37. Anju E.A.

Abstract 37. Anju E.A

Writing Resistance: A Study on the Select Works of Mahaswetha Devi

Abstract

Accusing colonialist, nationalist and Marxist interpretations of robbing the common people of their rights and agency, Subaltern Historiography has announced a new approach to restore history to the subordinated. This revolutionary theory and praxis tries to redress the cultural and political imbalance created by mainstream historiography, which is nothing but the elite version of history. As far as the sub continental literatures and cultures are considered, the chief objective of the Subaltern Studies historians is to deconstruct the accepted trajectories of South Asian history and culture from a subaltern perspective. 

Mahaswetha Devi is a prominent literary figure and political activist who works for the dalits and tribals, both through her life and writings. Her first novel on tribals, Chotti Munda and His Arrow, delineates the rich history and culture of Chottanagpur region, an area inhabited by the socially oppressed. It also foregrounds the unsung stories of many tribal leaders. This novel can be seen foregrounding the unheard tale of the social oppression and subaltern resistance against it. Again her novel Titumir revolves around a rebel who fought against the Zamindars and British colonial system in 19th century. Viewing from this perspective, my paper attempts to make an analysis of these novels to argue that the works of Devi can be read as an embodiment of subaltern resistance,a fictionalised form of Subaltern Historiography. Her works, in the very act of writing itself forms a tradition of disagreement and promotes the voice of dissent.