Gender Perspectives in Dalit Literature: A Study of Daya Pawar’s Baluta

Abstract

Dalit literature has emerged as a powerful literary and socio-political movement that challenges caste-based hierarchies by foregrounding the lived experiences of historically marginalized communities. Among the various literary forms adopted by Dalit writers, autobiography occupies a central position as it enables self-representation, resistance, and the articulation of social realities. Daya Pawar’s Baluta (1978), one of the earliest Dalit autobiographies in Marathi, is widely regarded as a foundational text in Dalit literary studies. While the autobiography has been extensively analysed as a narrative of caste oppression and identity formation, its gender dimensions have received relatively limited scholarly attention. This paper argues that Baluta also demands a sustained gender-based analysis. Using the theoretical frameworks of intersectionality and Dalit feminist criticism, the study examines how caste and patriarchy intersect in shaping the lives of Dalit women represented in the text. Although the narrative voice remains male-centred, Baluta implicitly reveals women’s labour, domestic responsibilities, emotional endurance, and social vulnerability. The paper also explores constructions of Dalit masculinity and the functioning of patriarchy within oppressed communities. It concludes that a gender-sensitive reading of Baluta enriches Dalit literary criticism and highlights the necessity of integrating feminist perspectives into the study of male-authored Dalit texts.