Literature deeply rooted in Dalit identities

Having grown up in close proximity to social movements and activist circles, Vikas R Mourya explores the lived experience of a new generation of Dalits in his writing

In the eponymous story from Kannada writer and activist Vikas R Mourya’s (42) short story collection, Neelavva, a Dalit woman is paralysed after she is raped by a privileged caste man in the village. In the beginning of the story, you would be forgiven for assuming this would be one of the hundreds of atrocity narratives around caste, that firmly divides the characters into oppressed and oppressors. 

Unlike the general narrative, Vikas seems to have rightly identified the intersectional nature of our social identities – religion, class, caste, gender etc– and how they influence where we stand on the oppressed-oppressor binary at any given time. In Neelavva, the victim’s son rapes the perpetrator’s daughter to avenge his mother, who after learning what he has done exclaims in pain, “All of you are the same!” 

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“Patriarchy lives even inside me,” remarks Vikas who identifies as a proud Ambedkarite. “Even among Dalits, there is male dominance. We need to overcome that.” 

Besides Neelavva, his literary oeuvre includes a collection of non-fiction writing (Chammatige), a children’s book (Jai Bheem) and four translations (Kappu Kulume, Ambedkar Jagattu, Ambedkar Siddhantha, Savitribai mattu Naanu) — last of which was done in collaboration with his wife, Kesthara. 

Daughter of Dalita Sangharsha Samiti’s N Venkatesh, Kesthara too is a writer. She encouraged him to write Buddhana Belaku, a play on Buddha and his Dhamma. The play has been touring across Karnataka and will soon arrive in Bengaluru. 

"On Naraka Chaturdashi, when India was playing in the World Cup, 400-500 people came to watch Buddhana Belaku," remembers Vikas. "The entire hall of Ta Ra Su Rangamandira was filled with families!" 

His writings have been recognised for exploring the lived experience of a new generation of young Dalits growing up in post-liberalised India. As an activist, he has participated in movements like Chalo Udupi (2016), against caste atrocities in the district.

“Vikas is important because he searches for the roots of Dalit movements that were prevalent in the 1970s and 1980s,” notes writer, theatre artiste and activist Du Saraswathi.  “For Vikas, writing and social movements are not different from each other.” 

“In works of those who are close to social movements, there is a danger of literature becoming just slogans,” remarks poet-activist Hulikunte Murthy, who is also a friend of Vikas. “It takes a different kind of ability to imbibe Ambedkarite art within literature and Vikas has that.”

Becoming Ambedkarite

Credit: DH Photo

As a child of Dalit parents who belonged to two different sub castes, Vikas grew up in close proximity to social movements and activist circles. In fact, his parents were married in Kolar by the Dalita Sangharsha Samiti (DSS), an organisation formed with the aim to speak for all Dalits. 

Incidentally, one of the organisation’s founders, N Venkatesh is Vikas’s maternal uncle and a role model. So, as a young child growing up in KR Pete, Mandya, he was closely involved in the activities of DSS. 

At this age, however, B R Ambedkar was merely a photo in the DSS pamphlets he used to distribute in public. The lasting encounter would happen when he was preparing for II  PUC supplementary exam and happened to stumble upon volume 3 of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches in his uncle’s bag. 

“At that time, my English was not at all good,” remembers Vikas. “So, I read the book with the help of a dictionary.” 

This encounter with Vol 3 of Ambedkar would put even this devotee of Hindu Gods towards the path of Ambedkarism. Later his association with Bahujana Vidyarthi Sangha (BVS) took him further into SC/ST/OBC politics.

Today, you name a subject and he could tell you which volume of Ambedkar’s writings to refer to. According to Hulikunte Murthy, this is rare within the context of Karnataka: 

“There has always been a gap in understanding Ambedkar, as we have read him through translation,” remarks Murthy. “But, since Vikas has read them in English, he can capture the real meaning and essence behind Ambedkar’s words.” 

Rooted in social realities

Growing up in a middle-class, socially-aware family in places like KR Pete and Mysuru, 

the practice of untouchability was not as apparent. Caste’s undercurrents were of course present but subdued. That changed when he was appointed as a teacher in a village in Sandur taluk of Ballari. At 24 years of age, fresh out of a BEd college, he realised how openly untouchability was practised. 

“I was struck by how my community was seen and treated there,” says Vikas. “That’s when I realised I should use the medium of poetry and literature to express the pain I was feeling inside me and could not do anything about.” 

His stories seamlessly move from a rural to an urban setting, but everywhere caste compels their protagonists to endure everything thrown at them, often rendering them helpless. In contrast, his non-fiction writings are clear and assertive, with no hint of hesitancy or uncertainty. There is also a considerable amount of self-criticism addressing the splinters within the Dalit movement. 

In Karnataka, the Dalit castes are divided as SC-Left and SC-Right, where the former has been historically more oppressed than the right-hand castes. Even within DSS, the right-hand castes like Holeyas have had significantly higher representation compared to Madigas, who belong to SC left, says Murthy. 

“Vikas has tried to bridge this divide, even so far as to convince the leaders of DSS by describing the necessity of uniting people of all SC castes vividly.”

For Akshatha Humchadakatte from Aharnishi Prakashana, this was one among many reasons to have published him twice: “I wanted to publish him because he writes as a critical insider from within the community,” notes Akshatha. “He has clarity of thought and is straightforward, rarely mincing words.” 

Dalit assertion 

Vikas is keenly aware of the tradition of literature that he is part of and is quick to mention K Ramaiah, Devanuru Mahadeva, KB Siddaiah, Siddalingaiah and more as people he read and listened to while growing up. The nature of progressive politics has also changed, with a new emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, with most literary festivals today including at least one panel on caste in their programming. But, sometimes one’s identity being reduced to their caste can be uncomfortable.

In one of his interviews with the Indian Cultural Forum, Dr Siddalingaiah remarks half-jokingly, about being referred to as a Dalit poet in an invite: “If not a famous Kannada poet, they should have printed a famous Dalit poet.” 

Contrary to previous generations, Vikas embraces the tag:  “We are proud to call ourselves Dalit poets and to produce Dalit literature.” In fact, he insists that the mainstream does not have to make any accommodations, because irrespective of recognition or invites, “we will continue to write and we will make you read what we write.” 

In that regard, he already has a book on reservation policies in the works. A research work, this book is the result of over six years of effort. Similarly, he is also working on a book named "Dalit Files".