Global Journal of HUMAN-SOCIAL SCIENCE: H

Interdisciplinary
Volume 21 Issue 5 Version 1.0 Year 2021
Type: Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal
Publisher: Global Journals
Online ISSN: 2249-460x & Print ISSN: 0975-587X

From Dopdi to Draupadi, from Oppression to Empowerment: Reading

Mahashweta Devi’s “Draupadi”
By Somjeeta Pandey & Bidhu Chand Murmu
Abstract- The subaltern stories by Mahasweta Devi, by refusing to conform to the conventions of the
Indian literary canon have blatantly exposed the grim realities of the interplay of caste and class in the
fabric of Indian society and as Rangrao Bhongle rightly asserts “have projected an unknown facet of
social reality in the Indian context.” The paper seeks to study “Draupadi”, a short story by Mahashweta
Devi and translated by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak in 1988, which recreates the episode of The
Mahabharata in which Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandavas, was asked to be stripped naked but was
finally saved by Lord Krishna. Draupadi (Dopdi) Mejhen, the leader of Operation Bakuli in the story is
caught by the police and raped by many. While no God comes to save her, she at the end derives
strength from her naked body and finally stands as an empowered woman, a “terrifying superobject”
(Spivak), in front of Senanayak the man who sanctioned her rape and who stands like an “unarmed
target” (Spivak) in a state of paralysis.
Keywords: dalit, empowerment, nakedness, oppression.
GJHSS-H Classification: FOR Code: 330205

FromDopditoDraupadifromOppressiontoEmpowermentReadingMahashwetaDevisDraupadi

Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of:

© 2021. Somjeeta Pandey & Bidhu Chand Murmu. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-
commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 From Dopdi to Draupadi, from Oppression to
Empowerment: Reading Mahashweta Devi’s
“Draupadi”
Somjeeta Pandey α & Bidhu Chand Murmu σ

Abstract- The subaltern stories by Mahasweta Devi, by oppression and in the process they received the aid of
refusing to conform to the conventions of the Indian literary the Naxalites. But in 1970, East and West Pakistan
canon have blatantly exposed the grim realities of the interplay indulged in an armed struggle. After the defeat of West
of caste and class in the fabric of Indian society and as Pakistan, the Indian Prime Minister was able to cut down

2021
Rangrao Bhongle rightly asserts “have projected an unknown on the Naxalites in 1971 because they supposedly had
facet of social reality in the Indian context.” The paper seeks to

Year
alliances with the freedom fighters of East Bengal (now
study “Draupadi”, a short story by Mahashweta Devi and
translated by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak in 1988, which Bangladesh). The rural people, especially the tribals,
recreates the episode of The Mahabharata in which Draupadi, suffered the most. 77
the wife of the five Pandavas, was asked to be stripped naked Such is the backdrop of “Draupadi”. Draupadi
or Dopdi Mejhen, a twenty-seven-year- old Santhal

Global Journal of Human Social Science ( H ) Volume XXI Issue V Version I

but was finally saved by Lord Krishna. Draupadi (Dopdi)
Mejhen, the leader of Operation Bakuli in the story is caught by woman is introduced to us through the conversation
the police and raped by many. While no God comes to save between two “liveried uniforms”. As Spivak writes in the
her, she at the end derives strength from her naked body and foreword:
finally stands as an empowered woman, a “terrifying
superobject” (Spivak), in front of Senanayak the man who She (Draupadi) is introduced to the reader...between two
versions of her name. Dopdi and Draupadi. It is either that
sanctioned her rape and who stands like an “unarmed target”
as a tribal she cannot pronounce her own Sanskrit name
(Spivak) in a state of paralysis. The paper will try to focus on
(Draupadi), or the trivialized form, Dopdi, is the proper name
the oppression of Dalit women and will throw light on their
of the ancient Dopdi. (Spivak, 387)
subjugation which exists at multiple levels – for being a
woman, for being a Dalit woman, for belonging to the lowest Dopdi Mejhen is in the list of wanted people.
strata of the societal hierarchy. For instance, exploitation takes Now what might possibly be the reason behind this?
a new face when Draupadi gets caught only because two of The reason is that she and husband Dulna had escaped
the Dalit men of her group had deceived her by giving her after murdering Surja Sahu and his son during
information to the police. The paper will also focus on how Operation Bakuli. Thus, Dopdi and Dulna’s escape
nakedness becomes, as Deepti Misri writes, “intelligible as a
increased the blood sugar level of Captain Arjan Singh.
feminist mode of protest against the violence of the Indian
state.” The paper will further evaluate how through these The police along with the Special Forces had tried and,
writings, Devi is flagrantly contesting the caste and class in the process, had killed quite a few Santhals because
prejudices that the Indian society reeks of. “all tribals of the Austro-Asiatic Munda tribes appear the
Keywords: dalit, empowerment, nakedness, oppression. same to the Special Forces.” (Devi, 393)
In a pointblank way, Devi starts the story. But
Introduction one cannot obviously miss the underlying satiric attack
on the social situaton. From the very beginning we are

“D
raupadi”, a short story by Mahasveta Devi, given an insight into the oppression the santhalsface.
translated by Gayatri Chakrovorty Spivak, They are untouchables, dark-skinned people who, being
first appeared in Agnigarbha (“Womb of denied access to drinking water during the drought, had
Fire”, 1978). May 25, 1967 saw the uprising of a peasant killed the upper-caste people. The Special Forces had
rebellion, which began with the slogan “land to tiller”, in killed many santhals in the attempt of catching hold of
Jote village in Naxalbari, West Bengal. This movement Dulna and Dopdi as their complexions made
spawned an indigenous agrarian reform leadership led differentiation difficult. The killing of these santhals was
by the lower classes including tribal cultivators. The passed off as mere accidents. As Devi writes:
coalition between the peasants and the intellectuals
By the Indian Constitution, all human beings, regardless of
gave birth to a number of naxalbaris all over India. These caste or creed, are sacred. Still, accidents like this do
movements intended to free the peasants of the happen. (Devi, 393)
One important point is to be noted here. Dalits
Author α: Assistant Professor of English, Gobardanga Hindu College,
India. e-mail: somjeeta072@gmail.com
refer to those people who were outside the fourfold
Author σ: Assistant Professor of English, Ramkrishna Mission Hindu Varna system. Literally Varna means colour, and it
Residential College, India. e-mail: murmubidhu@gmail.com was a fourfold framework to classify people and was

© 2021 Global Journals

 From Dopdi to Draupadi, from Oppression to Empowerment: Reading Mahashweta Devi’s “Draupadi”

generally used in the Vedic Indian society. The four parts become the food of fox, vulture and other
classes included Brahmins who were the upper-caste maneaters.
priestly people, the Kshatriyas who were the While this search for these defiant, hungry
administrators, rulers or warriors, the Vaishyas who were untouchables goes on we are introduced to Dopdi
artisans, tradesmen, merchants and farmers and the Mejhen. A santhal woman, headstrong and rebellious,
Shudras who were the labouring classes. The Varna she comes to know from Mushai Tudu that the
implicitly referred to another fifth group who were policemen have set a reward for finding her out. But she
completely excluded from the fourfold system and they cannot be cowed down. She has the true spirit of a
were the untouchables or the Dalits. With the leader: “What will they do if they counter me? They will
emergence of Hinduism, the caste system became fixed counter me. Let them.” (Devi, 397) As she proceeds
and hereditary. The laws of Manu (Manusmriti), which towards the Jharkhani forest, a flavour of the santhal life
date roughly back to the 3rd century AD uphold and is presented to us through her reminiscences:
preach the sanctity of the Varnas and also strictly inject Dopdi felt proud of her forefathers. They always stood guard
the principles of rank and gradation. Manusmriti teaches over their women’s blood in black armour. (Devi, 399)
2021

the servility and impurity of the untouchables and uphold Although two of her partners, Shomai and
the view that Brahmans are the purest of all and they Budhna, had deceived them yet she was sure that “they
Year

have the right to dominate the other groups. As a result, were half-breeds...Otherwise, crow would eat crow’s
atrocities were exercised on the untouchables saying flesh before Santal would betray Santal.” (Devi, 399)
78 that they had a sinful past. For a long time the Infact their lifestyles are also primitive in nature. They
untouchables faced the oppression and therefore the use medicinal herbs to cure scorpion bite.
Global Journal of Human Social Science ( H ) Volume XXI Issue V Version I

dalit protests in the 20th century were explained as a But very soon she is caught. Dopdi becomes
reaction to the prejudiced Hindu caste system. the prey of the deception of her partners. Senanayak’s
Sociologists claimed that the dalit protests were due to reading of First Blood had helped him in anticipating her
the relative deprivation of the untouchables. But not move – an intellectual with literative sensibilities, he felt
even relative deprivation is enough to explain the overwhelmed with his success. Afterwards she is
protests of the dalits. Dalits were not allowed access to brought to the camp and questioned for exactly one
natural resources. Even in this story, dalits are shown as hour. After her encounter is over, the well-read, sensible,
being excluded from the social circles as well as not simple Senanayak said “Make her. Do the needful.”
allowed to use tubewells and wells during the time of (Devi, 401) After that she is tied to four posts and raped
drought. This is not just a relative deprivation but an continuously for days.
instance of alienation and isolation. The dalits, even after Hundreds of years ago, Draupadi, the daughter
being pushed to the outskirts of societal circles are not of King Drupad and wife of the five sons of the impotent
even allowed to eat or drink peacefully in order to Pandu was asked to be stripped. As Spivak writes in the
sustain their lives. They have been completely excluded foreward:
from the society as well as the natural resources like
Within a patriarchal and patronymic context, she is
water and land. This is worse than a case of just relative exceptional, indeed “singular” in the sense of odd,
deprivation. The brutal atrocities exercised over the unpaired, uncoupled. Her husbands...are legitimately
dalits by the upper castes compel the dalits to protest in pluralized...Mahasweta’s story questions this “singularity” by
the most dangerous ways. Darupadi and her rebellious placing Dopdi first in a comradely, activist, monogamous
partners had not only killed SurjaSahu who had denied marriage and then in a situation of multiple rape.
them access to water but had risen in protest with (Spivak, 387)
weapons like scythe, bow and arrow. In a game of dice, her eldest husband loses his
The treatment of the santhals might subtly possessions and Draupadi being one of those
suggest the danger that is looming large in Dopdi’s fate. possessions, loses her too. As Spivak quotes from The
We are introduced to Senanayak, the elderly Bengali Mahabharata (65:35-36):
specialist in combat and extreme-Left politics. He is a The Scriptures prescribed one husband for a woman,
man who has the capacity to understand and Draupadi is dependent on many husbands; therefore she
comprehend the activities of the opposition. He feels can be designated a prostitute. There is nothing improper in
that it is the duty of every soldier to destroy fighters bringing her, clothed or unclothed, into the assembly.
fighting with scythe, bow and arrow (Dopdi belongs to (Spivak, 388)
this category). Although this is his practice, in theory he She is dragged to the court by her hair and
respects his opposition. He believes that in order to Dushana is ordered by Duryodhana to disrobe her.
catch hold of the enemy he needs to become one with Draupadi helplessly and silently prays to Krishna and
the enemy. Thus he orders his men to hide in the while Dushana pulls and pulls at her sari, there seems to
Jharkhani forest so that they can easily hunt down Dulna be more and more of it. Draupadi is miraculously
and Dopdi. Many santhals get killed and their body abundantly and endlessly clothed and Dushana is

© 2021 Global Journals

 From Dopdi to Draupadi, from Oppression to Empowerment: Reading Mahashweta Devi’s “Draupadi”

himself forced to stop due to exhaustion. Draupadi is illiterate, uneducated Santhals stood guard over their
thus saved by Krishna’s miracle. women’s modesty, the literate, educated corrupt
Many years after The Mahabharata was written, officers, like Senanayak, infiltrates violence. Whatever
another Draupadi emerges in Devi’s story but Draupadi his ideas and thoughts be, he is just another agent of
is not a royal persona and is not involved in a patriarchal and dominance and he uses his superiority
polygamous marriage yet she becomes the victim of well by asking his men to “make her (Draupadi)”.
exploitation. As many critics have pointed out that, However, Draupadi’s rape fails in oppressing
swinging between two names (Draupadi and Dopdi) she her and it rather strengthens her. When she is finally
becomes a recreation of the famous Draupadi of the released and asked to wear her cloth and go to
epic who was saved from being disrobed. In the third Senanayak’s tent, she refuses to be clothed:
part of the story, unlike in the first two parts, she is Draupadi stands up. She pours the water down on the
addressed as Draupadi and not Dopdi. But ground. Tears her piece of cloth with her teeth. (Devi, 402)
unfortunately, no Krishna nor any other God comes to The guards become alarmed, seeing such a
saves her. She is brutally and ruthlessly raped: peculiar behaviour of Draupadi. They are at a loss as

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Draupadi . . . Trying to move, she feels her arms and legs they do not know how to control a prisoner who behaves
still tied to four posts. Something sticky under her ass and ‘incomprehensibly’. Even Senanayak is taken aback

Year
waist. Her own blood . . . Incredible thirst. . . She senses when he finds Draupadi approaching towards him,
that her vagina is bleeding. How many came to make her?
naked with her “thigh and pubic hair matted with dry
(Devi, 401) 79
blood. Two breasts, two wounds.” She is no more the
She is shamed, tears fall from her eyes. A rebel, oppressed Dalit woman. Her body has been injured and

Global Journal of Human Social Science ( H ) Volume XXI Issue V Version I

a true leader, stands haplessly tied to a post with her wounded, she has been shamed but there cannot be
pride wounded and her body torn and deteriorated. Her any further damage that can be done to her. She
fault is that she is a Dalit woman. An article titled “Dalit approaches Senanayak and asks him, laughing:
Women” published in International Dalit Solidarity
The object of your search, Dopdi Mejhen. You asked them
Network states that Dalit women suffer at the hands of to make me up, don’t you want to see how they made me?
upper-caste members: (Devi, 402)
Dalit women are therefore considered easy targets for Many crtics have pointed out this transformation
sexual violence and other crimes, because the perpetrators of Draupadi is a symbol of her empowerment. For
almost get away with it. For example, in India, studies show
example, E.S. Latha in “Political Suppression in
that the conviction rate for rapes against Dalit women is
under 2% compared to a conviction rate of 25% in rape
Mahasweta Devi’s “Draupadi” writes:
cases against all women in India. At first, it is a sense of shame that pervades her. But soon
she, her tough spirits make her realise that her body is her
The aforementoined article also quotes an weapon and her voice. Deprived of everything in life, she
incident and a reply of an Indian court judge: has to hold on to her physical self, which alone is her sole
“Great, now you have proof you enjoyed yourself” -the reply possession. . . she realises that there is nothing for her to be
of an Indian court judge to a gang raped Dalit woman, upon ashamed about because, it is an immoral act practised on
seeing a video filmed and distributed by the dominant caste herby men who profess to be guardians of women’s
rapists and presented by the woman in court as an evidence chastity.
of rape. Draupadi Mejhen’s body, which had become
Thus, Draupadi Mejhen, is not just one woman the easy target of the corrupt men, finally emerges as
who has become a victim of multiple rape but she has her weapon that gives her immense strength and
become a victim to the jaundiced societal rules which courage to laugh at the masculinity of the officers. She
allow people to get away with such heinous crimes. Devi knows that no more harm can be caused to her
states in the beginning of her story: because the extreme form of punishment she could
. . .in this India of ours, even a worm is under a certain have received for being a Dalit woman and a rebel has
police station. (Devi, 393) already been implemented on her – rape. Having been
easily stripped off her clothes, she has nothing else to
Unfortunately, the saviours are no more
be afraid of. She derives strength from her torn body
saviours here in the story. The inhuman treatment of
and shamed pride and says:
Draupadi is just an example of such crimes being
committed on women since ages. Draupadi, then, What’s the use of clothes? You can strip me, but how can
becomes the apotheosis of the tortured and oppressed you cloth me again? Are you a man? (Devi, 402)
Dalit women who are exploited mainly because they are Her body is bleeding but her courage remains
black-skinned and untouchables. Draupadi Mejhen was unaffected, her feminine nakedness standing as a guard
someone who had mustered enough courage to raise against any further shaming of her. Rape of women,
her voice against the oppression inflicted by the upper- especially the Dalit women, was a form of suppression
class members. While the primitive Santhals, the used by the state authorities to crush down their

© 2021 Global Journals

 From Dopdi to Draupadi, from Oppression to Empowerment: Reading Mahashweta Devi’s “Draupadi”

revolutionary spirits. Another critic, Lakshmi R.Nair, off from her mind by calling them “half-breeds” (Devi,
shares the same view in her article titled “Dismantling 399) because she believed that true Santhals never
Theory of Rejection to Resistance: Dalit Feminist deceive their fellow men or women. Their treachery
Consciousness in Mahasweta Devi’s Draupadi”: could prove dangerous because they knew everything
“Draupadi” depicts how a marginalized tribal woman derives about their forthcoming plans and Draupadi shifted her
strength from her body and inner feminine core to fight attention towards making changes in the places of their
against her marginality. Here, the woman’s body becomes hideouts. But little did she know that their treachery
an instrument of vicious denunciation of patriarchy and would cost her a lot! The police succeeded in catching
hegemony which are ironical, counter-canonical, anti-literary her and the credits went to Shomai and Budhna as they
and contradictory. had not fled by train, they had stayed back to help the
After Draupadi decides to unveil herself and police in catching hold of the rebellious woman,
stand naked in front of Senanayak, she seems to be an Draupadi. What followed was just another example of
empowered woman. Dr. Krishnaveni in an article the exploitation of Dalit women but the causes that led
“Draupadi – The symbol of Retaliation” quotes Miller and to such a shameful incident cannot and rather should
2021

says that the change in Draupadi is only possible not go unheeded. Dulna and Dopdi were the leaders of
because of her empowerment: the Bakuli Operation. After killing Surja Sahu they had
Year

been constantly hiding from the police to save

The term “empowerment” refers to a range of activities from
themselves and their fellow men but after Dulna’s death,
individual self-assertion to collective resistance, protest and
80 mobilization that challenge basic power relation. For Dopdi became the leader of the group. Although she
individuals and groups where class, caste, ethnicity and had all the qualities that a true leader should have yet
Global Journal of Human Social Science ( H ) Volume XXI Issue V Version I

gender determine access to resource and power, their she was deceived by two traitorous men of her own
empowerment begins when they recognize the systematic group, of her own caste. This might possibly mean that
forces that oppress them, but act to change existing power Shomai and Budhna did not want to be led by a woman
relationships. even though she belonged to their clan. They did not
Unlike Draupadi of the epic who was saved by want to be under the guidance of a woman who is
Lord Krishna, Draupadi Mejhen’s tears remain generally epitomized as the tender and the second sex.
unheeded to the Gods. No miracles save her. It is only Women have been denied access to any means that
when that she realizes that her oppression has reached could elevate her status or uplift her in Manusmriti and
its zenith and she cannot be degraded or exploited especially the Dalit women face more exploitation than
further, she becomes empowered by the strength of her women of other upper-castes. But Devi’s story shows
feminine body, her nakedness: another perspective also. Draupadi had faced the
There isn’t a man here that I should be ashamed. I will not sexual oppression and abuse because of two Dalit men.
let you put my cloth on me. What more can you do? Come Thus Draupadi had not only been marginalized and
on, counter me- come on, counter me - ? (Devi, 402 exploited by upper-caste officers but she had also faced
marginalization by two of the members of her Dalit clan.
But is it only the upper-caste men who oppress
It points out to another reality – the double
the Dalit women? Although books like Manusmriti
marginalization of Dalit women, the first one being
justifies the act of killing a Dalit woman by stating that it
exercised by the upper-caste members and the second
is equivalent to killing a minor animal. It explicitly states:
being implemented by the dalits themselves. When
A Brahman, Kshatriya or Vaishya man can sexually exploit Draupadi stepped into her husband’s shoes in order to
any Shudra woman. (Manusmriti IX.25) lead as well as protect the other Dalit men, she was
If such statements have already been made in brought down to the ground by those whom she had
texts that are so strictly followed by the Hindus, then no wanted to protect. She had probably become oblivious
further explanation is needed for the exploitation faced of the fact that she was a woman whose duty is to
by the Dalit women. All channels of upliftment of Dalit remain submissive towards men instead of trying to
women had been closed. Dalit women faced a kind of save men from impending dangers. She had violated
double exploitation firstly because of their gender and the norms of patriarchy by trying to become the leader
secondly because of their social status. In Devi’s story, of the Dalit men who were involved in Operation Bakuli.
Draupadi had gathered courage to rise in rebellion The Dalit men, Shomai and Budhna, were perhaps
against their relative deprivation and social exclusion but ready to be exploited by the upper-caste officers rather
was ultimately faced with the most torturous form of than being led by a woman. Draupadi had broken the
punishment – rape. But as I questioned earlier, is it only patriarchal norms and she was aptly punished for that.
the upper-caste men who oppress and exploit Dalit This story although ends with Draupadi becoming an
women? I guess no. If we read the recollections of the empowered woman yet the fact still remains that not
past events as they flash in Draupadi’s mind we would only do the upper-caste members marginalize Dalit
remember that Shomai and Budhna, two of their women but even the Dalit men do not lag behind in
partners, had fled away by train. Draupadi shirks them bringing about their downfall.

© 2021 Global Journals

 From Dopdi to Draupadi, from Oppression to Empowerment: Reading Mahashweta Devi’s “Draupadi”

In the end, Draupadi- a victim of gang rape and

abuse ordained by the forces of the State that is
supposed to punish such heinous crimes- draws power
from her maimed body and strikes terror into the hearts
of those very state forces. Deepti Misti argues:
“The moment at which the raped subject refuses the
obedient, shame-ridden femininity that is scripted for her is
the moment when administrative masculinity falls apart, if
only for a moment (606-7).”
Draupadi’s indomitable spirit turns her
nakedness and gang-raped body into a force that
terrifies the State forces (Misri 608). Women’s bodies
have acted as sites of punishment, revenge and
violence by state forces during wars, the partitions of

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nation-states witnessed in South Asia, and during
protests and uprising by minority and marginalised

Year
forces. Mahasweta Devi’s Draupaudi is subjected to the
age-old punishment and vengeance meted out to dalit
women by the State forces dominated by the upper 81
castes, but the undefeated figure of Draupadi reminds

Global Journal of Human Social Science ( H ) Volume XXI Issue V Version I

the society of the times when the body of a woman have
risen as form of feminist protests against the terrors of
the State on marginalised communities.

Works Cited
1. Krishnaveni, R. “Draupadi – The Symbol of
Retaliation.” AJEL 1.1(2013): n.pag. Print.
2. Latha, E.S. “Political Suppression in Mahasweta
Devi’s Draupadi.” IRWLE 9.2 (2013): 1-6.Print.
3. Manu. 1920. Manu Smriti: The laws of Manu with the
Bhasya of Medhatithi. Translated by Ganga Natha
Jha. University of Calcutta, Calcutta, India.
4. Misri, Deepti. 2011. “‘Are you a man?’: Performing
Naked Protest in India.” Signs, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Spring
2011), pp. 603-625 Published by: The University of
Chicago Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.108
/657487
5. Nair, Lakshmi R. “Dismantling Theory of Rejection
to Resistance: Dalit Feminist Consciousness in
Draupadi.” IJELLH 3.1(2015): 489-496. Web.
6. Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. ""Draupadi" by
Mahasveta Devi." Critical Inquiry 8.2 (1981): 381-
402. Web

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