Critiquing Caste through Performance A Reading of Datta Bhagat’s Dalit Play Routes and Escape Routes

Abstract

The paper through a reading of one of the most important Dalit playwrights Datta Bhagat’s seminal Dalit play Routes and Escape Routes (2002) attempts to show how caste in the Indian social system functions as one of the most significant determinators in securing one’s social prestige. In the context of Indian Dalit literature, Dalit play or their performance tradition, though a vital component, has not been given due attention. This paper, by making the text the focal point of the study, examines the role of caste in Indian society, the different semiotics of Dalit performance tradition that gives rise to a different aesthetic form, the role of Dr. Ambedkar in the context, various layers of caste humiliation and the ways to combat this heinous system through social and political consciousness towards the emancipation of Dalit people in India.