‘The Marginalized Self: Tales of Resistance of a Community’ review: On the periphery of change

A narrative on marginalised communities questions the top down prescription of development

Can a solitary heroic deed by one among an entire community uplift it from its century-old demeaning tag as rat-eaters? Could conversion of the culture of pig-rearing into a thriving business move the marginalised into the centre of society? Has political representation in recent times helped a community lift itself out of the hierarchical social construct? Dasrath Manjhi’s landmark efforts in cutting through the hillock with a mere borer and a hammer; Babu Majhi’s success with conversion of pig-rearing tradition into a roaring business; and, Jitan Manjhi’s drawing political capital in a caste-dominated politics — did they help correct the stigmatised image of Musahars? The Musahars have a sizeable population in Bihar, and limited numbers in the neighbouring states of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Five chapters deal with the lived realities of Musahars who find themselves at the crossroads of human development, marred as much by the denial of development as their own culture of resistance to the process of enforced change.