Volume VI Special Issue I January 2026

Name of Author : Ranjith Kumar P

Title of the paper : The Voice of the Subaltern: Caste, Gender and Resistance in Arundhati Roys The Doctor and the Saint and Kancha Ilaiahs Untouchable God

Abstract: This research paper examines how Arundhati Roys The Doctor and the Saint and Kancha Ilaiahs Untouchable God give voice to the subaltern through the themes of caste, gender, and resistance. Roy analyses the ideological conflict between B. R. Ambedkar and M. K. Gandhi. Ilaiah, through his portrayal of the Pariahs life, Namboodris Sambandham relationship, caste hierarchy, social inequality and pursuit of justice present the harsh realities of untouchability, social exclusion, and religious domination. Both writers challenge traditional hierarchies. Roys critical prose and Ilaiahs creative narrative together expose the ways in which caste and patriarchy shape human suffering and deny dignity to the marginalized. The paper argues that their works not only document injustice but also create a strong voice of protest and reform. By reinterpreting history and religion from the viewpoint of the oppressed, Roy and Ilaiah redefine resistance as a struggle for equality, self respect, and human freedom. Their writings thus transform silence into speech and oppression into a call for social justice.

Keywords : Subaltern voices, Caste discrimination, Gender inequality, Social resistance, Brahminical patriarchy, and Social justice.

DOI :

Page Number : 262-268