Silenced Flames: Examining transgender marginalization and violence in and between the lines of literature.

Contemporary India continues to harbour strongly rooted hierarchies that intensify or perpetuate inequalities and injustices. This paper focuses on the portrayal of transgender experiences, highlighting the discrimination and violence that transgender individuals face due to rigid societal norms and power dynamics. Dattani’s accounts in Seven Steps Around the Fire are juxtaposed with the real-life trauma of transgender individuals in India by integrating biographies, autobiographies and interviews, and thus, this study aims to contextualise the play’s social critique within the paradigm of gender-based violence. Through the lens of queer theories namely transgender theory and Judith Butler’s gender performativity, the paper also reflects on the silenced voices of the hijra community, the violence in their lives and their systemic marginalisation. Moreover, the study examines how literature reflects on gender disparities in Indian society thereby creating awareness and promoting inclusivity while contributing to gender-specific research.

Keywords: Gender-based violence, marginalisation, transgender experiences, hijra community, queer theory.