Baburao Bagul: When I Hid My Caste

"The Pen is mightier than the sword" — Well, Bagul's writings are a testimony to it. His awe-inspiring writings have indeed left an indelible mark on the psyche of the Dalits and even the Savarnas. He has inspired generations of Dalits to challenge the prevalent unjust norms and be the forebearers of change for themselves.

The cover page of his book 'When I Hid My Caste' (English version); Image Source: Scroll

With Indian society becoming more vocal by the day about Dalit struggles, the groundbreaking stories of the Dalits have not only made their way into popular literature but also into movies. Dalit activists and writers had a tremendous role in this regard. What is more rewarding for the Dalits than someone from amongst them making it into the literary world and reaching the general public as their representative, becoming the voice of the voiceless?

For a community deprived of their fundamental right to dignity for so long, let alone education and other basic needs, making it as writers and entering the mainstream literature must have been quite challenging.

Right from the Bhakti Movement to the Modern period, we have seen a lot of powerful Dalit voices coming forth with their aspirations and sharing their plightful stories with their fellow countrymen. However, it was only Dalit writers like Baburao Bagul who shifted the trend from merely sympathising with the Dalits to one that inspired the readers, especially those belonging to the community, to become forces of change for themselves. Now this was a significant change and powerful per se, for it gave the marginalised people the authority to push for their own rights.

Born in the Nashik district of Maharastra to a poor Dalit family on 17 July 1930, Baburao Bagul was brought up in a similar condition as any other Dalit — amidst poverty, ostracisation, and with eyes constantly looking down upon him. He was an Ambedkarite Buddhist and likewise was influenced by the ideals of Marxism and Ambedkar.

His writings in Marathi were first published in the year 1963 in the form of an anthology titled 'Jevva Mi Jaat Chorali' (When I Hid My Caste). This book consisted of ten short stories and is till date considered an epic on Dalit literature. It was only in 2018 that this book was translated into English by Jerry Pinto. 'Maran Swast Hot Ahe' (Death is Getting Cheaper) and 'Sud' (Revenge) are among his other notable works.

Bagul set a groundbreaking precedence for the later Dalit writers. His pen acted like thunder. Much like the stories of Om Prakash Valmiki, the writer of Joothan- A Dalit's Life, his stories too were capable of evoking a sense of awe and disbelief among the readers. But unlike Mulk Raj Anand's Untouchable**,** which was written from an outsider’s point of view, Bagul’s stories were not merely an object of pity but also a guiding force for the resurrection of the Avarnas(those outside the Varna hierarchy) — a community he was a part of. His stories were born out of his shared experiences unlike those of Premchand or Anand who were Savarnas themselves.

In a short story titled Prisoner of Darkness, he describes the life of a Dalit woman who is doomed to become the concubine of an upper-caste landlord. She is forced to choose this life against an even worse life of prostitution, only to meet with a tragic end along with her son. Another story Bohadamakes the reader witness the exploitative rigidity of the society wherein Damu, the Dalit protagonist, is challenged to pay a lump sum amount in order to take part in the religious festival of Bohada. But an adamant Damu doesn’t step back and ultimately pays the entire amount, opening the forbidden gates for his generation and the next.

At a Dalit literature conference, Bagul once said, **“**Wailing pronouncements of sorrow do not mean Dalit literature. We want literature heroically full of life for the creation of [a new] society.”

Indeed his writings stood by this principle. His stories have inspired generations of Dalit writers to step into the mainstream and set examples for others in their community to follow. Bagul's words still inspire society to push for this change and move towards an egalitarian society — a society that Ambedkar dreamed of. Like Damu of Bagul's Bohada, the Dalits rise against all adversities to seize their rights which they have been wrongly denied since time immemorial.