Subaltern Theory:
A subaltern study is a branch in postcolonial theory. The concept of the subaltern was mention by Italian Marxist political dissident Antonia Gramsci in his article “Notes on Italian History” which published in his most recognized book “Prison Notebooks” written between 1929 and 1935. The term subaltern means “folks belonging to the inferior rank” Gramsci choose this term to relate to group of the society who are being marginalized under authoritative clique. There were various theorists like Ranajit Guha, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and Dipesh Chakravorty who on the footing of the term subaltern have formulated their own theories.
Subaltern theory by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak:
Spivak has become predominant agent in post Colonial studies .Spivak has borrowed the term subaltern from Gramsci to relate to the subaltern group of Indian society. “Can the subaltern speak?” was first title as “Power, Desire and Interest” (Spivak 217) but later the title was transmuted. This essay is most controversial essay where Spivak tabulate women, non-white and lower caste as subaltern .Spivak in her essay promulgate that the white European have created the binary of self and “others” where the populace belonging to third world countries are appraise as “other”. Identically “the women of third world are even more deeply shadow” (287).Spivak in her essay try to reinvigorate women’s agency. She talks about the widow-self-immolation in India. Where male dominate society who suppressed them and the Britishers who tried to abolish this practice for their own political entail. Here Spivak want to ratify that women are always treated as “other” since they are subordinate to men under patriarchal order as in the introduction to “the second sex”, Simone de Beauvoir talks about the concept of the “other”, but Spivak also depict that condition of third world women is even more poignant. As they are double isolated by their men and also by white upper class. Expatiating about lower caste people in India they are also subaltern under caste hierarchy where they are “other” they are marginalized as Third world people as well as lower caste being. Whereas Dalit women are thrice removed as they are of Third world country, under patriarchy and also due to their caste. Spivak also say that subaltern cannot speak not because that they cannot speak but rather that others did not know how to listen or whenever subaltern tried to speak his voice was mute. Even while writing the chronicles subalterns perspective was never taken into consideration they were jostle at the periphery.
Dalit as subaltern by Shobha Rajadhyaksha (Shobhaa De):
Shobhaa De in her theory of subalternity considers subalternity as an “absolute ideology” of dominant group. These dominant groups foist their ideas on subservient group. Shobhaa De disseminate this as a lust for power where omnipotent want to control impotent, it is politics of authority. Prevailing groups escalated their ideologies through repressive Apparatuses or through Ideological State Apparatuses as coil by French Marxist Philosopher Louis Althusser or even through hegemony. As the Brahmin caste or upper caste put forward the mythological scriptures like ‘Manusmriti’ or ‘Dharma-Shastra’ to validate their concepts. Where lower caste people willingly started to accept those ideologies and started considering themselves as subaltern, marginalized and inferior to upper caste. Under the hegemony they are been camouflage and bare all oppression. Such hegemony was also spread by the colonizer in Third world countries so they could dexterously control this people.
Dalit among Dalits (Dalit women) (Shobhaa De):
Accentuating about the Dalit women in Indian context than they have being imperceptible in most of mainstream correspondence. The position of these women was deduced as a sequestered realm that is the reason that no one took interest in studying views or perspective of these lower caste women. As Shobhaa de explains that, kancha Ilaiah, argues that the thinkers like Manu deprived women from their basic political rights. She even talks about kautilya and Vatsayana views about women. Shobhaa de condemn this thinker and demonstrate that this thinkers have not only reduce women position in society but also because of their thinking Dalit women was been double segregated under caste and gender ideologies where they become Dalit among Dalit, subaltern among subaltern. Shobhaa De also mentions about Bakti saints poets who challenged Brahmanical hegemony. There were women saints like Muktabai, Janabai, Soyarabai and other who questioned discrimination. Bakti saints influenced Mahatma Jotiba Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar who discerns that caste, patriarchy and the poverty are three hurdles that slumber the progress of Dalit women. These two legends tried their best to eliminate this marginalization but even today this marginalization exists.
A subaltern study is a branch in postcolonial theory. The concept of the subaltern was mention by Italian Marxist political dissident Antonia Gramsci in his article “Notes on Italian History” which published in his most recognized book “Prison Notebooks” written between 1929 and 1935. The term subaltern means “folks belonging to the inferior rank” Gramsci choose this term to relate to group of the society who are being marginalized under authoritative clique. There were various theorists like Ranajit Guha, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and Dipesh Chakravorty who on the footing of the term subaltern have formulated their own theories.
Subaltern theory by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak:
Spivak has become predominant agent in post Colonial studies .Spivak has borrowed the term subaltern from Gramsci to relate to the subaltern group of Indian society. “Can the subaltern speak?” was first title as “Power, Desire and Interest” (Spivak 217) but later the title was transmuted. This essay is most controversial essay where Spivak tabulate women, non-white and lower caste as subaltern .Spivak in her essay promulgate that the white European have created the binary of self and “others” where the populace belonging to third world countries are appraise as “other”. Identically “the women of third world are even more deeply shadow” (287).Spivak in her essay try to reinvigorate women’s agency. She talks about the widow-self-immolation in India. Where male dominate society who suppressed them and the Britishers who tried to abolish this practice for their own political entail. Here Spivak want to ratify that women are always treated as “other” since they are subordinate to men under patriarchal order as in the introduction to “the second sex”, Simone de Beauvoir talks about the concept of the “other”, but Spivak also depict that condition of third world women is even more poignant. As they are double isolated by their men and also by white upper class. Expatiating about lower caste people in India they are also subaltern under caste hierarchy where they are “other” they are marginalized as Third world people as well as lower caste being. Whereas Dalit women are thrice removed as they are of Third world country, under patriarchy and also due to their caste. Spivak also say that subaltern cannot speak not because that they cannot speak but rather that others did not know how to listen or whenever subaltern tried to speak his voice was mute. Even while writing the chronicles subalterns perspective was never taken into consideration they were jostle at the periphery.
Dalit as subaltern by Shobha Rajadhyaksha (Shobhaa De):
Shobhaa De in her theory of subalternity considers subalternity as an “absolute ideology” of dominant group. These dominant groups foist their ideas on subservient group. Shobhaa De disseminate this as a lust for power where omnipotent want to control impotent, it is politics of authority. Prevailing groups escalated their ideologies through repressive Apparatuses or through Ideological State Apparatuses as coil by French Marxist Philosopher Louis Althusser or even through hegemony. As the Brahmin caste or upper caste put forward the mythological scriptures like ‘Manusmriti’ or ‘Dharma-Shastra’ to validate their concepts. Where lower caste people willingly started to accept those ideologies and started considering themselves as subaltern, marginalized and inferior to upper caste. Under the hegemony they are been camouflage and bare all oppression. Such hegemony was also spread by the colonizer in Third world countries so they could dexterously control this people.
Dalit among Dalits (Dalit women) (Shobhaa De):
Accentuating about the Dalit women in Indian context than they have being imperceptible in most of mainstream correspondence. The position of these women was deduced as a sequestered realm that is the reason that no one took interest in studying views or perspective of these lower caste women. As Shobhaa de explains that, kancha Ilaiah, argues that the thinkers like Manu deprived women from their basic political rights. She even talks about kautilya and Vatsayana views about women. Shobhaa de condemn this thinker and demonstrate that this thinkers have not only reduce women position in society but also because of their thinking Dalit women was been double segregated under caste and gender ideologies where they become Dalit among Dalit, subaltern among subaltern. Shobhaa De also mentions about Bakti saints poets who challenged Brahmanical hegemony. There were women saints like Muktabai, Janabai, Soyarabai and other who questioned discrimination. Bakti saints influenced Mahatma Jotiba Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar who discerns that caste, patriarchy and the poverty are three hurdles that slumber the progress of Dalit women. These two legends tried their best to eliminate this marginalization but even today this marginalization exists.
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