Name: Sonia
Country: India

Year: 2024
Volume: Volume-9, Issue-1 (January-June)
Page Number: 1-4

The present study investigates the significant impact of B.R. Ambedkar on the development and progression of Dalit autobiography as a literary form. This study explores how the themes and narrative patterns of Dalit life writing have been influenced by Ambedkar's ideals of identity, empowerment, and self-assertion through an analysis of important autobiographical works written by Dalit authors. This paper explains how Ambedkarite ideology shapes the construction of selfhood and agency in the Dalit autobiographical tradition through a comparative analysis of a few chosen autobiographies, including accounts by well-known individuals like Baburao Bagul, Bama, Omprakash Valmiki, and Urmila Pawar. Through an examination of the interplay between caste, identity, and resistance, this study seeks to demonstrate the transformative potential of Ambedkar's vision in empowering disadvantaged voices to affirm their humanity and reclaim their histories through autobiographical writing.
In summary, this research fosters a more profound comprehension of the mutually beneficial association between Ambedkar's principles and the burgeoning Dalit autobiography as a powerful instrument for societal criticism, individual empowerment, and cultural reclaiming within the context of Indian literature. The study also examines how Dalit autobiographies go beyond being merely personal accounts to become collective testimony of struggle and an effective medium for societal criticism. By questioning prevailing narratives and reconstructing history from the periphery, it explores the distinctive stylistic features used by Dalit writers. The study ultimately shows how Ambedkar's legacy still gives Dalit writers the confidence to "write the self," securing their legitimate place in Indian literature and making a major contribution to the current conversation about identity, social justice, and human rights.
Keywords: Dalit autobiography, B.R. Ambedkar, caste, identity, self-representation, resistance.