Timile Thuneko Narkalai: A Perfect Dalit Aesthetic

To know the cruelty of South Asian society and to estimate its parameter, it is enough to see the existed caste system, untouchability and discrimination. If the root of this caste discrimination is Manusmriti, the history of this suppression and discrimination is longer than three thousand years. Entire South Asia is home of more than 200 million dalits. In Nepal, dalit population is above than 30 lakhs which is 13.09% of total national population. From history onwards we have been experiencing this bitter reality of caste discrimination and even today it is not ended. However, to abolish the caste discrimination and cast system, various movements had been taken places in the course of history.

Dalit literature or aesthetics too is one of the forms of such movements. It has been challenging the mainstream literary tradition as a resistance literature. It aims to hit on the existing caste structure and historical discrimination by bringing the individual or communal experiences of discrimination and oppression. It, ultimately, aims to resist against the existing discriminatory social and cultural values in order to establish society with equality.

Dalit literature, itself, belongs to resistant literature. Writer Raj Kumar says, ‘It challenges to the hegemony of Hindu literature’ (69). Resistant literature not only resists against hegemony of traditional literature, it is also a powerful weapon to transform the society. According to Barbara Harle, armed resistance can cause governmental and civil change, only literary elements can fight against cultural supremacy.

A century ago, Dalit literature was powerfully pioneered by Ambedkar in India. And, around half century ago, during the decade of 70s, there was a vibrant movement called Dalit Black Panther. So, in South Asia, Dalit literature or aesthetics has distinct and special space. However, in Nepal, it is limited till now.  But, here is some hope since this drought of Dalit literature is slowly decreasing these days. The works like Nabin Subba’s telefilm Dalan and writer/politician Ahuti’s various writing are gradually fulfilling this gap of Dalit literature. It could be assumed that slowly Dalit literature and aesthetics will blossom in full phase in near future. Regarding the importance of Dalit literature, Arundhati Roy has said, ‘I do believe that in India, we practice a form of apartheid that goes unnoticed by the rest of the world. And it is as important for dalits to tell their stories as it has been for colonized to write their own histories. When Dalit Literature has blossomed and is in full stride, the contemporary Indian Literature’s amazing ability to ignore the true brutality and ugliness of the society in which we live will be seen for what it is: bad literature. It will become irrelevant’ (MK Shamsudheen).

Dalit literature has been far neglected in Nepal than in India. ‘Mainstream’ authors do not value it. Writer, Ahuti has mentioned in his book, Jaat Waarta, ‘The mainstream thinkers do not like to enter into this subject seriously, because to promote the discourse on Dalit literature means to dismantle the norms and standards they have forcefully imposed in Nepalese literature’ (168).  However, the popularity and success of Subba’s Dalan and Ahuti’s latest book Jaat Waarta as well as his song, Timile Thuneko Narkalaai, etc., evoke  now that Dalit literature or aesthetic has already challenged the norms and standards of traditional mainstream literature. It is discussed that how the song, Timile Thuneko Narkalaai…belongs to a perfect Dalit literature.

The beginning this song says, ‘I broke the hell you had imprisoned me, and arrived here, I walked thousands of years and arrived here to ask you.’ The life faced by dalits was no less than hell since the so-called upper class people hesitate them even to regard as human. Persona of this song says that he has broken the hell and arrived here. He is conscious now that the caste discrimination is hell and he has also understood that suppression is unfair. This awareness could be regarded as his ‘subaltern consciousness.’ Now, he no more accepts the hell, discrimination and oppression. He is determined for this and has arrived to question the oppressor. It is his revolutionary consciousness.

His journey is not short, simple, easy and straightforward. He is here after enduring the suppression of thousands of years. And, now he is asking (protesting against) oppressor, ‘Oh! Kind man, is your kindness well or not? Oh! Wise man, is your wisdom is fine or not?’ So-called man with kindness (heart) and wisdom have been promoting the caste hierarchy and has been oppressing and discriminating the people whom he regards as ‘lower caste’ or ‘achhut.’ Thus, the speaker mocks at him asking whether his kindness or wisdom is well or not.

Speaker further speaks in metaphorical tone in order to depict the pain given by oppressor, ‘You melted iron and burned my ear.’ However, the torture could not ruin his wisdom. Rather, he turned the metal into the flower, he made earth fertile, and arrived here. He is made ‘achhut’ and is deprived from any respect. Even though, he never leaves his duty. He has been decorating the hamlets of oppressor till now.

The song clearly reveals that though there was massive suppression, pain and suffering due to the discrimination, Dalits’ knowledge, wisdom and skill was not blocked in any crucial moment of history. They have been shaping the shapeless metal even today but society does not respect their honor and existence. Dalits have been working for the society where the people sideline their respect, honor and existence and regard themselves as superior or ‘chhut.’ To build this society, they have been working hard with harsh lives. Why even today’s society is discriminating them? That is why the speaker questions to the honorable and moral man, ‘Your reputation is well or not? Your ethics is fine or not?’

The person who has out-casted the speaker from society is honorable and moral man. But irony lies here and the same oppressor cannot live without the speaker.  He has decorated the oppressor’s good fortune, has carried all the burden of bad fortune. Again oppressor has been torturing him and does not recognize his skill. However, the speaker has created music and songs for oppressor. This society sings dances and cheers in the speaker’s songs and music but it has been out-casting the dalits from the society. Sans the dalit, this society is incomplete, but the social structure has been discriminating and excluding them. Their skills and labors were never valued by our society rather it is only used. That is why the speaker has arrived here and asks, ‘Oh! Touchable man, are you intimate or stranger? Oh!  Designer of untouchability,  are you still all right or ill?’

This song, written by a politician and author, Ahuti, attacks on caste system, discrimination, exclusion, philosophical belief of people, culture of people, inhumanity, social consciousness and even to contemporary political thought. It is the self-realization of a dalit about caste discrimination who has been oppressed since thousands of years.  ‘Oh! Kind man, is our kindness is well or not?’ It is the question of oppressed who had been living in the hell like life since thousands of years.

This song not only belongs to simply Dalit literature, it also blends the perfect dalit aesthetics. The writer himself is an authentic person to raise the voice. It is a Dalit literature written by a Dalit. Writer and activist, Arjun Dangle, founder member of India’s Dalit Black Panther Movement, says, ‘Dalit literature is marked by revolt and negativism, since it is closely associated with the hopes for freedom by a group of people, who as untouchables, are victims of social, economic and cultural inequality’ (Limbale, 1). According to Dangle, Dalit literature is ‘revolutionary ideas’ in which dalits speak for themselves. Therefore, Dalit literature is an expression of self- awareness. It is an assertion for a dignified life. Traditional dalit writers used to regard Dalit literature based on works only written by dalit author. Marathi author, Narendra Jadav assumes that dalit literature written by dalit and non-dalit has the difference like a ‘love of mother and surrogate mother’ (Brueck, 11). According to Tamil dalit author Sibhakami, non-dalit writers write with aristocratic superiority and they understands dalit ‘in surface’ (Brueck, 11).  It means that for non-dalit authors, dalit is not subject of writing but an object.

However, Aahuti has different view in this issue.  He has mentioned in Jaat Waarta, ‘Not only about dalits, every literature written about caste system belongs to Dalit Literature’ (168). Probably, Aahuti is right because it makes the dimension of Dalit literature wide. However, ‘It should focus on the dalit life and experiences’ (Aahuti, 168).

The main feature of Dalit Literature is to attack on the caste discrimination inherent in social structure through writing. It is not only the experience of suppression; rather it is also a revolution against the discrimination. It is the consciousness of suppressed. In this sense, Aahuti’s Timile Thuneko Narkalaai…(The hell you’d imprisoned…) belongs to a perfect Dalit literature. Gaayatri Spivak Chakrawarti says that subaltern cannot speak, if they speak, their voice is not heard. But no! The speaker of this song, though being a subaltern, has spoken perfectly and powerfully in wit. Sooner or later, this society will be obliged to listen him.

Works Cited

Aahuti (2021). Jaat Waartaa. Kathmandu: Bela Publication.

Brueck, Laura (2014). Writing Resistance: The Rhetorical Imagination of Hindi Dalit Literature.

New York: Columbia University Press.

Dangle, Arjun (ed.) (2009). Poisoned Bread: Translation from Modern Marathi Dalit Literature.

Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan.

Harlow, Barbara (1987). Resistence Literature. London: Methuen & CO.

Kumar, Raj (2019). Dalit Literature and Criticism. Hyderabad: Orient Black Swan.

Limbale, Sharankumar (2004). Trans. Alok Mukherjee. Hyderabad: Orient Black Swan.

Shamsudheen, M. K. (2016). “Dalit Literature & The Politics of Representation.” The

Ashvamegh International Journal & Literary Magazine. II. XXII.

Spibhak, Gayatri Chakrawarti (1987). Can Subaltern Speak. Washington: Macmillan.