Book Review : Sanatan

Book Name: Sanatan
Author: Sharankumar Limbale

Publisher: Vintage Books (Imprint of Penguin Random House)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Hardcover

Print length: 248 pages 

Rating: 4/5

Sanatan by Sharankumar Limbale is historical fiction translated from Marathi to English by Paromita Sengupta that depicts the inhuman discrimination towards Mahars by the upper caste.


Blurb on Amazon


Sanatan is the gut-wrenching story of Bhimnak Mahar and his ilk, who have been subjected to barbaric abuse and inhuman discrimination by the upper castes over centuries. The story begins with the young Bhimnak in pre-Independence India. It then traverses time and geographical boundaries to end with Bhimnak’s grandson. The circular narrative pattern is reflective of the endless cycle of pain that the Mahars are unable to break free from, no matter how hard they try, no matter where they go, no matter if they change their identity and religion. Using myths, the Puranas and historical texts as resources, Sharankumar Limbale rewrites Dalit history in this novel as he attempts to tell the truth, with an intention to build what he calls ‘a new and progressive social order’. Limbale not just brings his reader face to face with uncomfortable realities, he also suggests what could be an alternative social order in the future.


Review


The plot begins with Bhimnak Mahar, leading to the end with his grandson, reflecting the endless struggles of Dalits and discrimination by the upper caste. In this book, readers would feel each emotion and witness the imagery of the sequence of events depicting the painful history of Dalits (Bhimnak Mahar and his class). It is an evocative and heart-wrenching novel that draws the centuries-old oppression against Dalits. The author tried to bring in some real events and their impacts on the lives of different communities and how the conversion from one religion to another did not ease the lives but rather complicated them.


Readers would notice that each character, from the Mahars community, villagers, or the Britishers, displays unique emotions, allowing readers to picture how each character would feel in a particular situation. The resolution of Bhimnak and Sidnak to work for the welfare of their people depicts strength and resilience. 


The author's writing style is filled with raw emotion, depicting the despair, anger, and resilience of the Mahar community. Readers would unfold the harsh realities of the pre-independence life of the Dalits. The author did not shy away from putting the injustice and inequality. His research is the embodiment of the efforts he put into drawing the real events in this book through fiction. 


The beauty of this novel lies in a circular portrayal beginning with Bhimnak to ending with his grandson, illustrating the cyclic nature of oppression and caste discrimination. The powerful social commentary would let readers grasp the impacts of acceptance, i.e., acceptance of deficient states would lead to worse situations. But once someone decides to fight for what is right things can get better. In this novel, the Mahars tried to come forward numerous times to fight against injustice, and the results were fatal. They threatened the officials and upper castes.  


Readers with weak hearts would find some depictions of violence and discrimination disturbing. It has violence, brutality, and injustice. But the book needs to be read by as many people to explore themes like violence against a particular community because even today, there are places where such incidents take place, so we all need to understand our moral duty against such oppression. 


If you are looking for historical fiction based on real events, this book is a must-read.


Buy it from Amazon - Sanatan

I’m participating in #TBRChallenge2024 by Blogchatter.

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