Voicing the Silenced: Dalit Feminist Assertion in P. Sivakami’s The Grip of Change

Abstract

This paper critically examines The Grip of Change by P. Sivakami through the lens of Dalit feminist discourse, foregrounding the intersectionality of caste, gender, and power. As one of the earliest novels written by a Dalit woman in Tamil in 1989 and later translated into English in 2006 by the author herself, the text offers an insider’s perspective on the lived realities of Dalit women who were for a long period of time i.e. for centuries excluded from both mainstream literary representations and feminist theorising. The narrative explores how Dalit women are doubly marginalised, first by the oppressive structures of caste and then by patriarchal norms within their own communities. This paper argues that The Grip of Change is a powerful act of narrative resistance, wherein the silenced voices of Dalit women find articulation through complex characters like Thangam and the assertive presence of Kathamuthu. While the novel critiques the male-dominated political structures masquerading as social reform, it also exposes the internal contradictions of Dalit patriarchy. Through a close textual analysis, the paper investigates how Sivakami dismantles both Savarna feminism and Dalit male hegemony to carve a distinct space for Dalit feminist assertion.

Ultimately, the paper positions The Grip of Change as a seminal work in Dalit literature that not only challenges dominant literary canons but also reclaims narrative agency for the most silenced subjects in Indian society.