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Accepted Paper:

City and presentation of 'Dalit' body and space  
Abu Saleh (University of Hyderabad)

Paper short abstract:

City has always been a contested place where hierarchy plays crucial role in social subjugation and category creation. It maintains class and binaries. If we look into some city and its narrative then we find that how the notion of lower class body has been imagined.

Paper long abstract:

City has always been a contested place where space management is hierarchical and plays crucial role in social subjugation and category creation. It maintains class and binaries. If we look into some city and its narrative then we find that how the notion of lower class body has been imagined and created. Like the poems of Namdev Dhasal talks from the scam of Earth and regarding the real untouchables, voice of the suppressed and oppressed. In Golpitha (1972), he writes about the red light aria of Mumbai and speaks about the Low Class working people, pimps, prostitutes and various other types of people. Namdeo is a poetic genius and works like Golpitha is his powerful masterpiece. He expressed his anger in explosive language against the system that made him and his people untouchable.

This splendorous city for which we gave blood.

And won in return the prerogative to eat stones.

We must this very moment put dynamite under its sky kissing buildings.

The paper attempts to study selected poetry of Namdeo Dhasal in English translation. In the larger context, it attempts to study how the body gets constructed in the poetry of Dhasal. Furthermore, it also attempts to look at other similar narratives of city space and Dalit body in presentation. It will analyse some selective writings and cinematic representation on the similar theme.

Panel P43
Dalit writing, caste and space
  Session 1