Dalit Literature in India: Some Features

Abstract

Dalit Literature in India or Indian Dalit literature is found in many native languages-Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Hindi, etc .The majority of the writers are Dalits themselves. Even some non-Dalits have started contributing to the literature of the oppressed or the exploited. Their intentions are good ; their expressions are authentic; but as far as their   experience is concerned, it is purely vicarious. Only Dalits can put down their social and economic problems much better.  They  have suffered  a lot  and  are suffering  at the hands  of the  upper caste  groups  even today  casually .

But they are all Indians; they are critical of age long existing social hierarchy or the caste-based hierarchy. Dalit writers are in quest of human dignity. They write with a vision and a cause. Dalit literature stands for humanitarianism, linguistic directness and plurality; it is a literary movement for social change; and Dalit panthers are optimistic of social reforms.

We can co-operate with them by changing our hearts and our minds. The situation is far better now. The credit  goes to social reformers , Dalit leaders  and  intellectuals  who  condemned caste based violence , caste based inequality or discrimination  or  injustice .  They left no stone unturned to bring about a change in the Indian Society   .  

Even Dalit women  are  sharing their  vision  with   us  and  are  expressing  their  experience  whatever they have in contemporary  society.  It is a healthy sign for the country. Some of them have written works of high merit. Since much of the literature is read today in English translation, we should be eager to compromise on the relative loss of the beauty of the original texts. But in the countries ,like India , where there  are lots of languages  and literatures, translation is more relevant . Here people  are  natural translators  ; they have  the innate potential to adapt and adopt; they can mix and match easily .

In the last fifty years  or so , Dalit writing has come of age ;but it has a long way to go to fulfil its mission , that is , total transformation in society .It is a tough task  but not an impossible one for Herculean Dalits who wish  to establish  a new fair social and cultural  order for the betterment of mankind itself . They dream of a just society ,  justice  for all .