Socio-Economic and Cultural Transformations: A Study of Dalit Women’s Experiences in Kerala’s Caste Colonies (Ghettos)

Abstract

It is important to investigate how lower-caste Dalit women perceive the socio-economic and cultural aspects of Dalit colonial life that have transformed their lives and society. This study focuses on the settlement caste colonies implemented by the state for Dalits in Kerala, often referred to as ghettos. I argue that these colonies serve as an index of their inferior social status, further alienating them from society while exploiting their labor. This continues the age-old system of caste discrimination and deprivation, which has kept them out of the mainstream while utilizing their labor for the general development of society. As part of my research, this paper focuses on re-reading social norms that have evolved through my inquiry into the social history of the ‘caste colony,’ particularly among Dalit women.