Sharankumar Limbale – författare

Sanatan is the gut-wrenching story of Bhimnak Mahar and his ilk, who have been subjected to barbaric abuse and inhuman discrimination by the upper castes over centuries. The story begins with the young Bhimnak in pre-Independence India. It then traverses time and geographical boundaries to end with Bhimnak's grandson. The circular narrative pattern is reflective of the endless cycle of pain that the Mahars are unable to break free from, no matter how hard they try, no matter where they go, no matter if they change their identity and religion. Using myths, the Puranas and historical texts as resources, Sharankumar Limbale rewrites Dalit history in this novel as he attempts to tell the truth, with an intention to build what he calls 'a new and progressive social order'.

Reflecting contemporary conflicts in India, this novel, translated from the Marathi into English for the first time, is set in a village in Maharashtra, where panchayat elections are due. Roused by the new Ambedkarite jalsa, folk theatre, of Tatya Kamble that graphically portrays the dalits' role in their own enslavement, dalits stand up for their self-respect and turn to political participation. Under the rules of reservation of seats in politics, the post of the village sarpanch falls to their share, and a dalit candidate is successfully fielded by his upper caste employers, leaving the upper castes frustrated and angry. What happens to caste relations, the new political consensus that emerges slowly, if violently, are delineated perceptively. The text switches from the first person narrative of a dalit, Milind Kamble, a friend of Tatya Kamble and also of the corrupt and dissolute upper caste twins, Gopichand and Manikchand, who aim to make politics a successful business investment. A third person narrator also exists, the text alternating between the two, playing up a dual perspective. Vividly showing the contradictions within most individuals and the plight of women who suffer gender injustice regardless of their caste, this novel points to our own compromises and complicities.