The Impact of Urbanization on Dalit Lives in Datta Bhagat’s Whirlpool

Author(s): Dr. Upendra Kumar Dwivedi

Abstract:

Dalit literature is not a literature of protest; it is a literature of survival, a literature that comes from the very heart of an oppressed community.” This paper explores the effect of urbanization on Dalit existence as portrayed in Datta Bhagat’s play Whirlpool. The paper focuses on the impact of urbanization as a continuous process on the socio-economic status, prospects and risks of the Dalit characters in the plot. Bhagat, a well-known Marathi playwright, captures various shades of the Dalit lives in an urban context, the positive and the negative sides of the life in the city. This is why the research shows how, although urbanization opens up opportunities for social mobility and improvement of the economic status, it also reproduces new forms of exclusion and discrimination. The aspects of personal identity, availability of resources, and the division between the traditional and the contemporary are examined. By exploring their relationships, dreams, and tensions, it is possible to reveal how urbanisation processes impact on their lives in more subtle ways. The study reveals the fact that the urban environments that are expected to provide better prospects for the population actually deny the majority of the population equal opportunities. Thus, this study, which explores the representation of Dalit characters in the urban context, reveals that the systemic exclusion of Dalits from the city’s life remains an ongoing issue. It also looks at the kind of strength and freedom that these characters portray in dealing with their urban lives. The findings are discussed in the context of socio-political and economic developments in India, thus giving a holistic picture of the relationship between the process of urbanisation and caste structures. In the end, this research is useful in the field of urban studies and Dalit literature by presenting the reader with a view on how the process of urbanization is a positive yet complex process for the disadvantaged communities in the contemporary India.

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Pages: 86-90     |    2 View     |    0 Download