Dalit Autobiographies in the Punjabi Context 1

Kumar, Akshaya

doi:10.4324/9781315095196-6

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“…«Обрубленное дерево» представляет собой «я»-повествование о жизни низкокастовых-чамаров в панджабской деревне Мадхопур в 1960-1980-х гг., а также о сохранении кастовых предрассудков и связанных с ними форм дискриминации в более поздние десятилетия, -то есть о факторах, способствующих формированию «далитской идентичности» [Omvedt, 2006;Zelliot, 2010;Shah, 2001;Kumar, 2016]. Метафора тянущегося к свету непокоренного дерева -некогда мощного и раскидистого баньяна, который был центром жизни и душой чамарского поселения, но по прихоти деревенской «элиты» оказался обрубленным и искореженным, -выступает стержнем романа 1 .…”

Section: Anna Bochkovskayaunclassified

Balbir Madhopuri. Hamārā, camārõ kā bargad (A Chapter from Chāngiā rukh / Against the Night)

Bochkovskaya¹

2020

JIOS

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This commented translation from Hindi of a chapter from the Chāṅgiā rukh (Against the Night) autobiography (2002) by Balbir Madhopuri, a renowned Indian writer, poet, translator, journalist and social activist, brings forward episodes from the life of low-caste inhabitants of a Punjab village in the 1960s — early 1970s. After two decades after independence, destinies of those stuck in the lowest part of the social ladder remained unenviable — despite the fact that according to India’s constitution, untouchability was abolished and its practice in any form was forbidden. The main social conflict in Punjab’s villages between high-caste landowners, Jats, and low-caste chamars, chuhras and other village servants is still underway — with only minor modifications. Following the school of hard knocks of his childhood in the chamar quarter of Madhopur, a village in Jalandhar district, Balbir Madhopuri managed to receive a good education and take to literature. Narrating his story, Balbir Madhopuri shares childhood memories and emotions that determined his motivations to struggle against poverty, deprivation and injustice. The metaphor of a hardy bargad — a strong and powerful tree that used to be heart and soul of chamars’ area in Madhopur, but was slashed and distorted at a whim of the high and mighty villagers — holds a special place in the book.

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Section: Anna Bochkovskayaunclassified

Balbir Madhopuri. Hamārā, camārõ kā bargad (A Chapter from Chāngiā rukh / Against the Night)

Bochkovskaya¹

2020

JIOS

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“…1955) Chhangia Rukh (2002), Prem Gorkhi’s Gar Hazir Aadami and Attarjit’s Aak da Dudh (2007) have been written. They are still less than five in number, ‘Even till date the total number of Punjabi dalit autobiographies does not go beyond double digits’ (Kumar, 2016, p. 67). However, according to Census 2011, in Punjab state, population of Scheduled Caste people is highest in India that constitutes 31.94% of the population in comparison to 16.6% in the entire country, ‘Consequently, Punjab has 25% share in reservation against 15% SC reservation at the national level’ (Ram, 2017, p. 54).…”

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“…Udaya Kumar points out, ‘Autobiography became an important form for the writing of histories outside the professional and personal domain. Several dimensions of social and individual life, which often do not find much room in scholarly histories of the period, managed ample space in these personal narratives’ (Kumar, 2016, p. 2). In autobiography, the author, the narrator and the protagonist are same, and it engages deeply with the politics of self identity.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Besides, the egalitarian ideology of the left parties and Naxalite movement attempt to create class camaraderie in Punjab. The establishment of ‘Bahujan Samaj Party’ by Kanshi Ram also provides hopes for the betterment of dalits, ‘Kanshi Ram, the founder of Bahujan Samaj movement, was a Punjabi Dalit Member of Parliament from Hoshiarpur’ (Kumar, 2016, p. 66). In Punjab Jats , the land holding caste is at the top of the caste hierarchy and not Brahmins.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Tracing Buried Selves: In Search of Punjabi Dalit Woman Autobiography

Kumar

2021

Contemporary Voice of Dalit

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This article is an attempt to understand the significance of autobiographies with particular reference to Punjabi dalit women. In fact, autobiographies are one of the effective mediums for breaking the silence and create a constructive dialogue among people. These dialogues are prerequisite for the solidarity, democracy, equality and fraternity in the society. Besides, the autobiographies from the marginalized section challenge the exploitative established norms. Therefore, to write autobiographies is a courageous act full of risk and daring. In this context, there are more than hundred dalit autobiographies written in Indian languages, but in Punjabi literary discourses only a few dalit autobiographies have been written. However, according to Census 2011, in Punjab state, population of Scheduled Caste people is highest in India that constitutes 31.94% of the population in comparison to 16.6% in the entire country. Despite the largest population of dalits in Punjab, shockingly, there is not a single autobiography that has been written by a dalit woman until date. In this situation, it is a challenge for educated Punjabi dalit women to write their life narratives or autobiographies. They have to represent not only their pain in front of the world but also write about the consciousness, unconsciousness and subconsciousness of their community women who have not got opportunity to attain education. This article will examine and trace the problematics and complexities of gaps and silences so far as autobiographies of Punjabi dalit women are concerned.

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Dalit Autobiographies in the Punjabi Context 1

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Balbir Madhopuri. Hamārā, camārõ kā bargad (A Chapter from Chāngiā rukh / Against the Night)

Balbir Madhopuri. Hamārā, camārõ kā bargad (A Chapter from Chāngiā rukh / Against the Night)

Tracing Buried Selves: In Search of Punjabi Dalit Woman Autobiography

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