Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal

ISSN: 2278-9529  |  www.galaxyimrj.com

Abstract

Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance (1995) offers a powerful portrayal of the lives of socially and politically oppressed communities in post-Independence India, set against the turbulent political backdrop of the Emergency (1975–1977). This article examines the novel through the theoretical framework of Subaltern Studies, with particular attention to caste oppression, political exclusion, poverty, gender inequality, state violence, and the struggle for human dignity. Through the interconnected lives of Dina Dalal, Ishvar Darji, Omprakash Darji, Narayan, and Maneck Kohlah, Mistry illustrates how socially and politically disadvantaged individuals struggle to negotiate oppressive structures that repeatedly constrain their freedom and agency. The article focuses especially on the Darjis’ experience of caste discrimination, Narayan’s resistance to electoral manipulation, Dina’s struggle against patriarchal restrictions, and the coercive political environment of the Emergency. Drawing upon the critical perspectives of Antonio Gramsci, Ranajit Guha, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, the study argues that Mistry transforms individual suffering into a broader critique of structural inequality. It further connects the novel to the concepts of trauma and counter-historiography, demonstrating how Mistry uses narrative to recover and foreground experiences that are often excluded from authorised accounts of Indian history. A Fine Balance ultimately reveals the perilous relationship between individual resilience and oppressive social structures while affirming the continuing human desire for dignity, freedom, and self-determination.

Keywords

Subaltern Studies Caste Oppression Political Violence Marginalisation Counter-Historiography

Article History

Full Text

How to Cite

Farook, A. Umar, et al. “Voices from the Margins: Subalternity, Caste, and Political Oppression in Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance.” Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, vol. 15, no. 5, Sept. 2026, pp. 151–170. https://doi.org/10.66376/galaxy.v15.n5.9

Copyright