Social Realism and Marginalized Voices in Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable and Coolie”

Mulk Raj Anand stands as one of the foremost pioneers of Indian English fiction who employed literature as a powerful instrument of social protest. His novels Untouchable and Coolie vividly portray the lived realities of marginalized communities suffering under caste discrimination and class exploitation in colonial India. This paper examines Anand’s use of social realism to expose the inhumanity of rigid social hierarchies that deny dignity and equality to the oppressed. Focusing on themes of caste oppression, economic deprivation, labour exploitation, and psychological alienation, the study highlights Anand’s humanistic and reformist vision. By adopting a socio-realist and Marxist critical framework, the paper argues that Anand’s fiction not only represents social suffering but also actively challenges social injustice and advocates ethical and structural transformation.