‘Can Subaltern Speak?’: Discourse Without Considering Caste an Exploitative Institution

Abstract

Gramsci’s idea of Subaltern was applied by Indian subaltern study groups to analyse the struggle of the marginalized. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak raises the question of whether subalterns can speak considering their position in society. In contradictory, the social reform movement suggest they can speak about building their capabilities. The social reformers, such as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and Dr Ambedkar fought against caste and gender-based discrimination giving importance to empowering the marginalized through various ways and means. Education was considered the most effective tool to create consciousness about suffering and pain. The idea of justice is all about the pain and pleasure that once pain gives pleasure to the oppressor which was identified by these social reformers who worked to ensure justice by challenging the oppressive system. However, Spivak misses this perspective in the debates. Her arguments focus on gender, from a class perspective and consciously ignore the caste angel. The question she raises leads to a discussion on the basic idea of subaltern and marginalized groups. This article presents a critical discussion on the idea of ‘subaltern’ and its arguments.