DIP: 18.02.056/20251002 
DOI: 10.25215/2455/1002056 
Abstract
The production of knowledge has been a contested venture since ages. Social groups dominating knowledge production have dominated and appropriated material as well as intellectual spaces. In India, Dvijas (twice born castes) have dominated the reflective space and restricted Dalits from articulating their symbols and ideas. In addition to maintaining material subjection, this institutional gatekeeping has excluded Dalits from the production of knowledge, making their contributions to epistemology invisible or invalid in the eyes of the prevailing discourse. Dalit expression of their experiences, narratives, knowledge, art and symbols has been a matter of socio- cultural transgression for dominant castes. The paper invokes the concept of epistemic justice to create an egalitarian intellectual landscape by pursuing Dalit theory. It profusely argues for advancing Dalit intellectual representation in form of theory to develop an alternative world view. It investigates the politics of knowledge creation and the mechanics of epistemic imperialism as means of upholding caste-based hierarchies. By emphasizing Dalit stories and intellectual traditions, the study makes the case that Dalit theory must be developed and validated as a transformational framework that may subvert prevailing epistemologies. The paper advocates politics of epistemic reconfiguration of spaces as pathways to achieve epistemic justice.
The author(s) appreciates all those who participated in the study and helped to facilitate the research process. 
The author(s) declared no conflict of interest. 
ISSN 2455-670X