Myth, Symbol and Dalit Identity: An Analysis of Gautam Aali’s Poem ‘Asura’

Abstract

Gautam Aali belongs to the Dalit Namasudra community of Bengal. He is a poet and short story writer
and is closely associated with the Bangla Dalit literary movement. He uses his writing as a means of
political engagement and activism. His poetry collection is called Choto Jater Sanglap (2001) which means
‘The Lower Caste’s Monologue’. A reading of Aali’s poem ‘Asura’ will be undertaken to study the nuances
of the Dalit self he constructs. In “Asura” (CJ, 27) Aali suggests that the Dalits need to reconstruct a positive
self-image by demolishing the old systems of representing them. They have to break free of the strangle
hold of dominant representations that continue to view them as the ‘Asura’. Aali does not create a ‘new’
image; he rather invests the old image of the ‘demonic Asura’ with heroic power and respect. He also
constructs the Gods, that is, the ‘Devatas’ as weak, deceitful, and exploitative of the Asuras. The paper
would explore Aali’s use of myth and symbol to construct a positive image of the Dalit and critique the
existing stereotypes