The Concept of Differend in Dalit Literature: Epistemic Silence and the Politics of Self-Representation

Abstract

Dalit literature emerged as a powerful literary and political intervention against caste oppression, structural violence, and cultural erasure in India. It provides a voice to communities that were historically silenced within the rigid structure of the caste system. This paper examines Dalit literature through the theoretical framework of the Differend, a concept developed by the French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard. According to Lyotard, a differend occurs when injustice is inflicted upon an individual or community, yet the victim lacks the linguistic, institutional, or discursive authority required to express that injustice within dominant systems of judgment. In the Indian context, the caste system functioned as such a structure by denying Dalits the right to represent their own experiences and by rendering their suffering socially invisible. This paper explores how Dalit writers challenge this historical silence through autobiographies, fiction, poetry, and critical essays. It analyzes the contributions of major writers and thinkers such as B. R. Ambedkar, Omprakash Valmiki, Bama, Baburao Bagul, and Sharan Kumar Limbale. The study also examines the role of Dalit feminism, language politics, and alternative aesthetics in constructing a counter-discourse against Brahmanical dominance. Ultimately, the paper argues that Dalit literature is not merely a literary category but an epistemological and political movement that seeks linguistic, cultural, and social justice.