Recommendations for Dalit History Month

Unfortunately, caste is a defining factor in Indian society that often gets put aside or politicised without a true understanding of the ways in which it permeates everyday life and generational histories. With April being declared Dalit history month in recent years, we decided to put together a list of books that touch upon caste and explore its repercussions. Though in no way comprehensive, it’s a good starting point to begin thinking about issues pertaining to caste in a country where people often claim that ‘they don’t see it anymore’

Untouchable - Mulk Raj Anand (1935)

One of the first works that focuses on caste through the lens of its main character, a Dalit manual scavenger named Bakha, Mulk Raj Anand’s book has, perhaps fairly, received criticism over the years for its portrayal of Dalits from an outside lens. Nonetheless, it’s a book that is part of the canon of literature about caste, and one that raises interesting questions and retains plenty of relevance despite being nearly a century old. 

Annihilation of Caste - BR Ambedkar (1936)

The original work on which so much of the Dalit movement is based, Dr. Ambedkar’s landmark work is based on a speech he wasn’t allowed to give during the freedom struggle. It is a critique primarily of the caste system, but also of gender norms, Hindu practices and various other aspects of casteism. Since he self-published it after not being allowed to deliver the speech, it has evolved into perhaps the most important text of that era, leading to a long intellectual disagreement between Ambedkar and Gandhi, and also raising points that remain relevant and influential. 

Seasons of the Palm - Perumal Murugan (2000)

Translated from Tamil, Perumal Murugan’s Seasons of the Palm is the story of an untouchable boy in bondage to a powerful landlord. Painting a powerful picture of feudalism, casteist oppression and societal hierarchies in Tamil Nadu, it’s a work that has been compared to Premchand’s work and continues to be relevant decades after it first emerged. 

Ants Among Elephants - Sujatha Gidla (2017)

A book that was lauded upon its release, Sujatha Gidla’s book is an examination of ‘an untouchable family and the making of modern India’. It veers between non-fiction and memoir, looking at various levels of discrimination faced by Dalits across the country, while also critiquing the humiliating ostracism of a class of society in various ways, touching upon gender, class and intersectional oppression. 

Coming Out as Dalit - Yashica Dutt (2019)

Another personal memoir by a Dalit author based in New York, Yashica Dutt’s book is about her coming to terms with her Dalit identity and examining the ways in which she was conditioned into hiding or being ashamed of it throughout the course of her life. Though Dutt is firmly middle-class, the book delves into the many ways in which caste interactions affect every space of Indian society and beyond, to powerful effect. 

Water in a Broken Pot - Yogesh Maitreya (2023)

Yogesh Maitreya is a writer, poet, translator and the founder of Panther’s Paw, a publisher of Dalit literature. His memoir, which is forthcoming, is an account of growing up as a Dalit in contemporary India, examining things like the impact of Dr. Ambedkar on his thinking and the influence of English as social currency, amongst other things. It’s also about finding oneself within a casteist society, and an important new work.