Comparative study of the Representation of Marginalisation and Cultural Exclusion in Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable and Munshi Prem Chand’s Sadgati

Caste and cultural marginalization have been central themes in Indian literature, particularly in the works of Mulk Raj Anand and Munshi Premchand. This research paper explores the true nature and types of marginalisation in India, and then, how caste oppression and systemic exclusion manifest in Untouchable (1935) and Sadgati (1931). Anand's Untouchable presents the harrowing experience of Bakha, a Dalit boy subjugated to caste-based discrimination, while Premchand's Sadgati offers a stark depiction of the brutalization of an untouchable labourer, Dukhi, under the Brahmanical social order. Through a comparative analysis, this study investigates how both texts critique the institutionalized oppression of lower-caste individuals and the intersections of class, caste, and cultural hegemony. Employing a postcolonial and Marxist framework, this paper highlights how literature serves as a socio-political tool for exposing caste-based inequities. The study underscores the relevance of these narratives in contemporary discourse on caste discrimination and social justice in India.