Published Paper Details:

As literature reflects society, dalit or tribal literature is, no doubt, the document of dalit or tribal society and its people. Generally, it is known to all that dalit or tribal people, belonging to the lowest strata of caste system in our society, are 'untouchables' in traditional 'Varna' system. Being subaltern section of society, they have been exploited economically, discriminated socially and marginalized culturally by upper caste people throughout the ages. They have been forced to be deprived of education. So, they are mostly illiterate and they can easily be fooled by hypocrites. On the other hand, belief in superstition comes out of ignorance and illiteracy which co-exist in society. This paper attempts to study systematically the superstitious practices and beliefs of these rural and tribal people with reference to Anil Gharai's Reincarnation of Parashuram, a story which explores how a tribal family suffers from superstitious beliefs and practices, seeks remedy of its ailing child with the help of a gunin, and shows how an aged mother is labeled a 'witch' and killed by her son as in the myth of Parashuram. This paper also discusses how a rural tribal family as well as society has been ruined only because of superstitions and acts of ignorance.