DYNAMICS OF UPPER CASTE PARAMOUNTCY AS EXPRESSED IN DALIT LITERATURE: A READING OF SHARANKUMAR LIMBALE'S AKKARMASHI.

Dalit literature is a kind of literature that evolved after independence. The beginning of Dalit literature has a great historical relevance. Similar literature exploring the lives and the pathetic existence of the marginalised and downtrodden sections exist in other parts of the world as well. Arjun Dangle has defined Dalit literature as one whichfamiliarises the readers 'with the age old caste system and untouchability in India. As we know, Dalits have always been relegated to the marginalised 'other' side of the Indian society; in other words they were completely excluded from the social mainstream. So when they began protesting after centuries of silence, a new kind of literature came to thefore that depicted an assertion of human rights, self esteem, revolt against social oppression, stories of personal and collective suffering, and putforth a vision of a new society sans any discrimination. The word Dalit is not new; it was in use in the 1930s as the Hindi and Marathi translation of 'Depressed classes', a term the British used for the present day Scheduled Castes. The main aim of Dalit literature is the emancipation of the Dalit community. Sharan Kumar Limbale has said: "Dalit literature is exactly that literature which aesthetically captures the trauma, sorrow, embarrassment, humiliation, ridicule and sufferings confronted by the Dalits". Some of the important Dalit writers -whose -writings willfind a place in the resistance literature the world over are: Mahasweta Devi, Namdeo Dhasal, Daya Pawar, Arjun Dangle, Perumal Murugan, D.Gopi, Neerave Patel, Poomani, Basudev Sunani, SachiRautray andMangalRathod. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]