Dalit literature particularly fiction, autobiography and poetry has emerged as a vital modern literary force in India. The scope and richness of this literature is brilliantly exemplified by novels like Fakira which is the landmark novel in the foundation of Dalit literature in India. Authors like Anna Bhau Sathe illustrate experiences of caste discrimination, untouchability, and Dalit subjugation. The undaunted and ceaseless battle of the protagonist Fakira for the collective welfare of his community forms the core of the narrative. He revolts against the rural orthodox caste system and the British Raj to save his village from utter starvation, humiliation and death.

Poetry by the Dalit leader, Annabhau Sathe.

On the life and works of Anna Bhau Sathe, 1920-1969, Marathi author.

About the Book FIRST PUBLISHED IN MARATHI IN 1998, THE NOVEL HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO FOURTEEN INDIAN AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES. This iconic Marathi novel by Vishwas Patil brings originality and new ideas to the most storied of lives—Subhas Chandra Bose. Possibly the most enigmatic figure in the history of India’s freedom struggle, Bose’s ideological differences with the two stalwarts of the Independence movement, Gandhi and Nehru, split the Congress down the middle. And yet he held them in high esteem, just as they admired him. While Bose asserted the independence of his own values even as he sought help from the Axis powers—Nazi Germany, Italy and later Japan—during World War II, for the cause of a free India, it was seen as treasonous and dangerous by many. Vishwas Patil recreates the life of a man who was twice elected president of the Congress, and quit to follow his own vision, forming the Indian National Army. His defiant nationalism provoked anger and distrust. Mahanayak traces Netaji’s steps from India to Germany, Italy, Singapore, Japan and Burma, to paint a complex portrait of a man of immense strengths and fatal failings. Rich with details drawn from the colossal canvas of the Indian revolution, this is an immersive historical novel that reads like a fast-paced thriller.

Annabhau Sathe, 1920-1969, Indian social reformer and writer.

The Novel Is An Autobiographical Account Of The Life Of A Stereotyped Underdog But Of A Representative Of A Section Of Society Thriving On Petty Crimes. It Is A Poignant Satire On Social Inequality And A Candid Account Of The AuthorýS Life Account Brought Up In The Uchalya Community. The Novel Has The Freshness Of Rugged Sincerity Written In A Style Untamed By Sophistication And Therefore Has Become Unquestionably Valuable As A Socially Significant Document Besides Being A Powerful Literary Work.