Paper short abstract:

This paper upholds the potentiality of Dalit women's life-narratives in subverting the dominant discourse and asserting the unique identity of Dalit women. .

Paper long abstract:

Abstract:

Title: Dalit Women's Life-narratives: An Affirmation of Identity

"Can the subaltern speak?" Controversies and critical discussions revolving round the issue of subaltern agency render this question an increasingly enigmatic one. My paper which deals with the life-narratives of Dalit women problematizes the issue as it upholds the immense potentiality that these narratives have in subverting the dominant discourse. Dalit women in India are often described as the "Dalits" among the Dalits since they are oppressed not merely because of their low-caste status but also because of their gender. Unfortunately, neither the Dalit movement nor the Women's movement in India addresses their problems adequately. However, I intend to show here how Dalit women negotiate with their situation of multiple marginalization and how they attempt to inscribe their 'presence' in the mainstream discourse which relegates them to the recesses of oblivion. Owing to the constraints of time and space, I will chiefly focus upon the life-narratives of Bama, Baby Kamble and Urmila Pawar though the scope of this paper will not be restricted to literary discussions of these texts only. Dalit women's life-narratives play a crucial role in advocating the unique identity of Dalit women which is not subsumed under the two broad categories-"Dalit" and "Woman". This paper which attempts to critically understand the nuances of the identity politics from a Dalit feminist standpoint acknowledges the journey of Dalit women from subjugation to celebration.

Key words: Dalit, Subaltern, Identity, Standpoint Feminism, Life-narrative.