Land, Guns, Caste, Woman

For those with other entitlements, especially the urban rich, casting their vote may mean nothing. (I for one have never voted despite trying to do all my work within the frame of law and democracy.) But to the village poor, it is a sign of one’s worth. ‘Am I a corpse that I cannot vote,’ was the unfailingly constant answer when I asked people why they voted when all it brought them was a few rupees and a bottle of liquor.

I wanted to know more about the caste based oppression in India. So, picked up this memoir by Gita Ramaswamy and it did not disappoint. It is refereshingly honest and uses simple language.

There is struggle, fear, success, disappointment, resentment, acceptance, love, war and humanity.