Growing up Untouchable in India: A Dalit Autobiography

Vasant Moon’s Growing up Untouchable in India is the first Dalit autobiography to be published in English. Moon’s story is about his vasti, or neighborhood, and a community of people considered to be at the bottom of the caste hierarchy. It reveals a complex yet rich slum culture where Dalits are not seen merely as victims but as a community with strong bonds, striving and struggling to shed their sense of inferiority. Although a story of Moon’s life, this book is a rich narrative about the social and political history of the time. The story of an individual and a community has been woven into the larger realm of Indian politics, providing the readers a rare view of the events that led up to Independence. For the first time, a personal and emotional account of Ambedkar’s popularity as a leader is also presented, including the history of the rise of Buddhism under his leadership. A narrative about poverty and deprivation, but also of the final triumph of hope, self-respect and optimism, this volume will interest sociologists, historians and anthropologists, and those interested in Dalit studies, development studies and social work. Most importantly, the book will be of interest to the general reader.