Social Exclusion and Revolt in Short Stories of Baburao Bagul and Bama

Abstract

India is a land of multiple religions and castes. It is a democratic country where all are equal before the Constitution and law. Yet, for centuries, Dalits and Scheduled Tribes have been treated as untouchables and excluded from social equality. In a nation where thirty-three crores of gods and goddesses are worshipped, there is not a single Dalit deity, though Dalits themselves worship these gods. They are considered impure, and this impurity is caste-based. The belief that caste purity is rooted in religion appears false in the context of Dalits. As K. M. Panikkar notes, “Democracy and caste are totally opposed... caste and democracy are fundamentally opposed, they are at their very bases, incompatible” (Panikkar 24). Historically, Dalits were denied temple entry, and in the twenty-first century, their condition remains similar in many states. Examples such as the killing of Shambook and the taking of Eklavya’s thumb show ancient caste discrimination. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the “messiah of Dalits,” granted them rights, and education became the “milk of the tigress.” Dalit writers like Bama, Baby Kamble, Baburao Bagul, P. Sivakami, Sharankumar Limbale, and Omprakash Valmiki have powerfully depicted their pain, resistance, and revolt. This paper explores Dalits’ passive and active resistance against caste-based exploitation and discrimination.