3 Review(s)

This book is a detailed account of the lives of the people of the Mahar community in Maharashtra. It is the first autobiography by a Dalit woman in Marathi, and is probably the only one of its kind in India. The book is the story given from the view of Baby Kamble about the Mahar society before it was impacted by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Summary of the Book The Prisons We Broke is a graphic insight of a lives of the oppressed and downtrodden of India. It is also a view of the patriarchal beliefs of our society. However, you will not find any amount of self-pity anywhere in the writings in this book. Read into the festivals, rituals, marriages and the hard lives of the people and the women of the Mahar community. The book is part of the series, Literature in Translation, which is a collection of significant literature from Indian languages. Upon reading this book, one will get the rare opportunity to study the way Dalit women have constructed their own identity and re[present their community. About Baby Kamble Baby Kamble is a veteran of the Dalit movement Maharashtra. She lives in Phalatan, a small district in the Satara district of Maharashtra. She has been inspired by the leadership of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, and has involved herself with the struggle from a very young age. She has been awarded for both her literary and social work. Many of her poems have also been published. About Maya Pandit Maya Pandit is an activist who has been involved with the women’s and teacher’s movements in Maharashtra for two decades. Her research papers are on issues in women’s movements and education have been published. She is associated with the alternative Marathi theater, and has translated many Marathi plays to English. Maya is currently working as a professor and teacher educator at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad.