Akhila Naik's
Bheda (2010) has the distinction of being the first Odiya Dalit novel. It is set in remote villages of the Kalahandi district in western Odisha mired in poverty, drought, famine, child trade, and malnutrition. The novel traces the lives of the educated members of the Dalit community, who become conscious of their plight and rise up in revolt. Threatened by the collective, the upper castes unite to take revenge on the Dalits and their leader Laltu. After gruesome violence is inflicted on the community, the movement comes to an abrupt end with the connivance of the state, the police, the media, and civil society at large.
The word
bheda means a sense of difference. When used with the word
bhaba (meaning existence in this context), it implies the differences that exist among people in terms of caste, class, or race. It also means 'the target'. The title ties together the multiple meanings of this word.
