Parnika Jain - Week 4

Week 4
Parnika Jain

         Daya Pawar his autobiography “ Balute”  has taken a stance against the hierarchy of caste. He challenged the social order and asserted his identity. He exposes the despair faced by Dalits and the oppression they suffered when they were denied of their basic rights of food, clothing and other living conditions. They could only earn their livelihood by doing old jobs like cleaning the villages, disposing dead animal carcasses and other such menial jobs. Through Balute Daya Pawar portrays a story of a young Dalit child who works hard, fights to educate himself and how later on in life he is successful. He portrays the hardships faced by this boy. This book was published in many languages for which Daya Pawar received the Ford Foundation Scholarship. This story is set in rural Maharashtra. The lower caste were assigned a place outside the main village area. The villagers believed that this would stop the village from being polluted. This book is a portrayal of the life of the Mahar community in the late fifties and sixties. He also reveals his real name. Dagdu. How your name decides your profession. Other names like Kacharya which means dirt and Dhondya which means stones. How the Manusmriti prescribes a list of names for the Shudras. Balute refers to the village harvest which they would receive in return for all the menial jobs they did throughout the day. He remarks that even though he attained education it did not change the reality, but he will not let his past guide his future.

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