“Women write about experiences of suffering with an intensity that comes out profoundly”: In conversation with Bengali Dalit writer Manju Bala

This interview with the Bengali Dalit poet, novelist, and short-story writer Manju Bala discusses Bala’s literary journey and her reflections on the socio-historical and political landscape of Bengal. Bala sheds light on the persistent discrimination that Bengali Dalits encounter, especially women, and also highlights their resilience and self-determination for recognition within Bengal’s caste-ridden mainstream society. She traces her formative literary years, highlighting the systemic denigration of Dalit women’s voices, the challenges of authorship and recognition as an author, and the silences surrounding Dalit women’s writing within both mainstream and Dalit literary spaces. Her reflections on Dalit women’s writings illuminate how caste, as a structuring force intersecting with class and gender, marginalizes Dalit women in Bengal in every sphere of their lives. This conversation opens up the discourse on the politics of recognition that is due to Dalit writings, and Dalit women’s writings in particular, and discusses the Bengali literary marketplace.