Critical response to Dalit poetry is a challenge as well as a source of pleasure to a literary critic. Basically, these are voices of protest against oppression, humiliation, senseless, unjust, and cruel discrimination. Social disparities are threatening the cohesiveness of the society. Discontent leads to disharmony and even belligerency. This article is an attempt to present a bird's eye view and a sampling of some of the powerful Dalit poets. Starting with some selected poems from Chikkanautunna Paata, edited by G Lakshmi Narasayya and Tripuraneni Srinivas and published by Kavitvam Prachuranalu in 1995, and moving on to Voices on the Wing, edited, compiled and translated by this author in 2000, and to More Voices on the Wing, 2001, this critique considers various aspects of some of the many voices. These two volumes consolidate, as it were, the corpus of poetrythe former of the marginalized, and the latter Telugu inclusive of extensive free verse. To round up this brief survey, some poems of the recent publications are also included.

Dalit sensibility is unique in the sense that, right from birth, Dalits are discriminated against, harassed, and ill-treated. The most important humanists not only raised powerful voices but also got down to brass tacks, trying to set things right for the healthy progress of the country. Rapid political changes facilitated social changes, and democratization came first in literary production. Thanks to democratization, the freedom of poetic expression first came into vogue. Dalit poetry began to come to the fore in Telugu with authentic Dalit sensibility. Though I cannot write Dalit poetry myself, I can certainly empathize with it and critically respond to it. Editing, compiling and translating Telugu free verse for 11 years (1985-1995), an act of gumption and a self-imposed task, I had to traverse the entire gamut of free verse produced in that period, when Dalit poetry had been emerging as a strong, pronounced trend, compelling readers' attention. In the process of fast democratization, the flowerings of self-expression in the `now slowly getting empowered' sections, specifically Dalits, began compelling public attention. Many voices are anguished, angry, revengeful, sometimes but rarely pathetic, and convulsively vituperative, almost always driving home the pointa demand for dignity and deserved equality.

By the 1980's, Dalit poetry had acquired recognition as a strong force. It could not be brushed away any longer with the voices thickening and thickened. Originating in Marathi, Dalit poetry found its way into the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh (My friend, Devaraju Maharaju, translated many works from Marathi). Dalits began to build and develop a mystique of their own besides the already existing politique. They wanted to demolish the untenable superiority of some over many others, and pull down the caste and birth-based distinctions. It is an expression of a community conscience, scarcely realized by the rulers and powers, which has an existence of its own. Upper class culture, for the oppressed, is not automatically or actually synonymous with intellectual or poetic excellence. After Delhi Sahitya Academy came into being in 1984, the All India Dalit Writers' Meet took place in Hyderabad in 1987. The literature produced by Dalits must ensure getting its rightful place, with pride and dignity. This led to a kind of effulgence. The aspiration, anguish and even vituperation, showed urgency both of recognition and immediate amelioration.

English Studies Journal, Rapid political changes, facilitated social changes, democratization, literary production, pronounced trend, existing politique, community conscience, the rulers and powers, liberalization, human condition