Intersectional Imprints on Identity Politics: Charting Representation of Caste in Indian Picturebooks in English

Abstract

Among many identity markers in India, caste plays an important role in propagating the binary of inclusion versus exclusion. The intersection of caste and age proves to be further marginalising in the case of children from communities on the fringes of society. The investigation, portrayal, and reimagining of such marginalised identities in Indian English-language picture books have grown since the 2000s. This paper traces the representation of child protagonists whose identities are interpellated by caste-based marginalisation in English-language Indian picture books over the last two decades. It analyses these picturebooks through the lens of identity politics to understand how such narratives hold the potential to drive social change in future generations through holistic representation. The paper observes that the growth of such Indian picturebooks has re-centred the position of young members of such communities, thereby providing a space to document and disseminate their ways of life.