Unpacking caste politics through the multimodal communicative landscape of Bhimayana: Experiences of untouchability

Abstract

Bhimayana: Experiences of Untouchability by Srividya Natarajan and S.Anand reveals the bitter truth of casteism as prevalent in Indian society. Through the use of graphic novel format and reviving the traditional Gond art form, the text not only verbalizes the experience of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, a major activist who battled against the various modes of oppression and aggression faced by the Dalit community, but also opens up the untouchable's experiences of existence for the naïve readers. This essay shows how Bhimayana uses a multimodal structure to create a post colonial literacy about caste and caste based marginalizations.