Emphasizing on Socio-Political and Gender Inequality and Oppression in The Context of Mahasweta Devi’s ‘Draupadi’

Abstract

‘Draupadi’ is a short story written by Mahasweta Devi. Draupadi is a Santhali girl who was protesting against social and gender based oppression and violence with courage and showcasing the patriarchal society’s brutality. Though this story had been translated into English by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak but here we will try to understand the story in both Bengali and English and undoubtedly look at the class and caste based discrimination, oppression, exploitation and torture that ‘Draupadi’ or ‘Dopdi’ was faced from social, sexual, regional point of view. This theoretical study focuses on how social and gender based inequality was faced by a backward tribal lady and correlating it with gender discrimination in Mahabharata period. The political point of view and the significance of the name ‘Draupadi’ are also discussed on the perspective of Mahasweta Devi’s ‘Draupadi’.