Devesh Kapur

Chandra Bhan Prasad

D Shyam Babu

Defying the Odds is about the new Dalit identity. It profiles the phenomenal rise of twenty Dalit entrepreneurs, the few who through a combination of grit, ambition, drive and hustle—and some luck—have managed to break through social, economic and practical barriers. It illustrates instances where adversity compensated for disadvantage, where working their way up from the bottom instilled in Dalit entrepreneurs a much greater resilience as well as a willingness to seize opportunities in sectors and locations eschewed by more privileged business groups. Traditional Dalit narratives are marked by struggle for identity, rights, equality and for inclusion. These inspiring stories capture both the difficulty of their circumstances as well as their extraordinary steadfastness, while bringing light to the possibilities of entrepreneurship as a tool of social empowerment.

The Rise of Dalit Entrepreneurs

Defying the Odds

The Dalit iconoclast makes a clear distinction between the backward castes (the Shudras), and Dalits or Untouchables. He was chased by his critics for holding this view and he took the bolder decision to give his ideas the shape of this book. The analysis may further the understanding of the caste divide in India in the context of reservation for backward classes. Urban educated members of forward castes and Shudras get agitated when they are charged with discriminating against Dalits. Dalit Phobia gives them the benefit of the doubt and may help them overcome their hate sense which Chandra Bhan says is passed on from generation to generation. Is Dalit Phobia a genetic disease? The author makes a strong case saying yes it is .

Chandra Bhan Prasad

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