Dalit Women as Outsider Within: A Standpoint Exploration

Abstract

Owing to the graded inequality inherent in Indian society, Dalit women lie at the bottom of the hierarchy with no power to execute. In short, one can say that they are “Dalit of Dalits.” The present paper looks at the challenges and exclusionary practices faced by the Dalit women with reference to the works of Bama’s Sangati (2005) and Baby Kamble’s The Prison We Broke (2008). Delving into the concepts of gender and caste, the paper aims to demonstrate how both writers portray the idea of the outsider within the identity of Dalit women. It will also deal with how this outsider within identity gives them a standpoint of their own. In its entirety, the paper highlights the challenges and haplessness of Dalit women because of their identity and their zealousness in fighting the oppressive forces.