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Book Review
Dalit literature
DALIT SAHITYA KA SOUNDARYA SHASTRA: Om Prakash Valmiki; Radhakrishna Prakashan (P) Ltd., G-17, Jagatpuri, Delhi-110051. Rs. 175.
THE EMERGENCE of B. R. Ambedkar on the Indian socio-political scene as the outstanding leader of the Scheduled Castes in the first part of the 20th century led to a new awakening and a realisation of their state of deprivation among these sections of the society and stirred them to action on many fronts.
While Gandhiji's magnificent efforts promoted their upliftment giving them the new name of Harijans) on a national scale and numerous concessions and privileges were accorded to them by governments, they rallied under Ambedkar's leadership; this evoked spontaneous acceptability from them coming from one of their own kinsmen, who had suffered disabilities.
The new name Dalit (meaning "the oppressed") marking their awareness and social consolidation gained currency and their protest movements found voices of assertion and outcry in writings now collectively called Dalit literature.
The present book, written by a Dalit author, studies Dalit literature, in its ramifications, involvements and limitations and the special niche it should occupy in Hindi. Some writers include women in Hindu society under the Dalit category but this author would confine the term to those "untouchable" castes who have been marginalised under the caste system.
The theoretical foundation of the current Dalit stir has been provided by the thought of Ambedkar and the ideals of Buddhism which he embraced with his followers; the struggle of Jyotiba Phule against caste domination which inspired Ambedkar himself to action, is also a role model for the movement.
The author rejects all previous Hindi literature, which does not measure up to his standard of representing the agony and the privation suffered by outcastes for centuries. He argues for a place of its own for Dalit writing in Hindi literature stating that theories of literary criticism like Rasa, Siddhanta are not applicable to a literature of protest and social commitment. Many of his statements are debatable as Dalits are becoming more and more respectable with guaranteed educational and job opportunities and accession of wealth.
J. PARTHASARATHI
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