This study critically engages with Untold Story of a Bhangi Vice-Chancellor (2001) by Prof. Shyamlal as a groundbreaking work in Dalit autobiographical literature. Unlike many Dalit narratives that emphasize victimhood and social exclusion, Shyamlal’s autobiography foreground’s themes of change, mobility, and institutional empowerment. His rise from the Bhangi caste to the position of Vice-Chancellor serves as a powerful counter-narrative to entrenched caste hierarchies. The study explores how Shyamlal asserts agency not only through resistance but by strategically engaging with institutions such as education and governance. Using frameworks from Ambedkarite ideology, subaltern theory, and caste studies, it highlights how education and affirmative action can empower Dalits to access previously denied spaces. The text becomes a site of both individual assertion and collective representation. It challenges notions of merit, caste privilege, and structural discrimination, offering new pathways for Dalit empowerment. Ultimately, the autobiography embodies subaltern modernity and provides a transformative vision of social justice and equality.
Dalit autobiography, Caste and Education, Bhangi Community, Shyamlal, Subaltern Agency, Institutional Representation, Ambedkarite thinking, Caste and identity.
. From Subjugation to Self-Assertion: A Critical Analysis of Shyamlal’s Untold Story of a Bhangi Vice-Chancellor. Indian Journal of Modern Research and Reviews. 2025; 3(9):70-76
Download PDF
