Kaur, Kamaljeet2018-08-302024-08-142018-08-302024-08-142017Kaur, Kamaljeet (2017) Autobiography as a social critique: a study of madhopuri's changiya rukh and valmiki's joothanhttp://10.2.3.109/handle/32116/1643Autobiographies shed light on the whole social milieu of a particular time and space through the life story of an individual. In the Dalit literature, autobiographical writing occupies important place. By foregrounding the problems of the current social structure of India, these autobiographies present important social critique of the prevalent problems. Balbir Madhopuri's autobiography Changiya Rukh and Omprakash Valmiki's Joothan reflect the internal agony and pain of Dalits. This research work is an attempt to analyze these two autobiographies as a form of social critique. Balbir Madhopuri's Changiya Rukh represents the painful history of Dalit fraternity. It outlines the difficulties, sufferings and harsh realities of Dalit life. Along with the real picture of casteism, it also highlights the physical torture, mental anguish, religious and educational exploitation of Dalits. The writer points out the dual nature of society in the context of caste based discrimination. Omprakash Valmiki's Joothan is not only one man's biography, but it is also a tale of whole Valmiki fraternity. Joothan unveils our cruel social system that exploits Dalit people. The word 'Joothan' itself reflects the poverty, pain and disrespect towards the Dalit fraternity and represents the gravity of the socio-economic and cultural rift between the different castes in Indian society. Through these autobiographies, Omprakash Valmiki and Balbir Madhopuri try to bring forward the difficulties faced by an individual in a layered/divided society. Both autobiographies are centered on the struggle against exploitation on the basis of casteism and point out the need for improvement and upliftment in Dalit people's life. This study highlights the need for greater efforts on the part of individual and the society to remove these obstacles in the path of progressen-USAutobiographyDalit LiteratueChangiya RukhJoothanBalbir MadhopuriOm Prakash ValmikiMphil DissertationT00009