Voices From the Margins: Caste and Dalit Consciousness in Kolakaluri Enoch's Select Telugu Short Stories

The caste system in India has existed for centuries sustained by religious leaders whopropagated it through scriptures like the Mahabharata, Githapodesha and Ramayana. These textsportrayed caste as divinely ordained making resistance seem like a violation of sacred law,punishable by eternal damnation. This belief system was further strengthened by what Dr. B.R.Ambedkar termed a “graded inferiority” a hierarchy that allowed each caste to feel superior toanother ensuring widespread acceptance.Professor Kolakaluri Enoch, a Padma Bhushan awardee and a prominent figure in Telugu literaturehas written extensively on caste oppression. His short stories, including The Village Well andAsprusaya Ganga highlight caste’s pervasive and dehumanizing impact on society. Enoch emphasizesthat caste is not only the root of social inequality and injustice but also continues to dominateindividual lives.Referencing the Bhagavad Gita, Enoch critiques the idea that “Caste is dharma; Casteless society isadharma.” He argues that true humanity lies in love and compassion beyond caste boundaries.Though reformers like Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule and Periyar Ramaswamy challenged the system,caste persists. Enoch envisions a future India free of caste discrimination, where humanity andequality prevail.