Untouchables: My Familys Triumphant Journey Out of the Caste System in Modern India by Narendra Jadhav

Untouchables: My Familys Triumphant Journey Out of the Caste System in Modern India Reviews

• 
  Shankar

  This is a true story of how one couple, Damu and Sonu Jadhav dedicated their lives to help their children break free of the shackles of India's caste system. And behind their commitment is the towering inspiration of Babasaheb Ambedkar whose call to educate Dalit children became the motto of their lives. This book goes up along with Mistry's A Fine Balance and Sainath's Everybody Loves a Good Drought in helping me better understand the condition of Dalits in India.
  I want to record some of the questions this book inevitably leaves you asking- why has nearly 70 years of 'progressive' democracy not been able to change the system? Education is often called a panacea. But has education been able to truly erase caste lines? I see very well educated people still entrenched in such thinking. Surely, going to school to learn math, english and science is not going to be enough. Also, caste is not going to go away by simply not talking about it. It needs to be tackled head-on. So, what can we do to accelerate change? I believe that a bit of empathy can go a long way. Given this, I find it very heartening to learn about studies that have shown how one can train oneself to become more empathetic. Stereotyping and prejudice against groups are part of the human condition but it is possible to eradicate them by training to see beyond groups and empathize with an individual's struggles, his dreams and aspirations.
• 
  Nuttawat Kalapat

  หนังสือสำนักพิมพ์สันสฤกต จะเป็นอีกหนึ่งสำนักพิมพ์ที่ผมชอบแน่นอนครับ
  คุณภาพสูง เลือกงานมาแปลดี และทำให้เข้าใจมนุษย์ และโลกกว้างขึ้นไปอีกระดับ
  
  รู้สึกประทับใจในการต่อสู้ ทุกอย่างในเล่มนี้มากๆ
• 
  Noor

  The greatest thing about this biography is that it educated me on a deeper level on India's Untouchable caste. I had never heard of Babasaheb Ambedkar before, but I'm glad I got a chance to learn about this EXTRAORDINARY man who challenged both the cultural and religous system of India. Also, Untouchables unintentionally helped provide foundation for my dislike for Gandhi. Before I didn't like him mostly off of a gut feeling based upon his actions, but Jadhav's bio helped ground my intuition. Gandhi historically did not support the Dalit equality movement, and held a pitying and slightly condescending view of them. I have no respect for a man who refused to acknowledge an entire population essentially because of their existence. On the other hand, the Untouchable Ambedkar proved himself to be the true hero of India as he awoke the conscious of thousands of Dalits and endlessly strove to secure them equal rights.
  
  If you're hazy on the history of the Untouchables in India, definitely check this biography out. It'll open your eyes to the struggle thousands of Dalits underwent to free themselves from caste slavery, including the incredible personal journey of Jadhav's father.
• 
  Sonia Francis

  If you never understood India’s 3,500 year old caste system, this memoir by Narendra Jadhav is a must read.
  Building from Jadhav father’s diaries and family stories , he writes this story of his family journey and struggles to free themselves and their children from the caste system.
  “Just as independence is necessary for India, change of religion is necessary for Dalits.Hinduism made us untouchables, and giving up Hinduism is the only way to bring touchability to our lives”. These are the words of Ambedkar Babasaheb , the great leader of the Dalit movement in 20th century India . He organized, United and inspired the Dalits to use political means to their goal of social equality. Babasaheb unflinchingly told the Dalits that any religion that does not recognize untouchables as human beings, treats them worst than animals, sees them as subhumans, refuses to give them water from public Wells , thinks the space they occupy is polluted is not worthy of being called a religion.
  
  Babasaheb message resonated with the Dalits and it is why Jadhav parents with bitter sweet story telling was able to crawl out from underneath this caste system they were born into , albeit in the name of religion and through education found their voice.
  “Yes, I do come from the Mahar caste. Yes, my father was barely literate, lowly employed, doing menial jobs to earn a meal for the family. Yes, my forefathers were untouchables and were required to wear clay pots around their necks to keep their spit from polluting the ground “. Narendra Jadhav thought that while he had gone on to receive an education and become an advise and chief economist of the reserve bank of India, the unfortunate truth is that he is always reminded of his caste. His caste is never cast off and remains an inseparable
  Part of his identity.However he refuses to remain imprisoned by the stereotype of the caste system. Unfortunately until today there are millions of Dalits whose struggle for equality continues.
  This is a moving educational story of India’s caste system. Well done!
• 
  Benchaphorn Thammathorn

  ได้อ่านบทรีวิวของท่านอื่นๆ เห็นด้วยกับเรื่อง Timeline งงๆ เหมือนเราอ่านไดอารี่ เส้นเรื่องเริ่มต้นที่กลางเรื่องแล้วย้อนกลับไปเล่าเรื่องในอดีตเพื่อที่จะมาให้ถึงปัจจุบันแล้วช่วงปลายไปถึงอนาคต จากการอ่านได้เห็นการตื่นรู้การต่อสู้ของชนชั้นจัณฑาล วิถีชีวิต เราเคยคิดเหมือนบาบาเฮปตอนเด็กๆ ว่าเออ ก็ออกจากศาสนานั้นดิ ก็จบละมะ ในเมื่อศาสนานั้นไม่เห็นหัวพวกคุณ แถมยังกดไว้อีก แล้วศาสนานั้นก็อาศัยเรื่องความเชื่อ เรื่องเล่า มันไม่ได้เกิดมาจากสิทธิมนุษยชนตั้งแต่แรกอยู่แล้ว คาดหวังให้ศาสนาเปลี่ยนคงยาก (อันนี้มุมมองเรานะ) แต่ที่ติดใจอยู่มากในเล่มคือ ไม่เห็นด้านเฟมินิสเลย ผู้หญิงถูกด้อยค่ายิ่งกว่าด้อยค่า ถูกกำหนดกะเกณฑ์หน้าที่อย่างมาก แทบไม่มีอิสระในความคิดตัวเอง แต่อย่างว่าขนาดคนจะเท่ากันยังยาก แล้วความเท่าเทียมระหว่างเพศก็คงต้องรอไปอีกหน่อย แต่เข้าใจว่าในอินเดียปัจจุบันนี้ก็ดีขึ้นเยอะแล้ว แต่ในชนบทก็อาจจะยังคงมีอยู่บ้าง
• 
  Jodi

  There was a LOT of rough language, mostly at the beginning, from men of upper castes heaping abuse on those of the Dalit caste. The story is heartbreaking but also hopeful, and it was interesting to learn of Babasaheb and his work to improve life for the people enslaved by the Hindu caste system. There is much detail about Hindu rituals and worship practices, and a bit about Buddhism.
  
  Anyone seeking to understand Hindu culture and help provide humanitarian relief to the poverty-stricken lower classes of India or Nepal, would likely find this memoir enlightening.
• 
  Clairdenoon

  #จัณฑาล
  #นเรนทรา จาดฮาฟ:เขียน /วีระยุทธ เลิศพูนผล :แปล
  
  #เพราะปกหลังที่บอกว่าจัณฑาลนั้นต้องห้อยหม้อที่คอเพื่อเอาไว้บ้วนน้ำลายของตัวเอง/ต้องพกไม้กวาด ไว้กวาดรอยเท้าของตัวเองเวลาเดินไปไหนๆ(รอยเท้าจัณฑาลถือเป็นสิ่งอัปมงคล) แค่เงาทอดผ่านก็เป็นเสนียดจังไร....
  ดึงดูดให้เราสนใจอยากอ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้🤔
  
  1.อ่านเพลินๆได้ข้อคิด ได้คำศัพท์บาลีสันสกฤตบางคำมาบรรจุใส่คลังศัพท์ในหัว(เช่น:จิตกาธาน แปลว่า ที่เผาศพ) เปิดหูเปิดตาเปิดโลกทัศน์ 👍🏻ได้รู้อะไรที่ไม่เคยรู้ อึ้งๆ ทึ่งๆ ~อินเดียเป็นประเทศที่มีอะไรพีคๆเยอะแยะพีคไม่หยุดจริงๆ😱
  ~หนังสือมีตอนจบแบบเห็นผลลัพธ์ของความพยายามต่อสู้ข้ามผ่านการเหยียดวรรณะ การเปลี่ยนศาสนามานับถือพุทธของคนรุ่นพ่อ มาสู่คนรุ่นลูกรุ่นหลานที่ได้ดิบได้ดีประสบความสำเร็จ มีการศึกษาที่ดี มีงานมีการดีๆทำ มีคุณภาพชีวิตที่ดีกว่าเดิมมากๆๆๆๆ
  
  2.เรื่องก็คือคุณนักเขียน นเรนทรา จาดฮาฟเนี่ย นำเอาเรื่องราวชีวิตของพ่อ(ดามู: เสียชีวิตเมื่อปี1989)และแม่(โซนู)ที่อยู่ในวรรณะ จัณฑาล มาตีแผ่ให้โลกรู้ โดยคัดลอกเรียบเรียงนำมาจากไดอารี่ ของพ่อบ้าง จากคำบอกเล่าของพ่อและแม่บ้าง
  โดยในส่วนภาคแรก จะเป็นเรื่องราวของพ่อ-แม่ ดามูและซานู ก็จะได้เห็นความเป็นไป วัฒนธรรม วิถีชีวิต มุมมองความคิดของผู้คนสังคมในยุคราวๆปีค.ศ.1930,การต่อสู้ของผู้นำ(บาบาซาเฮบ)จนปีค.ศ.1947ที่วรรณะจัณฑาลถูกประกาศให้สิ้นสุดลงตามกฎหมาย,การเปลี่ยนศาสนา ความเชื่อมั่นว่าการศึกษาจะช่วยลดทอนความแตกต่างทางชนชั้นได้
  
  3.ภาค2 จะเป็นบันทึกความทรงจำของลูกๆ ,มุมมองบอกเล่าของผู้เขียนเองที่มีต่อ พ่อ แม่ ทั้งคำสอน ทั้งเรื่องต่างๆที่ปลูกฝังมา รวมถึงผลลัพธ์ จากอดีตที่ส่งมาถึงปัจจุบัน (ผู้เขียนเป็นนักเศรษฐศาสตร์ชื่อดังระดับโลก ,ทำงานที่IMF,มีบทบาทสำคัญด้านเศรษฐกิจการเงินการธนาคารของอินเดีย)
  
  4.และท้ายๆ เป็นรุ่นหลาน(อปูรวา จาดฮาฟลูกสาวคุณนเรนทราฯเรียนอยู่JHU)มาบอกเล่าความภูมิใจในครอบครัว ,สิ่งที่พบเจอในชีวิต ว่าเธอมีเพื่อนหลากหลายชนชาติ มีสิทธิความเสมอภาคไม่โดนเหยียดว่าเป็นลูกหลานของจัณฑาล มีชีวิตดีๆชิคๆในมุมไบ มีรากฐานการศึกษาที่ดีตั้งแต่เด็ก มีคุณภาพชีวิตที่ดี~
  
  5.ให้3.5ปัดเป็น4 เป็นบันทึก มีเรื่องผัวเมีย อ่านแล้วนึกภาพตามแบบหนังอินเดีย เป็นความรู้สึกที่แปลกใหม่ดี
  
  ประโยคที่ชอบ: 🌈รุ้งงามจะเกิด���ด้ ต้องใช้หยาดฝน🌧และแสงแดด🌞
• 
  Nathan

  This surprised me by being a straight memoir rather than a sociological explanation of one family's experience. As it is, Jadhav tends to get bogged down in personal recollection, to the neglect of showing how those personal experiences typify life under the caste system as a whole. This is a decent book, though I don't know that anyone not already familiar with the concept of caste would find this the best place to start.
  
  Judged as a memoir, this was just okay. Jadhav is honest, eloquent and not given to self-pitying, nor does he gloss over or melodramatize the hard realities of living under caste. Still, I'd recommend starting off with a good sociological study of caste before reading, as too little conceptual background is given.
• 
  Liz

  The personal memoir guise of this book is used largely as a framework for political history of the Dalit struggle for equality in Indian society between the 1920s and 1950s. The book added to my shallow understanding of Indian history; for example, independence and partition were not the defining moments of this book, and I learned that Gandhi was not universally beloved among the poor (who weren't Hindu nationalists either). The glimpses into village life in the 1920s were really interesting too, and the author's mother was a well-developed character. However, the writing was simplistic (I assume due to translation) and the political play-by-play wore thin.
• 
  Tulika

  A book that shook me to the core at the age of 16 and gave me the first and strongest reason to dislike my country- the evil caste system. The book made me realize how casually this system is being carried on in the modern India and the struggles it creates for the country's significant population to go through. There are scenes from the book I just cant forget.
  
  
• 
  Fiza Pathan

  One of the best Dalit biographies I have ever read. Loved the way it was presented.
• 
  Jonathan Tennis

  DNF (made it to page 52), but enjoyed what I did read. Still giving this 3-stars because it's not the book's fault that I ran out of time, book club happened and I just couldn't go back to finish this.
  
  Subject was something I knew nothing about and learned a lot from the little I read. Some of the more memorable passages are below.
  
  "The untouchables themselves were indoctrinated in the theory of karma, which stated that they were burdened with demeaning tasks only because of their own misdeeds in past lives. Their dharma--duty--now was to perform their tasks assiduously with the hope of redeeming themselves and aspiring to a better life in the next incarnation. A person belonging to a sweeper caste had to dutifully carry human excrement on his head with the hope that he could look forward to bettering his lot in another life." - p. 4
  
  "Education for the untouchables in the army gave them a new vision and a new sense of self-worth. They realized that the low esteem in which they were held was not an inescapable destiny but a stigma imposed on them by the priests. They felt the shame of it and were determined to get rid of it." - p. 7
  
  "We returned to Mumbai only to learn that the orthodox highborn of Mahad had the Brahmin priests "purify" the "desecrated" reservoir by pouring into it 108 pots of curd, milk, cow dung, and cow urine amid loud religious chants. The symbolic march to the Chavdar tank kindled in us untouchables the flame of dignity and self-respect. It was the beginning of our awakening." - p. 39
  
  "She slurped her tea, and continued, "Accept your husband. That is the reason why we have been given our long, flowing padar for the sari. It is big enough to accommodate all the shortcomings of our men, and long enough to cover them with the shade of our understanding." - p. 48
• 
  Tashi Yangtso

  This collective memoir of a Dalit couple during pre and post Independence written by their son.
  This book give a very intimate picture of systemic hardships, breaking the shackles of limitations put on them by cast system and the road map of inspiration and imagination Dr. Ambekhar lay down for his people.
  Even though this book is few decades old it is still relevant and it has reasserted my interest in learning more about the father of Indian Constitution, Dr. Ambekhar.
  I would recommend this to anyone who is interested to learn more about systemic oppression, cast system and other forms of oppressions.
• 
  kapil

  This book is nice for reasons apart from casteim discussed for it shows the effect of historic events on the lives of protagonists, and there are two protagonists telling their stories one after another.
  But on a negative the book is quite verbose, it could have been shortened to less than 200 pages for good.
• 
  Vinay Mehta

  Easy read wrt language and living the story although this is nowhere all about historical background and coming of age story for a hero. It is real, humane and imperfect example of a Dalit family with the husband leading the family through transition. I liked the book better for the family portrayal than what it exposed me towards untouchables plight.
• 
  Amarylisa

  เลือกเกิดไม่ได้ แต่เลือกที่จะเป็นได้ หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นบันทึกชีวิตของ ดามู ผู้เกิดมาเป็น มหาจัณฑาล หรือจัณฑาลของจัณฑาลอีกทีหนึ่ง ที่ชีวิตมีสิทธิ์แค่ขอทานประทังชีวิต แต่เขาไม่ยอมแพ้และมุ่งมั่นที่จะสร้างชีวิตใหม่ขึ้นมาท่ามกลางการต่อต้านของสังคม หนังสือดีมากแนะนำให้อ่านค่ะ
• 
  Sitang Tanti-Atsawayothee

  Very good book.
• 
  Metzi

  To think that this account took place a mere hundred years ago. In retrospect, understanding the value of the courage these people demonstrated in taking a stand for themselves.
• 
  Dibyajyoti Basak

  Inspirational. The passages describing Damu's fascination with Babasaheb are deeply moving.
• 
  Kumar

  It is nice presentation of how untouchables are suffering due to caste system. Also, struggle of family is really inspiring.
• 
  Ganesh Muthupalani

  You are born into a society in which you cannot exercise your free will. Not because you don't have the ability or resources. But because its a consequence of history. That's how it has always been and that's how it will always be. Choose to break these centuries old traditions and you will be ill-treated, raped, ostracized or even lynched. Is it your fault for being born an untouchable or the society's for perpetually making you believe so?
  
  Untouchables (or Dalits) around India took the fault upon themselves and believed it to be the prescribed path of life. While others chose to challenge the status quo. Dr Jadhav's father, Damu, is one of them.
  
  Dr. Narendra Jadhav is an economist and a nominated MP currently. He was previously the Chief Economist of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This book is all about how Damu broke free from the the label untouchable and built a future free of constraints for his children and beyond.
  
  Rebelling against the norm takes courage and determination. The future is uncertain but you know that the status quo is unacceptable. That's why very few make the leap of faith and chart the way forward for the rest to follow. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the beacon for the untouchables. Damu was one of Dr. Ambedkar's steadfast followers.
  
  "I wonder how many swans waste their lives thinking of themselves as ugly ducklings, trapped and punished by the inequities of our caste system. Countless Dalits were inspired to search for the swan within after Babasaheb Ambedkar touched their lives." - Dr. N. Jadhav
  
  India has already had a Dalit President and a Dalit Chief of Justice. I'm believing that the discrimination is already on its decline. No one must be made to believe that they are ugly ducklings from birth and everyone in the society has a role to play (which sadly makes this entire detoxification process span across several generations).
  
  The book must be valued for being written from the viewpoint of a follower in contrast to the famous text titled "Annihilation of Caste" describing the caste system from a top-down perspective.
  
  Though a very insightful recount of Damu's life, it lacked the excitement. Maybe I'm biased after reading crime and war books on Veerappan, Prabhakaran & Genghis Khan back-to-back.
• 
  Kkraemer

  Though Jadhav always wanted to be a writer, he has also served as the principal adviser and chief economist for the Reserve Bank of India and served 4 years as the adviser to the executive director at the International Monetary Fund.
  
  This is surprising because Jadhav is a Dalit, an "Untouchable," a member of a group so low that they are not even part of the normal Hindu caste system. His family was consigned to the lowest of roles in society, and were considered so "polluted" that even their shadow on something could destroy its value. His family was the lowest of the low, certainly not allowed into Hindu temples or any schools. They were considered sub-human.
  
  His father, however, believed differently. His father considered himself, his wife, and his people human beings.
  
  A revolutionary stance.
  
  This is the story of Jadhav's father, a story that is utterly overwhelming and inspirational. How could he see things so differently? How could he have the courage to stand up for what he believed? How could he demand -- and get -- education for his children?
  
  What an amazing man…and what an amazing story of a life in a place and context so completely different from my own.
  
  
• 
  Kathleen (itpdx)

  There seems to be disagreement on what this book is. My library has it classified as a biography. Maybe it is narrative nonfiction, a classification that I haven't been able to get my mind around. The book is about the author's parents. They were Dalit (Untouchables) Indians who grew up in small villages, moved to Mumbai, were involved in the political movement to bring equality to the Dalits. The father, Domu was only semi-literate. The mother, Sonu, never learned to read. The author has them take turns telling their story. It is a glimpse into rural India in the early 20th century and the migration into the large cities. We see them struggle with jobs, living conditions and discrimination. We have the perspective of an under-class Indian family as the country attains its independence from the British and sets up its government. We see the father's determination to see that his children get educated. And we see the children thrive.
  It almost reads like a novel and I learned a lot about India and the Dalits.
• 
  Bethany

  Untouchables is actually a revised version of a book published in 1993, which I have not read and can therefore make no comparison. However, the story of the Jahdavs’ journey out of the caste system in India is intriguing. The book itself is more of a collective memoir, with alternating pieces by Narendra Jahdav’s parents. This gives a very unique voice to their situations and shows several perspectives on the events that occur in their lives.
  
  In the United States, we tend to think that the battle for civil rights is long over. In India, this is not the case at all. Seeing one family’s struggle with and triumph over their status as untouchables is powerful, and its translation into several of the languages spoken in India shows that it resonates with those for whom it is written.
  
  
• 
  Weavre

  Very nice. I suspect the original may have been a bit better written than the English translation, but I still enjoyed this quite a bit. It was interesting to get an "on-the-ground" perspective of the ideological conflict between Gandhi and Babasaheb, too; like most Westerners, I'd heard a lot about the former and very little about the latter, and feel that this book filled some important gaps in my knowledge. The real-life characters were interesting, and their human dramas compelling, so this wasn't like reading a history text at all.
  
  I'd especially recommend this to anyone who has already read The Toss of a Lemon, which tells the story of several generations of a Brahmin family living in an overlapping time period. The two together make for a better understanding of life in this time and place, and the comparison is intriguing.
• 
  Natalie

  i'm amazed. brilliant editor. story of family unfolds through chapters--perspective changes back and forth from husband to wife. gandhi v. ambedkar. hinduism v. buddhism. feels like i'm right there. nagging mothers. bhakris day in day out. overthrowing tradition--some traditions. marriage age 10. how to galvanize and organize a population that is poor and overworked and bound to the religion and social order that maintains they are irrevocably LOW? this is one family's story.
• 
  Lauren

  I feel the title is a little misleading as this book is more of a memoir of his mother and father who also happened to be social activists. Much more focus on everyday family life than anticipated. Enjoyable, but I'd like to have an indepth biography that provided more context. Also, a fair warning that there's a first person narrative about the consummation of his mother's child marriage which I was somewhat unprepared for.