Acknowledgements

I wish to express my gratitude to the Centre for Dalit Studies in Hyderabad, and especially to Dr. Satyanarayana, Mr Mallepalli Laxmaiah, Professor Krishna and Professor Mallesh who assisted and provided me with the initial contacts with the students of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and Osmania University (OU).

My special and sincere thanks also go to Mr Ratnam at the Political Science Department at HCU for letting me attend his course on dalit politics and for his guidance and support.

I will be eternally grateful for the warm welcome, support and co-operation of the students of HCU, OU and Kakatiya University (KU). Thank you for sharing your lives and experiences with me, for your hospitality and concern for me. You made me feel at home from the first day to the last day of my stay. I will always treasure the moments we had together for the rest of my life. Your struggle and hard work has been inspiring to witness. I also want to thank all my other friends, respondents and informants who contributed to my study and to all the people who supported and helped me during my stay in India. Special thanks to Professor Ilaiah at OU whose works I have read and enjoyed and I thank him for meeting me and my friends during a busy day. I also convey my warmest gratitude to mr Stanley Suresh for sharing his life and teaching experiances and for introducing me to his art and inviting me to his home.

Finally, I am greatly indebted to five dear friends whose help and friendship have been invaluable to me. Gone, who shared his art, home and life with me, introduced me to so many important people and to village life in his place of birth, Thummalapenpahad village. My comrade Ravinder, for always being by my side, for his intense and beautiful songs and poetry, for introducing me to the students at KU and for showing me his place of birth, Warangal. Suresh, whose advice, knowledge and support was very important to me and for spending so much time with me despite a busy schedule. Kalyan for his advice and all help with practical arrangements, and also for inviting me to his city. Najeeb for teaching me so much about Hyderabad and mentally preparing me before the journey.  

In Sweden, I would like to thank Eva-Maria Hardtmann at the Department of Social Anthropology at Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden, for her advice and support.

/Bengt-Olof Nord