Dalit Literature (The Base Of It) Poem by Bijay Kant Dubey

Dalit literature. What is in Dalit literature? How the text and the treatise? Who the exponents of it? And what in Dalit, un-Dalit? Which is whose literature? Is it a sociological, anthropological, ethnographic study? How to do justice with? I do not understand it.

Do they really express who have borne the brunt of exploitation? Who are they who have really suffered? Does it really represent them? The Dalit men and women, let them tell, tell you not.

The untouchables, let them tell their stories. Let the scavengers, sweepers, rat-catchers, boatmen, fishermen, taxidermists, let the washermen, barbers, tell you it not.

Let me know the history of the Black peoples and their Black histories. Let me about colour bar and civil rights movements.

Dalit literature of the Dalits, by the Dalits, for the Dalits. Dalit literature is but a picturization of rural space, the poor country dotted by the mud-built houses and the shanty.

The base of Dalit literature is but a social one, nay at all a political one. To be a Dalit writer is not to do politics for coming into power. You may like to be an activist, a social activist, but not a politico.

To understand Dalit literature is to discuss in a broad way, Kabira and Ramananda, Adi Shankaracharya and the seeing of the Kangal rupa of Shiva, King Harischandra's duty as a chandal guarding the crematorium ghat, Ananda and Chandalika.

To read Dalit literature is to take the economic side, the social side into consideration. Is it a sociological history dealing with race and ethnicity? Is it poor men's history?

The matter will not end it here. It will take a long time is discussing the issues of it. What more do we know about nativity?