Paper short abstract:

The fictional world of Anil Gharai speaks of the struggle for existence of the downtrodden dalit and tribal women. These women suffer tremendous ignominy in their attempt to protect nature and protest against the misconduct of the police and administration.Supreme courage in acute crisis is their hallmark.

Paper long abstract:

The British monopoly over the forest area and the earlier aggrandizing nature of zamindars eclipsed the chances of indigenous tribes to earn their livelihood from the natural resources of a forest. The bonded tribal male labourers were also viciously exploited by the colonial masters. It often resulted in premature ageing and attendant diseases for the tribal males. The women, thus, became the most vulnerable section in the social hierarchy. They not only became hapless victims of male misdemeanour at home, but also an easy prey for the unscrupulous moneylenders and forest officials. The fictional world of Anil Gharai opens up this sordid saga of social oppression. The forced participation of women in the contested territory of forest-based economy gives rise to a new subaltern class- the doubly victimized segment of tribal society.