ได้อ่านบทรีวิวของท่านอื่นๆ เห็นด้วยกับเรื่อง Timeline งงๆ เหมือนเราอ่านไดอารี่ เส้นเรื่องเริ่มต้นที่กลางเรื่องแล้วย้อนกลับไปเล่าเรื่องในอดีตเพื่อที่จะมาให้ถึงปัจจุบันแล้วช่วงปลายไปถึงอนาคต จากการอ่านได้เห็นการตื่นรู้การต่อสู้ของชนชั้นจัณฑาล วิถีชีวิต เราเคยคิดเหมือนบาบาเฮปตอนเด็กๆ ว่าเออ ก็ออกจากศาสนานั้นดิ ก็จบละมะ ในเมื่อศาสนานั้นไม่เห็นหัวพวกคุณ แถมยังกดไว้อีก แล้วศาสนานั้นก็อาศัยเรื่องความเชื่อ เรื่องเล่า มันไม่ได้เกิดมาจากสิทธิมนุษยชนตั้งแต่แรกอยู่แล้ว คาดหวังให้ศาสนาเปลี่ยนคงยาก (อันนี้มุมมองเรานะ) แต่ที่ติดใจอยู่มากในเล่มคือ ไม่เห็นด้านเฟมินิสเลย ผู้หญิงถูกด้อยค่ายิ่งกว่าด้อยค่า ถูกกำหนดกะเกณฑ์หน้าที่อย่างมาก แทบไม่มีอิสระในความคิดตัวเอง แต่อย่างว่าขนาดคนจะเท่ากันยังยาก แล้วความเท่าเทียมระหว่างเพศก็คงต้องรอไปอีกหน่อย แต่เข้าใจว่าในอินเดียปัจจุบันนี้ก็ดีขึ้นเยอะแล้ว แต่ในชนบทก็อาจจะยังคงมีอยู่บ้าง

i'm amazed. brilliant editor. story of family unfolds through chapters--perspective changes back and forth from husband to wife. gandhi v. ambedkar. hinduism v. buddhism. feels like i'm right there. nagging mothers. bhakris day in day out. overthrowing tradition--some traditions. marriage age 10. how to galvanize and organize a population that is poor and overworked and bound to the religion and social order that maintains they are irrevocably LOW? this is one family's story.

I learned a lot about the caste system in India. For that reason, I would recommend this book.

There was a LOT of rough language, mostly at the beginning, from men of upper castes heaping abuse on those of the Dalit caste. The story is heartbreaking but also hopeful, and it was interesting to learn of Babasaheb and his work to improve life for the people enslaved by the Hindu caste system. There is much detail about Hindu rituals and worship practices, and a bit about Buddhism.

Anyone seeking to understand Hindu culture and help provide humanitarian relief to the poverty-stricken lower classes of India or Nepal, would likely find this memoir enlightening.

DNF (made it to page 52), but enjoyed what I did read. Still giving this 3-stars because it's not the book's fault that I ran out of time, book club happened and I just couldn't go back to finish this.

Subject was something I knew nothing about and learned a lot from the little I read. Some of the more memorable passages are below.

"The untouchables themselves were indoctrinated in the theory of karma, which stated that they were burdened with demeaning tasks only because of their own misdeeds in past lives. Their dharma--duty--now was to perform their tasks assiduously with the hope of redeeming themselves and aspiring to a better life in the next incarnation. A person belonging to a sweeper caste had to dutifully carry human excrement on his head with the hope that he could look forward to bettering his lot in another life." - p. 4

"Education for the untouchables in the army gave them a new vision and a new sense of self-worth. They realized that the low esteem in which they were held was not an inescapable destiny but a stigma imposed on them by the priests. They felt the shame of it and were determined to get rid of it." - p. 7

"We returned to Mumbai only to learn that the orthodox highborn of Mahad had the Brahmin priests "purify" the "desecrated" reservoir by pouring into it 108 pots of curd, milk, cow dung, and cow urine amid loud religious chants. The symbolic march to the Chavdar tank kindled in us untouchables the flame of dignity and self-respect. It was the beginning of our awakening." - p. 39

"She slurped her tea, and continued, "Accept your husband. That is the reason why we have been given our long, flowing padar for the sari. It is big enough to accommodate all the shortcomings of our men, and long enough to cover them with the shade of our understanding." - p. 48

You are born into a society in which you cannot exercise your free will. Not because you don't have the ability or resources. But because its a consequence of history. That's how it has always been and that's how it will always be. Choose to break these centuries old traditions and you will be ill-treated, raped, ostracized or even lynched. Is it your fault for being born an untouchable or the society's for perpetually making you believe so?

Untouchables (or Dalits) around India took the fault upon themselves and believed it to be the prescribed path of life. While others chose to challenge the status quo. Dr Jadhav's father, Damu, is one of them.

Dr. Narendra Jadhav is an economist and a nominated MP currently. He was previously the Chief Economist of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This book is all about how Damu broke free from the the label untouchable and built a future free of constraints for his children and beyond.

Rebelling against the norm takes courage and determination. The future is uncertain but you know that the status quo is unacceptable. That's why very few make the leap of faith and chart the way forward for the rest to follow. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the beacon for the untouchables. Damu was one of Dr. Ambedkar's steadfast followers.

"I wonder how many swans waste their lives thinking of themselves as ugly ducklings, trapped and punished by the inequities of our caste system. Countless Dalits were inspired to search for the swan within after Babasaheb Ambedkar touched their lives." - Dr. N. Jadhav

India has already had a Dalit President and a Dalit Chief of Justice. I'm believing that the discrimination is already on its decline. No one must be made to believe that they are ugly ducklings from birth and everyone in the society has a role to play (which sadly makes this entire detoxification process span across several generations).

The book must be valued for being written from the viewpoint of a follower in contrast to the famous text titled "Annihilation of Caste" describing the caste system from a top-down perspective.

Though a very insightful recount of Damu's life, it lacked the excitement. Maybe I'm biased after reading crime and war books on Veerappan, Prabhakaran & Genghis Khan back-to-back.

#จัณฑาล
#นเรนทรา จาดฮาฟ:เขียน /วีระยุทธ เลิศพูนผล :แปล

#เพราะปกหลังที่บอกว่าจัณฑาลนั้นต้องห้อยหม้อที่คอเพื่อเอาไว้บ้วนน้ำลายของตัวเอง/ต้องพกไม้กวาด ไว้กวาดรอยเท้าของตัวเองเวลาเดินไปไหนๆ(รอยเท้าจัณฑาลถือเป็นสิ่งอัปมงคล) แค่เงาทอดผ่านก็เป็นเสนียดจังไร....
ดึงดูดให้เราสนใจอยากอ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้

This is an incredible story. The obstacles his family had to surmount were staggering. He did a lovely job of writing about his parents.

This book is an interesting biography, especially due to the sense of humour of author.. But at some points author sounds exaggerating, and the book is not as deep into caste system as it should've been.. Still, worth reading once..

สนุกเกินคาด ได้ความรู้มากมาย ทั้งด้านศาสนา วัฒนธรรม การเมือง