Abstract

The contemporary world is characterized by interconnectedness and interdependency on an unprecedented scale than ever before in the history of mankind. Such a social milieu is grounded on the hardcore reality of the existence of numerous racial, casteist, ethnic, and communal groups following diverse customs, communal and linguistic traditions, rites and rituals. But the emergent paradoxical truth remains that beneath the tall claims of liberty, equality and fraternity, marginalized communities' issues are often ignored and remain largely unaddressed. Despite several years of independence, the enactment of several laws, and the setting up of numerous organizations and agencies, atrocities and violence based on caste and ethnicity continue unabated across different parts of India. The situation assumes serious proportions in the case of those on the margin, such as the Dalits, the Tribals and other similar groups forced to live within the established framework of gender and casteist identities. The present research article proposes to examine the spectre of marginalized experiences of the Dalits within the socio-cultural and political domain characterized by pungent and scathing discriminatory politics informed by power relations about the select poems of S. Joseph, a Dalit poet in Malayalam literature. It also examines the manner in which the Dalit self in the poems gets projected through the contradictory lens of silence and resistance.

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