Writing, Belonging, Forgetting

This chapter foregrounds forgetting and nature writing as central motifs of Dalit refugee literature in Bangla. This genre of writing is usually subsumed under the broader rubrics of Dalit literature or Partition literature. In this chapter, we focus on the tension between narratives of loss of home and critical engagement with caste hierarchies that characterize the memories of that home. In the process, we explore ways in which Dalit refugee authors and editors use remembered waterscapes to narrate and complicate belonging, loss, inequality, and the struggle for rehabilitation.