Author: Pawar Daya
Place: New Delhi
Publisher: Speaking Tiger Publishing Pvt Ltd
Year: 2015
Pages: 299
ISBN: 978-93-85288-20-3
Subject: Bomaby/ Mumbai
Sub-Subject: Bomaby
Keyword: Dalit Autobiography
Shelf: C3R4
Accession No: B1210
Contents: Preface Translator’s Introduction Prologue
Abstract: *Baluta*, the first Dalit autobiography published in Marathi in 1978, caused a sensation and became a landmark in Indian literature. Set in 1940s–50s Mumbai and rural Maharashtra, it exposes the brutal realities of untouchability and caste violence while highlighting the resilience and dignity of the Dalit community. Uniquely introspective, the author, Daya Pawar, candidly reveals his own flaws, desires, and contradictions, as well as those within the Dalit movement’s leaders. Blending personal narrative with social commentary, *Baluta* offers a vivid, raw portrayal of life in Maharashtra’s villages, urban slums, chawls, and underworld, making it a powerful socio-literary document.