Struggle for Survival: Wailing As a Weapon to Interpret the Voice of the Subaltern in Rudali

The objective of this research work is to focus on the theme of Dalit suppression dealt with in the works of Mahasweta Devi, with special reference to her short-fiction Rudali. A brief study on the arousal of Dalit writers as a new but emphatic force, has been done in the Introduction."Tears for Sale" hints at the sufferings of the Dalits due to the social, economic and religious suppression and the means they adopt to face life. "For the Belly's Sake" focuses the state of women who face a three-fold oppression on the basis of gender, due to patriarchy; class, from belonging to the poorest and marginalized sector; and caste, as a result of being born in a Dalit community. "Wailing as a Weapon" analyses how the suppressed emerge out of their subjugated state to break all shackles that have kept them bound for years. The notion of using wailing as a weapon of empowerment and thereby bringing about emancipation in a tough world where even tears can be sold is strikingly expressed. Finally, in the Conclusion Mahasweta Devi's uniqueness as a non-Dalit writer of Dalit literature and the process of analysis have been discussed.