The idea of a home is at the heart of Pulayathara, which is not only the first Dalit novel on record (1963) but also one of the founding texts of the Dalit Christian movement in Kerala. It opens with a near vision of Thevan Pulayan’s intense attachment to land; it then leads on to his displacement after decades of devoted service to his upper-caste landlord who, overnight, deprives him of both home and livelihood.

Beginning with Pulayathara, the theme that runs through all of Chirakkarode’s works is casteism in Christianity: the role of the Church in the continued enslavement of the Pulayar and the psychological effect it has on a people who abandon their ancestral gods to embrace the new faith. Without a doubt, the Dalit converts for physical and emotional security as well as survival. However, inevitably, disenchantment follows and the search for ‘home’ continues.

Is the Dalit Christian any better off than he was before conversion?

Contents: Introduction by Catherine Thankamma. 1. The Field of a Thousand Measures of Paddy. 2. Cracks Appear. 3. Impasse. 4. The Break. 5. Asylum. 6. For a Spiritual Awakening. 7. Preacher Stephen Arrives. 8. Temptation. 9. Look at the Birds in the Air. 10. Outha Pulayan’s Warning. 11. In the Name of the Living God. 12. Heartbreak. 13. Harvest. 14. Conversion. 15. The Desire to Marry. 16. Thoma’s Petition for a Home. 17. Pathros Agrees to the Wedding. 18. Changes. 19. Life. 20. Being a New Christian. 21. A Storm. 22. Paulos and Outha Pulayan. 23. Paulos Addresses His People. 24. A Child Is Born. 25. Life Unfurls. 26. Yearning. 27. Towards a New Tomorrow.