5. Sisterhood, Smiles and an Instagram Reel

Sometimes, our smile itself is an act of resistance in a system rigged against us. Even our smiles, in the face of adversity, become symbols of our ongoing struggle. Our clothings, our ability to comprehend complex oppressive structures in dominant-English or regional languages, the way we speak our truth to power—everything enabling us to express our truth and fight for it embodies our resistance.

This is a portrait of a Dalit woman working, resting, creating Instagram reels, and laughing.

I would say—for a Dalit woman to claim her identity, be out there, to merely laugh, fight for self—breaking all stereotypes that dominant caste and community people have been forcing upon us by only telling stories of our pain. In wake of it all, to own your charm and intellect, and fun, and be out there is a win in resistance itself.

For me, the act of documenting and clicking this imagery is a form resistance itself.