Harsh reality. Review on Joothan: A Dalit's Life - Omprakash Valmiki

In the book, Joothan – A Dalit’s Life, Omprakash Valmiki writes, “ One can somehow get past poverty and deprivation but it is impossible to get past caste.” With this statement, Valmiki highlights the rigidity of the caste system in India that has resulted in the socio-economic oppression of thousands across India over centuries merely because of the “lesser caste” to which they belong. The title of this autobiographical account, Joothan, encapsulates the pain, the humiliation and the poverty of the “untouchable” Chuhra community of Uttar Pradesh, to which the author belongs. The untouchables or Dalits who were social outcasts not only had to rely on the joothan of others but also had to relish it.

The treatment meted out to them was worse than that to animals.

Instead of following a linear pattern, the author moves from memory to memory, demonstrating how his present is deeply scarred y his past in spite of the distance he has traversed to become one of the prominent authors in Dalit literature. Valmiki describes his childhood in the village in Barla district of Uttar Pradesh. He writes about the ill treatment meted out to him when he was at school because he was an untouchable. He describes the trauma he went through when he was asked to spent three days sweeping the school courtyard instead of accompanying his classmates belonging to the higher castes, in the study class.

Despite the barriers of caste which proved to be a hindrance at every step throughout his years in school and college, Valmiki persevered to get better education and evolved. Both his parents have been portrayed as heroic figures in the text. They desired something better for their child and fought for his safety and growth. One of the most powerful moments in the text is when his mother overturned a basketful of joothan at a wedding after a high-caste Tyagi humiliated her. His father, Chotan Lal, always stood by Valmiki and told him that he should always do what he desired.

This coming for members of a community that had been socially and economically oppressed for centuries is a symbol of great courage and determination. It is quite apt that Valmiki has dedicated this text to them. While describing the events in Bombay much later in his life, Valmiki highlights the fact that education is not the solution to the ills of the caste system. On having been mistaken for a Brahmin because of his adopted last name, “Valmiki” (used to denote a community of untouchables in Uttar Pradesh) he found out that just the revelation of his real caste to well-educated middle class people was received by shock and a sudden change of attitude towards him.

Even his own relatives were hesitant to invite him for a wedding as he refused to let go of his last name because it would reveal their caste. Omprakash Valmiki constantly stresses on the differences between the Dalits and the caste Hindus, the Savarnas, with respect to their various religious beliefs and customs, he subtly contests the belief that the oppression of the Dalits by the Savarnas is justified as per the Hindu religious laws because the pork-eating Dalits living on the outskirts of villages and towns actually do not belong to the Hindu religion.

Inspired by the work done by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar for the socio-economic development of the Dalits and the abolition of untouchability, Omprakash Valmiki made an immense contribution to Dalit literature by highlighting the plight of Dalits in the post-independence era which isn’t quite different from that of the pre-independence era, Joothan being one of the first contributions to Dalit literature. Valmiki also participated in plays, being actively supported by wife, Chanda. The text, Joothan, reveals to the reader the rigidity and narrow-mindedness of casteist India, which is as relevant today as it was in the early part of the last century.

The author’s objective doesn’t stop at evoking compassion towards the oppressed Dalits in the mind of the reader but questions, “Why is my caste my only identity?” This one query leads the reader into introspection. In India caste has always defined the socio-political scenario of the country. Whether it is the debate on the reservation policy for government jobs and education to aid the socially and economically backward classes or political gimmickry, everything has an undertone of caste and religion.

Valmiki writes that despite government undertaking for the development of oppressed classes, through reservations, their achievements are hardly noticed and are ridiculed often. Many of us, at some stage of our lives have been discriminated against because we belong to a community and due to our beliefs and practices. The mention of Caste, Community, and Religion on admission forms to school and colleges is one such example. Just being an Indian is rather insufficient to get our basic rights. Isn’t it ironical that with every step our country takes towards “development”, the same issues crop up again and again?

The book, Joothan – A Dalit’s Life, is an exceptional piece of literary work, though at occasions, the translated version fails to describe the agony and the pain felt by the author, which is clearer in the original version. For those who claim their superior civilizational status and say, “such things don’t happen” this book is definitely a must-read.