste Hindus(Limbale,49).”

So that it would be inadequate to expect the traditional aesthetic values in this literature.

Limbale in his Towards an Aesthetic of Dalit Literature ,rejects the aesthetic concepts of

Sathyam , Sivam , Sundaram as this aesthetic system is the selfish mechanism of upper caste

Hindu society. He declares :“ Human beings are first and foremost human-this is Sathyam.

The liberation of human beings is Shivam. The humanity of the human beings is sundaram.

‘’(Limbale,22) Limbale argues : ‘’ Insightful consideration of Dalit literature is not possible

without fully comprehending the factors such as the nature, intensity, language, context and

expression of Dalit writers’ caste experience. ‘’(Limbale,55)

DATTA BHAGAT

Datta Bhagat is a Marathi playwright and literary critic noted for his contributions to

Dalit literature in Maharashtra. Born on July 13 , 1945 at Waghi village of Maharashtra, he is

0ne of the leading figures of Dalit Theatre Movement in Marathi. He serves as professor of

Marathi at the Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.His play Avart

was critically acclaimed for the brilliant incorporation of traditional dindi procession and

elements of the folk art tamasha to spin a tale of dalit oppression against the backdrop of a

pilgrimage to Vithoba temple situated at Pandharpur. His another play Wata Palwata (1987)

is hailed as a milestone in Marathi theatre for its attempt to interwine social, economical,and

political aspects of casteism. His other plays include Jahaj Phutle Aahe (1982), Ekti (1982)

and Paranhute . Datta Bhagat’s fame as a literary critic rests mainly with his essay Dalit

Chetna aur Marathi Dalit Rangmanch, translated as Dalit Consciousness and Marathi Dalit

Theatre. Datta Bhagat is a prominent figure in Dalit thatre which is established by gaining

inspiration from Ambedkarite ideology. Emphasizing rational thinking beyond the

constraints of nation, this movement shares the common ground with the Black theatre of the

African Americans. Discarding the classical Sanskrit style, this theatre adopted the Indian

folk style. Ideals are being re-established and old myths are being revisited to explore new

meaning from them.

AVART

The play Avart translated as Whirlpool seeks public attention on the public attention on

the issue of casteism and poses some serious questions regarding it in an unprecedented

manner. It incorporates tradition, myth,and modernity to highlight how the evils of

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stratification persists with changes in its outward forms of manifestation. The title of the play

Avart suggests the endless chain of physical,emotional and psychological brutality that has

been sanctioned and legalised by the scriptures, vedas and Manusmrithi. Whirlpool ,the

English title presents the idea in a symbolic manner implying the depth of casteism and

highlighting the dangers inherent in it.

As typical to the custom of Marathi Dalit theatre, the play abandons the traditions of

classical Sankrit drama and relies on the conventions of folk theatre , which is considered as

the ‘lok natya’ – people’s theatre. Avart begins with the sutradhar and vidhushak on stage

introducing the practice of sati. This introduction along with the resounding of dholak and

tuntuni invoke the folk art form tamasha in which Mahars predominate. The democratic

cultured form tamasha is popularised by Anna Bhau Sathe who named it loknatya, reforming

it to suit the audience, times, and context. Tamasha offers a platform for the dalits to raise

their voice fearlessly and publicly. Usually tamasha teases Hindu divinities like Rama and

Krishna . But Bal Thackeray, the founder and leader of Shiv Sena has forbidden such attacks

on Hindu deities as he feels it blasphemous. Bal Thackeray’s attack on the posthumous

publication of Dr. Ambedkar’s Riddles of Hinduism in 1987 was the context of the

production of Avart. Despite the objections raised, Datta Bhagat pokes fun at Krishna

paralleling Ambedkar’s critique of the godliness of Krishna in Riddles if Hinduism : ‘’In the

hands of Vyas , Krishna is god among men . that’s why he is made the hero of the

Mahabharata. Does Krishna really deserve to be called god among men ? ‘’(Ambedkar,435).

Avart presents a serious debate by vidhushak and sutradhar on the nature of dalit

literature:

“Jester : Why are you harping on that same old theme again?

Stage Manager : It is not like that at all. Johar is ancient, but its

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meaning is modern.

Jester: Oh yes, I got that . But what is the new meaning ?

Stage Manager : New meaning? Now ,why am I supposed to

know that ? Now a days this is called dalit

literature.”(Bhadat,1)

The instance of Johar is explored to describe the nature of casteism which persists like the

old wineserved in new pots. Dalit literature is equated with belching,thereby indicating its

purpose to create shock and disturbance in the minds of the high priests of literature as

Limbale calls them. The play chronicles the story of three generations of an untouchable

family- Tukaram, his father, and his son Manohar. It is through them the playwright exposes

the ordeals the untouchables had to undergo through. Thukaram’s father , a yesker by caste

was murdered for touching an uppercaste Cintaman Maharaj during the dindi procession

which boasts equality of various castes. His act was an impulse out of reverence than that of

defiance. However, his sin for polluting the uppercaste was believed as the cause of the

outbreak of cholera in the village, exposing the Hindu high caste mentality of seeing the

practise of untouchability as normal and judicial: “The old orthodox Hindu does not think

that there is anything wrong in the observance of untouchability. To him it is normal and

natural thing. As such it neither calls for expiation norexplanation. ‘’(Ambedkar,47)

Eventually, Tukaram’s father had to sacrifice his life as an act of redemption through

the ritualistic killing called ‘jalasamadhi’. Tukaram’s father is presented as a silent victim

whose name is not mentioned implying his inability to protest. The playwright criticises the

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public mentality and resounds the rebellious fervour of Ambedkar which invoked the

untouchables to defy the customs of casteism which is brutal and merciless.

“ Jester : Oh , when Tukaram’s father got beaten up,nobody did anything ?

Jakhu: He did , didn’t he ? He got beaten up,but why? Because he abandoned the

Customs of his caste. Hey, Tuka says, when you are a low caste , you have go to eat

dirt.

Jester : But why did he lower his head to the feet of the maharaha ?”(Bhagat,6)

The playwright , through the words of the jester advocates dalit rebellion by ceasing to

respect the high castes.

Manohar’s father’s name Tukaram is suggestive to the 17th century saint poet Tukaram

who criticized excessive adherence to the Brahmanical texts which sanctioned caste based

stratification by standing for the rights of low castes. Consequently he was tortured and was

charged with blasphemy. His house and property were confiscated and he was forced to

drown the texts of his Abhangas. Later, he was found missing and his corpse was never found

leaving scope for suspicion. The Brahmins claimed that he was relocated to heaven without

abandoning his body’

Meanwhile the playwright introduces the myth of Sambuka from the Ramayana

showcasing how the so called great culture of Indian epics denied the rigths of individuals on

the grounds of casteism and even glorified the the same. Ramarajya was built on the

foundations of Manusmrithi and Chaturvarnya where the shudras were prohibited from

performing ascetic practices for the spiritual enlightenment. Sambuka , a low caste

transgressed the boundary of this established order by performing tapasya. His act resulted in

the death of a Brahmin boy . Later Sambuka was killed by the ideal king lord Rama as the

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true protector of Brahmanic tradition. The epic glorifies this act by saying that it was for

Sambuka s salvation. Thus the myth prompts the high caste Hindus to continue the same act

throughout generations. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar does not find anything wrong in Rama for this

action , but condemns the practice : “Ram Raj was a Raj based on Chaturvarnya. As a king,

Rama was bound to maintain Chaturvarnya. It was his duty . Therefore to kill Sambuka , the

shudra who had transgressed his class and wanted to be a Brahmin.”(Ambedkar,71)

Myths are often used as ideological discourses to propagate the ideas of those who are

in power. Hinduism used myths as a means of its sustenance. Datta Bhagat , through the myth

of Sambuka reiterates the cruelty of casteism rooted in the ancient Chaturvarnya concept,

which uprooted the rebellious souls like Charvaka, Dr.Narendra Dabhalkar , Comrad Govind

Pansare and Dr.Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalburgi .

Tukaram was dragged into a conflict between Baji , the goldsmith and Candar Patel, the

landlord. Patel intimidates Tukaram as a way to influence him: “Speak in my favour” the

Patel said to him, with threats. Bear in mind that we have the accounts of your debts of many

generations” (Bhagat,9).Patel s threatening voice exemplifies the extent to which the ignorant

untouchables are tortured. Far from this , Tukaram ‘s son young Manohar is depicted as a

person with sound sensibility representing a new generation of dalits inspired by the

teachings of Ambedkar. As ignited with this revolutionary spirit , he is determined to enter

into the Hanuman temple . Though the whole village conspired to prevent him from this ,

Manohar sternly asks : “Your deity is that impotent ? It will be polluted?”(Bagat,12) . This

question pierces the heart of Hinduism . Also the faith in a democratic government to

champion the cause of the downtrodden proves to be void. “ Jester: ….He thinks the

government is his. Hey, but what is his ? The government is in Delhi and Delhi is very

distant”(Bhagat,16). Manohar , the embodiment of rebellious spirit and a questioning

subaltern has been equated with Sambuka , Karna ,Chokhamela and Ambedkar. “ I am the
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sinner Sambuk who crossed the boundaries of your Aryan religion….Iam the Cokhamela

whose bones buried under the wall of Mangalvedha cried out the name of the Lord. …I am

the one who challenged the father of the nation”.(Bhagat,19)

Though the whirlpool of casteism drowned the generations of dalits mercilessly, the

voice they uttered after a long span of withering injustice, contributes to the emergence of a

better future somewhere in the near future.

SARANKUMAR LIMBALE

Sarankumar Limbale is a Dalit activist ,poet,writer and literary critic who came to the

social sphere in association with the Dalit Panthers Movement. Limbale was born in 1956

June in the Hanoor village of Sholapur district in Maharashtra. Born to a high caste father and

a landless ,poor, untouchable mother Limbale had to live with a tag “outcaste” indicating his

low social status and marginalisation even within the dalit community. Author of 44 books ,

Limbale claims a significant place in Indian dalit writing marked by staunch portrayal of dalit

life and adverse criticism on casteism.He is noted for his works like

Akkarmashi(1984),Bahujan(2009) Hindu: A Novel(2010),Sanatan ,The Dalit Brahmin and

Other Stories(2018)etc .As a dalit untouchable, Limbale ‘s contribution to literary theory is

Towards An Aesthetic of Dalit Literature.

OUTCASTE

Life narratives are lively segments of dalit literature in Marathi, exploring the tragic

plight of the untouchables, exposing the follies of caste Hindus,and recording organic protests

of the voiced dalits.Limbale ‘s autobiography Akkarmashi is a classic in dalit literature

which was first appeared in the Mahar dialect in 1984. It portrayed how the pathetic

upbringing and victimization of an untouchable unvoiced subaltern paves way for the

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transformation into a determined, self-asserted and apeaking subaltern. The book was

translated into English as Outcaste by Santosh Bhoomkar in 2003.

The title Akkarmashi stands for impure,incomplete and illegitimate child marking the

low social status of Sharan who has born with a burden of inferiority. His mother Masamai is

an untouchable, while his father Hanmantha Limbale is the Patil of Baslegaon. Explaining

low social status Limbale writes : “ I am condemned, branded illegitimate….High caste

people look upon my community as untouchable , while my oun community humiliates me ,

calling me akkarmashi”. (Limbale,1) He does not entirely belong to the Mahars like his

mother or to high caste Lingayats, where his father belongs. So he is an outcaste. He says

“My father lives in a mansion, my mother in a hut, and I on the street. Where are my roots

exactly ?”(Limbale,62).

Outcaste depicts the life of Sharan upto the age of twenty five as an outcaste. It is also

the tragic depiction of Mahar life which is stained by untouchability, starvation and humility

in the immediate post independent Indian context. Limbale ‘s book shows that identity as a

social construct which shrinks and widens in accordance with the physical, social, economic

and political conditions concerning the individual. In the Indian context, identity is closely

connected and is constructed in association with caste, religion, race and gender which one

belongs to. However Outcaste is a classic chronicling the conflicts of an individual who has

been denied of such possessions : “My history is my moteher ‘s life, at the most my grand

mother ‘s. My ancestry does not go back any further.”(Limbale,1)

The surname Limbale tells the tale of the half life the protagonist lives. He does not

entirely belong to the low caste or to the high caste. He feels a sense of absence of

belongingness at the maharwada. “In a sense, I was not a Mahar, because high caste blood

ran in my body. Could I drain this blood out of my body?” (Limbale,82. Despite this, he

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wonders : “Strange that I too could have a father!....I owe my father’s name to Bhosale, the

head master .”(Limbale,45)

Dalits are considered the high caste Hindu’s other. But this other is neither have a

distinct racial lineage nor a different geographical origin. They are part of the Hindu society ,

though their sight or touch is considered polluting. “Though branded as untouchables, we too

are human beings. High caste children from the village may visit the temple,yet we are

forbidden. There is a saying ‘children are the flowers of God’s abode; but not us. We are the

garbage the village throws out.”(Limbale,5) They are condemned just like they are not

deserved to be called human beings. “….the other boys throw stones at me and teased me

calling aloud, Mahar.”(Limbale,6). Their settlement are outside the village. Living with his

grandma Santamai and Bapu, the Muslim porter, the bus stand forms his ghetto.

The life Limbale leads involves a clash between dignity and survival. His existence

itself challenges the notion of morality . He acknowledges, “ My first breath must have

threatenend the morality of the world. With my first cry at birth , milk must have splashed

from the breasts of every Kunti.” Whenever he tried to unearth his roots,his question was

disregarded. “Instead of answering me,my mother clammed up like Kunti. At such moments I

felt a kinship with Karna. I felt we were brothers. Many times I felt I was Karna because ,

like him, I too was drifting with the flow of the river.”(Limbale,60)

The untouchables’ right of inheritance is only the authority over the left over food

which they relish like nector. They are the cleanest as they ensure the purity of the upper

castes by making themselves unclean. However , they are treated without any sense of

humanitarian consideration or value. Ambedkar says : “A Hindu’s public is his caste. His

responsibility is only to his caste. His loyalty is restricted only to his caste.Virtue has become

caste ridden and morality has become caste bound. There is no sympathy for the deserving.

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There is no appreciation of the meritorious….The whole morality is as bad as tribal

morality.”(Limbale,23)

For the untouchables, starvation is like their birth right and they sacrifice their sense

of worth for reducing their hunger. The whole life progresses as a conflict over prestige

versus hunger. Limbale claims : “….man has been striving to satisfy his stomach….He

started selling himself for his stomach. A woman becomes a whore and a man a thief. The

stomach makes you clean , shit, it even makes you eat shit.” (Limbale,8). Limbale portrays

his misfortune to witness his sister’s stealing. He is aggressive and disturbed and questions

those who steal to widen their fortune. “We know we should not steal ,but then how could we

feel ourselves? Who steals out of habit? The poor steal for the sake of hunger. If they had

enough to eat would they steal? Black marketers become leaders, where as those who are

driven hunger are considered criminals”(Limbale,21). Dalits strive to eradicate their poverty

by working hard , however the highcastes would not pay for their work and they consider it

only as their duty and service. Besides, the high castes throughout the generations has been

trying to prevent dalits from all sorts of representation to regain their freedom from the high

castes. They ensure support from the institutions of education, religion, and political parties

to instil slavery in the minds of dalits. They have been taught to serve the uppercastes by

certain myths regarding the origin of varna system.

However, the caste system has progressed much beyond the restrictions of varna

system as it segregates the subcastes within the castes. Thus the practice of casteism becomes

much more dangerous than the varna system. Ambedkar says the four varnas corresponds to

the mindset of Hindus : “The names Brahmin , Khastriya , Vaishya and Shudra are names

which are associated with definite and fixed notions in the mind of every Hindu

”(Ambedkar,97) and he believes the liberation from from this mindset would enable the

liberation of the low castes. Dalit literature is a collective attempt by the educated dalits to
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uproot the mindset to materialise the liberation envisaged by Jyotiba Phule ,Buddha , Kabir

and Ambedkar.

The spread of education among the dalits helped them to think about a change in the

social system. The activism of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar instigated them to dream a future devoid of

segregation. This activism prompts the protagonist Sharan and his friend Parashya to question

the discrimination in Shivram’s teashop where the tea is served in separate cups for the

Mahars and Mangs. For Sharan this act was also a result of his aversion to eat the dead

animals and the food habits of his community which he feels humiliating. Besides this he

challenges everything which spreads dalit inferiority.

Later, education enables Limbale to celebrates his low caste inferior identity which he

found burden once. He writes : “With our education , there grew in us a sense of pride.

Casteism made us bitter….Those days when we went around the village and walked with

pride , thehigh caste people hated our confidence. They didn’t want us to enjoy any self

esteem.”(Limbale,76). Thus he transforms his low caste self into a weapon of protest.

CONSTRUCTION OF DALIT IDENTITY

Numerous attempts have been made to define dalit identity and their consciousness.

The term ‘dalit’ originally decribed the Mahars , an untouchable community in Maharashtra

has been widened later to include all those who are victims and exploited.Apart from the

word dalit , other terms have been suggested by various persons , all fail to embody dalit

consciousness. The term dalit bandhu was coined by Dr. B.R.Ambedkar through his

speeches. He also called them broken men in his book The Untouchable.The British

introduced the term scheduled castes to refer them. Later Mahatma Gandhi called them

Harijans. However, the dalit intellectuals favoured the term dalit as the word described them

as warriors fighting back. “The word dalit did not denote caste; rather , it referred to those

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who were yesterday’s exploited and were now fighting back’(Limbale,42)’. The notion of

identity was alien to the dalit subalterns till the end of the 19th century. As the sense of

identity has not given to the dalits as a birth right , they had to fight to gain it. Attempts have

been made by some individuals but they were silenced. Sambuka was not silent but he was

silenced; so was Ekalavya , Karna and Tukaram . their voices were discarded.

For dalits, the formation of identity was a historical process evolving through different

stages. In the first phase dalits recognised theie essence as different from the high caste

Brahmins. The contribution of Bhakti poets aided them in this process. The emergence of

‘Adi’ movements and their claming for the rights of the original inhabitants constitutes the

secnd phase. Claiming for a distinct dalit identity reached at its peak in the first half of the

20th century influenced by various social reformers and dalit activists. Dr. B.R.Ambedkar

appeared as an iconic figure at this stage. Later, the increase of educated dalit youth along

with the mass movements of Ambedkar secured a state of mind among the dalits to protest ,

raise their voice , demand their rights and eventually celebrate their caste identity.

After the demise of Dr. B.R .Ambedkar, educated dalit youths continued his activism.

Dalit literature is part of the attempt by the dalits to gain their identity. Invertimg the aesthetic

notions of traditional literature, it progresses victoriously by instilling the humanistic fervour.

“The three values of life- equality, freedom and solidarity can be regarded as constituting the

essence of beauty in dalit literature. The aesthetic of dalit literature rests on : first, the artist ‘s

social commitment; second , the life- affirming values present in the artistic creation ; and

third, the ability to raise the reader’s consciousness of fundamental values like equality,

freedom, justice and fraternity(Limbale,120).”

Limbale and Datta Bhagat establish the dalit subalternity not in a colonial structure ,

but in the caste oriented socio-cultural structure of Hindu society. Here the rural landscape

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becomes the metropolis , where dalits exist literally on the periphery. They work, eat, and

work without bothering the so called high spiritual values of ‘moksha’ and ‘rebirth’ . Rather

they enable purity of the upper castes and become impure through the process. Dalits are the

upper caste Hindu’s other. But this other is not separate like the member of another ethno-

cultural ,religious or linguistic group. This other is part of Hindu society , and yet apart from

it. Even the shadow of this other was considered polluting.

Limbale and Bhagat present dalit identity as dynamic and flexible. It undergoes

significant changes in accordance with space and time. The primordial notion of selfhood as

wounded and fractured transforms into a determined self through the educated youths like

Sharan in Outcaste and Manohar in Avart.Both Sharan and Manohar appear as followers of

Ambedkarite ideology. Their willingness to suffer for a new social change reflects the young

Ambedkar who led a satyagraha in Mahad for the right of lowcastes to draw water from the

main water tank of the town , burning of Manusmrithi in 1927 December 25 , Kalaram

temple movement in 1930 and conversion to Buddhism .Similarly , Tukaram’s father’s wish

to touch warkari’s feet corresponds the thirst of Marathi saint poet Chokhamela’s devotion to

the temple of Pandharpur. It is also believed that Ambedkar’s wife Ramabhai Bhimrao

Ambedkar has died without fulfilling her wish to go to the Vithobha temple.

CONCLUSION

Limbale’s and Datta Bhagat’s characters differ from dalit characters portrayed by non-

dalit writers mainly because of their nature. Unlike the dalit characters of non-dalit writers as

mute, silent, innocent and lifeless here the characters appear as they are: determined, self

conscious and self-inspired; they show humanness. Sharan’s thoughts in Outcaste to hide his

grandma within his shirt disguised and reshaped as an empty plate show how deliberately the

untouchables want to escape from their identities. The most vicious problem of casteism as

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highlighted by Ambedkar is that it never gives a choice to the victim either to opt one’s caste

or change one’s caste as one wishes. Limbale highlights the hollowness and absurdity of the

age old claim that untouchables are segregated only because of their uncleanliness. If it was

so, they must have been accepted once they become clean. By pointing his own experience

,Limbale questions this claim: “I used clean clothes, bathed everyday and washed myself,

clean with soap and brushed my teeth with toothpaste. There was nothing unclean about me.

Then in what sense was I untouchable? A high caste who is dirty was still considered

touchable.”(Limbale,107). He goes on to elucidate his argument by saying, “I was a Dalit

who had become a Brahmin by attitude, but high caste people didn’t even allow me to stand

at their doorstep.(Limbale,107)”

Dalit’s experiences of hunger, humiliation, sexual exploitation, labour, marginalisation

and shame may be monotonous as the high priests of literature claims; the high castes’

attitude to the lowcastes remains the same as well. It is this attitude which acts as the

progenitor of the lowcastes’ sufferings. So dalit literature stands for the actualisation of two

objectives : to create awareness among the lowcastes about their condition ; and to change the

high castes’ mentality towards the lowcastes by showcasing them the latter’s suferings. From

the progress of this literature , we can hope for sure a better future is about to come negating

all differences .

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