9th Standard

I live and go to school at Saron Boys' Boarding Home in Tiruvannamalai, India. Owned and operated by the Arcot Lutheran Church — an Indian, Dalit-led church body in the state of Tamil Nadu — Saron serves about 300 boys between first and 12th Standard.

In the Indian Caste system, I am Dalit. "Dalit" means "broken/scattered" in Sanskrit, and is a term used for people belonging to castes in India who have been subjected to untouchability. In the past, Dalit people were believed to be impure, so dominant-caste Hindus considered their presence to be polluting. The "impure status" was related to historic occupations that were considered to be "polluting" or debased, such as working with leather, disposal of dead animals, or sanitation. [via Wikipedia]