142033 SE Dalit Voices across India: Literary and other Aesthetic Practices (2022W)

This course will explore how Dalit aesthetic practices –such as literature and art– that are born from the struggle against social and political injustice, invoke the rich and complex legacy of oral, folk and performative traditions of marginalized voices. Dalit literature and other aesthetic practices serve as a platform for Dalit articulation in addressing political concerns and achieving Dalit emancipatory goals. Students will be introduced (in translation) to different forms of Dalit literature from different parts of India and in different languages such as novels, poems, short stories, essays, plays, and autobiographies to examine how the varied forms of Dalit cultural expressions contribute to the project of Dalit emancipation. In addition to literature, we will be critically working with Dalit film, music and visual arts to discuss how these practices lay emphasis on the social relevance and politics of art and literature.