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Growing up as a boy from the Parayar caste, in the milieu of Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities, K.A. Gunasekaran narrates the familiar tale of caste oppression and prejudice prevalent in the villages of Tamil Nadu. As the narrative unfolds, the reader is shown how the ‘low’ caste negotiates differently with the three religious communities. The deep pain of the Paraya surfaces through the risible anecdotes that ridicule the grievously unjust practices of the ‘upper’ castes. The book emphasises the fact that Indian villages are doubly caste-conscious and cruel, and that Dalit emancipation rests in better education for the community. Gunasekaran writes in an earthy and colloquial style to capture the innocence, cruelty and drama of a South Indian village. Considered the first modern Dalit autobiography in Tamil, The Scar is an important book calling for Dalit assertion and emancipation.

K.A. Gunasekaran was a teacher, folk-artist, dramatist and researcher. He was the dean of the School of Performing Arts at Pondicherry University. He was also the director of the International Institute of Tamil Studies.

V. Kadambari is Adjunct Professor of English, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), and former Director, Centre for Women's Studies (UGC funded), Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai. A bilingual writer and translator between Tamil and English, her works in translation include The Scar (2009, 2024) by K. A. Gunasekaran, Devi: The Boundless: A Daughter's Inward Journey (2020) by M. A. Susila, and Asthinapuram (2021) by R. N. Joe D' Cruz.

1. Book Feature | Published in the Caravan magazine, 1 April 2024.
2. Book Review | Published in Epitome: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, March 2023.
3. Book Review | Published in the Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR), December 2021.
4. Obituary | Folklorist Gunasekaran passes away | Published in The Hindu, 18 January 2016.