Dalit Voices in Indian Poetry A Study of Malayalam and Marathi Poems

Contemporary Dalit poetry in Malyalam as also in Marathi is vibrant with a variety of voices and divergent perspectives. The source of inspiration in Malayalam was the egalitarian writings of Narayana Guru, Kumaran Asan, Pandit Karuppan, and in Marathi, the first impetus came with the advent of leaders like Mahatma Phule and Ambedkar. The 'I' in Dalit poetry acts as an instrument in conveying the agony, pain and protest of the subalterns. Dalit voices, both in Malayalam and in Marathi, emphatically espouse a classless and casteless society.