ABOUT THE BOOK

Dalit Men's Autobiographies: A Critical Appraisal, an anthology of twenty-four research papers, is an unprecedented scholarly enterprise, by renowned literary scholars and dignitaries in the area of literature of marginality and subalternity in the context of the Indian subcontinent. Dalit Literature is one of the most controversial topics in contemporary India, revealing the socio-economic structure with respect to casteism and cultural contexts. Just like the sufferings of Dalit women which have been revealed through their autobiographies, Dalit men write about the discrimination, subjugation, suppression and inhibition directed against them in a society dominated by hegemony of caste and class. While Dalit women writers, through their autobiographies, have highlighted their suppressed selves inside their homes and in the society in several layers, being juggernaut in their voice of protest, Dalit male writers also explore patterns of caste-driven atrocities in their autobiographies unveiling personal stories within the cast-centric Indian society. Dalit writers mark a challenge against a separatist islandish stance where they purposely digress from the mainstream culture and tradition; breaking away from the prevailing structure of orthodox Dalit stories. These autobiographical documents emerge something more than a cry of desperation; it is a scream of the victims of casteism trying to supplant and change the basic fabric of a culture which leaves them no space for fulfillment and self-actualization. This anthology offers an exhaustive exploration of many Dalit men's autobiographies to the most possible extent. The intellectually-gifted contributors for this anthology are Professor D. Amalraj, Dr Manjeet Rathee, Dr D. Murali Manohar, Dr Sakunthala A.I., Dr Archana Bhattacharjee, Dr Sadhana Agrawal, Dr Narendra Kumar, Ramanuj Mahato, Kusum Kanger, Dwaipayan Mitra, Anusha A.J., Suruchi Sharma, Guni Vats, Ashok Kumar, Dipak Giri, Dr Deepika Rani, Dr Deler Singh, Dr Dipali Sharma Bhandari, Dr Prachi Priyanka, Dr Sumitra Singh, Dr Zainul Abid Kotta, Dr M.B. Gaijan, Dr Aparna Lanjewar Bose and Dr S. Chelliah.          

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Bijender Singh (M.A., M.Phil. & Ph.D.) presently works as an English Lecturer and lives at Rohtak, Haryana. He has qualified UGC-NET, SET and HTET for lectureship and he has done Sanskrit Honours (Shastri), Art & Crafts Teacher Course and Multi-Purpose Health Worker (Male) Course. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Expression: An International Multidisciplinary e-Journal. He has written a few essays, some short-stories and many Hindi poems. His published books are Late Night Poetry, Confusing Poetry, Love: A Sweet Poison, Gender Discourse in Indian Writings in English, Indian Writing in English: Critical Insights, Indian Dalit Literature: Critical Ruminations, Critical Essays on Indian Diaspora, Indian Dalit Autobiographies: Marginalized Voices, Indian Women Novelists: Feminist Reverberations, Dalit Women's Autobiographies: A Critical Appraisal, Race and Ethnicity: African-American Literature, Female Protagonists in Shashi Deshpande's Novels and Dalit Men's Autobiographies: A Critical Appraisal. His thrust areas are Gender Studies, Dalit Literature, Diasporic Studies and Indian English Poetry. Besides, he has published many articles in many peer-reviewed national and international journals, seminar/conference proceedings and edited anthologies. He can be contacted at his mobile number 91-9992873801 and email: drbijendersingh@india.com

CONTENTS

Foreword 9
Introduction 19
Notes on the Contributors 35
1. Religious Conversion as Escapism from Social Discrimination–A Study of Laxman Mane’s Autobiography Upara: An Outsider 45
Professor D. Amalraj
2. Limbale’s The Outcaste: A Poignant Interrogation into the ‘Burden of Inferiority’ 59
Dr Manjeet Rathee
3. The Audible Sighs and Visible Dreams: A Discussion of Sharan Kumar Limbale’s Akkarmashi 73
Dr Sakunthala A.I.
4. Caste Hegemony or Love? A Line of Thought on Joothan: A Dalit’s Life 79
Dr D. Murali Manohar
5. Raising Voice against Caste Distinction and Untouchability: A Study of Narendra Jadhav’s Outcaste: A Memoir 87
Dr Archana Bhattacharjee
6. Exploitation of Leather-Workers in Balbir Madhopuri’s Changiya Rukh: Against the Night 95
Dr Sadhana Agrawal
7. Peeping into the Lives of Dalit Women and Children: A Rereading of Kancha Ilaiah’s Why I am Not a Hindu 103
Dr Narendra Kumar
8. When the Dumb Learn to Speak: (Re)-Reading Four Dalit Autobiographical Excerpts Recognising the ‘Alternative Narrative’ of Protest through (Re)-Defining the ‘Own’ Identity 111
Ramanuj Mahato
9. Problems of Maali Caste in Aravind Malagatti’s Autobiography Government Brahmana 123
Kusum Kanger
10. Alternative Historiography of the Dalits: G. Kalyana Rao’s Untouchable Spring 129
Dwaipayan Mitra
11. Documenting the Manifold Contact Zones: An Autoethnographical Study of Joothan 139
Anusha A. J.
12. From Hunger to Thievery: A Study of Laxman Gaikwad’s The Branded 149
Suruchi Sharma
13. Analysing Hegemony, Ideology and Ideological Apparatus in Gunasekaran’s The Scar 157
Guni Vats
14. Casteism, Discrimination and Hindutva Philosophy in Kancha Ilaiah’s Why I am Not a Hindu 167
Ashok Kumar
15. Transformation of Dalits from ‘Being’ to ‘Becoming’: A Study of Narendra Jadhav’s Outcaste: A Memoir and Omprakash Valmiki’s Joothan 173
Dipak Giri
16. Daya Pawar’s Baluta: An Autobiography of a Male as a Mouthpiece of Conditions of Female 183
Dr Deepika Rani
17. Dalits and Social Structure: A Study of Shankarrao Kharat’s A Corpse in the Well 193
Dr Deler Singh
18. A Critique of Casteism in Omprakash Valmiki’s Joothan: A Dalit’s Life 201
Dr Dipali Sharma Bhandari
19. A Reading of Dalit Autobiography as a Literature of Protest 211
Dr Prachi Priyanka
20. Hollowness and Shadow in Siddalingaiah’s Ooru Keri 223
Dr Sumitra Singh
21. Solitude as Metaphor in Y.B. Satyanarayana’s My Father Baliah 229
Dr Zainul Abid Kotta
22. Omprakash Valmiki’s Joothan-A Dalit’s Life: Interpretations from Different Perspectives 239
Dr M.B. Gaijan
23. (Re)Mapping Spaces for a Women Centric Discourse: A Critical Study of Kishore Shantabai Kale’s
Kolhatyache Por 249
Dr Aparna Lanjewar Bose
24. Projection of Poverty and Exploitation of Dalit Women in Laxman Gaikwad’s Autobiography Uchalya-The Branded: An Analysis  261
Dr S. Chelliah
Index............................................................................................................... 26