Thread by @YashicaDutt

Dalit books need and deserve a western audience, more urgently than ever — If nothing else than to understand/explain India in 2019.

Unfortunately, western publishers (incl & esp US based) have a hard time believing that.

The subcontinent still carries an ‘exotic’ myth 1/n

So many conversations I have in the US hover around proving the veracity and validity of caste in Indian societies in 2019; both in India and globally

For that alone, the ‘idea of India’ needs to expand beyond ‘dark skinned women photographed in red outfits on book covers’ 2/n

As progressive and internationalist Western publishing is, caste + the Dalit identity is still considered a ‘small scale internal issue’.

Often stemming from the lack of understanding how caste runs EVERTHING in India.

3/n

Whose stories are heard,

Who gets to decide what they will be

Which narrative gets chosen and which one is ignored

Who are the intellectuals, academics, writers representing India on a global scale NEED to be viewed from the lens of caste.

Hint: barely any are Dalit.

4/n

All the clearly ‘upper’ caste narratives that get amplified in the West have created an idea of India where caste either doesn’t exist or simply doesn’t matter.

So most US publishers don’t consider it publish worthy or significant enough.

5/n

It’s the same myopia that doesn’t allow pluralistic narratives to emerge from minorities.

Because one idea of them (in case of the subcontinent — the ‘upper’ caste narrative) is enough.

Anything beyond won’t interest a global audience because they ‘can’t relate’.

6/n

Truth is a global audience is genuinely curious, even hungry for narratives that help make sense of the world

Esp in 2019, where prominent democracies (including India) are on the verge of imploding

West. pubs NEED to pay closer attention +create space for diverse stories. n/n