In the Margins of the Margins: The Silence Around Tulu Dalit Literature

Abstract

Dalit literature in India has emerged as a powerful discourse on caste-based resistance, anti-caste assertion and cultural renaissance of Dali communities. Much like Marathi and other Indian languages, in South India too, languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam have witnessed rich contributions to Dalit writings, with ample critical and academic engagement. However, a disconcerting silence surrounds Tulu Dalit literature. Despite the vibrant oral traditions, performative practices and sociopolitical assertion among Tulu-speaking Dalit communities, particularly in coastal Karnataka and Kasaragod in Kerala, Tulu Dalit literature is conspicuously absent from anthologies, histories and mainstream academic discourses on Tulu sahitya (literature) and South Indian Dalit writing alike. This commentary attempts to foreground this absence and reflects on the reasons behind the marginalization of Tulu Dalit voices in both linguistic and Dalit literary spheres. It argues that the invisibilization of Tulu Dalit literature is an indication of broader epistemological hierarchies that govern language, caste and region in India’s literary landscapes.