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

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.

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.

Exploring the major trends in Marathi theatre, this three-volume set presents a detailed history of the development of modern Marathi theatre. The work is written in the form of a dialogue between a writer and a clown, where the clown goes on to educate the writer, by narrating to him the history of Marathi theatre, taking him through its inception in 1842 to 1985. Originally written in Marathi, this encyclopaedic work would narrate a social history of Maharashtra and of India as seen through the window of theatre. The narration proceeds through thirty nights, loosely following the structure of Arabian Nights, woven around the question, 'Who am I?' The methodology that Sathe follows is complex but systematic and logical as it is predicated on a sound understanding of both history and culture. He views theatre as a cultural construct shaped by the dialectical interaction between the playwright and the cultural political ethos around. The three volumes present the various stages of the historical development of modern Marathi theatre. The conversations between the writer and the clown take place at night; each night is progressively devoted to the discussion of certain historical stages.

This book aims to provide a historical account of the All-India Progressive Writers’ Association (AIPWA). In a structured narrative, it focuses on the political processes inside India, events and circumstances in South Asia and the debates and literary movements in Europe and the United States to demonstrate how the literary project was specifically informed by literary-political movements. It explores the theorisation of literature and politics that informed progressive writing and argues that the progressive conception of literature, art and politics was closer to the theorisation of two thinkers of whom the writers themselves knew very little – Leon Trotsky and Antonio Gramsci. The book charts the progressive movement’s extension into the cultural arena through the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) and the deepening of its nation-wide character through a progressive nationalism instilled with left-wing ideology. One of the important aims of the AIPWA project was to advance the development of a popular vernacular based on the demotic language of north India – Hindustani. The book locates this issue within the broader nationalist discussion on the national language. Contrary to what is implied by much of the previous scholarship, the book argues that the progressive movement did survive the ravages of partition and that the progressives maintained organisations in both India and Pakistan. It looks at the short-lived but very colourful history of the PWA in Pakistan, using PWA documents, government records and personal testimonies. Arguing that literary output and cultural production cannot be understood, let alone interpreted, outside the context of the nationalist movement, war, independence and partition, the book presents a narrative that necessarily transcends disciplinary boundaries between literature, politics and history. Supplemented with literary and archival sources and oral testimonies from the members of the movement, it pr

The first Dalit autobiography to be published, Baluta caused a sensation when it first appeared, in Marathi, in 1978. It quickly acquired the status of a classic of modern Indian literature and was also a bestseller in Hindi and other major languages. This is the first time that it has been translated into English. Set in Mumbai and rural Maharashtra of the 1940s and '50s, it describes in shocking detail the practice of untouchability and caste violence. But it also speaks of the pride and courage of the Dalit community that often fought back for dignity. Most unusually, Baluta is also a frank account of the author's own failings and contradictions-his passions, prejudices and betrayals-as also those of some leading lights of the Dalit movement. In addition, it is a rare record of life in Maharashtra's villages and in the slums, chawls and gambling dens of Mumbai.

'Jevha Mi Jaat Chorli Hoti (When I Hid My Caste) was hailed as "the epic of Dalits." These brilliant stories gave Dalits the strength to face the painful and humiliating experiences of their wretched lives...'--K Satyanarayana and Susie Tharu Baburao Bagul's debut collection of short stories, Jevha Mi Jaat Chorli Hoti (1963), revolutionized Dalit literature, bringing to it raw energy and a radical realism--a refusal to understate or dress up gritty, brutal reality. Through the lives of people on the margins, Bagul exposed the pain, horror and rage of the Dalit experience. The unnamed young protagonist of the title story risks his life and job, and conceals his caste from his fellow workers in the hope of bringing about social change. Damu, the village Mahar, demands the right to perform a religious masque--a preserve of the upper castes--thus disrupting the village order. Jaichand Rathod revolts against his parents' wishes and refuses to take up the caste-enforced task of manual scavenging. Years of repressed maternal love begins to resurface when, in the face of death, Banoo calls out to her estranged son. And behind Savitri's desire for revenge lies the gruesome pain she suffered at the hands of her husband. Utterly unsparing in its depiction of the vicious and inhumane centuries-old caste system, this landmark book is now finally available in English, in a brilliant new translation by the award-winning author and translator Jerry Pinto.