Introduction

The term Subaltern represents a lower ranking of someone in a social, political, or

other hierarchy. The word ‘subaltern’ derived from the Latin roots sub- “below” and
alternus “all others”,which is used to describe someone of a low rank. According to
Ranjit Guha Subaltern has been defined as “a name for the general attribute of
subordination in South Asian society whether this is expressed in terms of class,
caste, age, gender,and office or in any other way”.

Different kinds of synonyms are used for the word ‘Subaltern’, like lower class,
subordinate, underprivileged, inferiors, minor, etc.

The term ‘Subaltern’ is adopted by Antonio Gramsci, an Italian Marxist and this term
becomes a part of postcolonial studies through the Subaltern Studies Group, which
includes Ranjit Guha,David Arnold, Partha Chatterjee, Gayatri Spivak etc.

According to Ranjit Guha “The historiography of Indian nationalism has for a long
time been dominated by elitism”. Guha considers that in the thousands years of
history-writing, it is clearly seen that there are two kinds of people in the society, one
is Superiors and other is inferiors.

The superiors have been given more importance and it fails to depict the struggle of
tribal as well as other subaltern people. Therefore, it is expected in Subaltern studies to
write the history again. This mode in writing consists of the agony of exploited workers,
oppressed caste and women’s position beyond the world of thoughts. In literature,
subaltern studies mirror the sufferings of the voiceless sections of society.

The twentieth-century signals a new dawn in the resistance movements in the world.
The suppressed voices began to get united and a social movement started in India
writers like Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao, Kamala Markandaya, Mahasweta Devi, and
Arundhati Roy, have richly contributed to Indian writing in English. Mahasweta Devi is a
figure among the revolutionary writers of Bengal. She writes several novels and short
stories to highlight the plight of the depressed classes and the tribals. Her writings
portray women as sufferers of the politics of gender, class and caste system. She writes
in her mother tongue, Bengali more than a hundred novels, plays, short story
collections.

Devi wins several reputed honours and awards like–Sahitya Akademi (1979), Jnanpith
(1996), Padma Sree (1986) Padma Vibhushan (2006), etc.some of her works include
Hajar Churashir Maa(Mother of 1084, 1974), Rudali (1992), Aranyer Adhikar (Right to
the Forest, 1977), and short story collections like Agnigarbha (Womb of Fire, 1978),
Murti(1979), Imaginary Maps(1995), Breast Stories (1997), etc. Gayatri Chakravorty
 Spivak has translated Devi's short stories into English and published the books which are
entitled as Imaginary Maps (1995), and Breast Stories (1997). With this background, the
present research is an attempt to analyze the representation of the conditions and
suffering of the Subalterns and the different ways of their protest in the select short
stories of Mahasweta Devi.

Significance of the study:

Subaltern represents a lower ranking of someone in society. There are many reasons
for choosing Mahasweta Devi's short stories in the first place. Firstly, there are many
pieces of research have been done about the socio-cultural ethos, feminine subjectivity,
and tribal portrayal in Mahasweta Devi's fiction. But there is no detailed study on the
Portrayal of Subalterns in Mahasweta Devi's short stories.

Secondly, Mahasweta Devi undoubtedly remains a relevant and most popular

author in the world of translated literature. there is something in her that set her
different from all her contemporaries and that is her boldness and honesty. Her stories
on marginalized sections of society and other social issues, leave its readers with the fire
to fight against what is wrong and uphold the truth.

Objectives of the Study

This research work seeks-

1. To understand the meaning and development of subaltern study

2. To study the social milieu of the writer under study

3. To show how the select writer writes vividly the conditions of Subalterns in her

selected short stories

4. To see the extent of the suffering of the oppressed class by the oppressor as

depicted in the selected short stories.

5. To examine the kind of resistance and survival strategies of the oppressed class

against domination as depicted in the selected short stories.

Research Methodology :

This study is qualitative research that is based on primary and secondary data. The
primary data involves the two collections of short stories which are translated by Gayatri
 Chakravorty Spivak. These two collections are entitled Imaginary Maps and Breast
stories. In Imaginary Maps, there are three short stories “The Hunt”, “Douloti, the
Bountiful” and “Pterodactyl, Puran Sahay, and Pirtha”.The first two stories narrate the
subaltern women characters. So the two stories are narrated from subaltern
perspectives in this present research work.

The secondary data involves books, journals, articles, dissertations, and e-resources that
are integral to the analysis of the present research work.

Chapter 2 Review of Literature

The review of some of the studies related to the present study is divided into three parts.
They are i) Works on subaltern studies, ii) Works on Mahasweta Devi, iii) Works on select
short stories.

Chapter- 3 The Social Milieu Of the Writer Under Study

The social milieu and the experiences of Mahasweta Devi have been helpful for her
emergence as a socially-committed writer and activist. Devi becomes committed to the
cause of the Tribals and Dalits in the states of Orissa, West Bengal, and Bihar. Moreover,
historical events like the Partition and political Movements like the Quit India
Movement, Dalit, and Naxalite Movement, are deeply embedded in her writings. All
these historical events take place in her works like Mother of 1084, her novel
Agnigarbha, and her short story “Draupadi”. Writers like Mulk Raj Anand in his novel
Untouchable(1935), Raja Rao’s Kanthapura (1938), and Arundhati Roy's novel, The God
of Small Things (1997) portray the miserable condition of the untouchables as a victim
of caste discrimination.

According to Mahasweta Devi, this powerful movement brings about a realization

among writers, artists, and activists leading to class struggle. Thus this chapter throws
light on Mahasweta Devi as a socially committed writer, depicting caste divisions,
poverty, illiteracy, and many other social evils.

CHAPTER- 4 Representation Of Class And Caste Oppression In Mahasweta Devi’s

Selected Works

Mahasweta Devi is aware of the significance of class inequities in India. Her short story
collection The Imaginary Maps is published in 1995. Here the stories deal with the
oppression and exploitation of society. Imaginary Maps is a collection of three short
stories “The Hunt”, “Douloti, the Bountiful” and “Pterodactyl, Puran Sahay, and Pirtha”.
The first two stories narrate the subaltern women characters. So the two stories are
narrated from subaltern perspectives.
The story “Douloti the Bountiful" has two parts- the first part deals with the suffering life
of Ganori Nagesia, and the second part deals with the suffering of his Douloti. All the
villagers of their village are more or less bonded labourers to Munabar Singh Chandela.
Ganori takes a loan from Munawar Singh. After taking the loans, he and his whole
family become a bondslave permanently.

In the second part, the character Paramanand Mishir pays the amount to Munabar Singh
and clears off Ganori Nagesia’s bond slavery debt. But he takes Ganori's virgin daughter
Douloti in exchange for Ganori's freedom. Later, Paramananda sells Douloti to a whore
house. The depression of "Douloti" finds some relief in "The Hunt".The story, “The Hunt”
tells the story of Mary Oraon, daughter of a tribal woman who is raped by her colonial
master. Her father, a white planter, left for Australia after impregnating her mother.
Mary’s “mixed blood” separates her from the rest of the tribal community.

Later a government contractor, Tehsildar Singh comes to Kuruda to deal in Sal trees. He
disturbs Mary and tries to take sexual advantage of her.

In the another collection Breast Stories is a collection of three short stories by

Mahasweta Devi - “Draupadi”, “Breast-Giver” and “Behind the Bodice”. It is a collection
of stories of subaltern female characters. The short story “Breast Giver” is a unique
creation in Bengali literature. In “Breast Giver” Jashoda is portrayed as a professional
mother who earns livelihood by breastfeeding other children of the rich Haldar family.
As she takes the profession of breast mother she has to bear a child regularly in her
womb. she brings up her own twenty children and thirty children of the Haldar family.
The health condition of Jashoda begins to degrade and she is suspected as a patient of
breast cancer. On her death bed, she does not find any children of her to look after her.
Devi shows here the selfish human nature, class, caste, and patriarchal society.

In the another collection Breast Stories is a collection of three short stories by

Mahasweta Devi - “Draupadi”, “Breast-Giver” and “Behind the Bodice”. It is a collection
of stories of subaltern female characters. The short story “Breast Giver” is a unique
creation in Bengali literature. In “Breast Giver” Jashoda is portrayed as a professional
mother who earns livelihood by breastfeeding other children of the rich Haldar family.As
she takes the profession of breast mother she has to bear a child regularly in her womb.
she brings up her own twenty children and thirty children of the Haldar family. The
health condition of Jashoda begins to degrade and she is suspected as a patient of
breast cancer. On her death bed, she does not find any children of her to look after her.
Devi shows here the selfish human nature, class, caste, and patriarchal society.

Draupadi is the protagonist in the short story “Draupadi”. It is a story about resistance.
Draupadi and her husband, Dulna Majhi come forward not for their own self-interest,
but to support the Adivasi people. At last, Draupadi is arrested by the special police. In
her interrogation, she is subjected to torture and rape. It is the torture of the ruler on
the ruled.“Behind the Bodice” is the last story of the trilogy, Breast Stories. The story
revolves around a laborer, Gangor. She is sexually exploited in society. In the story,
where a photographer Upin who tries to save the tribal culture through his
photographs.He takes the photograph of the breast of Gangor to show the natural
beauty of the tribal woman. But for that photograph people take advantage of her
scandalous news and pictures once come in a newspaper.

Chapter –5 Resistance And Rebellion In Mahasweta Devi’s Selected Works

The concept of rebellion is an act of violent and open resistance to an established

government or ruler. Resistance and rebellious action not only take place at the social,
religious, and political levels but It grows within the family where women face restriction
about independence. Mahasweta Devi constructs a discussion on resistance and
rebellion through her works. In her short story “Draupadi” where Draupadi is captured
during her tribal uprisings against the government. After her capture, Draupadi is
subjected to multiple rape and torture at the hands of the police force. They misbehave
with her as they think her voiceless. But she has her own voice of protest. For showing
protest, she remains naked in front of everyone.

Devi’s other story, “The Hunt” discusses a tribal festival, Jani parab. During this festival,
women run in forests and kill animals like rabbits and birds and then they picnic
together. Through the story "The Hunt”, we come to know that Mary is a village girl who
is disturbed by a government contractor, Tehsildar Singh. He demands sex with Mary. At
last, Mary decides to participate in the festival. She hunts the biggest animal, the
tehsildar who wants Mary's body. In “Breast Giver” Jashoda is portrayed as a
professional mother who earns her livelihood by breastfeeding other children.As her
health condition begins to degrade the Haldar family does not take a look at her. But she
raises her voice from her death bed in hospital against the thirty children of Master’s
house who are suckled by her.

In “Behind the Bodice”, where the photographer Upin takes some photos of the Gangor
to show the natural beauty of the tribal woman. But this step becomes a curse for
Gangor. She is raped multiple times. At the end of the story, where Gangor becomes a
strong woman and removes her bodice like “Draupadi” to show what is behind the
bodice. She removes the curiosity from the mind of everyone- what is behind the
bodice.Hence from this above discussion, it is found how Mahasweta Devi explores not
only the causes of suffering of the marginalized sections but also a sketch of revolution.
Consequently, Mahasweta Devi suggests a solution to the problem of oppression which,
according to her, lies in the hands of the oppressed.

CHAPTER -6 CONCLUSION

An attempt has been made in the previously mention chapters to emphasize Mahasweta
Devi’s purpose of exposing a different kind of exploitation, giving voices to the voiceless
people, and removing the inequalities between the elites and the subalterns of our
society. Mahasweta Devi in her short story “Douloti the Bountiful” describes the
suffering life of bonded laborer Ganori Nagesia, and his daughter Douloti.On the other
hand “The Hunt,” tells the story of Mary Oraon, daughter of a tribal woman who is
raped by her colonial “master”. Moreover, Mary is also disturbed by a government
contractor. As the Mother of the Sabars, Mahasweta Devi has taken up the tribal issue
as the thematic concern in her novels and short stories. But it is not that Devi is the first
among the Indian writers to have broken fresh ground in this direction. Some of the
Indian writers might have done this before her in one or two of their works. But unlike
Devi, no one among the Indian writers has ever taken up the social and political issues of
the subalterns as the engagement of a lifetime.