The Voiceless People in Shivarama Karanth’s Chomana Dudi

Abstract

It is the literature of the oppressed people, telling about their pains, agonies, disappointments, defeats, humiliations, oppressions and depressions. It also speaks about their vibrant culture, dreams, values, convictions and their struggle for annihilation of caste in order to build a casteless society. It reveals their resistant and rebellious character, their strength and stamina to live amidst all odds and their resilient nature to love life and live it happily. This novel unraveled the inhuman aspect of morbid caste system and untouchability effectively. Dalit literature in its beginning was identified as specific protest directed against everyday humiliations that individual dalits and dalits as a community face. Chomana Dudi narrates the story of Choma, a bonded laborer, who was struggling to make the both ends meet, every day. He has two sons and a daughter, who were also working along with him. Every night Choma would start his drumming and he would find pleasure in it. Choma’s only dream is to till his own land, someday. Karanth is unique in his perspective of social justice and liberation in the context of a global situation marked by systematic oppression of an overwhelming majority of the people. He is committed to the emergence of a new society, free from external intrusion, domination, exploitation, social and political marginalization. He envisions an egalitarian social system and a new economic order.