PhD Scholar, NET JRF (Political Science), Department of Political Science, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Dr. Ambedkar’s anti-caste movement brought a new dawn for Dalits not only in Maharashtra but all over India. His emphasis on education and rationalism empowered Dalits to break the shackles of tradition and chart their own course on the path to liberation. Inspired by his ideals, a multitude of Dalit creative writers emerged in the 60s in Maharashtra. These writers led a fiery literary movement that lasted between the 1960s and the 1980s. With their non-conformist writing style and vivid expression of the injustice meted out to them, they strongly challenged the Brahminical hegemony in Marathi literature. Tracing the history and evolution of the Dalit literary movement in Maharashtra during this period, this paper also aims to delineate the socio-political trends and implications of the movement.
Dr. Ambedkar, Dalits, Maharashtra, Literature, Social justice
