Is Dalit Identity a Haunting Paranoia? - A Critical Study of Nooru Simhasanangal.

Name of Author : M. Lakshmi

Abstract: Dalits come under the „other‟, or the „marginalised‟ section of the society, eternally the subject of oppression and alienation from the other privileged section. Their literature, hence, is an expression of their sufferings, untouchability, poverty, stigma and also their hopes for an egalitarian society. “Dalit literature is the uprising of the written word against the millennia-old social injustice manifesting itself as brutalities committed on Dalits all over the country,” said Sharankumar Limbale a Marathi author and literary critic. Dalit literature,according to him, aims at portraying the injustices that these oppressed sections of the society have been facing since ages. Dalit literature, hence, occupy a pivotal position in the current Indian literature scenario. Oru Nooru Simhasanangal by B. Jeyamohan, tells the story of Dharmapaalan, an IAS officer, who belongs to the oppressed Naayaadi community. The author, a renowned figure in Tamil and Malayalam literature, reveals the social injustice prevalent in our society through the experiences of the protagonist. This is a painfully truthful narration of Dharmapaalan‟s life after he attains a position that holds power – how the society, his mother, and his own psyche haunt him. This paper aims at analyzing the pains and sufferings of Dalit existence juxtaposed with the current social milieu with suggestions for their upliftment.

Keywords : Dalit literature, Jeyamohan, Tamil Writers, Oru Nooru Simhasanangal, Marginalization, Outcaste, Oppression

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