Negotiating Caste, Identity Crisis and Resistance 9 8

A Feminist Study of Ants Among Elephants by Sujatha Gidla

Abstract

Dalit literature has emerged as a powerful medium of resistance and self-expression, giving voice to communities that have long been silenced by dominant socio-cultural structures. In contemporary times, narratives within Indian Dalit literature unveil the harsh realities faced by the Dalit community while celebrating their resistance, resilience and quest for social justice. This research paper focuses on Sujatha Gidla’s Ants Among Elephants, which offers a thorough analysis of the systemic oppression and resilience found in the Indian social landscape, particularly within the caste system. In her memoir, Sujatha Gidla discusses her life, her family, and the predicament facing the entire Dalit community. This paper analyses the complex entanglements of caste, selfhood, gender and political existence that emerge through the narrative. Gidla's academic perspective explores the significant impact of education in promoting empowerment and upward social mobility among marginalised communities. Using theoretical and critical perspectives of Dalit aesthetics and Dalit feminism, the study aims to investigate caste, gender, socio-economic issues, and resistance against discrimination of Dalit people in Indian society. Dalit women life writing help to understand the inhuman practice of discrimination, violence, humiliation and untouchability, against Dalit women based on caste, identity crisis, labour exploitation, and sexual harassment.