Organized by

Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru

Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (IIDS), Delhi

Association of Academic for Social Justice (AASJ), Delhi

Among the social sciences and languages, it is literature that has contributed significantly towards capturing the nature and intensity of caste discrimination and untouchability and the reality of human experience of Dalit life. The “Dalit literature” in Marathi has not only inspired writers in other Indian languages but also attracted the attention of scholars across several countries in the world. The literary expression is a very powerful means to capture the innermost experiences of caste discrimination, untouchability and gender discrimination. Therefore, the panel on literature will discuss the issue of caste inequality in its multiple dimensions: economic, social, cultural, religious, civil and political and even gender discrimination as reflected in Dalit literature in various Indian languages in novels, short stories, plays, poems, and other genres.

Beside literature, the panel will also have papers on Dalit visual arts and other arts exhibiting the experience of caste, untouchability and gender discrimination.

This theme will run throughout the three days of the conference through parallel sessions. We expect to have about 12 parallel sessions and about three keynote addresses and special lectures on this theme.