I am a student of Comparative Literature at Columbia University,
the very same university where Dr. Ambedkar completed his Ph.D. in
Political Science. This semester I am writing a paper on Dalit
literature. All the texts I have at the moment are translated from
Marathi. I am interesting in developing a long term project on Telugu
Dalit literature. I have heard that this is a very popular and growing
field. So far I have not begun a major search, but I would like to meet
other persons who are familiar with Dalit literature written in Telugu.
It seems the poet Jaashuva comes from a low caste, and wrote
prior to the time the term _Dalit_ came about. I think there have been
some discussions on Jaashuva on this list previously ... if any of you
posted any of Jaashuva's poetry or any commentary on them, I would
appreciate having you forward it to me.
About Telugu Dalit literature, some questions I would like to ask
are: Who is writing it? Who is reading it? Whom does it address? What
is its relationship to the dominant canons and theories of literature?
What is the relationship between this literature and social consciousness?
and historical events? and political movements? Where are people writing
it (cities, villages)? What institutions (publishing houses, literary
societies) have some interest in directing its development?
In the (translated) Marathi Dalit literature I have so far read,
I am most interested in the issues of identity and memory. What aspects
of Dalit identity do the speakers in these poems, stories, and essays
want to annihilate, which do they feel are important to retain and not to
forget, which remain and reappear despite their (apparent) eradication?
For now I am focussing on the scenes of education in which the speakers,
typically describing themselves as desparate for education, find
themselves also deeply ambivalent about some of their experiences there.
Their lives are not reflected in the literature they read in the
classroom. While their education is a source of pride to their family
and community, it also distances them from that community, in the very
language they learn to speak in school. Quite painfully, it is at the
times when they do receive academic awards and honours for achievement
that their caste, and hence anomalous status is enunciated most loudly.
Examples like this have led me to examine recognition as a problem and
theme in the literature. Will I be recognized? By whom? For which
reasons?
--------------
As I begin to read Telugu Dalit literature I will make periodic
reports and try to formulate my questions again and again. I hope that
this will sustain an ongoing conversation, and that some of you who are
familiar with Dalit literature, history, politics, or society will
participate.
Last point: If any one has old copies of Dalit Voice or any other
Dalit publications in Telugu or English, please consider sending them to
me.
-- Aravinda
ap191@columbia.edu
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Waiting for a job, I passed the first year of an M.A. in English
Literature. It was just an excuse to keep myself occupied. " -- Kumud
Pawde, "The Story of my Sanskrit" http://www.columbia.edu/~ap191
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~