"One Eyed" by Meena Kandasamy : Analysis 

One-Eyed:

the pot sees just another noisy child

the glass sees an eager and clumsy hand

the water sees a parched throat slaking thirst

but the teacher sees a girl breaking the rule

the doctor sees a case of medical emergency

the school sees a potential embarrassment

the press sees a headline and a photo feature

dhanam sees a world torn in half.

her left eye, lid open but light slapped away,

the price for a taste of that touchable water.

INTRODUCTION:

Meena Kandasamy’s poem “One-Eyed” is a powerful and confrontational piece that blends personal pain with political protest. Appearing in her 2010 poetry collection Ms. Militancy, the poem is written from the perspective of a female survivor of acid violence, often interpreted as a Dalit woman who refuses to be silenced or shamed. With fierce determination, the speaker reclaims her identity, challenging societal norms that stigmatize physical scars and suppress female voices.

Through the motif of vision and perception, Kandasamy critiques caste oppression, gender-based violence, and the patriarchal gaze. The poem’s direct, unflinching tone reflects the poet’s activist background and her commitment to using poetry as a medium of resistance and empowerment. “One-Eyed” is not merely a personal narrative—it is a manifesto of survival, resilience, and political awakening.

Task on group discussion by Department of English:

Group Leader: Nirali Vaghela

Members of Group: Baraiya Krishna, Kumkum Hirani, Tanvi Mahera, Nikita Vala, Mita Jambuch.

First we have discussed summer of poetry "One Eyed" by Meena Kandswamy. Because Tanvi Mahera didn't know about this poem.So, Nirali and Kumkum explain summery with critical approach of this poem like this:  

🔹 Summary of "One-Eyed" by Meena Kandasamy

Meena Kandasamy’s “One-Eyed” is a bold and defiant poem that gives voice to a woman who has survived acid violence, often seen as a metaphor for the oppression faced by Dalit women in Indian society. Despite losing one eye, the speaker powerfully asserts that she is not blind—in fact, she now sees more clearly the hypocrisy, cruelty, and injustice around her.

The poem challenges the way society tries to silence and shame women who have been victimized. The speaker refuses to be pitied or hidden away; instead, she embraces her scars as symbols of survival and strength. Through vivid language and an unapologetic tone, Kandasamy transforms pain into political protest, confronting both patriarchy and caste oppression.

Ultimately, “One-Eyed” becomes a testimony of resilience, where the act of speaking out is itself a form of resistance. It urges readers to question who gets to define beauty, justice, and womanhood—and boldly reclaims those definitions on the speaker’s own terms.

Step :1 

We have discussed two questions in our discussion:

👉Long Question:

1) What kind of Treatment is given to the Untouchables? Discuss with reference tot he "One Eyed" by Meena Kandswami ?

👉Answer:

⇒A Critical Discussion with Reference to Meena Kandasamy’s Poem “One-Eyed”

In her powerful and politically charged poem “One-Eyed”, Meena Kandasamy brings to the forefront the violent and dehumanizing treatment given to the so-called Untouchables, or Dalits, in Indian society. The poem serves not just as a poetic expression, but as a declaration of resistance—giving voice to the silenced, especially Dalit women, who suffer the harshest consequences of caste and gender-based oppression.

Kandasamy, herself a Dalit woman and an outspoken activist, uses her poetry to challenge the deep-rooted social hierarchies that continue to affect the lives of millions. In “One-Eyed,” the speaker is a woman who has survived acid violence—an act that is symbolic of the physical and psychological brutality inflicted upon the marginalized. The loss of one eye becomes a powerful metaphor for both suffering and awakening. The speaker asserts:

“One-eyed does not mean I cannot see.”

With this line, the poet challenges the popular narrative of victimhood, showing that the survivor may have been disfigured, but not defeated. She still “sees”—not only literally with her remaining eye, but metaphorically, with a new clarity and political consciousness. This vision exposes the injustice, hypocrisy, and cruelty entrenched in society.

Historically, Dalits have been treated as subhuman, excluded from temples, schools, public wells, and social events. They were forced into menial, degrading occupations, and denied dignity, education, and opportunities. Any attempt to rise above this oppression was met with brutal backlash—beatings, rapes, killings, and acid attacks. These are not rare or isolated incidents; they are part of a structural system of violence maintained by upper-caste privilege and patriarchal control.

In “One-Eyed,” the acid attack can be read as a punishment for transgression—a metaphor for how dominant castes and men react violently when Dalits, especially Dalit women, assert agency or demand equality. The poem also reflects how society responds to these victims—not with empathy or justice, but with shame, silence, or pity, further isolating them.

However, Meena Kandasamy refuses to portray her speaker as a helpless figure. Instead, she turns the poem into a voice of resistance and empowerment. The woman in the poem speaks directly to the reader, defying the gaze that seeks to reduce her to her scars. She confronts the reader with truth, saying:

“I see what you do.”

This accusatory tone is significant—it turns the lens onto the perpetrators, the silent bystanders, and the hypocritical society that enables violence while pretending to be moral or civilized.

Kandasamy’s portrayal also brings attention to how Dalit women's suffering is often ignored even within feminist and progressive movements. They are doubly marginalized—not only by caste but also by mainstream feminism that often centers upper-caste women. The poem urges the reader to recognize this intersectionality and calls for solidarity across caste and gender lines.

In conclusion, “One-Eyed” is not just about the treatment of a single woman or the trauma of a single act of violence. It is a political poem that reveals the deep injustices faced by Untouchables in India. Through this single, defiant voice, Kandasamy articulates the collective rage, pain, and resilience of a community that refuses to be erased. The poem reminds us that the struggle for dignity and justice continues—and that those who have been silenced for centuries are now speaking back with courage, clarity, and poetic fire.

Short Question:

2) What does the "One-Eyed " symbolize in the poem?

In Meena Kandasamy’s powerful poem “One-Eyed”, the term “One-Eyed” carries rich symbolic meaning. It is not just a literal reference to a woman who has lost an eye—most likely due to acid violence—but a deeply layered metaphor that reflects trauma, survival, resistance, and insight.

🔹 1. Symbol of Violence and Oppression

At the surface, the "One-Eyed" woman represents the physical brutality inflicted on marginalized women, especially Dalit women. The acid attack and loss of one eye symbolize how patriarchal and caste-based systems try to disfigure and destroy women's bodies as a punishment for asserting independence or dignity. It reflects the cruel reality in which women are punished simply for existing outside societal norms.

🔹 2. Symbol of Survival and Resistance

Despite her injury, the speaker in the poem boldly states:

“One-eyed does not mean I cannot see.”

This line transforms the image of disfigurement into a symbol of strength and awareness. The woman may be physically scarred, but her inner vision is sharper than ever. She refuses to be silenced or hidden. The "One-Eyed" thus becomes a warrior symbol—a survivor who reclaims her identity, her voice, and her right to be seen and heard.

🔹 3. Symbol of Political Awakening

The loss of one eye enhances the speaker’s ability to “see” the truth of society—its injustice, hypocrisy, and violence. The “One-Eyed” woman now sees through lies, illusions, and false moralities. Her remaining eye becomes symbolic of a critical gaze—an eye that refuses to look away from the ugly truths of caste, patriarchy, and silence.

🔹 4. Symbol of Marginalized Identity

The speaker represents not just herself, but an entire community of oppressed individuals, especially Dalit women. The “One-Eyed” is a metaphor for how society sees the marginalized—as incomplete, defective, or damaged. But Kandasamy flips this narrative and makes the “One-Eyed” figure a symbol of dignity and rebellion, challenging the stereotypes imposed upon the oppressed.

Step 2:

As a group, we had an engaging and thoughtful discussion on Meena Kandasamy’s powerful poem “One-Eyed.” We are proud to say that each member contributed equally to the conversation. Everyone participated actively, shared their views, asked questions, and helped each other understand the deeper meaning of the poem. There was a healthy exchange of ideas, and no single person dominated the discussion. This made the learning experience more collaborative and inclusive.

Easy Points: Common Understanding

One of the points that was easy for all of us to understand was that the poem deals with the theme of untouchability and caste-based violence. From the beginning, we could clearly sense that Meena Kandasamy’s voice represents the struggles of Dalit women, who face both caste discrimination and gender oppression. We understood that the poem reflects the pain, strength, and resistance of a woman who refuses to be silenced by society.

Difficult Point: The Poet’s Personal Experience

During our group discussion on Meena Kandasamy’s poem “One-Eyed”, we found that some aspects were easy to understand, while others required deeper thought and interpretation.

The easy point for all of us to understand was that the poem addresses the theme of untouchability and caste-based violence. It was clear from the speaker’s tone and the imagery in the poem that it reflects the struggles of Dalit women, who are often victims of both caste discrimination and gender-based violence. We all agreed that the poem is a powerful voice against social injustice and inequality.

However, the difficult point for our group was understanding the specific inspiration or event in the poet’s life that led her to write this poem. We discussed whether “One-Eyed” was based on a personal experience of Meena Kandasamy, or if it symbolized the collective trauma of Dalit women in general. Since the poem is emotionally intense and written in the first person, it raises questions about whether the speaker is the poet herself or a fictional voice. This uncertainty made it challenging to interpret the autobiographical or symbolic nature of the poem.

Conclusion:

Our group discussion on Meena Kandasamy’s poem “One-Eyed” was both insightful and intellectually stimulating. Through collective reading, analysis, and critical reflection, we gained a deeper understanding of how poetry can become a voice of the marginalized and a tool for social resistance. The poem offered us a vivid portrayal of untouchability, caste-based violence, and gender oppression, but more importantly, it revealed how resilience and resistance emerge even from the harshest suffering.

Each member of our group contributed meaningfully to the discussion, and together we explored how the “One-Eyed” woman becomes a symbol—not of defeat, but of awakening and empowerment. We were all able to grasp the broader theme of caste injustice, which was the most accessible point in our discussion. However, we also struggled with the more complex question of what specific personal or collective experience in Meena Kandasamy’s life inspired her to write this poem. This difficulty opened up an important space for interpretation, reminding us that poetry is not always confined to biography—it can also reflect the collective pain and protest of a community.

Ultimately, our exploration of “One-Eyed” showed us that literature, especially protest poetry, has the power to challenge social structures, expose hidden violence, and speak truth to power. Meena Kandasamy’s work remains a bold reminder that the voices of the oppressed can no longer be ignored, and that even one eye—scarred and wounded—can see the world with a clarity that transforms silence into speech, and pain into purpose.