Pramanik 1

Om Pramanik

Semester: 5

English Honours

UID No: 0304220358

Roll No: 223896

Course: CC11

CU Roll No: 222017-21-0164

CU Registration No: 017-1112-0309-22

Resistance in Mahasweta Devi’s ‘Draupadi’

Mahashweta Devi (14 January 1926 – 28 July 2016) was a self-identified communist,

a strong advocate for the rights and empowerment of tribal communities, and a

prominent feminist. She believed that writers have a duty towards society, a belief

that fueled most of her work, this sense of responsibility led her to create the character

of Dopdi, a reimagined figure inspired by the Hindu myth of Draupadi. Through

Dopdi, Devi draws a powerful contrast to Draupadi, turning her character into a

symbol of resistance against both the patriarchal norms and authoritarian structures

within the Indian society.

"Draupadi" first appeared in Agnigarbha (Womb of Fire) published in the 1970s, a

collection consisting short stories based on political narratives. The story was later
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translated in English by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, who approached it with a

“deconstructive” lens, emphasizing the ethical and historical aspects of it. Spivak’s

analysis suggests that one simply can’t view literature through a neutral perspective;

our interpretations are mostly always shaped by underlying traces of history and

politics.

Devi sets her story during the Naxalite movement (1967-71) and the Bangladesh

Liberation War (1971) in West Bengal, reimagining the ancient Hindu epic

Mahabharata reflecting the complex politics of Bengali identity and Indian

nationhood. The story concludes during a time when the tribal communities opposed

the wealthy landlords which caused severe government retaliation which led to

Operation Bakuli an initiative aimed at suppressing the tribal rebels.

Scholar Marcus Franda notes, unlike the other regions in West Bengal where peasant

movements were typically led by middle-class leaders from Calcutta, the Naxalbari

region saw an indigenous leadership emerge. Here, lower-class leaders and tribal

cultivators led the agrarian reform movement from the front, marking a significant

shift in the structure of resistance.

Draupadi tells the story of Dopdi Mehjen, a woman belonging to the Santhal tribe of

West Bengal. Dopdi is a resilient, loyal woman who is a strong believer of the Santal

proverbs “crow would eat crow’s flesh before Santal would betray Santal”. She

deeply loves her husband and remains committed to their shared political cause. Like

most women in a patriarchal society, Dopdi initially upholds the male-centric values

of her community, admiring her ancestors for protecting the honor of their women.
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Dopdi’s journey takes a turn when she endures the brutal torture, crossing into what

Spivak describes as “the sexual differential into the field of what could only happen to

a woman.” This experience makes, Dopdi the most powerful “subject”, she reclaims

her identity by ironically calling herself “the object of your search,” and, as Spivak

notes, she becomes a “super object,” unarmed yet audacious target who challenges

those who try to reduce her to a mere symbol.

According to Spivak, Dopdi’s defiance marks the beginning of the moment where she

acts for herself, not overtly by any action but resistance, daring characters trying to

oppress her to face her as a living proof. This act of self-assertion becomes a powerful

act of resistance.

Ranita Chakraborty Dasgupta explains Dopdi’s resistance through Judith Butler’s

concept of gender performativity. Dasgupta explains that when Dopdi is captured and

held in an army camp, she anticipated the horrors that await her yet remained

calculative and aware of every step she would take. After being sexually assaulted by

multiple men for one nights, Dopdi is presented for Senanayak. Instead of cowering

she decided to take control, using her body as a tool of rebellion.

She refuses to be clothed and steps into the daylight with her raw, bloody wounded

body after the repeated rapes on full display, unsettling her oppressors.

If gender can be classified an element that is performed, Dropdi performs her “female

gender” in a way that deifies the traditional definition of femininity and honor

challenging the patriarchal ideas of “true” femininity. Her refusal of being ashamed of

her wounds transforms her into a symbol of resistance against the standards of what if

means to be a woman.
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Dopdi’s name is quite significant as it invokes the character of Draupadi from the

Mahabharata, who was subjected to public humiliation in the epic.

While Draupadi was saved by divine intervention, Dopdi, as a subaltern woman, had

no such support. Devi deliberately subverts this mythological reference to showcase

Dopdi’s powerlessness within the societal structures simultaneously underscoring her

resilience and autonomy.

Dopdi’s act of resistance is beyond just a personal assertion of agency; it becomes

collective stand for her entire community. Her defiance is not just aimed towards the

Senanayak and the soldiers who raped her but also the system. It serves as a statement

against the constant oppression faced by her people. By standing as an unbroken

symbol of resistance, Dopdi embodies the resilience of her entire community, refusing

to be silenced. Despite her marginalized status, she challenges the notion that the

oppressed are powerless. Showcasing that even people in the powerless positions can

assert their autonomy and stand up to the violence by the system.

In the story's climax, Dopdi’s voice becomes as powerful as her body. While facing

Senanayak, she boldly asks, “What more can you do? Come on, counter me—come

on, counter me?” Devi’s decision to give Dopdi this voice, especially after the horror

she has endured, emphasizes her autonomy and defies the narrative that those

oppressed don’t have a voice. Dopdi’s resistance is an embodiment of immense power

and resilience against overwhelming forces.

In Draupadi, Mahasweta Devi crafts a powerful story of resistance through the

character of Dopdi Mejhen. By reimagining the myth of Draupadi, Devi transforms it

into a narrative of subaltern strength and resilience, shedding light on the brutal state
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violence faced by marginalized communities. Dopdi's refusal to conform to the

expectations of shame, her direct confrontation with the male gaze, and her ability to

turn her wounded body into a symbol of defiance all highlight the profound strength

that can emerge from resisting oppression.

Works Cited

Devi, Mahasweta. "Draupadi." Imaginary Maps, translated by Gayatri Chakravorty

Spivak, Routledge, 1995.

Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. "Can the Subaltern Speak?" Marxism and the

Interpretation of Culture, edited by Cary Nelson and Lawrence Grossberg, University

of Illinois Press, 1988.

Franda, Marcus F. Radical Politics in West Bengal. Cambridge, Mass., 1971.