When I Hid My Caste
When I Hid My Caste
When I Hid My Caste is a collection of ten short stories by Indian writer Baburao Bagul. The stories were written in Marathi as Jevha Mi Jaat Chorli Hoti and first appeared in the literary magazine Navyug in 1963. The English version, translated by Jerry Pinto, was published in 2018.
The stories focus on Dalit life and the harsh realities of caste discrimination, oppression, identity, and sometimes revolt. The title story, along with the others, shows how Dalits face humiliation and struggle for dignity. The collection is considered a landmark in Dalit literature and is praised for its raw, powerful portrayal of these lives. Scholars have called it an epic of Dalits and note that the stories give readers a sense of the pain and resilience of the Dalit community. They are often seen as social and political acts of rebellion against caste inequality.
The English edition runs 154 pages. This work helped Bagul become a major literary figure and offered new perspectives on Dalit life beyond mainstream depictions.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:55 (CET).