Understanding the dalit psyche: reading of sharankumar limbale’s akkarmashi

The inclusion of Dalits in the Brahminical discourses adopted the strategy of “reformist – liberalism”. Having entered into it, Dalit literature has not merged into it, but has changed it. Through Dalit literature, the Dalit subaltern has now appeared in literature as a speaking subject but this subaltern’s speech is not interpellated by the dominant group’s voice, language, tone, style or tradition. Limbale moves on to compare Dalit literature with that of Black and feminist literatures. Implicit in every work of literature is a serious critique of the society within which it takes birth. A literary movement of significance strikes at the heart of a social issue in a manner that it becomes impossible for any sensitive reader to return to the old values with any sense of comfort. Dalit literary movement has made Marathi society think afresh about religion, justice, dignity and social relationships, the single most important concern on which it has expended its energy has been ‘caste’. It is the experience of unique Dalitness that dalit Limbale has been challenged to represent authentically.