A Critical Study of Contemporary Dilemmas and Re-Contextualization of Myths in Counter Narratives of Anand Neelakantan

Abstract

In literature Counter narratives reflect the other side of the coin of an already presumed concept of the protagonist and the antagonist. It tells stories from the perspective of the other in a literary work, the marginalized challenging the dominant by giving voice to the silent hidden experiences and critiquing the already established power structure and prejudices. The narratives keep an important place in literature due to their aspect of  validating alternative viewpoints, alternative truths and empowering oppressed communities by letting them define their own realities. Counter narratives are one of the important aspects of the writings of Anand Neelakantan that tell the stories of the vanquished, the marginalized and the 'other' from the epic. Throwing a challenge before the single sided dominant narratives, the works expose biases and foster empathy critiquing the contemporary social issues. The present paper attempts to critically study the aspects of counter narratives in works of Anand Neelakantan that re- contextualize the myths and epics in contemporary times.