ABSTRACT
This essay is an exploration of what emerges from a comparison of written and oral Dalit testimonies. Drawn from a close analysis of oral testimonies collected among the Cakkiliyar community in Tamil Nadu and selected Dalit-written autobiographies, the relationship between these two types of testimonies will be addressed, and the findings of the combined analysis, discussed. To what extent, how and why do Dalit oral and written testimonies relate to each other beyond the visible differences between them? The content and the tone of each type of testimony will be compared. The essay will also discuss some of the reasons that make a combined analysis of these two types of narration interesting and relevant. What can each type of testimony bring to the study of the other?
