Niyogi Books announced the release of its most recent book, Worlds Within Worlds, written by Ajay Navaria and translated from the Hindi original Udhar Ke Log by Nita Kumar. This novel, which is published under the Thornbird imprint, is a coming-of-age story about a young man’s experiences as he develops into a unique person and discovers the meaning of caste and untouchability, as well as whether or not education can effect change.

Worlds Within Worlds is a true-life novel that was translated from the Hindi original Udhar ke Log. It is the first-person narrative of a young man in Delhi and his family, quiet and reflective. He holds liberal opinions and works as a lecturer at a university. His acquaintances work in the public sector and private industry, while his spouse is a physician. The main characters in this story appear to be middle-class, although they are all Dalits. The conflict between class and caste—namely, whether a Dalit may be middle-class—lies at the core of the narrative. Hence, debates on the definitions of “caste” and “untouchability” were initiated.

Is education a tool for emancipation? The main protagonists endure discrimination due to their names and backgrounds, but they also experience emancipation due to their education and qualifications, which causes them to be in conflict. Not only does caste not define the plot, but it also explores the sexual and love experiences of a young man, family dynamics, and social consciousness.

Readers will undoubtedly be forced to consider ideas of friendship, love, and devotion to a person or cause, as well as caste, class, and religion, as well as familial and societal dynamics.

Author Ajay Navaria said “Caste is not only the social reality of India. Unfortunately, it is also the economic, political, and cultural reality of the country. Thus, the idea of caste has a profound impact on Indian people’s lives as well as their human senses, including love, friendship, a cooperative spirit, compassion, rage, generosity, etc”.

“The translation of a novel like Udharke Log is a double treat. Firstly it is a linguistic treat. You get to experiment with the subtleties of both Hindi and English while enjoying the two languages you are translating from and to. You step into two different cultural realms and get to experience the shifts between them, just like in translation. And second, a treatise on sociology. In this book, the subject—a Dalit family—becomes very familiar to you. You are allowed to practically co-own this valuable land since someone else has put in the work” said translator Nita Kumar.

The price of the paperback book is Rs 495.

Priyanka Dutta