Subversion of Casteism in Sajitha Madathil’s Kali Natakam: A Dalit Feminist Study

Abstract

The feminist play Kali Natakam by Sajitha Madathil explores the injustices encountered by women in a ‘progressive society’ through Mudiyettu, a ritual dance performed in Kali Temples in Central Kerala. But is gender inequality the only visible problem in the play? Do mainstream feminist studies overshadow the issue of caste discrimination? Madathil’s play, Kali Natakam, is studied using the framework of Dalit feminism to understand the triple oppression Dalit women experience based on their caste, gender and race differences. Through an amalgamation of the myth of Kali and Darika, and a portrayal of contemporary society, the play complicates the notion of gender and caste discrimination. This article uses the concept of ‘intersectionality,’ introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, to understand the play in the dimensions of gender, caste and race. The basis of Dalit feminism is the testimonies given by Dalit women revealing how their everyday lives differed from those of non-Dalit women. First-person narratives lead in building the canvas of feminist thought in connection with caste identity. And how monopolizing gender by sideling race and caste differences ends in shunning some of the significant concerns and problems of women of different communities, especially Dalits. Considering the gender and caste element, a Dalit feminist analysis becomes the most appropriate way to study the play instead of doing separate studies. Recognizing the intersectionality in the play leads to comprehending the complexities of discrimination operating at multiple levels.