Narendra Jhadhav (b.1953) is an eminent Indian economist, writer and educationist known for his contributions to public policy and social justice. His, "Untouchables: My Family's Triumphant journey out of the caste system in Modern India", is a personal and historical account of his family's rise from extreme poverty and oppression. 'Up Against Bondage' is an excerpt, that deals with his father Damu, a mahar man, who was a Yeskar of Ozar village in 1930 performing menial tasks for upper caste officials. Moreover, it sheds light on the brutal realities of untouchability and the eventual defiance of Damu against the upper caste officials. No doubt, the movement for social equality led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, gave the courage to Damu like people to challenge the, then inhuman practices.
In a hot afternoon Damu, the yeskar of Ozar village, ran outpacing the horse of Mamledar, a senior revenue official and alerted the village of his arrival. After the departure of the Mamledar, he was about to go and have his breakfast. But a policeman came and asked him to go and guard a dead body found floating in the broken well by the mangroves. As he had to stay there near the well until the Fauzdar and the police party inspect and write the report, he asked the policeman to allow him to go home and have his food. But the policeman denied permission. Damu, who was sick with hunger guarded the disfigured and swollen body of a woman the whole night. When the policeman came to check him, Damu asked him at least to inform his wife about his duty there, so they could bring food to him. But the policeman shouted and said that he was not his messenger.
However, the next day, his cousin Namya came with a few bhakris sent by his wife Sonu. But Damu didn't eat and said that he would be beaten if the officials caught him eating. Then the Fauzdar and others came. He asked Damu to get the dead body out from the well. But Damu said that as the dead woman belonged to the high caste, it would be sacrilege if he touched the body. Though the Fauzdar cracked his whip on Damu, he was not ready to take the body out. When he was beaten again he said he wouldn't do even if he is killed. However, the Patil intervened and asked the Fauzdar to forgive Damu. When Damu's wife Sonu was applying oil on Damu's back. Raghoji, the eldest of his cousins came and shouted at Damu for his breaking the tradition by questioning the authorities. Damu yelled at him saying whether treating the Mahars worse than cats and dogs is tradition. Raghoji left the house asking Sonu to put some sense into Damu's head. However, when Damu managed to get to his feet, in the midnight he pulled at Sonu's hand and led her out of the hut. Sonu grabbed a few bhakris and a couple of saris and Damu's dothis and left the hut. They decided to go to Mumbai. Thus they started walking towards freedom.
Thulasidharan V
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