The emergence of Tamil Dalit literature in the 1990s as a distinct literary form has
led to a corpus of novels, short stories, poems and autobiographies. The general
impetus in these writings is to reflect on the marginalized existence of Dalits.
However, Dalit literature is more than a literature of lament and frustration. Though the
theme of Dalit victimhood was dominant in Tamil Dalit literature in the 1990s, in recent
years writers like N D Rajkumar, Sugirtharani, Soe Dharmam and K A Gunasekaran
have produced works which have made a remarkable shift in the canon of Dalit literature
(Azhagarasan, 2008, p. xxii). The number of Tamil Dalit writers and their literary output
has increased sporadically in recent years. Though pain and suffering continues to be one
of the dominant themes in Tamil Dalit literature, there are narratives which have explored
diverse themes. However, with the exception of the literary works of writers like Bama,
Imayam and Sivakami, the English translations of the works of other (Tamil Dalit) writers
are very rarely available. Focusing on Tamil Dalit literary works that have departed from
the formulaic themes, this paper argues that Dalit literary works are neither formulaic nor
mere narratives of victimization. Rather, the prioritization of translating and publishing
Dalit narratives of victimhood into English has led to typecasting Tamil Dalit Literature as
‘tales of suffering’.
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