LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 26:3 March 2026
ISSN 1930-2940

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Breaking the Silence: Emergence of rational and rebellious Dalit women in Karukku, Sangati and Harum Scarum Saar and other stories

Swatilekha Kar

Keywords: Dalit literature, Caste hierarchy, Caste and gender, Caste and literature.

Introduction

In the acknowledgement section of Sangati, Bama points out:
My mind is crowded with many anecdotes; stories not only about the sorrows and tears of Dalit women, but also about their lively and rebellious culture, their eagerness not to let life crush or shatter them; but to swim vigorously against the tide; about the self confidence and self-respect that enables them to leap over the threatening adversities by laughing at and ridiculing them; about the passion to live life with vitality, truth and enjoyment. (ix)
If we analyse the noteworthy works of Bama, we will realize that it would be wrong to presume that Dalits are passive and subordinate individuals who silently endure all the pain and torture that are inflicted upon them. History has shown us that injustice and pain can only be endured to a certain level. When individuals are reduced to such derogatory position that they do not even have their basic fundamental rights, protest becomes inevitable. In Harum Scarum Saar and other stories, Bama introduces us to rebellious women who, instead of accepting misery and suffering as their fate, have asserted their individual views and expressed their reluctance to abide by oppressive norms which serve to increase their plight.

Sometimes protest comes in the form of an organized rebellion against an individual who is presented to us as a symbol of power, influence and authority. In “Chilli Powder”, we find the courage and tenacity of Paachiamma, an ordinary dalit worker who refuses to bow down before the wealthy and powerful Gangamma. Gangamma, by virtue of her wealth and influence, is able to arouse fear in the hearts of dalit workers except Paachiamma. When Gangamma throws chilli powder into the eyes of Paachiamma for cutting grass from her field, all dalit workers are motivated by the latter to fight back against such inhuman atrocity. In Sangati, we find how a young girl like Maikaani who works in a match factory becomes ready to join other children of her age to protest against upper caste children when they call Bernath's granddaughter 'a paraiya'. Perhaps it is the realisation that they all belong to the marginalized sections of Indian society that unites the dalits to protest against injustice and baseless social norms.

Unfortunately, dalit men are reluctant to provide a separate platform to the women of their community to express their views. At home, they can vent out their anger and frustration on their helpless wives and children because they have no other way to protest against the humiliation to which they are subjected in their workplaces. Thus, they feel that if dalit women are made aware of their rights and they resolve to protest against oppressive patriarchal norms, it would be impossible for them to maintain their supremacy in society. Sangati shows us how women are never allowed to express their views and opinion in meetings organized by village councils. They must be present as mute spectators who are ready to accept all the decisions taken by the male members. Even if dalit women try to express their views, their suggestions are dismissed as irrelevant. Whenever they stand up as witnesses in favour of an innocent individual who has been accused of a crime, they are abused in harsh terms. Both Anandamma and Susaiamma in Sangati are silenced by the male members of village council when they try to support Mariamma who is publicly humiliated due to a false charge brought against her by Kumarsami Aiyya. In fact, the way in which the leaders of the village council order the women to be excluded from important meetings reveal the reality that dalit men are perhaps afraid of the issues and facts which may be raised by the so-called ignorant women. Bama has candidly underlined the fear of dalit men to face the questions of their female counterparts.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Swatilekha Kar
MPhil (English)
Assistant Professor (English)
KLS Gogte Institute of Technology
Belagavi, Karnataka

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