untouchable

Written in 1935, and set around the same time, this book seeks to demonstrate the plight of the untouchables of India. This story follows just one day in the life of Bakha, a young man in the sweeper caste. He lives with his father, his younger brother and younger sister, and cleans the latrines, while his father sweeps streets and the temple courtyard.

The day we follow, begins positively enough for Bakha when, after having cleaned the latrines fo the fourth time, he is promised a second hand hockey stick from Havildar Charat Singh. From there it is all downhill. His father feigns an injury and sends Bakha to perform his own sweeping duties, and events unfold from there.

I enjoyed this book while it was following Bakha's day, but I thought it lost form at the end where Gandhi makes an appearance to give a public lecture. Here it becomes a lecture to the reader, one that the main character himself only understands a small amount of.

For me the end of the book didn't give closure - I won't go into detail, as there would be spoilers, but the story just sort of ran out of steam.

3 stars.