Subalternity: An Instrument of Empowerment - A Historical Perspective

Subalternity is a state of being inferior rank or position in societal set up. Practice of ascribing inferior rank or position upon a group of people arising out of socio-political and economic conditions existing in a society. This inferiority is expressed in the form of class differentiation, caste discrimination, gender inequalities etc. Subaltern studies became popular by 1980s.It was the contributions made by Ranagit Guha and Bernard S. Cohn made this school thought popular. It is post colonial concept and against colonial ways of writings. A peep in to the history reveals that ascribing Subalternity upon the people is the root cause all world revolutions, popular agitations and wars happened in the world. Ascribing inferiority upon a people is actually denial justice to such people. The conscious attempts of the predominant section of society to deny justice to subalterns changed the course of the history itself. This paper examines how ascribing Subalternity becomes a tool of eliminating injustice against subalterns and empowering them and setting up an egalitarian social order.