Summary of The Dalit Presence in Malayalam Literature by Sunny M Kapikkad - Part II

This is the second part of the essay. Click here to read Part-I

    Drawing parallels between these two canonical works - Appunni’s desire to restore the power and glory of the tharavadu in modern guise, Paramu Pillai escape from debt-ridden tharavadu to Communist party without any internal change and the binaries of Amminiyedathi-Malu/Sumam-Mala- the writer digs deeper into the psyche of Malayalees and lays bare the deep rooted casteism that prevail in the collective unconscious while they lip serve the cause of revolution and progress. His critical eye catches hold of the subtle forms of casteism in the  literary works of the 1960s which narrated the existential pangs of the modern man. Reviewing the politics of Khasakkinte Itihasam, an epitome of modernist fiction in Malayalam, the author establishes that beyond the enchanting layer of language and landscape, the protagonist Ravi’s musings on upanishad and astrology endorses the Brahminic value system. Ravi’s disengagement with the outside world, extremely passive social mind and pseudo spiritualism spring up from deep rooted caste consciousness.

    The author views that the works of Anand  and Vaikkom Muhammed Basheer bring a blessed break into Malayalam literary tradition. Basheer captures the everyday struggles, agonies and ecstasies  of his characters from the vantage point of a Sufi whose view of the world is not fettered by any systems of discrimination. On a similar line, Anand depicts the dilemmas of human freedom and a deep sense of history informs his works. In Nishadapurana, he portrays the conflicts faced by Ekalavya, an outcast whose mastery in archey is disabled when he gifts his guru with his thumb. Anand breaks free of the inertia modernists delved in with his philosophical vigour.

    In this section of the essay, the author traces the emergence of Dalit literature in Malayalam. Dalit writers like T K C Vaduthala and Paul Chirakkilodu voice the angst of their characters. In his collections of short stories, C Ayyappan has formed an alternative aesthetic with which he interrogates the prevailing socio, religious and ethical values. In ‘Pretabhashanan’, for example, a Pulaya woman questions God on matters of caste and religion and also brings out the pseudo moral standards of the upper castes. His metaphors triples down upper caste constructions of superiority and present them in the social context to which they belong. His stories voice the conflicts inflicted by modernity on the dalit community. Though readers in Malayalam did not acknowledge the mastery of his narrative, novelty of his imagery and the grave social issues they present, they form a significant part of Malayalam Dalit writing.

    An array of Dalit writers have entered the scene of Malayalam poetry in the 1980s. Notable poets like KKS Das, G Sasi Madhuravalli have created  distinct styles of writing. KKS Das’ poetry is remarkable for its aesthetic expression of angst, tribal memory and the negation of upper caste values. He draws metaphors from the collective memory of the oppressed people to create songs of revenge and retaliation. G Madhuravalli rereads the story of Sambuka from the epic Ramayana and contextualise it within the politics of dalit aesthetics. Addressing Shambuka, the poet speaks of the futility of imitating the Brahmins and requests him to revert to kattala as Brahminism refuses salvation to all. He underscores the need of offering salvation to all.

(This is the second part of the essay The Dalit Presnce in Malayalam Literature by Sunny M kapikkad. Click on the link to read Part I of the summary)