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...

An autobiography by Daya Pawar, originally written in Marathi in 1978. This book introduced autobiographical writing to Dalit Literature. ©Speaking Tiger Publishing Pvt Ltd.