Exploring The Stagnancy Of Caste Amidst Shifting Class In The Dalit Autobiography Of Manoranjan Byapari's Interrogating My Chandal's Life

Abstract

This research examines the paradoxical persistence of caste hierarchies despite significant economic mobility in Manoranjan Byapari's seminal autobiography "Interrogating My Chandal Life." The study investigates how caste identity remains entrenched as a fundamental organizing principle of social relations even when class positions undergo dramatic transformation. Through comprehensive textual analysis of Byapari's narrative, this paper explores the author's remarkable journey from extreme poverty as a Chandal community member to literary recognition, while his caste identity continues to define social interactions, self-perception, and opportunities for full social integration. The methodology employs close reading techniques combined with sociological analysis of caste-class intersectionality. The research reveals that economic advancement does not automatically translate to social acceptance or the dissolution of caste-based discrimination. Byapari's narrative demonstrates that upward class mobility often intensifies rather than diminishes caste consciousness, creating new forms of exclusion and psychological burden. The findings suggest that caste operates as a more fundamental and resilient organizing principle than class in Indian society, persisting across economic transformations and educational achievements. This stagnancy of caste amidst shifting class positions highlights the deep-rooted nature of social hierarchies and exposes the limitations of purely economic solutions to caste-based inequality. The study concludes that genuine social transformation requires addressing caste consciousness alongside economic empowerment programs, necessitating fundamental restructuring of social relations and collective consciousness.

DOI:  https://doi-ds.org/doilink/05.2025-85732491