In time, these conflicts produced the chaturvarna system of society. There is a general consensus that the phenomena of caste and untouchability evolved over a period of time, as a result of conflicts over land, resources and cultural practices between people who called themselves Aryans when they began arriving in India about the beginning of the second millennium B.C. Caste system in India is deeply rooted and prevalent in India since time immemorial. The word caste is derived from the Portuguese casta meaning lineage, breed, or race. Caste System: An Overview India is one of the fastest growing and developing countries of the world yet it also has the society that follows the caste system.

This paper will try to understand how Om Prakash Valmiki has used his autobiography, 'Joothan', as a means of portrayal of pain and resistance against untouchability. The pain that the Dalits had suffered is unbearable which is very effectively portrayed in the autobiography of Om Prakash Valmiki's 'Joothan'. For many years, they have undergone heart-rending and traumatic experiences. Their life is marked with disgrace, humiliation, dishonor, suppression and discrimination. Dalit or the 'Shudras' have been suffering in the name of caste system. The literature that arises as an outburst against casteism is Dalit literature. Although, the constitution of India has abolished the caste system, it still lingers in many walks of life with its grasps as firm as ever on the minds of its people. Dalit Literature is uniquely Indian as it is a byproduct of an evil caste system that existed for centuries in our country. It started with the Marathi language and soon appeared in other Indian languages through narratives such as poems, short stories and most importantly autobiographies. This literature emerged into the forefront after 1960.

It forms an important and distinct part of Indian literature. Dalit Literature is the literature about the Dalits, an oppressed Indian class under the Indian caste system.

Joothan by Omprakash Valmiki