Author(s): Dr. Raed Nafea Farhan

Abstract: Dalit writings have become a central venue of resistance within Indian literature, placing a significant emphasis on the experiences of marginalised communities often overlooked in mainstream discourse. Although there is increasing attention to the experiences of Dalit women, previous scholarship has tended to focus on one of caste, class, or gender to the exclusion of the others. This gap inhibits a deeper appreciation of the nature of oppression that is experienced among Dalit women. In this paper, the problem is tackled through the intersectional postcolonial feminist approach to the analysis of the memoir written by Gidla. The main aim is to discuss the role of Ants Among Elephants in reflecting the superimposed systems of marginalisation and prove that literary testimony is a counter-history. In its methodology, the study follows a qualitative design incorporating both close textual reading and contextual interpretation. The information comprises chosen narrative fragments that describe deprivation, discrimination, and resistance. These were coded thematically under the categories of class, caste, and gender, and analysed through the lens of intersectional theory. It can be observed in the findings that the oppression of Dalit women is a phenomenon that cannot be understood using specific categories, but only simultaneously. The research is also significant in Dalit and feminist literature criticism because it addresses fragmented intellectual writings, implying that life writing is not only a literary genre but also a form of political resistance within both Dalit and feminist contexts. Recommendations encompass areas such as broadening comparative studies on memoirs by Dalit women, transnational reception, and intersectional approaches in the field of South Asian literature.

Keywords: Dalit literature, intersectionality, caste, class, gender, postcolonial feminism

Article Info: Received: 26 Aug 2025; Received in revised form: 22 Sep 2025; Accepted: 26 Sep 2025; Available online: 29 Sep 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.105.42