By Arshya Wadhwa 

Abstract:

This article examines the intersectional challenges faced by Bahujan Queer artists in India, highlighting the ways caste, gender and sexuality interact to create unique struggles for self-expression and acceptance. Through initiatives, cinema, stand-up comedy and other subversive art forms, these artists use their platforms to confront societal barriers, though mainstream acceptance remains elusive. Art emerges as a powerful tool, even as it grapples with imperfections in representing these layered identities.

Introduction 

Dr. B.R Ambedkar, a dalit lawyer belonging to the Mahar community, drafted the Indian Constitution in a manner that included many egalitarian principles. If it were not for the constitutional principles of equality and prohibition of discrimination on grounds of sex, gender, caste, class etc, it would have been difficult to strike down the evils enshrined in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalised homosexuality. This brings us to an important enigma of why are the bahujan queer individuals still considered to be on the margins of the society? Their collective identity of being a bahujan and a queer brings them to the brink of their pre-existing identities as marginalised folks. In such scenarios, it becomes imperative to understand how these intersections make it difficult for such folks to fit into spaces where expression of one identity might not necessarily lead to acceptance of another with the same enthusiasm. Art is one area wherein queer dalit/bahujan folks may find respite as we will observe further with the initiatives and passions they aspire to follow. However, in some cases it is viewed that the persistence of both the identities makes it difficult for some artists to fully achieve their potential given the difficulties they may face on their journey. On another hand, the same artistic expressions through proliferated platforms gives these artists a medium to disseminate and encapsulate their struggles. This shows that art in its truest form should not and would  not be limited to privileged and dominating groups. It gives a sense of space and security to all intersectional groups, however, going forward with the pursuit of it professionally may render it to be more difficult for some, than others. 

Intersectional Crisis: Which Identity is More Important?

Technology has helped resurface the discernibility of queer bahujan artists and one poignant “digital” example is the movement by the name- Dalit Queer Project, founded by Aroh Ankuth. The project was set up by Ankuth, a student from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in order to increase the visibility of Dalit Queer individuals through the advent of social media. The members of the initiative aimed to mobilise their movement through art which could be proliferated in the form of poetry, narratives etc. The project was set to build a community for including the shared experiences of dalit queer artists in order to speak for the plights of the community at large. Although dalit queer art has existed before, the advent of the internet has made its dissemination easier amongst the mainstream groups of people who are unaware of the existence of such groups.

Professor Dhiren Borisa is also a part of the Dalit Queer Project, and he has expressed through his essays and poetry about the casteism within queer spaces. In his essay “Hopeful Rantings of a Dalit Queer Person”, Professor Bhorisa has delved into the complexities of what it is to be a Dalit and a Queer both, which is crucial to understand in this age even in the realm of art. Art can be construed in two manners here, i.e., firstly it is and has been used as a medium of expression for various individuals possessing several identities and secondly, in order for art to be made inclusive of such identities, it is crucial to first understand the intersection of the identities which in this case is Dalit (and/or other Bahujan identities) along with their queer selves. Professor Bhorisa approaches the issue by acknowledging the riveting judicial aesthetic through the Navtej Singh Johar judgement which involved the decriminalisation of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (that made homosexuality a crime). Nonetheless, he critiques the queer movements for excluding bahujan persons from the ambit of their inclusivity and only limiting their movement to their pride. The aspect of the marginalised being considered as a part of the queer communities especially in cities is devoid of its intersectional approach, and is limited to its queer identity solely. He mentions that queer spaces in cities forget the existence of societal issues pertaining to caste based inequalities, transgender rights, the rights of sex workers and so on. Further, he critiques the queer movement for being inconsiderate of the inclusion of the vulnerable groups in their movement and treating them as mere residues.

One of the most upsetting dichotomies of this issue that he presented was how it is easy to come out as queer rather than a dalit. Homosexuality was legalised in 2018, however, our constitution has had protective safeguards against caste based discrimination, religious based discrimination and others under Article 15 of the Indian Constitution. Does this mean that there is redundancy of these provisions or does the law through judicial decisions need to be made keeping in mind the intersectional frameworks of each country’s historical dynamic? Even if the latter is proposed and kept in mind, there is no guarantee of swift changes given the deeply entrenched ignorance toward caste-based minorities. Even if there is queer representation in inner circles, there should be enough awareness to make them more inclusive rather than frolicking around their idea of what “pride” is in terms of solely queerness. Thus, Professor Bhorisa has raised very significant reminders of how the Indian’s society’s filthy attitude toward caste has unfortunately percolated to queer movements as well. Artists are nonetheless using the internet and their talents to increase the discourse around the important issue of intersection of being bahujan and dalit. 

Dissemination of Art from Marginalised Groups through Technology 

Ankur Tagade is an openly queer and dalit stand-up comedian who has initiated a categorisation of blue material within the ambit of stand-up comedy to voice upon the caste based and sexuality based discrimination in a comedic manner. Tagade has expressed her experiences through her history coupled with the inevitable struggles in her journey. For her, succeeding in the career of stand-up comedy has been particularly difficult given her identity and the kind of jokes that are based on it. Audiences and venues many times prefer not to prescribe to such a ‘discomforting’ sense of humour as it gives them a reality check in most cases and in other cases, it is just ‘too political’ to involve two complex identities in one person’s artistry. The deeply ingrained caste based discrimination present in the society still makes comedians like her feel alienated from the mainstream as they have to come across comments like “caste is a thing of the past”. Tagade’s example is one of the examples of how in the realm of performing arts, brave artists like her are shoving the stereotypes under a carpet and addressing the societal mishappenings with their artistic expertise. 

Another Dalit artist who also identifies as non binary, Parth Pawar is the art director and co-founder of a South Asian queer collective called the “The Phosphene Magazine”. Pawar’s works deep dive into diverse complexities surrounding self-awareness through exploration of sexuality, mental health, body dysmorphia and so on. Pawar tends to drift away from the normative understanding of just queer or just dalit art but his art which is subversive in nature (i.e., socio-political art with pop culture references). His art expresses the anxieties surrounding casteism and homophobia which is extremely and outwardly present in our broad and close knit environments unfortunately. 

Imperfect display of Queer-Bahujan intersectionality in “Geeli Puchi”: Screenplay & Performing Art 

The director Neeraj Ghaywan of the short story “Geeli Puchi” within the anthology compendium on Netflix: “Ajeeb Dastan” depicts the intersectionality through a romantic angle. Starring Konkana Sen Sharma and Aditi Rao Hydari, a constant reminder of how it becomes difficult for clashing caste identities to express queer love. One character is constantly at loggerheads with their Dalit identity and is struggling to get a job due to her caste. She also has to hide her identity from the other lesbian woman who is struggling from hetero-patriarchy. Nonetheless, the depiction has tried its best to encapsulate the intersectional love, which however failed due to a few technical fallacies. Some of these being: casting cis-het upper caste women as dalit queer identities for one. Secondly, the constant portrayal of how only a meritorious dalit deserves recognition in the society. Nevertheless, this does not discredit the attempt at addressing the issue at least even though it comes with legitimate criticisms. Through the advent of cinematic art, this crucial and invisible angle has been acknowledged and hopefully made a segment of public ponder upon. Considering there is room for improvement, moving forward these issues must be accounted for given the sensitivity and historicity attached to this interconnected oppression. 

Conclusion 

The experiences of Bahujan Queer artists in India, underscore the layered challenges that arise from navigating both caste and queer identities. Through projects such as the Dalit Queer Project and platforms like The Phosphene Magazine, artists like Professor Dhiren Borisa, Ankur Tagade, and Parth Pawar voice the complex interplay of caste and sexuality, using art, humour, and digital media to break silences around their identities. However, even as digital spaces help disseminate their voices, mainstream acceptance remains challenging. Individuals from various marginalised communities bear the brunt of being discriminated against for their caste identity even when they voice themselves as queer in any queer movement or community. These situations in particular create a myriad of anxieties and identity crises for individuals battling against more than one socially unaccepted issue. Additionally, cinematic art also reflects this struggle, as seen in Geel Puchi, which, despite its flaws, brings visibility to the intersectional plight of Bahujan Queer individuals.

About the Author:

Arshya is a 2nd Year LL.B (Hons.) student at O.P. Jindal Global University. She is passionate about intellectual property rights, intersectional feminism, technology law and ethics and family law. Additionally, she adores reading books and is an avid supporter and enthusiast of standup comedy. She is also a very passionate yoga practitioner.

Source: https://gaysifamily.com/lifestyle/defying-dual-oppression-journey-of-a-dalit-queer/