In 1958, during the inaugural conference on Dalit Literature held in Mumbai, the term Dalit Literature was formally used for the first time. The Dalits, once known as Untouchables, have been subjected to institutionalized forms of social and economic exclusion, cultural subjugation, and political marginalisation for as long as anyone can remember. However, they have recently been more vocal, and movements have been started to bring in a new social order based on equality and freedom. To this day, the majority of Dalits continue to face prejudice, poverty, and humiliation, and are often targets of horrific acts, despite the fact that many Dalits have risen to positions of power and prominence as a result, notably in the political sphere. In terms of both the history of social movements and the discussion of social science, the Dalit movements in India have played an important role. Especially in the twentieth century, these movements went through different stages, beginning with struggles for recognition, mobilisation, co-option, power sharing, cultural and literary assertions, and identity assertions through a wide range of methods and strategies that touch on virtually every aspect of human existence.
Marathi, Guajarati, and Kannada authors, inspired by Dr. B R Ambedkar, launched the Dalit movement in writing. It gained prominence as a result of progressive writing's increasing accessibility to marginalised communities. This literature is a violent response against those of the higher castes who defend Brahmanical principles. Marathi writers such as Namdev Dhasal and Narayan Surve, as well as novelists such as Daya Pawar and Laxman Gaikwad, capture the suffering of their communities in their works and call for a more equitable and realistic future for the poor and the outcast. Two authors, Mahadev Devanur (Kannada) and Joseph Macwan (Gujrati), explore the impact of violence, dissent, and exploitation in their fiction. It decentralises the process of a literary movement while challenging the tenor and context of established literary canons. It spawns a new aesthetic and broadens literature's linguistic horizons.