Speaking Sandals: Madiga Tales

About This Book

These have fascinating vignettes of Dalit folk-lore and oral history. When they first appeared in 1989, they were heralded as the first outpouring of the Madiga voice in Telugu literature. Writing with the imagery and cadence native to his community, the late professor Yendluri Sudhakar’s stories are told in an endearing style of visits to his village and reminiscing conversations with relatives and elders. He writes about origin myths, drummers, fierce fighters, skilled artisans, strong matriarchs and other fascinating characters. Underpinning the stories is a robust awareness of the constant re-negotiations of caste hierarchies.