Dismantling the Caste Order: Radical Resistance and the Pursuit of Social Justice in Sharankumar Limbale’s ‘The Outcaste’: A Critical Perspective

Abstract

Sharankumar Limbale’s The Outcaste (Akkarmashi) is a powerful autobiographical narrative that documents 
the brutal realities of caste-based oppression in India. This research paper examines the text as a site of 
resistance and revolt against casteism, interpreted through a cultural studies lens that foregrounds identity, 
power, and social transformation. Limbale’s narrative captures the lived experience of being both Dalit and 
"illegitimate" in a caste-bound society that systematically dehumanizes and excludes. By articulating the 
internalization of humiliation and the eventual emergence of resistance, The Outcaste functions not merely as a 
personal account, but as a collective voice challenging the Brahmanical hegemony entrenched in Indian sociocultural institutions. Drawing on the theoretical insights of Stuart Hall, Antonio Gramsci, and Dr. B.R. 
Ambedkar, this paper explores how Limbale’s autobiography serves as a counter-narrative to dominant cultural 
discourses. It highlights the transformative power of education, the assertion of dignity, and the reclamation of 
identity as tools in the struggle for social justice. Through cultural studies, the autobiography is positioned not 
as a mere reflection of oppression, but as a performative act of resistance—challenging symbolic violence and 
epistemic erasure. The paper concludes that Limbale’s revolt against caste is emblematic of a broader Dalit 
assertion and offers a compelling framework for understanding caste as a cultural construct that must be 
dismantled to achieve true social democracy.