Published Paper Details:

This paper offers a comprehensive exploration of the reconfiguration of Dalit feminism through an in-depth analysis of caste, gender, and the politics of illegitimacy as represented in the Marathi novel Akkarmashi. By centering the narrative on the lived realities of Dalit women, whose identities are intricately shaped by the intersecting structures of caste-based oppression and patriarchal gender discrimination, the study foregrounds the necessity of an intersectional approach to feminist theory. The novel's treatment of illegitimacy is examined not simply as a marker of social stigma but as a complex, multifaceted site of resistance where marginalised women assert agency and reclaim their identities against normative societal frameworks. Through this lens, Akkarmashi reveals how illegitimacy becomes a form of political assertion and self-definition within communities often excluded from mainstream feminist and social justice conversations. This paper thus contributes to expanding the conceptual boundaries of Dalit feminism by emphasizing the nuanced negotiations of identity, social exclusion, and empowerment that occur at the crossroads of caste and gender hierarchies.