A cultural war has given birth to Dalit literature. Since the 'downtrodden' do not have a significant presence in the established canonical literature of India, Dalit authors often refer to the pre existing canon as 'Hindu literature' and attempt to question its hegemonic status. "The established literature of India is Hindu literature," says Marathi Dalit author Baburao Bagul. However, it is Dalit literature that has the revolutionary potential to embrace cutting-edge scientific knowledge and usher in a period of radical change. The word "Dalit" means "complete revolution;" it is revolution itself (Dangle 289).
The Dalit concept of revolution is to bring about a social change in India so that the impoverished and the oppressed have access to equality and social justice. In contrast to their upper-caste contemporaries, who typically advocate for preserving the status quo or hoping for a "change of heart" among the power brokers, Dalit authors write persuasively about this revolution. What constitutes a Dalit writer is still a point of contention in Indian criticism. Can everyone who writes about the experiences of Dalits be considered a Dalit writer, or must they themselves be members of the Dalit community? Dalit authors have harshly criticized the work of caste Hindu writers on Dalits for its lack of depth in terms of emotion, experience, and interest in Dalits. Some of the most progressive and revolutionary authors who have attempted to convey Dalit sentiments—including Premchand, Mulk Raj Anand, T. S. Pillai, V. S. Khandekar, and others—have not been recognized as Dalit writers because of questions about their validity. Many Dalit authors argue that only someone born within the Dalit community can really understand the community's struggles and write about them.