Growing up Untouchable in India

There is much in vasant moon's extraordinary story of his vasti, his childhood neighbourhood in india, that would probably be true of any urban ghetto anywhere in the world. but there is much that is peculiarly and vividly indian. in this first autobiography of a so-called untouchable, we learn about the inescapable hierarchy imposed by caste, based on ancient principles of heriditary pollution. we see the unmatched importance of the heroic dr. b. r. ambedkar for india's awakened and newly ambitious dalits. we feel, viscerally, nagpur's heat and the joy brought by the monsoon. vasant moon's vasti, the first dalit autobiography to be published in english, is a moving and eloquent testament to a uniquely indian life as well as to the universal human spirit. review there are few such autobiographies, especially in english, which makes moon's memories of sleeping on village roads side by side with neighbors, of his mother waking at 4:30 a.m. to work in the mill and of the kindness of certain teachers particularly valuable.... ―los angeles timesomvedt's translation is true to the original marathi. -ravi shenoy ―library journalthis book is a welcome first step towards increasing our understanding of a much-neglected aspect of indian life. ―times literary supplementoffer(s) an accessible glimpse of the life and times of one dalit and the people he grew up with. ―journal of asian studieshis [moon's] autobiography, written in his native marathi and translated into english, vividly describes life in an urban indian slum and gives a glimpse of the internal politics that accompanied the independence movement. ―pacific readervasant moon's powerful memoir of youth in the slums of central india is by turns disturbing, entertaining, engrossing, and deeply inspiring. moving beneath moon's sharply etched tale of material deprivation, caste conflict, and neighborhood politics is the inexorable rise of dalit (untouchable) militancy and spirituality―illuminated by the towering figure of dr. b. r. ambedkar, champion of the poor and leader of the buddhist revival in india. this book puts living flesh on the bones of recent indian social historiography. -christopher queen, harvard universitythere are few such autobiographies, especially in english, which makes moon's memories of sleeping on village roads side by side with neighbors, of his mother waking at 4:30 a.m. to work in the mill and of the kindness of certain teachers particularly valuable. ―los angeles timesa powerful personal and collective memory of caste oppression and struggle in india from the 1930s to the 1950s. . . . both as a historical and as a literary document, there is much to consider in this thought provoking and intensely moving memoir. -shalini ramachandran ―race & class vasant moon is a retired civil servant and dalit activist. he is the editor of 17 volumes of dr. ambedkaros writings and speeches in english. gail omvedt is a freelance writer and frequent visiting professor of sociology. eleanor zelliot is laird bell professor of history emerita at carleton college.