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Dalit Literature Books in English

Dalit literature has revolutionized the Indian literary scene. This powerful genre illuminates the experiences, struggles, and triumphs of Dalit people, challenging societal norms and promoting social justice.

In this post, I share with you some radical fiction and nonfiction literature. It is either written by Dalits or about their lives and struggles. It gives you a glimpse of their hardships in obtaining even the basic necessities of life. 

Whether you're new to Dalit literature or a seasoned reader, this collection aims to introduce you to some of the most impactful Dalit writers in English and regional Indian languages.

Non-fiction books of Dalit Literature

Dalit literature has given rise to powerful memoirs and autobiographies. They shed light on the experiences of those who have faced caste-based discrimination. These personal accounts offer a unique perspective on the struggles and triumphs of Dalit individuals.

Annihilation of Caste by Babasaheb Ambedkar

If there is one person in India known for helping the Dalits (a group of people who faced a lot of unfair treatment), it’s Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He was a very talented writer and also the main person who wrote India’s Constitution. Even though he was born into a Hindu family that was treated as "Untouchable," he decided to leave that religion and became a Buddhist. His ideas were bold and helped change the lives of millions of people who were treated unfairly.

This book comes from one of Dr. Ambedkar’s important speeches. A group called the Jat Pat Todak Mandal of Lahore invited him to give a talk. But before he could speak, they asked to read his speech. When they saw what he wrote, they found it too strong. They thought Dr. Ambedkar wasn’t just speaking against the caste system but also criticizing the Hindu religion. So, they canceled his invitation.

Dr. Ambedkar decided to print the speech himself and shared 1,500 copies of it. The speech became very important to the Dalit community and was printed again and again in many languages. It was seen as bold, powerful, and challenged the way society worked.

Ants Among Elephants by Sujatha Gidla

Sujatha Gidla's book, "Ants Among Elephants," tells the story of her family's experiences as Dalits in India. Dalits are people who have faced discrimination because of their caste, or social class. Gidla shares her family’s history, starting from her grandparents' time up to her own life, to show how this unfair treatment has continued even after India became independent.

The book mainly focuses on two people: Gidla’s uncle, K.G. Satyamurthy, who was part of a political movement called the Maoist movement, and her mother, Manjula. Through their stories, we see how Dalits have worked hard to get education, respect, and equal rights.

But "Ants Among Elephants" is not just about Gidla’s family. It also looks at India’s independence and how the country tried to build itself afterward. Gidla argues that even after independence, many leaders didn’t do enough to solve the problem of caste discrimination.

Books like "Ants Among Elephants" help us understand what it’s like to be a Dalit. They show how telling personal stories can teach us about bigger social and political problems. By sharing their experiences, authors like Gidla are helping to break down barriers and promote better understanding between people.

Karukku by Bama

A classic subaltern writing and the first autobiography by a Dalit woman writer, Karukku is a bold and poignant tale of life outside mainstream Indian thought and function.

Revolving around the main theme of caste oppression within the Catholic Church, it portrays the tension between the self and the community, and present Bama's life as a process of introspection and rehabilitation from social and institutional deceit.

Karukku the word means Palmyra leaves, that, with their jagged edges on both sides, are like doubled edged swords.

This is an unusual autobiography, grown out of a particular moment: a personal crisis and watershed in the author's life which drives her to make sense of her life as a woman, a Christian, and a Dalit.

Coming Out as Dalit by Yashica Dutt

75 years of Indian Independence and yet Dalits lack basic and rudimentary rights and privileges. This book is an enlightener. For so many years we have considered or taken for granted that Dalits are people who clean toilets, and sewage and perform other unskilled tasks. Because that is what has been represented to us for years.

So reading a book written in fluent English by a Dalit in a profession like journalism and who is based in New York and with so many facts and figures packed into this burning, heroic and impressionable memoir came as a pleasant surprise for me.

This personal story of why a Dalit woman had to sham she was an upper-caste woman all her life is more like a potent social commentary against uncontrolled casteism in our country today which is often ignored and overlooked.

Baluta by Daya Pawar

Baluta published in 1978 is the first Dalit autobiography written in Marathi. Back then the book caused an upheaval because it brought forth very distinctly the savagery of the Indian Caste system.

What touches you about this particular writing is the frank and open way in which Daya has written about not only caste system but also the people in his community and even about himself and his family. Although he exposes himself as a coward again and again throughout the book, I think it took a bucket load of courage for him to write this personal account that too way back in the 1970s.

It takes us back to the villages that had a large Maharwada on the outskirts of the village and to a Mumbai full of chawls, brothels, and slums. His admission that he could not give back anything significant to his mother before she died, although she brought up him and his sister single-handedly, twists the reader’s hearts into a knot.

Baluta is an unmissable piece of Marathi Dalit literature that portrays perfect story-telling and talks about the self in a way that deserves to be heard.

The Ballad of Bant Singh by Nirupama Dutt

Bant Singh is a Dalit laborer residing in the remote village of Jhabbar, in Punjab. A night in January transformed Bant Singh physically but it couldn't dampen his soul. Boys from the upper-class Jats pulped Bant so severely that he lost his two legs and one arm but kept his consciousness despite the monstrosity of the violence administered to his body.

Bant was only fighting for his daughter Baljit, who had been violated in a neighbor’s bungalow by similar upper-class bullies. Baljit admiring Bant’s teachings resolved to follow up with the culprits in the court of law and got justice served.

The book also discusses Sikh history where Dalits were also tramped by the upper classes but idols rose in every generation and brought justice to these unlucky people residing in ceaseless dread.

I applaud the unbeatable spirit of Bant that sang revolutionary songs written by a Dalit poet even while recovering in a medical center. Until the present day he continues to sing these songs and encourage his fellow comrades.

Fiction books by Dalit Writers

Dalit literature has grown and evolved over the years. Today, it includes powerful works of fiction that shine a light on the Dalit experience.

Pyre by Perumal Murugan

Pyre is the story of a love-struck couple – Saroja and Kumarasen, living in the villages of India. After their secret marriage, they come to the Kumarasen's village to settle down. But they are hiding a perilous truth – that their marriage is an inter-caste marriage in a community where casteism is uncompromising.

Kumarasen trusts that his mother and their extended family will understand their love for each other and let the couple be. He also believes that after some rumor-mongering, and resistance the villagers will also accept them into their community.

Alas, all is not well and life doesn’t always end up how we imagine it to.

The book paints a very disheartening and painful truth about life in small-town India. Casteism - the cruelty, violence, and helplessness of the people involved could not have been shown any better through any other fictional story.

The Adivasi Will Not Dance by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar

Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar's book, "The Adivasi Will Not Dance," has ten short stories. The stories are about the Adivasi people from Jharkhand, also known as Santhals. The book helps readers understand Santhali life and culture.

The title story is about Mangal Murmu, an old man who has taught dance for many years. He refuses to sing and dance at an important event. Mangal says, "We Adivasis will not dance anymore." This strong statement shows that the Santhals are tired of staying quiet about their struggles.

The stories talk about serious problems like human trafficking, abuse of women, and witch-hunting. The book also shows how development can harm tribal communities. It makes readers think about how progress can sometimes hurt the lives of people who live close to nature.

When I Hid My Caste by Baburao Bagul

This anthology of short stories by Baburao Bagul translated from Marathi by Jerry Pinto talks about Dalit lives. The truth and the inhumanness are more than some readers will be able to bare. Imagine inhabiting these lives.

Bagul has always been famous for his crude and uncensored writing and he continues to do so in this excruciating book. It talks about prostitution, illicit affairs, the killing of animals for sacrifice and themes that may act as triggers for some readers.

But we need to face the truth behind these fictional stories. We have to stop analysing and grouping people based on their caste/religion. After reading this book I agree with the author when he says that it is a curse to be born a Dalit in India.

Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand

Imagine this day in your life.

On a day you wanted to sleep a little more, you were rudely woken up for work by your parents. When you got to work and were at your work religiously and sincerely, you got abused by your superiors for no fault of yours. Then you had to redo the work several more times.

Then while you were on to your next work, you accidentally made a mistake and were physically abused in a public square due to your profession, by people who believe themselves to be better than you. Then your sister was molested by one of these men, but you could not retaliate, owing to your profession.

Then dispirited when you went back home, your father kicked you out of the house for not completing the given work. Angry and sad you walked out to join your friends, your only place of peace, and there you were accused of killing a child you dearly cared for, once again only owing to your profession.

Meanwhile, you fill the hollow in your stomach with stale/leftover food donated by other people. You wear hand-me-downs from the so-called better people. Your house in the filthiest part of the city is surrounded by gutters, an area meant for people in your profession.

This was every day for Bakha, an Untouchable /Harijan /sweeper /latrine cleaner.

The book raises some very fundamental questions and I think every one of us needs to read this book for self-introspection.

The Sickle by Anita Agnihotri

Anita Agnihotri writes about important and difficult issues in her book. She talks about things like unfair treatment of women, violence because of caste, harsh working conditions, farmers taking their own lives, and climate change.

She tells these stories through the lives of farmers, migrant workers, and activists in parts of Maharashtra.

Her writing is honest, powerful, and caring, showing the tough realities of life in India today.

Father May Be an Elephant and Mother only a Basket but...by Gogu Shyamala

Gogu Shyamala's book, "Father May Be an Elephant and Mother Only a Small Basket, But..." is a collection of short stories from India. The stories are about everyday life in poor communities, focusing on people who are often treated unfairly because they were born into low castes.

Shyamala’s writing style is special. She uses stories that feel like fables, with a mix of magic and real life. The book is set in rural Telangana, where Shyamala grew up, and it’s inspired by her own childhood.

The stories talk about serious issues, like how people are treated because of their caste, the unfair treatment of girls, and the struggles of living in poverty. But they also show how strong Dalit women are. The stories highlight mothers who work hard to educate their children and keep their culture alive.

Dalit  Literature in English

Suits by Samartha

A graphic novel addition to this list. The suit offers a glimpse into the caste-based atrocities and the abuse blatantly imposed in the lives of safai karmacharis or cleaners and sweepers in our cities. Samarth, the author envisions a futuristic Mumbai where these workers have been given a life-saving suit before entering the hazardous filth of this society.

The author’s monochrome discussion and illustrations record the endless repetition of grief, indignity, and disaster in the lives of these sanitation workers.  His illustrations are filled with equal parts empathy and equal parts rage that holds a mirror to our society which has become mentally deadly and needs a thorough and urgent disinfection and clean-up.

Dalits have rights, as every human being has rights, but Suit makes us realize how this society does not accept these rights for Dalits.

Dalit literature has emerged as a powerful voice, shedding light on the experiences of a long-silenced community. These books have challenged societal norms and pushed for social justice, giving readers a window into Dalit history and culture.

This curated list offers a starting point to explore the rich world of Dalit literature. 

As we continue to learn and grow, let's keep the dialogue open and work towards a more inclusive society.