This book was not what I expected from the description. I felt that it was more a description of rising from an impoverished life in India and the limitations that that imposed rather than the ongoing struggles of a family against their caste. The challenges of the parents were caste-related but it was less clear to me how caste affected the lives of the children.

This was fine. I wouldn't kill a bear to buy this book, but I might pull it off the buck table at Borders and give it a spin.

Interesting read. Have been curious about the Dalit (“untouchables”) movement in India. The author’s parents lived through the early days and much of the book is seen through theirs eyes and lives. Marriages were arranged and women taught to obey their husbands even as the husbands were activists for equal treatment. Would recommend for readers that like memoirs or have an interest in India.

True story of one Dalit family who rises beyond its birth status. Very interesting account of how Dalits were treated. Nonfiction.

This is a true story of how one couple, Damu and Sonu Jadhav dedicated their lives to help their children break free of the shackles of India's caste system. And behind their commitment is the towering inspiration of Babasaheb Ambedkar whose call to educate Dalit children became the motto of their lives. This book goes up along with Mistry's A Fine Balance and Sainath's Everybody Loves a Good Drought in helping me better understand the condition of Dalits in India.
I want to record some of the questions this book inevitably leaves you asking- why has nearly 70 years of 'progressive' democracy not been able to change the system? Education is often called a panacea. But has education been able to truly erase caste lines? I see very well educated people still entrenched in such thinking. Surely, going to school to learn math, english and science is not going to be enough. Also, caste is not going to go away by simply not talking about it. It needs to be tackled head-on. So, what can we do to accelerate change? I believe that a bit of empathy can go a long way. Given this, I find it very heartening to learn about studies that have shown how one can train oneself to become more empathetic. Stereotyping and prejudice against groups are part of the human condition but it is possible to eradicate them by training to see beyond groups and empathize with an individual's struggles, his dreams and aspirations.

A very inspiring account of a man's struggle to gain freedom, independence and dignity; to break free from the shackles of the Hindu caste-system. Thinking back, almost all my Hindu friends have brought up the caste-system to justify another Hindu's ill behavior, their misfortunes or ill-treatment by the government officials/general public. I never could understand any of it; the divide between the privileged and the untouchables, the underlying hatred and the ever-present shame. Suffice to say, Jadhav's story has shed much light on the topic. It is a story of his father's plight; his determination to stand up to a religious dogma, and educate his children for a better life. It is a story about millions of humans who are deemed 'untouchables' by the elite in India, resulting in a grossly uneven distribution of resources, housing and work opportunities. Even after reaching great heights of success, they are still addressed based upon their caste (esp. if belonging to a low caste) to remind them of their origin. It is cruel and unacceptable but Jadhav's story provides hope to many around the world struggling with this hurtful caste-system. I think he has delivered a very important message: Education must be everyone's right and not determined by their caste. If used correctly, education and knowledge can open great pathways.

Very insightful despite the confusing timeline jump at the beginning. Those poor people omg...

Wonderful read! Apart from the details about Ambedkar, his teachings and the struggle, the portrayals of Somu and Damu are very endearing and I found myself missing them once I finished the book. Very good book, highly recommended.

I loved how Jadhav brought the reader right into the daily lives of those in the untouchables caste, but I had a really hard time staying with this book. I appreciated the perspectives and light that was given to the struggles of the lower caste people in India, and it was very well described, but it was hard to stay interested when so much of it was just recounting various childhood memories.

I moved a lot. Happiness is from the rich as well as the poor. The poor have also their dreams and hapiness.

The family was from the lowest level in India with a cast system, They were untouchables. There was an untuchable movents and it helped them to get education.

Zeer interessant. Wij westerlingen weten in feite bitter weinig over dit land dat binnen afzienbare tijd het leeuwenaandeel van de wereldbevolking zal tellen. Hun godsdienst(en), hun sociale leefgewoontes, hun maatschappelijke relaties zijn voor ons onbekend terrein. Verder blijkt ook dat de Engelse kolonisatie een zeer groot aandeel gehad heeft in het misbruiken van het oude kastensysteem... en dat Mahatma Ghandi het kastensysteem niet wou afschaffen...
Het grootste deel van deze biografie speelt zich af tijdens het interbellum toen de Dalits (paria's) onder leiding van de charismatische Babasaheb Ambedkar opkwamen voor hun rechten en gelijkheid.
Het laatste stuk van het boek geeft het woord aan de nakomelingen van Dada aan het einde van de 20ste eeuw.
Het kastensysteem mag dan officieel misschien wel afgeschaft zijn, maar in de praktijk blijkt het nog altijd heel reëel te zijn en blijven de 150 miljoen Dalits, 1/10de van de bevolking, paria's, een verstoten en minderwaardige klasse.

If you never understood India’s 3,500 year old caste system, this memoir by Narendra Jadhav is a must read.
Building from Jadhav father’s diaries and family stories , he writes this story of his family journey and struggles to free themselves and their children from the caste system.
“Just as independence is necessary for India, change of religion is necessary for Dalits.Hinduism made us untouchables, and giving up Hinduism is the only way to bring touchability to our lives”. These are the words of Ambedkar Babasaheb , the great leader of the Dalit movement in 20th century India . He organized, United and inspired the Dalits to use political means to their goal of social equality. Babasaheb unflinchingly told the Dalits that any religion that does not recognize untouchables as human beings, treats them worst than animals, sees them as subhumans, refuses to give them water from public Wells , thinks the space they occupy is polluted is not worthy of being called a religion.

Babasaheb message resonated with the Dalits and it is why Jadhav parents with bitter sweet story telling was able to crawl out from underneath this caste system they were born into , albeit in the name of religion and through education found their voice.
“Yes, I do come from the Mahar caste. Yes, my father was barely literate, lowly employed, doing menial jobs to earn a meal for the family. Yes, my forefathers were untouchables and were required to wear clay pots around their necks to keep their spit from polluting the ground “. Narendra Jadhav thought that while he had gone on to receive an education and become an advise and chief economist of the reserve bank of India, the unfortunate truth is that he is always reminded of his caste. His caste is never cast off and remains an inseparable
Part of his identity.However he refuses to remain imprisoned by the stereotype of the caste system. Unfortunately until today there are millions of Dalits whose struggle for equality continues.
This is a moving educational story of India’s caste system. Well done!