The Boy Who Asked Why
by Sowmya Rajendran and illustrated by Satwik Gade
“The Boy Who Asked Why” by Sowmya Rajendran and illustrated by Satwik Gade. Published by Tulika. A lovely book about the extraordinary life of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution. As a little boy Bhim was constantly exposed to discrimination for being an untouchable. There were a lot of whys cropping up in his head. Why can’t he sit with the other children in class? Why can’t he drink water from the tap like other children in school? Why do the teachers not touch his books? Why couldn’t he touch anything in school? The treatment was the same irrespective of where he went.
Once he went to America to study, he realised that he was treated on equal terms as other students. For the first time in his life he was freed from the shackles of being an untouchable. However his struggle continued once he came back to India. That is what determined his decision to study law in London and start his struggle to bring justice to his people. It was high time to bring about equality for all castes. All these events played a key role in shaping the constitution of India which he drafted as the first law minister of India. Narrated in a simple manner with charming illustrations, the story raises awareness of discrimination in the little ones. My six year old had been drawn to the story of Ambedkar when he saw a couple of episodes of a serial based on his life on tv. He was happy to read the book and know more about him.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Tulika books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.
