​Dalit History Month: 10 Dalit literature you should read to educate yourself

​Every year, the Dalit history month is observed in April to acknowledge the struggles and fights for justice and equality of the Dalit community. In honour of the Dalit history month, here we list down 10 must-read books about Dalits that highlighted their issues and are also quite thought-provoking.

​‘Annihilation of Caste’ by B.R. Ambedkar is actually an undelivered speech by Dr. Ambedkar which he later self-published in 1936. The book is a real eye opener which focuses on the harmful effects of casteism in the Hindu society.

​‘Karakku’ by Bama is an unusual autobiography. In the book, Bama recreates her childhood in her village through a series of poignant memories and reflections. She also writes about her experiences as a Dalit and a woman. Originally written in Tamil, it was later translated in English.

​‘Kanshiram- Leader of the Dalits’ by Narayan Badri is an account of Dalit icon Kanshiram’s life and beliefs. Narayan in his book highlights the turn Kanshiram gave to Ambedkar's ideas.

​Image credits- Penguin Books Limited

​In this book, Kancha Ilaiah examines the socio-economic and cultural differences between the Dalit bahujans and other Hindus. The book also talks about the Hindutva narrative (ideology of the Hindu Right) among other themes.

Set in the newly independent India of the 1950s, Om Prakash Valmiki’s ‘Jhoothan- An Untouchable’s Life’ describes his life as a Dalit and chronicles their long-denied rights and sufferings. Originally written in Hindi, the book was later translated into English by Arun Prabha Mukherjee.

​‘Writing Caste/Writing Gender: Narrating Dalit Women’s Testimonies’ by Sharmila Rege is a compilation of Dalit women's writings and lives, and offers a counter narrative to mainstream assumptions about the development of feminism in India in the twentieth century.

‘The Prisons We Broke’ by Babytai Kamble is a graphic insight into the lives of the oppressed and downtrodden of India. The book contains memoirs depicting the miserable life of Dalit women in the Indian society. The book was originally written in Marathi and translated into English by Maya Pandit.

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