A Study of Dalit Literature: Giving Voice to the Unvoiced

Abstract

The word "Dalit" connotes people who are impoverished, oppressed, abused, and in need. The origin of the Indian caste system is not a widely accepted theory. There are several forms of inequality that give rise to social prejudice in every civilised community. Additionally, it is dressed in "Casteism" in India. The subaltern literary voices of the tribals, Dalits, and other minority groups were absent from discourses tailored to the tastes of the nobility. The dalits are denied their basic rights to equality, property ownership, and education. Dalit literature thus arises as a voice for all those marginalised, oppressed, and exploited populations who have long suffered from societal injustice and exploitation. The liberation of Dalits from this never-ending slavery is the central theme of Dalit literature. Dalits, who feel that the social order is to blame for their downfall, utilise their works as a weapon to express their rage. They have finally awakened from their extended sleep and are aware of their identities as humans. The Dalit awareness of their identity and self-realization has been a major theme in a variety of colourful and diverse creative writings. It is also highly praised in the works of many other authors, including Mahasweta Devi, Bama, Arjun Dangle, D. Gopi, and many more. The suffering that the Dalit writers depict is not unique to them; rather, it is the suffering of the entire marginalised community. The main goal of this article is to demonstrate, how Dalit writers break the taboo around the unreported exploitation of Dalits in our nation through their literary works. And how these silenced voices are now being unleashed through Dalit literature. This paper attempts to understand the vision and voice of the Dalits and their transformation from silent, helpless objects of history to active, self-aware subjects. The reasons behind the growth of Dalit literature, its effects on contemporary society, the socioeconomic status of Dalits in India, and how they create their own history will all be examined in this paper.