Joothan

An Untouchable's Life

By: Omprakash Valmiki, Arun Prabha Mukherjee

Write A Review

Paperback | 2 July 2008 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
208 Pages

Age
22+

Dimensions(cm)
2.17 x 1.42 x 0.13

Paperback

$78.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $19.75 with

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

Omprakash Valmiki describes his life as an untouchable, or Dalit, in the newly independent India of the 1950s. "Joothan" refers to scraps of food left on a plate, destined for the garbage or animals. India's untouchables have been forced to accept and eat joothan for centuries, and the word encapsulates the pain, humiliation, and poverty of a community forced to live at the bottom of India's social pyramid.

Although untouchability was abolished in 1949, Dalits continued to face discrimination, economic deprivation, violence, and ridicule. Valmiki shares his heroic struggle to survive a preordained life of perpetual physical and mental persecution and his transformation into a speaking subject under the influence of the great Dalit political leader, B. R. Ambedkar. A document of the long-silenced and long-denied sufferings of the Dalits, Joothan is a major contribution to the archives of Dalit history and a manifesto for the revolutionary transformation of society and human consciousness.

Industry Reviews

"As an editor and writer, Valmiki has done much to stake out a space for Dalit literary expression, well exemplified by this narrative. Fascinating cultural and personal history." -- Booklist "Mukherjee offers English-language readers an accessible translation of Valmiki's engaging memoir that will prove invaluable." -- Maggie Ronkin, The Journal of Asian Studies

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $89.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Society & Culture Social Groups Social Classes Social Issues & Processes Social Discrimination & Inequality History Regional & National History Asian History Literature, Poetry & Plays Biographies & True Stories Biographies

Fiction Modern & Contemporary Fiction Science Biology, Life Sciences Computing & I.T.Computer Programming & Software Development

Foreword	p. ix
Preface to the Hindi Edition	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xvii
Joothan	p. 1
Glossary	p. 155
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Joothan

An Untouchable's Life

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Biographies

The Mushroom Tapes

Conversations on a Triple Murder Trial

Bread of Angels

Memorial Days

Longlisted for the 2026 Stella Prize

True Spirit

The Aussie Girl Who Took on the World

You with the Sad Eyes

An unflinchingly honest and darkly funny memoir

Paul Kelly : The Man, The Music and The Life In-Between

Errol Flynn

The true story of Australia's Hollywood icon

Oscar Piastri

The Rapid Rise Of An F1 Star

Touching the Sky

The extraordinary story of an Australian trailblazer who became the longest flying female airline pilot in the world

Ellen Savage and the Heroes of AHS Centaur

from the bestselling author of SISTER VIV and MARY PENFOLD

Flamingos Aren't Born Pink

A moving and uplifting memoir on heartbreak, grief and finding joy, by Brisbane radio personality and podcaster

Love Like This

A Memoir

Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!

My Memoir - The instant #1 Sunday Times Bestselling Memoir

Rasputin

And the Downfall of the Romanovs

You Better Believe I'm Gonna Talk About It

Bonfire of the Murdochs

Betrayal

Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family - From the bestselling author of Revenge

Not Just a Bunnings Man

The life and times of Tom (G.M.) Bunning

She Who Tastes, Knows

A memoir of food, exile and awakening

Let it be Tough

Train your mind to perform under pressure

Back On My Feet

From doctor to patient, a moving and inspirational memoir of traumatic injury, faith and hope, for readers of Turia Pitt and Emma Carey

Bitza 1

Bitza 2

Rules? What Rules?

Steve Irwin

A Little Golden Book Biography

This product is categorised by