Sundara Ramaswamy’s “About Dalit Literature”: Text and Context

Abstract

The term ‘Dalit’ meaning oppressed or broken, Dalit studies is a growing body of works foregrounding the experience of the caste-based oppression rife in Indian society even today. That it has catalysed a large intellectual group is evident in the increasing number of creative texts, critical debates and courses/programs offered in colleges and universities. The present study attempts to situate a critical intervention by a non-Dalit Tamil writer, Sundara Ramaswamy, on Dalit literature. After tracing the origin and growth of Dalit writing, especially in Tamil, I present my English translation of the previously untranslated Tamil essay, “About Dalit Literature” (1992). The concluding section of this study highlights the forward-looking ideas foregrounded in the text by comparing them with the views expressed by the Marathi Dalit writer and critic, Sharankumar Limbale, in his recent text Towards an Aesthetic of Dalit Literature: History, Controversies and Considerations (2004).