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_askthebookbug 's review for:
Ants among elephants.
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"You cannot tell them about your life. It would reveal your caste. Because your life is your caste, your caste is your life." - Sujatha Gidla.
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It's hard to sum up a book that is so honest and raw. The author talks about how her family and many others in Andhra had to face the atrocities of untouchability. This is the author's own story as she does her research and gathers all the information about her family.
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Untouchability was a major factor back when India was just free from the British. The caste system was taken seriously and anyone who breaks it had to pay hefty fines or were excommunicated. The book has two major characters. One being Sujatha's uncle Sathyam and her mother, Manjula. Sathyam was always a revolutionist. Being a college dropout due to poverty he started getting involved in politics and starts writing poems. Gradually he gets dragged into communist parties and he stays there for good.
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Manjula, was an intelligent woman who was always looked down upon by her friends for being black, skinny and untouchable. She was the closest comrade that her brother had and her interest piqued in matters outside the village. She like others first-handly experienced the injustice and various rituals that untouchables had to go through. How Hindus were converted to Christianity to survive poverty and afford education, how women were supposed to dress up plainly to not attract attention and how caste was above everything. Above God even.
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I expected this book to be focussed on untouchability and untouchability alone but the author explained about communism and politics that dates back to the Nizam and Nehru. The author herself was a young rebel who was jailed and tortured when she was just 19. This book to me was an eyeopener. I had of course, heard about caste system but this book contains every knowledge about how India became the nation that it is today.
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If you are expecting this to be a good entertainer then you'll be disappointment.There's no beating about the bush.I would rate this book 4.5/5.
🌸
"You cannot tell them about your life. It would reveal your caste. Because your life is your caste, your caste is your life." - Sujatha Gidla.
🌸
It's hard to sum up a book that is so honest and raw. The author talks about how her family and many others in Andhra had to face the atrocities of untouchability. This is the author's own story as she does her research and gathers all the information about her family.
🌸
Untouchability was a major factor back when India was just free from the British. The caste system was taken seriously and anyone who breaks it had to pay hefty fines or were excommunicated. The book has two major characters. One being Sujatha's uncle Sathyam and her mother, Manjula. Sathyam was always a revolutionist. Being a college dropout due to poverty he started getting involved in politics and starts writing poems. Gradually he gets dragged into communist parties and he stays there for good.
🌸
Manjula, was an intelligent woman who was always looked down upon by her friends for being black, skinny and untouchable. She was the closest comrade that her brother had and her interest piqued in matters outside the village. She like others first-handly experienced the injustice and various rituals that untouchables had to go through. How Hindus were converted to Christianity to survive poverty and afford education, how women were supposed to dress up plainly to not attract attention and how caste was above everything. Above God even.
🌸
I expected this book to be focussed on untouchability and untouchability alone but the author explained about communism and politics that dates back to the Nizam and Nehru. The author herself was a young rebel who was jailed and tortured when she was just 19. This book to me was an eyeopener. I had of course, heard about caste system but this book contains every knowledge about how India became the nation that it is today.
🌸
If you are expecting this to be a good entertainer then you'll be disappointment.There's no beating about the bush.I would rate this book 4.5/5.