See, hear, recognise

NEW YORK: A firestorm erupted on social media recently after a Dalit writer-cum-freelance journalist based in the US accused the creators of a high profile OTT series of drawing inspiration from her real-life struggles and building a dramatised narrative around it, without crediting her. Last month,Yashica Dutt,who lives in New York had called out similarities between the story of the fictional Dalit journalist who has a Buddhist wedding as portrayed in the web-series Made in Heaven, and her real-life account of being an individual hailing from one of India’s most underserved communities, overcoming numerous social and economic obstacles and building a successful career for herself. Dutt is the author of the book Coming out as Dalit: A Memoir.

Dutt’s only request at that time was that the creators give credit where it was due. In return, the creators of the series put out statements on social media expressing disappointment at the manner in which the Dutt aired her grievances. Refraining from directly acknowledging her as inspiration for the fictional scribe on the show, a message from the creators alluded to the great body of work put out by writers hailing from the subaltern space, to whom the showrunners were grateful. The controversy took a sharp turn this week after Dutt pointed out that one of the writer-directors of the show had in fact met her in person in the US and spoken to her for close to five hours regarding her journey.

During the course of these revelations, Dutt was subjected to trolling, misogyny and insults from individuals on social media — both from outside, and within her community. The writer also found support from lakhs of kindred spirits who empathised with the need for recognising and duly crediting narratives of individuals hailing from the subaltern space. What has also emerged as a talk-point is how Dalit narratives can be robbed and denuded of any context vis-a-vis the original authors, and made palatable to a privileged elitist audience on the internet.

It’s interesting to note that these developments are taking place at an inflection point in history. Earlier this week, California moved closer to becoming the first US state to ban caste discrimination after a bill to outlaw the practice passed the California Assembly. US laws prohibit discrimination based on ancestry but they do not explicitly ban casteism. But California’s legislation appears to be a beacon of hope as it targets the caste system in South Asian immigrant communities by adding caste to the list of categories protected under the state’s anti-discrimination laws.

Historically, Dalit voices in creative, professional, academic, and political spaces, as well as in society as a whole, had been silenced for aeons together. Crimes against members of the community are being committed with impunity every day. The labour, narratives and ideas of individuals hailing from Dalit backgrounds have often been steamrolled in the absence of political agency and societal support, a situation that is only gradually changing for the better. Till date, we’ve had just two Dalit Presidents in India.

To see how minuscule the representation of Dalit experience is in popular culture and mainstream society to this day, take a pop quiz. Name five Dalit activists, filmmakers, authors, and politicians in India today. Getting stuck? That’s what a lack of representation, not being seen, heard or recognised does to a community.