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| Review of Dalit Literature and Criticism by Raj Kumar — A representative image. |
File Information
| Document Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Review of Dalit Literature and Criticism by Raj Kumar |
| Article Credit | Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, ISSN: 0975-2935, Vol.: 12, Issue: 6, Year: 2020, (Pubd in: researchgate.net) |
| Author | Shahida (Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, NIT Kurukshetra.) |
| Subject | This review examines Raj Kumar's book on Dalit literature, tracing the term Dalit, the rise of Dalit writing, and the methods of Dalit criticism. It also discusses the book's treatment of Dalit aesthetics, canonical challenge, and pedagogical uses. |
| Category | Book Review |
| Institution | Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities |
| Main Topics | Dalit literature, Dalit criticism, Dalit aesthetics, caste discrimination, Dalit Studies, Akhila Naik's Bheda, pedagogical approaches to Dalit literature |
| Number of Pages | 4 |
| Language | English |
| File Type | |
| File Size | 293.8 KB |
Summary Note of this Document
Review of Dalit Literature and Criticism by Raj Kumar
This review discusses Raj Kumar's Dalit Literature and Criticism as a concise introduction to Dalit Studies and the literary traditions associated with Dalit identity. It outlines the book's six-chapter structure and its coverage of the term Dalit, the historical roots of caste oppression, the emergence of Dalit literature, Dalit aesthetics, Dalit criticism in practice, and pedagogical approaches to the field. The review emphasizes that the book is designed for both research scholars and general readers, combining explanation of key concepts with discussion of representative texts and debates. It highlights the treatment of Dalit literature as a literature of resistance shaped by humiliation, social exclusion, and the struggle for self-expression. The review also notes the book's attention to the shift from early representations by upper-caste writers to writing produced from within Dalit experience, as well as its inclusion of Odia Dalit writing and the analysis of Akhila Naik's Bheda alongside other works. Overall, the article presents Raj Kumar's study as a useful and systematic guide to the history, theory, aesthetics, and classroom relevance of Dalit literature and criticism.
Core Themes
- Dalit identity and the meaning of the term Dalit
- caste hierarchy and untouchability
- the emergence and history of Dalit literature
- Dalit aesthetics and literary theory
- Dalit criticism and textual interpretation
- Dalit literature as resistance and self-representation
- Dalit Studies in academic pedagogy
Keywords
About Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born in 1891 as the fourteenth and youngest child of an army Subedar in Mhow. Born into the Mahar caste, which was considered untouchable, Bhimrao faced many hardships at school. He had to sit on a gunny sack that he brought from home. He was not allowed to touch the water vessel or cup, so he could drink water only when the school peon was present to pour it for him. He later described this experience with the words, “No peon, no water.” His mother died when he was very young, and he had a difficult childhood. However, he was the only one of his siblings to pass his examinations and continue to high school, becoming the first person from his community to attend Elphinstone College. With a scholarship from the Maharaja of Baroda, he went on to study at Columbia University and the London School of Economics. He earned doctorates in economics and trained as a barrister at Gray’s Inn. According to the account supplied for this biography, his books were lost when his ship was torpedoed during the First World War.
Despite his education, Ambedkar continued to face prejudice. When he returned to India, he was required to work in Baroda but had to leave the position because of discrimination. His business providing investment consultancy failed when clients learned that he belonged to a community considered untouchable. While working as a professor in Mumbai, his colleagues objected to the idea of him sharing a water jug with his students. These experiences helped spur his activism. He established newspapers to give a voice to marginalized people. He led the Mahad Satyagraha, asserting Dalits’ right to collect water from a public tank, and publicly burned the Manusmriti in 1927. In 1932, he negotiated the Poona Pact with Mahatma Gandhi. Although it involved a difficult compromise, the pact provided reserved seats in legislatures for the Depressed Classes. Ambedkar was outspoken in public life but private by nature. His wife Ramabai died in 1935, and he filled his home in Bombay with a large personal library reported to contain more than 50,000 books. He declared, “I am born a Hindu, but I will not die as one.”
During the period of Indian independence, Jawaharlal Nehru invited Ambedkar to become India’s first Law Minister. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee that prepared the Constitution of India, which abolished the practice of untouchability and established civil liberties and constitutional safeguards, including reservations for historically oppressed communities. He acknowledged the contribution of other constitutional experts, including B. N. Rau, who had prepared an earlier draft. Because of his poor health, including diabetes, Ambedkar married Savita, a doctor who cared for him. In October 1956, he converted to Buddhism in Nagpur along with a vast gathering of followers, commonly estimated at around half a million. He died in his sleep just weeks later, shortly after completing his final major work, The Buddha and His Dhamma. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1990. His message, “Educate, agitate, organise,” continues to inspire people seeking equality and social justice.
Complete Ambedkar Research Collection
Download the entire collection of Ambedkar research PDFs available on HISTORY MARG