This Article First Appeared In Indian Express On October 12, 2022
Eighteen years ago, a team of writers prepared a lesson titled “Cast Out Caste” for students aged 13-14 in a series called ‘Living in Harmony’ (OUP ) pegged on translated excerpts from Dalit autobiographies by Omprakash Valmiki’s Jhootan and Bama’s Karukku. It was the first exposure millions of non-Dalit school-goers had to the outrage of casteism. The unit has since been expanded, as has its message. In the same series, a lesson for students aged 8-9 years ran a translated legend about an old woman who served buttermilk at the site of the Brihadeshwara temple.
Three years later, a teacher shared an anecdote: One of her students had asked his parents to distribute buttermilk to the workers at their apartment. This is language, translation, and values at work. I would plead for space in our educational plans for both Values Education and Translation.