Literature Resistance in the Context of Dalit Writing and Social Transformation

This paper examines literature as a form of resistance in Dalit writing and explores its role in fostering social transformation in India’s caste-structured society. Dalit literature, emerging prominently in the post-Independence period and gaining increased scholarly attention between 2015 and 2025, constitutes an oppositional narrative that challenges dominant caste hierarchies, systemic exclusion and cultural marginalisation. While dominant literary traditions have historically excluded Dalit voices, Dalit writers harness narrative strategies that foreground lived experiences of discrimination, identity assertion and sociopolitical critique. Central to this exploration is an analysis of how Dalit texts transform personal trauma into collective resistance, creating alternative discursive spaces that confront entrenched social orders and mobilise readers toward egalitarian social consciousness (Chandra, 2025; Nimariya, 2024). This study situates Dalit literature within a broader framework of resistance theory, considering how narrative forms function as counter-discourses against Brahminical and mainstream hegemonic literatures. The research synthesises key studies on textual resistance, identity politics and social transformation, emphasizing how Dalit writing operates as an activist force. For instance, critical work highlights the use of counter-narrative techniques to challenge caste-based exclusion, rendering Dalit lived realities visible in the public sphere (Magarati & Bist, 2025). Similarly, intersections with gender amplify resistance discourses, as Dalit feminist writing addresses the double marginalisation of caste and patriarchy, advancing intersectional forms of resistance (Patil, 2025). The study contextualises Dalit literary praxis within sociopolitical movements and Ambedkarite critiques of caste domination, illustrating literature’s transformative potential beyond aesthetic representation to political mobilisation and identity assertion (Nimariya, 2024). Evidence from comparative studies shows that Dalit writing’s engagement with resistance contributes to broader social transformation by challenging cultural norms, reclaiming narrative agency and advocating for structural change. The paper concludes that Dalit literature’s resistance is both an epistemic challenge to exclusionary narratives and a catalyst for ongoing social transformation, asserting that literature must be understood not only as art but as a political and moral project rooted in justice, agency and community-based struggle.