When I Hid My Caste

About This Book

‘The Dalit writer’s magnum opus [that] shifted the imagination of what literature could achieve.’—Yogesh Maitreya, Scroll.in ‘Bagul’s meticulous flipping of the gaze from Dalits to oppressor communities reminds the reader that not only is caste everywhere around us, but that it is also shaping our lives and choices in ways of which we may be unaware. That skill, coupled with Pinto’s fluid and compelling translation, leaves a powerful impact.’—Hindustan Times Baburao Bagul’s debut collection of short stories, Jevha Mi Jaat Chorli Hoti (1963), revolutionized not only Dalit but all Marathi as well as Indian literature, bringing to it raw energy and a radical realism—a refusal to understate or dress up gritty, brutal reality. Through the lives of people on the margins—rebellious youth and migrants, sex workers and street vendors, slum-dwellers and gangsters—Bagul exposed the pain, horror and rage of the Dalit experience. The unnamed young protagonist of the title story risks his life and job, and conceals his caste from his fellow workers in the hope of bringing about social change. Damu, the village Mahar, demands the right to perform a religious masque—a preserve of the upper castes—thus disrupting the village order. Jaichand Rathod revolts against his parents’ wishes and refuses to take up the task of manual scavenging. And behind Savitri’s desire for revenge lies the gruesome pain she suffered at the hands of her husband. Utterly unsparing in its depiction of the inhumane centuries-old caste system, this landmark book is finally available in English, in a brilliant new translation by Jerry Pinto.