Upsurges from the margin: rise of dalit feminism

The deplorable status of the socially oppressed, culturally neglected and economically exploited Dalits has led them to paucity, subjugation and dehumanisation, culminating them into cultural silence. The plight of a Dalit becomes all the more pathetic when the Dalit is a woman. She has to face not only the caste discrimination, but the gender inequalities and economic disparities too. A Dalit woman is thrice- marginalised – by Caste-Hindus, Caste Hindu women and Dalit men themselves simultaneously. Although Dalit movement started in mid-nineteenth century for the upliftment of these marginalised communities, issues of Dalit women are still neglected not only by mainstream feminist literary movement, but also by patriarchal Dalit movement. Nowadays women have started protesting against the discrimination and injustices levelled upon them and are trying to create a female space for themselves. In the post-Ambedkar period, Dalit women used literature as a weapon to counter the mainstream feminist writings that include the genres like poetry, short story, essays novel and autobiography.