(St)Uttering Caste in Another Tongue: A Critique of volte-face in Sundaram's Poetic and Political Ideologies
Hemang Desai
- Pages
- pp. 18-27
- Published
- October 1, 2012
Hemang Desai (2012). (St)Uttering Caste in Another Tongue: A Critique of volte-face in Sundaram's Poetic and Political Ideologies. Labyrinth, 3(4), 18-27.
Abstract
Sundaram (1908-1991), the winner of prestigious awards like “Padmabhushana” (1985) and “Shri Narsinh Mehta Award” (1990), claims a special attention in Gujarati literature because he defies all critical attempts at putting him into ideological or literary pigeonholes. In spite of being an extremely versatile litterateur ploughing into almost all literary forms and being instrumental in ushering in what is called New Poetry in Gujarati literature, Sundaram's oeuvre is informed with a continual conflict between progressive and regressive tendencies, fluctuations between the zenith and the nadir of creative excellence and, most importantly, convictional oscillation between fiery activism and ideological autism
Keywords:DalitGujrati LiteratureGandhismIdentity politics


