Omprakash Valmiki Ka Antim Samvad (Hindi Edition)

Om Prakash Valmiki is a prominent figure in Indian Dalit literature. His autobiography, Juthan, in which he sheds light on many untouched social aspects of caste-based humiliation and oppression, is considered a milestone in Dalit literature. Born on June 30, 1950, in Uttar Pradesh, Valmiki completed his M.A., during which he faced economic, social, and mental oppression. He was awarded the Dr. Ambedkar Award in 1993, the Parivesh Samman in 1995, and the Sahitya Bhushan Award. Despite his insistence on Dalit identity, Om Prakash Valmikis writings reflect broad and profound concerns, and as such, his views on nation, religion, caste, and discourse presented in this book remain extremely relevant and timely. In 2012, while he was undergoing cancer treatment at Delhis Ganga Ram Hospital, young writer and Dalit literature researcher Bhanwarlal Meena, who was caring for him, had a lengthy conversation with him. This final conversation, while containing numerous confessions, also reinvents the Dalit perspective. This dialogue is unique in that the author, witnessing death up close, has presented the final essence of his life experiences. Omprakash Valmiki passed away in 2013. Bhanwarlal Meena, who teaches in the tribal region of Rajasthan, is a scholar of literature and discourse. He has published a book on tribal folk songs and is also associated with the small magazine Banas Jan.