Omprakash valmiki autobiography of miss

“Jaati hii meri pehchaan kyun?”
(Why am I to be identified only through my caste?)

Omprakash Valmiki’s ‘ autobiographical account Joothan is a rare insight into a lived Dalit life, and there is much to learn from it.

The searing instances from the first Dalit autobiography in Hindi literature (later translated to English) claims an important space – not only in literature, but also in the consciousness of the reader.

The lessons and teaching of Joothan cannot be contained in a physical copy of the book, nor can it be limited to a digital repository. Valmiki’s words linger, and remind us how this is a space that Dalit voices have been denied through systemic ostracisation.

After all, as Toni Morrison said, “Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.”

Reading Joothan was an emotional experience, but funnily enough, what I want to take away and keep with me is this overwhelming sense of sheer discomfort.

The intention of the bo