The Resurgence of Self: Neo-Dalit Consciousness in Contemporary Indian Writing

Abstract

This paper examines the rise of Neo-Dalit Consciousness as a transformative intellectual and literary movement within contemporary Indian writing. Building upon the foundational narratives of early Dalit literature—marked by testimony, resistance, and the exposure of caste oppression—Neo-Dalit Consciousness represents a significant ideological and aesthetic shift. It redefines Dalit identity through assertiveness, global engagement, and a sophisticated critical framework rooted in Ambedkarite thought. This new consciousness foregrounds agency over victimhood, dignity over imposed inferiority, and proactive political participation over passive suffering. Writers and thinkers such as Suraj Yengde, Meena Kandasamy, Yashica Dutt, and Manoranjan Byapari articulate this shift through works that challenge Brahminical hegemony, reclaim marginalized histories, critique mainstream aesthetics, and imagine egalitarian futures. Characterized by intersectionality, intellectual rigor, and transnational solidarity, Neo-Dalit writing not only interrogates structural caste violence but also constructs alternative epistemologies that de-brahminize knowledge production. As a literary and socio-political intervention, Neo-Dalit Consciousness signals a critical turning point—repositioning Dalit voices from the margins to the center of contemporary discourse, and redefining the possibilities of resistance, identity, and justice in modern India.