Bama's Sangati: An Introduction

Sangati by Bama is one of the earliest and most vociferous expressions of Dalit feminist consciousness. Through gossips, giggles, and ghosts, Bama paints an almost photographic, yet creative picture of a community that breathes through the pages of the novel. Originally published in Tamil in 1994, it has received a readership of many languages. Lakshmi Holmström’s English translation of the same retains many of the original Tamil words, and, through her peculiar inflections, makes one wonder if it is anything but original. This subversive text bears the testimony of lives lived on the anvil of suffering yet is positively charged with a robust optimism that believes, “Even the ocean will support us, if we only dare.