Hindu

Focusing on what happens in a village where dalits are assertive, Limbale reveals the shocking violence of everyday life. Hindu’s propelling event is the murder of Tatya Kamble, a dalit theatre artist whose folk theatre talks of a different world where dalits abandon fear and deference to resist and gain social justice. The plot and narration are unconventional. There is neither an all-absorbing love story nor a hero. The first person narrative, full of self-recrimination and self-justification, is followed by an omniscient narration, which brings about a kaleidoscopic effect. Through multiple juxtapositions and characters’ voices, we experience the many layered nature of events as these unfold and reach the public domain. The novel also shows the horse-trading that catapults the high caste supported Dalit candidate into the minister’s chair. Dramatic and matter of fact, Limbale brings issues that India grapples with in its search for becoming a modern nation based on equality.