The Indian caste system has long violated some of the most basic tenets of human dignity, inflicting untold misery, humiliation, and injustice on too many for too long. In recent years, perhaps for the first time, those on the lowest rungs of the social pyramid defined by caste have begun to write and tell their own stories, bearing witness to their slice of life in India. These include the Dalits (‘the oppressed’)—formerly ‘untouchables’—numbering one out of six Indians. Theirs is not only a powerful new current of literature, it is also a major site of resistance and revolt. Here is a poem by Omprakash Valmiki, a Dalit writer best known for his autobiography, Joothan, which I plan to review soon.
What Would You Do?
If you
Are thrown out of your village
Cannot draw water from the well
Are abused
In the screaming, echoing afternoon
Told to break stones
In place of real work
Are given leavings to eat
What would you do?
If you
Are told to drag away
Animal carcasses
And
Carry away the filth
Of a whole family
Given hand-me-downs to wear
What would you do?
If you
Are kept far from books
Far from the threshold
Of the temple of learning
If you are hung up like Jesus
On a blackened wall
In the light of an oil-lamp
What would you do?
The poem continues here. Also watch this harrowing video on the plight of Dalits, I'm Dalit, how are you?
