Living in the Margin : A Study of Bama’s Karukku.

Abstract

Bama published her autobiography “Karukku” in 1999. This unusual autobiography helps the reader understand the lives of the Tamil Dalit Christians. Even though Bama’s purpose of writing the book was to heal her “inward wounds”, the book has touched the heart of the readers. Karukku helps us understand the realities of the lives of Dalits. Bama looks at various aspects of the Dalit reality – a village which is divided on the basis of caste, Paraya men and women who cannot seem to overcome poverty in spite of working hard, children who are forced to learn lessons of untouchability at a very young age, the apathy of the church etc.  An in-depth study of the text throws light on the pains of caste discrimination, untouchability and poverty that Dalit Christians experience. This paper, by the study of Karukku, tries to understand the realities of the Tamil Dalit Christians.