MillenniumPost

"The Elephant Chaser's Daughter" | Book of a different world: The story we never wanted to hear

Price:   295 |  9 Sep 2017 3:28 PM GMT  |  Sayantan Ghosh

Book of a different world:  The story we never wanted to hear

“I am a product of two worlds and each world has given me a reason to love, be kind and grow strong,” this quote from the book ‘The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter’ by Shilpa Raj summarises the entire story. At the time when casteism is the most discussed issue, at the time when discrimination against Dalits has shaken the soul of India again, Shilpa, a 20-year-old girl, writes her story of her own world.  This book, released on July 28, 2017, is a retrospective where the author narrates her childhood in a poor Dalit family and she herself being the elephant chaser’s daughter. 

Raj was born into a Dalit family in the south Indian village of Thattaguppe. The book has 18 chapters, with every chapter describing the journey of the author. She never holds back her emotion in the book and writes what she remembers. The book starts with the chapter ‘An Unexpected Departure.’ From the very first line in the book, Raj draws the picture of fear and sadness, the regular companion of a family which is tagged “untouchable” because of its cast. “It was so unlike him to weep. But there he was, the elephant chaser, all by himself...” at the very first line of her narrative she describes the reality. 

Raj’s writing is fearless but she never falls into the trap of politics with castes. In the book, she has been a critic of life, not the governments or political parties. The discussions on the castes always get a political colour but the author has maintained a conscious distance from it which has made the book an easy read. The story speaks on the behalf of millions of families in the country who face continuous discrimination.

The author was chosen to go to a special school but her younger sister and brother stayed behind with her parents, whose relationship existed within restrictive roles. Raj describes her family very minutely. In her book, she talks about her mother’s courage and authority on one side but on the other side, she describes the marital conflict with violence. Raj narrates that studying at Shanti Bhavan meant learning how to swim and speak English, how to enjoy good food and also to avoid

an early marriage.

This book is a document of women empowerment. The way she fought her existence through, the way she showed her courage at every step going against the norms and beliefs of the society will give the reader much room to visualise that creating an identity is not fancy but a necessity. Raj not only fought against the social norms but fought with her family too.

“I had earlier asked my uncles to take me, but they too rejected my request without giving any reason,” Raj writes to narrate her fight with the family. The death of her sister, struggle of her mother, the life of her father and amidst all Raj herself has become the story. 

The fearless writing, the extraordinary narrative, and the courageous life make the book a worthy read. A girl from a poor Dalit family will take you to a different world and teach you what struggle

is all about. 

Share it