Abstract

This essay considers the methodological intervention of understanding a ‘mother tongue’ (matribhasha) as a gendered vernacular. It seeks to illustrate the subversive potential of the vernacular as a gendered lens though which we can understand the Dalit feminist critiques of caste hierarchies and Dalit and non-Dalit patriarchies, and the places they intersect. The essay considers the works of Anita Bharti and Meena Kandasamy, contemporary Dalit women authors who write in Hindi and English, respectively. Thus, this paper extends the definition of the vernacular beyond the confines of linguistic and regional specificity, allowing for a feminist reclamation of the term.

摘要

本文考虑了将“母语”（matribhasha）理解为性别白话的方法论干预。它试图说明白话语作为一种性别视角的颠覆潜力，通过这种方式我们可以了解达利特女权主义者对种姓等级制度，达利特人和非达利特人父权制的批评，以及它们相交的地方。本文考虑了当代达利特女性作家Anita Bharti和Meena Kandasamy的作品，他们分别用印地语和英语写作。因此，本文将白话语的定义扩展到语言和区域特定性的范围之外，从而允许对该词进行女权主义的再填。