Beyond silence: charting the irreplaceable terrain of Dalit identity in Yashica Dutt’s Coming Out as Dalit

This paper examines the evolving dynamics of caste-based oppression in India through Dalit autobiographical narratives, focusing on Yashica Dutt's Coming Out as Dalit (2019). The central problem addressed here is the persistent nature of caste discrimination, particularly in urban contexts, despite claims of a casteless modern India. The study explores how Dalit life-writing articulates intergenerational experiences of marginalization, and identity assertion. Using close textual analysis within a comparative framework, the paper analyzes Dutt's narrative alongside Jadhav's Outcaste: A Memoir (2003) and Valmiki's Joothan (2003)—two foundational texts documenting the Dalit struggle across diverse social contexts. These narratives convey a multifaceted picture of lived experiences, from manual scavenging and village-based exclusion to urban invisibility. In conclusion, the paper asserts that while caste may appear less visible today, it continues to operate through subtler. Recognizing these evolving structures is essential to addressing and ultimately dismantling caste-based discrimination in contemporary India.