1 Submitted on 18 June, 2019 Extended Comment: Gidla Sujatha, Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India, New York: FSG, 2017, 306 pages. Manumarxism: Chronicles of Dalits in the Brahmo- Communist Movement in India Suraj Yengde Department of African and African American Studies, Harvard University This is a coming-of-age story about the Kambhams, a genteel Dalit Christian family from Andhra. It is about their coerced consciousness of being born into an oppressed group—an untouchable group/as untouchables. Having endured irremovable scars of tragedies and pains, and carrying sacrifices on their sleeves, this story is about Dalits’ inescapable suffering and their isolation in the face of oppression. It charts the lives of the privileged who desire to strive for an egalitarian society, yet still maintain their oppression of others. This book chronicles the multi- stages in the harsh life of a family. This book shows how, in the spirit of encompassing revolution, Dalits earnestly work day and night to establish the order of equality so as to escape their harsh conditions. However, in this quest they end up losing hope in each ideologies that offer radical transformation. Satyam (SM), also known as K G Satyamurthy, and Manjula, Satyam’s sister, are the hero and heroine of the book. Satyam is a self-boasting, proud man who never bothered to learn basics like cooking, shaving, buttoning his own shirt; in short, he had the air of a “prince”. Manjula on the other hand is a bad ass radical and a forthright, staunch feminist. If I had to choose between the two, I would easily vote for Manjula for her indomitable spirit, caring and nurturing heart is felt throughout the book. A beautiful woman with charismatic confidence crosses the boundaries of village, district and the state, to get educated in the premier institutions of India in the Uttar Pradesh region, infamous for its hostility and notoriety against dark skinned South Indians. Amidst the severe language barriers and caste and gender hindrances, Manjula doesn’t give up, nor does she cow down to the bullying of the dominant caste Hindu girls and professors. Concentrating on her studies, she not only excels but becomes an exemplar. After getting married to a man ten years older than her, Manjula remains committed to the relationship and to her children. Suffering under the torturous regimen of her husband’s violence and his loosening morale, Manjula dares to live a life of dignity in spite of the mountainous barriers heaped on her. She takes care of her job and infants single-handedly in the most adverse conditions. Her workplace is atrocious. The boss is anti-Dalit and this multiplies Manjula’s grief. In the absence of her husband and any daycare, Manjula brings up her three children. The problems at work place, infants and poverty infected with caste-gender barriers, Manjula braves the odds and bequeaths one of the most important contributions that goes beyond Satyams’. And it is to be a self-reliant woman who is directing, supporting and birthing revolution. She lived a life of a revolutionary praxis. Giving her children the parental