Indian Caste System Research Paper

Introduction
Limbale (2004) describes dalit as a self-chosen name of political and cultural identity for untouchables in India since 1970s. They denote a marginalized subaltern group which suffers exploitation and oppression in the society. They are an outcome of psychological, social, and cultural effects of the Indian caste and religious system (Limbale: 2004). They are a product of a highly discriminatory and inhuman nature of the caste system operating at various levels in India, and also abroad (Kumar: 2010). Thus, the caste system along with its myriad variations of subordination, rites and rituals, vices and virtues- can sustain itself across different regions of India in varying degrees of rigidity (Kumar: 2010).
What is Caste?
Caste plays a significant role in Indian society. It is, therefore, important to understand the caste system. Dumont (1988, 2009) refers term “caste” to denote the sense of purity of breed. This system, as he states, divided the whole society into hereditary groups where social groups were different from one another. These groups were based on three characteristics: “separation” in matters of marriage and contact, whether direct or indirect (food); division of labour, and “hierarchy,” which ranks

The narratives encompass different categories of women- growing girls (Sangati) and married women (The Prisons We Broke). The voice and representation of woman is distinctive in each of them. With diverse characters and representations, the narratives help to unravel an extensive variety of portrayal of dalit women in India. The novels illustrate an unbiased portrayal of dalit woman by both male and female writers. The sequence of events encompasses different age groups of women. They portray common lived experiences along different conditions and categories. The section below helps to look at the major characters of the