ABSTRACT
By taking into consideration time and memory, this chapter argues how autobiographies, especially of Dalits, could serve as the basis, both epistemological and methodological, of reconstructing society and history. Subaltern autobiographies are generally written by successful agents who in their course of life faced discrimination and exclusion, and yet were successful. Located in the spatial context of Punjab, the three autobiographies examined here show that there are exceptions to the general autobiographical narratives of Dalits, which are often full of despair, agony and angst. Dalit autobiographies show that most of the challenges faced by Dalit communities emanate from discrimination and related sufferings.
