Hybridity of Voice and Resistance: A Comparative Study of Bama’s Karukku, Sangati, and Vanmam

Abstract
Bama Faustina Soosairaj, better known simply as Bama, is one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Dalit literature. Her works—Karukku (1992), Sangati (1994), and Vanmam (2002)—constitute a sustained engagement with the structures of caste, gender, and religion in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu. Each text occupies a distinct position in her oeuvre: Karukku as an autobiographical act of resistance, Sangati as a collective oral history of Dalit women, and Vanmam as a fictional exploration of inter-caste hostility and its socio-political consequences. Together, they chart the evolution of Bama’s political and literary vision, moving from personal testimony to community narrative to fictionalised social critique. This article undertakes a comparative study of these three seminal works, analysing their thematic continuities and divergences, narrative styles, linguistic politics, and representations of resistance. By reading them in conjunction, it becomes evident how Bama’s oeuvre offers not merely literary innovation but also a blueprint for Dalit feminist praxis—foregrounding the intertwined struggles against caste, patriarchy, and class oppression, while celebrating the resilience, humour, and cultural vitality of Dalit communities.

Keywords
Dalit literature, Tamil women’s writing, Karukku, Sangati, Vanmam, caste, feminism, religion, oral tradition