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Of caste, class and gender issues
The translation of Telugu novel ‘Sorajjem’, which depicts problems faced by Dalits in post-independent India, was released by Professor Gopal Guru (Centre for Political Studies, JNU) at Vidyaranya High School in Saifabad.
English translation of ‘Sorajjem’ launched
The translation of Telugu novel ‘Sorajjem’, which depicts problems faced by Dalits in post-independent India, was released by Professor Gopal Guru (Centre for Political Studies, JNU) at Vidyaranya High School in Saifabad.
Written by Akkineni Kutumba Rao, a well-known Telugu filmmaker, the book is one of the early Telugu novels written by a non-Dalit writer that shows Dalit issues. It was translated into English by Professors Alladi Uma and M Sridhar from Department of English, University of Hyderabad (UoH).
Expressing his opinion on the book, Prof. Gopal Guru said, “This is the story of the first sixteen years in the life of a girl named Sorajjem, born during the month of India’s Independence. It is also a story of the sufferings of her community. In this country, where Gandhian values run deep, caste oppression is comfortably entrenched. This story is set in the recent past. But it can well be a story of contemporary India.”
“This masterful translation by Alladi Uma and Sridhar captures the lived reality of inhumanity, alienation, displacement and sexual atrocity that the Dalits face in the country. It explores why seeds of revolution are sown in their lives. I believe the book has significant contribution to social sciences, caste equation. Many challenges of Dalits were answered by this book,” he added.
“Caste, class and gender are captured in historical questions of exploitation and domination in this book. It reminds us of paradox in the world. The book depicts real life incidents of Dalits. It explains the importance of humanities, social sciences and philosophy,” said Professor Kalpana Kannabiran, Director, Council for Social Development, Hyderabad.
Commenting on the translated version, Akkineni Kutumba Rao said, “I wrote this novel in 1973 and it was published in 1981. At that time, ‘Sorajjem’ had won the first prize in a competition by Swathi magazine. Professors Alladi Uma and Sridhar came to me and said they will translate it into English. And, they did a wonderful job with it.”
Dr Sowjanya Tamalapakula, Assitant Professor, School of Gender Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Professor Suneetha Rani, Centre for Women’s Studies, UoH were among those who attended and shared their views on the book.
