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In percentage terms, Punjab has the highest Dalit population in India (around 30% of its population). But in spite of that, Punjabi Dalit writing has struggled to find recognition.

Initial writings about Dalit issues were largely by the stalwarts of Punjabi literature like Nanak Singh, Gurbaksh Singh Preetlari, Kulwant Singh Virk and Gurdial Singh. Since the 1970s, though, Punjabi Dalit writing has undergone a shift in consciousness with the emergence of Attarjit, among the earliest Dalit writers to make a mark. Soon, others like Prem Gorkhi, Mohan Lal Phillauria, and Bhagwant Rasulpuri emerged.

Gangrene is an attempt to compile some of Punjabi literature’s most powerful short stories on Dalit themes and issues. Carefully curated by Akshaya Kumar and Navdeep Singh, this volume features stories on a variety of issues ranging from caste identities and rural exploitation to urban life and housing. Searing in its indictment of casteism, this volume is a window to a better understanding of Punjabi society.

In Delhi, in the 1970s, the sons and daughters of SP Chopra, one of India’s political architects, live together in a sprawling complex – A-19 Modern Colony – vying for influence...

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