EDUCATION LIBERATES THE DOWNTRODDEN FROM THE SHACKLES OF CASTE DISCRIMINATION: A STUDY ON NARENDRA JADHAV’S ‘OUTCASTE: A MEMOIR’

Narendra Jadhav’s Outcaste: A Memoir is successful in constructing the dalit identity in the cosmopolitan terms and elaborating dalit politics into global perspective. He does not consider dalits to be located to one place, or even to one state or country but a community as citizen of the world. It is the story of Damu Runjaji Jadhav, the uneducated, engine-mechanic in Mumbai Railways and his family. As a dalit text, the memoir is beyond all shade of doubt, the representation of the assertive and vibrant dalit characters, the writing of dalit history and the formation of dalit identity in the global context. Damu is inspired by the philosophy espoused by Babasaheb Ambedkar and he also participated in Ambedkarite Movement. The slogan of ‘Educate, Organise and Agitate’ given by Babasaheb Ambedkar to his millions of untouchable brothers reverberates in the story. The influence of Dr. Ambedkar’s ideas made an activist out of Damu. He came to realize that it was not sufficient to remain content with being able to live one’s life and provide for the family. The aim of this paper is to emphasize that education helps the downtrodden to refine quality of life and liberate themselves from the exploitation of caste. The book ends with the realization that further change is required. The world has to stop treating dalits as different. It is up to the present generation to carry the torch lit by the tears and blood of their ancestors.