Contemporary Dalit Art as Counter Narratives to Brahminical Hegemony and Patriarchy: An Analysis of Vizia Bharati’s and Y.S Alone’s Vilifying Dalit Women: Epics and Aesthetics

Abstract

During the period of colonial rule in India, Underdog was the term used to address the Untouchable. In the post-independent period, when social reformation leading to empowerment of the underprivileged was in progress, more respectable terms like the marginalized, the subaltern, the under-presented etc. gained currency. It was only after caste life narratives emerged and subverted the Hindu literature or the main stream Indian literatures under Brahmanical hegemony, Dalit literature and Art came of age. The term Dalit became popular and acceptable from this point of time. Right from the Vedic times, the subjugation of Panchamas (the ancient term for the untouchable) or the Dalits by the caste Hindus was in operation under Brahmanical hegemony and patriarchy. Dalit women had to suffer double marginalization based on caste and gender distinctions. With the emergence of caste life narratives and art, the authors and the artists challenged the inhuman portrayal of the Dalits in the main stream literature and the canons set by the Brahmanical aesthetics. In the vehemence of the renaissance spirit the main stream Hindu narratives collapsed and the Dalits found out their space in art and literature. The analytical framework of Vizia Bharati and Y.S. Alone are explored to deconstruct the negative portrayal of the lower caste women in the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. The study further proceeds to investigate the large chunk of Dalit women involved in the Devadasi system and among the prostitutes in the red-light streets of Mumbai. The art works of Savi Sawarkar and the photographic marvels of Sudharak Olwe on these themes are discussed to explore, to what extent they have succeeded in building safer spaces for amplifying Dalit voices in art and literature in creating counter narratives to Brahmanical hegemony and patriarchy. Their contribution in redefining Dalit identity through the medium of contemporary art, transcending linguistic borders in the Global scenario is the focus of this study.