LITERATURE AS A TRANSITIONAL FORCE IN UPLIFTING DALITS & OTHER MARGINALIZED CLASSES IN INDIA

As we all know marginalized classes are those classes which have been considered as people of lesser importance by other groups those are in power or consider themselves superiors to them. When it comes to India then there are certain classes which are considered as marginalized i.e., Dalits, tribal. This list also includes, women and transgender. From time to time there have been debates on Dalits and other marginalized classes in the Indian social-political milieu and which keeps on going in the contemporary scenario as well. The word ‘Dalit’ is derived from Sanskrit word dalita that means ‘oppressed’. If we take account of the Indian socio-cultural context then we see that ‘dalits’ refers to the untouchables and people below the three castes: Brahman, Kshatriya, and Vaishya and who have a long history of living. These people, who are called as Dalits in the Indian society have a history of being lived in subjugation under the high-classes of the Indian society. So they have been a marginalized, downtrodden and subaltern group from centuries. The fact is that if we discuss the term, ‘marginalized classes’ then India, being a patriarchal society then women also come in the category and they have been subjugated since centuries. One of the class which has very less discussed in history is the term ‘transgender’ which also need attention as it is also one of the most deprived one.In my paper, I am trying to discuss various writers and reformers who have given their lives for the noble cause of uplifting these marginalized classes in India