Politics of Writing

Every writing is a political act with a clear purpose, objective and agenda. Therefore, several questions arise in one’s mind- Who writes, what, for whom and why? Writings in India are built up around the caste system. The Dalits in India have remained merely the object of the writings by the upper caste Hindus. This book is a critique of the history of literature which is primarily written and interpreted from a view point of the upper caste Hindus. It attempts to reread and revisit the writings on Dalits in India in general and Dalits in Odisha in particular and rewrite their history and their literature from their perspective. This book is an endeavour to provide a monograph of Dalit writings and writers in Odisha. For the first time one sees a host of Dalit writers and their writings brought to the limelight. They not only contest the Brahmanical hegemony but also strive towards creating an egalitarian society.