Sharadakshara: Contradiction of Dalit Literature

Friday, January 29, 2021

Contradiction of Dalit Literature | Sharad Singh

Dr (Miss) Sharad Singh

I am sharing here my an old article which was published in the book Book " Human Development", Chapter Four - "Social Organisation for Human Development" in the year 2003.

In those days I was working in Dr Hari Singh Gour University Sagar in Audio Visual Research Center (AVRC).

----------------------------------

Contradiction of Dalit Literature

- Sharad Singh

Twenty centuries help in bright deep into the fathomless chasms of oblivion. They have become part and parcel of history. We can appreciate and criticize them but we cannot remove them present and future can be remolded but history cannot be. Statistics in undergo a change, history can be rewritten but episodes which have happened cannot be changed.

We look determined to do away with the varna system. Efforts have been made over the last two centuries to eliminate the varna system and bring all sections of society on a common platform. Social and literacy campaigns have been launched during the 19th and 20th centuries to end the kind of discrimination against the lower castes that his ripped apart the Indian social fabric. In this context, the fact that Dalit literature gained popularity in the later half after 20 century is quite perplexing. It appears to indicate that efforts done to eliminate the varna system have been half-hearted. The natural result being growth of literature of the trampled by the tempered. Literature, after all, mirror of society.

What do we mean by Dalit literature, literature of the trampled by the tempered? When did it come into circulation? We have to turn the pages of Hindi literature of the bygone ages. Conception of the Literature is inherent in Marathi literature. Writers from the trampled and exploited sections of society to establish their own separate identity, called their works 'Dalit literature'. In Marathi this nomenclature surfaced with the campaign of the downtroddens in 1960. By 1980, it came to be of substantial importance. Seminar on Dalit literature was organised at the national level in Nagpur in 1996. This left and indentible mark on the hearts of many writers. The dalit awareness and experience gained a significant identity. Today the word the Dalit has assumed the shape of a symbol of the exploited, tortured, and tormented, ignored and unprivileged people. Under the editorship of Kamleshwar, to special issues of Sarika on Dalit literature came out in 1975. In October 1997, the institute of higher studies Shimla organised a seminar on the subject "Dalit Sahitya and Ashvet lekhan - contemporary trends". Many Hindi writers now prefer to be called Dalit writers. Om Prakash Balmiki, Jayaprakash Kardam, Sushila Takbhore, Shyoraj Singh Baichain, Lalchand Rahi and many others are some famous Dalit writers. It is a matter of personal freedom and liberty to attach any name to one's own but it ceases to be a personal matter the moment literature is named on the basis of varna. The question is, is it just an proper to call a part of Hindi literature 'Dalit literature' because its writers considered themselves Dalit?

We must remember that Buddhist Saints who created literary works in Hindi were originally chamar, washerman, tanners, weavers, scavengers, vendors, oilmen, non-Aryans and so on. They were bitter against the anomalies found in the Vedas and the Purans. By the 12th century, the social set-up head become so defective that the downtrodden where denied the right to education. Kabir, Raidas, Pipa, Sena and Sadan then adopted the verbal tradition to present their thoughts in verse and their verses were passed on verbally from one generation to another.

Strangely enough, the side which admits that man is high or low by his actions and not by his birth tries to evaluate literature on the basis of its origin. IT asserts that literature born from the mind and brain of a person belonging to the dalit class automatically becomes Dalit literature. Is it not committing the same mistake in Literature that Manu committed in society?

To link literature to class, gender and colour is to make its utility for society doubtful. Dalit literatures admit the monopoly of Bramhnistic elements in literature. They admit that the the syllabi do not prescribe their writings. Jayaprakash kadam's view that Hindi literature "abounds in such writing as smack of Savarna mentality", published in the collection on Dalit literature in the june 1999 issue of the progressive magazine 'Sanchetna' edited by Maheep Singh, does carry weight. This collection contains views of Ramanika Gupta about persons who decry Dalit literature. Ramanik Gupt unfold a tactic adopted by Savarna literatures to degrade writers from the Dalit class. He says they rank Premchand or Nirala is equal to the Dalit writers. It is done just the nullify the importance of the Dalit writers. For the lamp is no significance before the sun. These views expressed by J.P. Kardam and R. Gupt throw light on two important aspects. One, absence of proper evolution of literature especially named is Dalit literature is a grouse among Dalit writers. In reality, Dalit literature is not a separate identity but it is the result of nepotism, favouritism and factionalism prevalent in society and specially in Hindi literature. It is a bad corollary also in the sense that the literature which helped society to rise above the narrow and Shallow mesh of the varna system by infusing awareness is seen surviving on the crutches of the varna system. How tragic is it?

Secondly, it depicts the anguished of Dalit Literature because monopolistic tendencies of Brahmanism do not allow their writings to find place in any syllabus. But it must be remembered that dignity and pride of literature does not lie in its inclusion in any syllabus. Kabir and Raidas did belong to the dalit class but these poets showed no concern to get their writings prescribed in any formal system in order to raise their prestige in the eyes of society. They never called their literary work as Dalit literature. It is an impenetrable truth that writings of Kabir and Raidas are more acceptable, more comprehensive and timeless then the verses even of Ramcharitmanas. A Doha verse of Ramcharitmanas -

"Dhol, ganwar, sudra, pashu, nari..."

Does not find favour among all but verses of Kabir like -

"Tu Baman Bamni te jaya

To Aan Bah Kahe Nahin Aaya."

And a socialistic verse of Raidas -

"Aisa Chahun Raj Mein, Jahan Mile Sabhi Ko Aann.

Chhoto Baro Sub Sum Bassein, Raidas Rahe Prasann."

...are accepted by one and all. Every section of the society will appreciate these verses and the meaning they depict.

When the very word Dalit was not prevalent in Hindi literature and there was no dalit writer worth the name, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, a critic, included the poem any entitled "Complaint of an Untouchable", composed by Heera Dom, in the magazine "Saraswati". It was a revolutionary step. This poem was in Bhojpuri. The truth is that a good creation his inherent quality and grandeur to get itself evaluated. A litterateur creates his creation and desires to let it remain a form of literature only.

Litterateur Tej Singh says that non-Dalit research scholars finding the literature being discussed in Hindi realms, have started writing critical reviews along with their research work in the name of Dalit awareness. Such research papers and critical reviews are produced mostly to create misunderstanding and false notions about Dalit literature.

Literature should not be associated with Varna based nomenclature. If this trend is not checked literature would assume different names - literature produced by Dalit would be Dalit literature, that produced by women would be woman's literature, the produced by Kayastha would be Kayastha literature and so on. Will it not amount to mockery of our Varna-opposing efforts and Varna-opposing mentality?

Partisan attitude prevalent in Hindi literature must be done away with. Need of the hour it live literally liberal and impartial attitude in the fields of review and criticism so that no literary figure belonging to any class or gender feels ignored and shunned. Literature must be free from the narrow contours of nepotism. Reasonable control and check must be exerted on the expression of personal feelings in the larger interests of society. The so-called Dalit litterateurs must inculcate initiative and a self-profiling force in them. Otherwise, it would encourage Varna disparity in Literature and such literature would not only harm the social structure but even present a wrong picture of Indian social and literary progress before the world community. Need of the hour is to bring about culture awareness and spiritual sobriety and esteem in literature.

---------------------------

Book - Human Development

Book name -

"Human Development"

Editors -

VK Srivastava

Bharat Jhunjhunwala

RK Bhattacharya

Publisher - Kalpaz Publications, C-30, Satyawati Nagar, Delhi - 110052

-----------------------------------

As in gave Acknowledgement of this book " human Development" -

"This collection of articles is taken from a series of seminar organised by Motilal bhimraj Charity trust on human rights (Rishikesh 1999), Human Development (Sagar 2001), Eco ethical standard of living (Kolkata 2001), Indian values (Kanpur 2001 and Varanasi 2001), Indian tradition of social work (Banda 2001) and inter caste marriage (Sagar 2001).

We thanks Swami Shanti dharmanand of Satya Darshan Ashram, Rishikesh, who helped organise the first seminar of the series. The ideas that where unleashed during that seminar led to the organisation of the subsequent ones.

We thank Shri R S Dubey, Neelam Trivedi, B.N. Tiwari, Dharmendra Mishra, Bhartendu Prakash and R.D. Sharma who organised the various seminars.

We thank the participants of the seminars for having helped bring out the issues of Human Development."

--------------------------------