Lucknow- Amidst the complex web of societal narratives, the voices and experiences of Dalit women often linger in the shadows, marginalized by dominant discourses.
The rise of the Dalit movement has cast a spotlight on the issues of Dalit women, who have had to bear a two-pronged attack - patriarchy and caste. The most highlighted cases of Dalit atrocities also often are the cases where women have been violated with impunity.
Be it the Hathras case, the Khairlanji case, or the numerous cases where Dalit women were paraded naked. Within this obscured landscape, individuals like Priyanka Sonkar, Assistant Professor in the Hindi Department at Benaras Hindu University, emerge as beacons of light, illuminating the untold stories of resilience and resistance.
Sonkar's seminal work, "Dalit Stree Vimarsh: Srijan aur Sangharsh," serves as a cornerstone in this endeavor, offering a profound exploration of the creative endeavors and struggles of Dalit women.
Through her meticulous research and insightful analysis, Sonkar unveils the rich tapestry of Dalit women's contributions to society, challenging prevalent narratives and amplifying voices long silenced by oppression.
As we embark on this exploration, we peel back the layers of oppression to reveal the indomitable spirit of Dalit women, forging paths of empowerment amidst the intersections of patriarchy and caste.
In an exclusive interview with The Mooknayak, Sonkar speaks about her book, which has woven the thread around Dalit women and their contribution.
Sonkar, who belongs to Mau district of eastern Uttar Pradesh, says that Lord Buddha had admitted a woman named Sumangala in his Sangha, who belonged to a lower strata whereas in other religions, women were barred from participating in religious rituals at par with men. Then in the middle ages, you have examples of many women continuing up to recent times. She says that mainstream feminist authors have not given space to the narrative of Dalit women.
Invoking Chinua Achebe’s famous lines “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter,” she says that Dalit women will have to speak themselves about their trauma, or else the story of their struggle will slip into oblivion. She says that the oral history of Dalit women has been suppressed.
Talking about the women disciples, she says that people have heard about Meera Bai, but they don’t know about Jana Bai, who was born around the same time and belonged to the Matang caste. She was a disciple of Sant Namdev, who belonged to Maharashtra and through the medium of bhakti, she attacked the caste system. Then in Bengal, we have Rami Chandi, who rebelled against the caste system.
Citing the example of the Great Indian Rebellion of 1857, she points out that people only know the contribution of Rani Laxmi Bai, while the valor of Jhalkari Bai and Uda Devi Pasi is ignored.
Her book also mentions Mukta Bai, the author of an essay "Maang Maharachya Dukhavisayi" (About the grief of the Mangs and the Mahars), she wrote in 1855. It is probably the oldest surviving piece of writing by an untouchable woman.
Pandita Ramabai, a Chitpavan Brahmin also finds mention in her book as she married outside her caste, much like Sonkar, who herself pushed the envelope and married outside her caste.
The title of the book is "Dalit Stree Vimarsh: Shrijan aur Shangharsh," the word "srijan" means creation and is related to the literary work done by the Dalit women, so Priyanka talks about Sushila Takbhoure, Kaushal Pawar, Vimla Throat etc. and in doing so Priyanka herself has joined the list of such women.
Rebellion Against the Impunity of Caste The last chapter of the book speaks about the "Sangharsh," i.e. the struggle of the Dalit Women. While the women belonging to the upper-castes had to struggle to get education, the women belonging to the untouchables had to fight for their basic human rights like the women in Kerala, who fought for the right to wear upper-body clothes covering their breasts in the famous Battle of Channar.
The book also has references to struggles of other downtrodden sections of the society, like that of the tribals. Mathura Adivasi, an underage tribal girl was raped by two policemen in 1972. The outcry against the acquittal of the accused in the case by the Supreme Court led to amendments in the Indian rape law with The Criminal Law Amendment Act 1983. The most shocking part of the case was that the Judge observed “Because she was used to sex, she might have incited the cops to have intercourse with her”.
Phoolan Devi had to go through a similar ordeal but avenged her humiliation finds a chapter dedicated to herself in the same book, despite the fact that she was not a Dalit.
Inspiration across the Seven Seas Over the course of history, the Dalit movement has taken inspiration from their black counterparts in the US. The prominent flag bearers against racism have been black women like Rosa Parks. In recent times, women like Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg have emerged as role models for the entire black community and therefore the book has significant references to Black Feminism.
Education and Mobility: A Weapon Against Superstition Priyanka says that the reason for the sustenance of superstition among the Dalit women is because of the imposition of Brahminism from the upper-sections of the society. The JNU alumni says that had she not moved outside of her home to institutes like BHU and JNU she would have not known Ambedkar and Ambedkarism so well and would have also remained superstitious.
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