The Trauma of Caste: A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Healing, and Abolition

In the Trauma of Caste, Thenmozhi Soundararajancombines a meticulous analysis of the roots and origins of caste and the structures both ancient and modern that uphold them, with her own personal experience, making it one of the mostimpactful books. Her analysis starts with some of the ancient Hindu texts. when she says,"Imagine what it might feel like to be told your womb is a curse. As someone raised asa Hindu, I have to pause and hold space for the harm these texts cause", the readeralso pauses and feels the horror of the caste structure. She outlines that caste oppressionis tightly coupled with oppression of women. Her analysis expands to other religions and thedifferent countries in south Asia and concludes:" No one country or religion has offered safe harborfor Dalits, instead, all South Asian geographies beget caste violence." While she unflinchinglylays out the horrors of caste apartheid, she holds these truths within her Buddhist practiceof loving kindness, turning this book into one of healing, hope and redemption.Thenmozhi Soundararajan is a spiritual warrior on a heroes journey tomake this world a better place.

The Trauma of Caste is an excellent introduction to caste for non-South Asians who might be unfamiliar with the concept but, especially, and, perhaps most importantly, for caste privileged South Asians like myself who were never taught about the history of caste let alone how it continues to operate in South Asia and the diaspora. Part memoir, part history, part caste abolitionist primer, Soundarajan walks us through what caste is, its origins in Brahmanism, its intersection with gender, the environment, and technology, and its annihilation. Throughout, she shows us that the most damaging and lasting effect of caste is that it has divided us, severing our connections with each other and with our own humanity. As Soundarajan writes, “The dehumanization of caste destroys everyone.” There is no South Asian who has not been touched by the effects of caste.What makes this book stand apart is Soundarajan’s deeply passionate and compassionate voice, which offers an unflinching, unwavering critique of caste apartheid while at the same time modeling a pathway forward by fiercely advocating for the healing possibilities of radical love in the face of oppression. A Dalit feminist and practicing Buddhist, she approaches caste apartheid and caste abolition through the principles of discernment, loving kindness, and mindfulness and writes from a place of personal experience, bringing vulnerability and depth to her discussion of the somatic, psychic, and spiritual violence of caste.Whether you know nothing about caste or think you know something about it, I guarantee you will learn something new about caste and about yourself after reading this book! It is not only informative but also inspirational, an urgent call to collective action and collective healing from the traumas of caste.

The Trauma of Caste is a worthy successor to Dr. Ambedkar in its visionary analysis and epic sweep. Generations after independence, India has not only failed to annihilate caste, but entrenched it and spread it to the diaspora. With profound compassion and brilliant insight, Thenmozhi Soundarajan shows us the damning truths of caste in our time, and lights a path forward. Her accessible writing style and fact-based inquiry into the forces behind the recurring headlines of individual 'atrocities' make this book required reading: for South Asian organizers and academics, for anyone who works with South Asian people globally, and for all humans who care about equity and justice.

This is an essential and powerful text, and a needed window into the contemporary experience of caste in an Indian-American context. It needs to be widely read, and successfully casts light on the analogous operation of racism in other contexts as well. My only critique is that it does repeat a bit of the same material, which could lead to many readers putting the book down without finishing it, which would be unfortunate.

A long-awaited Non-fiction book on Caste covering various aspects of Caste based discrimination.Seems like the author has beautifully portrayed the title of the book "The Trauma of Caste" based on individual experiences and by sharing the caste-based sufferings of the characters reported in this book. I personally liked 'Meditation-I: The Existence of Caste' which provides contemporary incidences and 'Appendix-I' which gives a good reference to the reader about people who fought against caste system in India. People will be surprised to know that this disease is prevalent among all religions of the Indian-Subcontinent. This book is a must have for each public library and college library to educate the American public in general and students specifically about hidden and cruel aspects of Caste based discrimination.

Amazing book full of knowledge and delighted to read from a Dalit woman’s perspective. So empowering, and full of healing and meditation exercises which I apply to my daily life. A must read for anyone!! I’m so thankful to the author to have written this book. As a Dalit woman, this book is so needed and should be an urgent read on everyone’s list. Let us all build a future of caste liberation by reading this book. Jai Bhim!!!

This is a brilliant integration of several political liberation movements, psychology and Buddhism, as it applies to caste, generally overshadowed source of oppression. Truly amazing! It is helpful in its rich and diverse sources of references and keen analysis of a murky territory that developed over a millennia.

If you care about liberation for humanity, understanding the plight of the caste oppressed is key. Highly recommend