Dalit Feminism: Identity of women In Short Stories of Urmila Pawar

Abstract

“If you wish to know how civilized a culture is, look at how they treat its women.”

                                                                                                                         Bacha Khan

The word Dalit has been coined from the term ‘dalan’ which means to grind. The etymology of the word Dalit comes from The Sanskrit and it means ‘downtrodden’, ‘suppressed’, ‘crushed’ or ‘broken to pieces’. The clear definition of dalit in contemporary usage has been given by a professor of Marathi Gangadhar Pantwane who is also founder editor of Asmitadarsh. He says:

To me, Dalit is not a caste. He is a man exploited by the social and economic traditions of this country. He does not believe in God, Rebirth, soul, Holy books teachings separatism, Fate and heaven because they have made him a slave. He does not believe inhumanism. Dalit is a symbolof change and revolution.¹