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This Land We Call Home: The Story of a Family, Caste, Conversions and Modern India
In 1871, the British enacted the Criminal Tribes Act in India, branding numerous tribes and caste groups as criminals. In This Land We Call Home, Nusrat F. Jafri traces the roots of her nomadic forebears, who belonged to one such ‘criminal’ tribe, the Bhantus from Rajasthan, through the lens of caste and religious conversions over the last century.
This affecting memoir explores religious and multicultural identities and delves into the profound concepts of nation-building and belonging. Nusrat’s family’s conversion to Christianity as a response to Brahmanical gatekeeping highlights their struggle for acceptance.
The family found acceptance in the church, alongside a sense of community, theology, songs and carnivals, and quality education for the children in missionary schools. Parallelly, we see the family’s experiences during Gandhi’s return in 1915, the Partition, the two World Wars, the Emergency and the prime ministers’ assassinations.
In a way, this is a story like and unlike the stories all of us carry within us; the inherited weight of who we are and where we come from, our tiny little freedoms and our everyday struggles and, mostly, the intricate jumble of our collective ancestry. Nusrat pays homages to her foremothers, the first feminists, and her forefathers, the ones who tried hard to fit into a caste society only to be spat out, and eventually chose alternative faiths in pursuit of acceptance.
This affecting memoir explores religious and multicultural identities and delves into the profound concepts of nation-building and belonging. Nusrat’s family’s conversion to Christianity as a response to Brahmanical gatekeeping highlights their struggle for acceptance.
The family found acceptance in the church, alongside a sense of community, theology, songs and carnivals, and quality education for the children in missionary schools. Parallelly, we see the family’s experiences during Gandhi’s return in 1915, the Partition, the two World Wars, the Emergency and the prime ministers’ assassinations.
In a way, this is a story like and unlike the stories all of us carry within us; the inherited weight of who we are and where we come from, our tiny little freedoms and our everyday struggles and, mostly, the intricate jumble of our collective ancestry. Nusrat pays homages to her foremothers, the first feminists, and her forefathers, the ones who tried hard to fit into a caste society only to be spat out, and eventually chose alternative faiths in pursuit of acceptance.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2024
6 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Nusrat F. Jafri
1 book9 followersNusrat F. Jafri is a Mumbai-based, award-winning cinematographer. She has over fifteen years of experience in filmmaking. Her debut non-fiction book, This Land We Call Home, has received wonderful endorsements, including one from scholar and co-editor of The Radical in Ambedkar, Anand Teltumbde, who described it as a "well-researched and ably written book that is a rare account on the so-called criminal tribes, and additionally chronicles our present. Surely, one of the best books in its genre!"
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April 30, 2025An important book about the complex ways in which identity is shaped in India. This is especially significant because of the prevalent discourse around religious conversion and what forces are at work at any particular time. This is a story of one family and their caste-religious identity, and the sociopolitical and deeply personal factors that drove their decisions.
January 9, 2025
A riveting, humane chronicle of four generations set against the backdrop of India’s shift from colonization to its current political fabric. Thoroughly researched, it addresses the finer nuances and layers of caste and religious conversions, tracing back to the era of the British-enacted Criminal Tribes Act. The writing is both educative and engaging, especially impressive for a first-time author. Highly recommend.
April 29, 2024
A phenomenal book which is equal parts personal history of the author’s family and also a public record of the many events that have led to the India we see around us today. Highly recommended.
June 2, 2024
@nusratfjafri ‘s This Land We Call Home couldn’t have been written at a better time. This memoir spans across generations, each person playing either a small or pivotal role in shaping the Jafri family. Although the title gives us a brief window into what to expect, I wasn’t really prepared to be blown away by the author’s prowess in building this memoir with such care and depth. From speaking about caste to politics to familial relationships, this book has been such an interesting read. It doesn’t take the reader long to realise how much research and care has gone into digging up truths and thoughts that went on during her great grandparents time. The language is elegant, the characters both ordinary and complex, knowledge that is both firm and powerful. If there is one book you have to read this year, I’d recommend This Land We Call Home.
Nusrat Jafri’s memoir is an all encompassing story that goes back to her great grandparents days. Stricken by poverty and zero opportunities to grow, her great grandfather, Hardayal Singh embraced Christianity. Originally belonging to Bhantu tribe, their lives take a complete u-turn post conversion. During pre-independence period, the Brits and upper caste Hindus did everything in their power to shun many such tribes like Bhantu. This left little to no chance for them to seek a normal livelihood and when missionaries came into the picture, India witnessed mass conversion. Hardayal Singh too was one such example.
Much of the book speaks about grand aunts who were eccentric and independent for their time. I was constantly being surprised by how these women took control of their lives back when they weren’t given enough credit. As generations passed, Jafri’s family expanded and further embraced new religion.
While Jafri explains her family tree, she also interweaves the country’s history. The details were extensive but gave background to certain decisions taken by her family. Much of the book felt like an intricate web that was being woven, delicate but also resilient.
At a time when the lines are blurred between religion and politics, @nusratfjafri ‘s memoir plays a pivotal role.
Nusrat Jafri’s memoir is an all encompassing story that goes back to her great grandparents days. Stricken by poverty and zero opportunities to grow, her great grandfather, Hardayal Singh embraced Christianity. Originally belonging to Bhantu tribe, their lives take a complete u-turn post conversion. During pre-independence period, the Brits and upper caste Hindus did everything in their power to shun many such tribes like Bhantu. This left little to no chance for them to seek a normal livelihood and when missionaries came into the picture, India witnessed mass conversion. Hardayal Singh too was one such example.
Much of the book speaks about grand aunts who were eccentric and independent for their time. I was constantly being surprised by how these women took control of their lives back when they weren’t given enough credit. As generations passed, Jafri’s family expanded and further embraced new religion.
While Jafri explains her family tree, she also interweaves the country’s history. The details were extensive but gave background to certain decisions taken by her family. Much of the book felt like an intricate web that was being woven, delicate but also resilient.
At a time when the lines are blurred between religion and politics, @nusratfjafri ‘s memoir plays a pivotal role.
June 25, 2024
Who would have thought that I would endorse a nonfiction so strongly when I was almost convinced that I already had enough of them? The last time I read such impactful nonfiction tracing the history of partition was almost two years ago, and it was a spell-binding book called 'The Map and the Scissors' by Amit Majmudar. I was seriously so so sceptical about this book. But guess who couldn't stop swooning over it all along? That's right.
Jafri takes creative liberty and carves out this nonfiction with fictional prose in the third person narrative, in which she talks about her lineage starting from her great-grandparents. Every family event of Jafri's is linked to a political occurrence in India, and she shifts gears and switches to the nonfiction narrative, diving into Indian political history, starting from the invention of the caste system to the current day.
Trust me, I honestly had no idea how the caste system came into place and how it proliferated. Thanks to Jafri's in-depth research and analysis, I now know more than I had intended to learn. She has spoken not just about the division of castes in Hinduism but also about the unspoken caste-like divide among Christians and Muslims. The history of casteism and how conversion came into existence is written so brilliantly that it makes you reflect on it for a long keeping aside the hate and vengeance.
She talks about pre-independent India, the freedom struggle, the partition, the reign of Congress over India, the birth of BJP and other political parties, the Emergency under Indira Gandhi's rule and the Babri Masjid issue with accurate data and utmost sincerity and honesty. With her own family chronicle where her great-grandparents willingly converted to Christianity to escape casteism, her mother consentingly married a Muslim man and embraced Islam, she chose her Hindu partner as a practising Muslim and gave her son a Christian name to honour her history, Jafri inspires and elevates the book to another level. The kind of women this book showcases, who are self-sufficient and feisty, from her great-grandmother, aunts, and her mother to herself, are the true face of feminism.
Jafri takes creative liberty and carves out this nonfiction with fictional prose in the third person narrative, in which she talks about her lineage starting from her great-grandparents. Every family event of Jafri's is linked to a political occurrence in India, and she shifts gears and switches to the nonfiction narrative, diving into Indian political history, starting from the invention of the caste system to the current day.
Trust me, I honestly had no idea how the caste system came into place and how it proliferated. Thanks to Jafri's in-depth research and analysis, I now know more than I had intended to learn. She has spoken not just about the division of castes in Hinduism but also about the unspoken caste-like divide among Christians and Muslims. The history of casteism and how conversion came into existence is written so brilliantly that it makes you reflect on it for a long keeping aside the hate and vengeance.
She talks about pre-independent India, the freedom struggle, the partition, the reign of Congress over India, the birth of BJP and other political parties, the Emergency under Indira Gandhi's rule and the Babri Masjid issue with accurate data and utmost sincerity and honesty. With her own family chronicle where her great-grandparents willingly converted to Christianity to escape casteism, her mother consentingly married a Muslim man and embraced Islam, she chose her Hindu partner as a practising Muslim and gave her son a Christian name to honour her history, Jafri inspires and elevates the book to another level. The kind of women this book showcases, who are self-sufficient and feisty, from her great-grandmother, aunts, and her mother to herself, are the true face of feminism.
October 9, 2024
A moving memoir that chronicles a family's trajectory, set in 20th century India to the present day. The book explores the intimate and devoted ways that families express love--a mother finishes her late husband's prayers--and the harm that addiction can cause within homes. The author's family has roots in several faith traditions. The nuanced and emotional portrayal of conversion is refreshing- it shows how empathy, love, and ambition can all figure in to the choices individuals make when affiliating with a faith community. Modern, confounding stereotypes, and insightful, this memoir celebrates cultural openness and the bravery found in daily life.
May 20, 2024
Coming from a multicultural family, the author @nusratfjafri, has written a brilliant memoir about the multicultural fabric of India. Iinitially it may feel to be crammed with so much information, like dates and characters but it is an interesting book. The flow of the narrative is good and continuous anecdote has made the journey of reading quite enjoyable.
The memoir starts off with the life of the author's great grandfather, Hardayal Singh and his hardships against the oppressive caste system. But, later in his life the way his family was accepted by Christianity with love and support is beautifully described.
'Equality, liberty and respect- they found it all' were the words of the author. The author's research on branding of the Bantu tribe as 'criminals' and studying the scientific journals to negate the established fact is really touching.
Of course the new faith seemed confusing and complex to them but when the daughters got quality education and upbringing after the conversation, the decision seemed correct. Gradually with education the daughters started working as nurses and served during WW2 as well.
The next generation embraced Islam by marriage and the cosmopolitan culture flourished the family in amazing ways.
This memoir not only talks about the different generations of the family but also how different political scenarios shaped our country. The policies of the government concerning family planning, education, religion and also the arrival of television have been discussed here.
Read this book as it has described various less talked facets of our history, the modern history of India. It may seem pretentious, but it is not, it is a beautiful book. I loved it.
The memoir starts off with the life of the author's great grandfather, Hardayal Singh and his hardships against the oppressive caste system. But, later in his life the way his family was accepted by Christianity with love and support is beautifully described.
'Equality, liberty and respect- they found it all' were the words of the author. The author's research on branding of the Bantu tribe as 'criminals' and studying the scientific journals to negate the established fact is really touching.
Of course the new faith seemed confusing and complex to them but when the daughters got quality education and upbringing after the conversation, the decision seemed correct. Gradually with education the daughters started working as nurses and served during WW2 as well.
The next generation embraced Islam by marriage and the cosmopolitan culture flourished the family in amazing ways.
This memoir not only talks about the different generations of the family but also how different political scenarios shaped our country. The policies of the government concerning family planning, education, religion and also the arrival of television have been discussed here.
Read this book as it has described various less talked facets of our history, the modern history of India. It may seem pretentious, but it is not, it is a beautiful book. I loved it.
August 4, 2024
Nusrat F. Jafri's "This Land We Call Home" intricately explores the Bhantu tribe's transformation from stigmatized "criminals" under British colonial rule to their identity struggles in contemporary India. The book reveals how colonial policies like the Criminal Tribes Act entrenched their marginalization and social exclusion. Jafri goes beyond historical oppression to examine the modern-day experiences of Bhantu Muslims, highlighting their dual struggle against both tribal stigmatization and religious discrimination. Through personal stories and historical context, she illustrates the resilience of these communities as they fight for recognition, dignity, and justice. The narrative sheds light on the intersection of tribal and Muslim identities, offering a deep understanding of the social and political challenges they face. "This Land We Call Home" is a vital contribution to discussions on social justice, highlighting the complex journey of the Bhantu tribe and their ongoing quest for equality and inclusion in Indian society.
June 20, 2024
A fascinating tale of a family interwoven with the story of a unique nation with all its strange coexisting contradictions. It’ll make you ponder about your own roots and the multitude of emotional, cultural, political identities we carry within us…
November 22, 2025
I am writing my senior thesis on the Bhantu tribe
February 19, 2025
Dear Nusrat,
You Puzzled me..!!!
When I started your book, I thought I was reading one story. By the time I finished, I had lived through many—each demanding its own space, each refusing to be forgotten.
Hardayal, a man shaped by history, a father carrying the weight of a world that was never kind.
Prudence, clawing her way through a world that was never made for her.
Meera, standing at the crossroads of inheritance and identity.
The relentless echoes of the Raj linger like an unhealed wound. And beyond all of that, I found myself reading the story of my own India—not the one I have known, but the one I have never truly seen.
You unraveled these lives with such quiet devastation that I did not even realize when they became my own. Their grief sat heavy on my chest; their struggles seeped into my bones. You puzzled me, Nusrat, because you made me feel something I cannot name.
Coming from privilege—
From a world dictated by the caste system, where I have been placed at the highest order by virtue of my birth.
From Punjab, a land of abundance, where a good life is almost expected.
From a family where success is not fought for but inherited.
I have always believed I understood struggle because I carry an empathetic heart. That I understood pain because I had read about it, seen it in numbers, in reports, in passing conversations. I was wrong. I have always been wrong.
But the beauty of your writing is that stories like yours do not accuse, do not demand guilt from me.
They do something far more dangerous: they make me listen. They make me feel. And there is no escape from that.
And then, there is old India. Your India. My India. The cities, the villages, the forgotten corners. The streets, the courtyards, the air thick with history and longing.
Places I have never known, yet you made me nostalgic for them.
I, who have traveled continents yet oblivious of India as I have never stepped beyond Punjab, suddenly long to lose myself in the hinterland of my own country.
Nusrat, your book is not just one book.
It is layers upon layers of human stories, wrapped in the embrace of a motherland that belongs to all of us—yet some must fight harder than others for their rightful place in it.
I do not see myself as a revolutionary, standing at the frontlines of this battle for justice. But whenever that time comes—whenever voices rise, demanding the space that should have always been theirs—I will be there, a cheerleader in the fight.
Because I, too, dream of a day when this land, this home, belongs to all of us equally.
A day when no one has to fight to be seen.
A day when history does not leave anyone behind.
Love
Rose
You Puzzled me..!!!
When I started your book, I thought I was reading one story. By the time I finished, I had lived through many—each demanding its own space, each refusing to be forgotten.
Hardayal, a man shaped by history, a father carrying the weight of a world that was never kind.
Prudence, clawing her way through a world that was never made for her.
Meera, standing at the crossroads of inheritance and identity.
The relentless echoes of the Raj linger like an unhealed wound. And beyond all of that, I found myself reading the story of my own India—not the one I have known, but the one I have never truly seen.
You unraveled these lives with such quiet devastation that I did not even realize when they became my own. Their grief sat heavy on my chest; their struggles seeped into my bones. You puzzled me, Nusrat, because you made me feel something I cannot name.
Coming from privilege—
From a world dictated by the caste system, where I have been placed at the highest order by virtue of my birth.
From Punjab, a land of abundance, where a good life is almost expected.
From a family where success is not fought for but inherited.
I have always believed I understood struggle because I carry an empathetic heart. That I understood pain because I had read about it, seen it in numbers, in reports, in passing conversations. I was wrong. I have always been wrong.
But the beauty of your writing is that stories like yours do not accuse, do not demand guilt from me.
They do something far more dangerous: they make me listen. They make me feel. And there is no escape from that.
And then, there is old India. Your India. My India. The cities, the villages, the forgotten corners. The streets, the courtyards, the air thick with history and longing.
Places I have never known, yet you made me nostalgic for them.
I, who have traveled continents yet oblivious of India as I have never stepped beyond Punjab, suddenly long to lose myself in the hinterland of my own country.
Nusrat, your book is not just one book.
It is layers upon layers of human stories, wrapped in the embrace of a motherland that belongs to all of us—yet some must fight harder than others for their rightful place in it.
I do not see myself as a revolutionary, standing at the frontlines of this battle for justice. But whenever that time comes—whenever voices rise, demanding the space that should have always been theirs—I will be there, a cheerleader in the fight.
Because I, too, dream of a day when this land, this home, belongs to all of us equally.
A day when no one has to fight to be seen.
A day when history does not leave anyone behind.
Love
Rose
November 27, 2025
I listened to a podcast conversation with the author and immediately purchased the audiobook. All 10+ hours were a delight. The author has not only shared her family history but also provided a window into society across the many generations the book spans. As someone with privilege, but with a keen awareness of the unfairness of it, I have always struggled to explain to my family that religious conversions do not take place in a vacuum. They are usually driven by a desire for dignity and access to resources that are denied because of prejudice. This book really makes that point come alive. I am grateful to the author for sharing her family history in detail, and I came away with respect and admiration for her and her family. Her commentary on the current politics of division in India is astute and sobering. Ultimately, people want to make connections, but when politics infringes on the basic principle of live and let live, we end up in a fractious, dysfunctional society.
I highly recommend this book. It has many interesting characters and is ultimately a story of resilience and hope.
I highly recommend this book. It has many interesting characters and is ultimately a story of resilience and hope.
July 25, 2024
In her memoir, "This Land We Call Home," Nusrat F. Jafri delves into the multigenerational story of her family, which has flavors of identity, caste, religion, and politics. The family tree, in the beginning, sets an Articulated tone of the book.
There is a huge timeline to maintain from her great-grandparents' era to the present day, detailing the pivotal moment when her great-grandfather embraced Christianity as a means of escaping the caste system's oppression.
In between this timeline, there are Socio-Political issues of British India, Partition, Bigotry, Rigid belief system, casteism, and most importantly acceptance in the society.
Discovering this book was a revelation. The saga of Nusrat's family is both compelling and poignant, shedding light on the everyday realities of caste and religious conversions. It uncovers the profound impact these elements have on people's lives, making it an essential read. This engrossing family tale is interlaced with the story of a nation rich in paradoxes.
There is a huge timeline to maintain from her great-grandparents' era to the present day, detailing the pivotal moment when her great-grandfather embraced Christianity as a means of escaping the caste system's oppression.
In between this timeline, there are Socio-Political issues of British India, Partition, Bigotry, Rigid belief system, casteism, and most importantly acceptance in the society.
Discovering this book was a revelation. The saga of Nusrat's family is both compelling and poignant, shedding light on the everyday realities of caste and religious conversions. It uncovers the profound impact these elements have on people's lives, making it an essential read. This engrossing family tale is interlaced with the story of a nation rich in paradoxes.
October 19, 2024
An exceptional act of human sharing, revealing for a better understanding, the many layers that compose all of us, and our identities. Nusrat Jafri takes taareekh and uses it as yarn to un-convolute and literally weaves a story that binds us all together in the sense of the word - society. Shedding beautiful factual life on turn of events that elevate the reader beyond the ordinary, Nusrat takes you by the hand and guides you through three generations of the most relatable narrative, the commoner(as well as a classist) could find. The description of so many of her own experiences, laid bare for the reader to ingest, is also an act of grand bravery. Pair it with the troubled and polarised times that India and the world finds itself in, the book becomes one of the most important pieces of work that need to be shared and spread, as far as possible.
November 3, 2024
The book mirrors the intricacies of Indian society where cast plays such a major role in everyday life. It also reaffirms my faith that the cast dynamics are so deep rooted in our culture that the social hierarchies have continued even when people had changed religions from Hindus to Muslims to Christians or Sikhs. There was no utopian world waiting for them & there was a sense of déjà vo when they were discriminated against.
May 30, 2024
This is a fascinating and beautifully written story, linking the author's family’s personal history with India’s history from 1900 until today. It moves in unexpected directions, but inevitably leads to this present critical point in the nation’s development. The book is a unique - and otherwise hidden - piece of India’s history.
July 30, 2024
Nusrat's book is a timely, deeply moving and courageous memoir. Her writing makes one want to know their own family histories and sit with the difficult truths with more ease. Her book is a testament to the many layers that makes who we are and reminds us that to ignore them is to never fully embrace our role in the communities, relationships and choice we live with.
May 5, 2024
This book was a real discovery - the story of Nusrat's family is very compelling & moving. And through their story I realised there's so much about caste & religious conversions that we don't realise, how these are an everyday part of people's lives. A must read!
June 10, 2025
Based on personal history and stories passed through generations, Nusrat Jafri corroborates grandma tales with historical data and deep research. A first time writer, Jafri has put her heart into writing this book.
August 26, 2024
I will recommend it to all
April 21, 2025
Perfect read, an amazing blend of politics and personal history! A book of our times...
July 11, 2024
This is a poignant journey where Nusrat F. Jafry takes you to look back her ancestral land and people where she belonged, believes as criminal tribe by the British law and this backward journey to explore history became a heartwrenching saga.
With Nusrat, we are able to unearth the social distance for particular people, understand the dogmatic views that played a vital role in Bhantus tribe. Bhantus were a tribe that feared outcasts, and we uncovered very little history which is provided by the government and the upper caste society. The journey to look behind starts with Hardayal Singh and his wife Kalyani, Nusrat's great grandparents, slowly we know where they came from, why they came from their village and where the fate take them.
In 1871, the British enacted the Criminal Tribes Act in India, branding numerous tribes and caste groups as criminals. In This Land We Call Home, Nusrat F. Jafri traces the roots of her nomadic forebears, who belonged to one such ‘criminal’ tribe, the Bhantus from Rajasthan.
It's heart penetrating to read how original Indian inhabitants are easily labelled as criminals by the ruling cast and people. The book talks about the social hierarchy that forced them to take sanctuary by conversion, this family found acceptance in the church, alongside a sense of community, theology, songs and carnivals, and quality education for the children in
missionary schools.
It's a melancholic story of struggle, strength and saving dignity of nomadic people's lives.
With Nusrat, we are able to unearth the social distance for particular people, understand the dogmatic views that played a vital role in Bhantus tribe. Bhantus were a tribe that feared outcasts, and we uncovered very little history which is provided by the government and the upper caste society. The journey to look behind starts with Hardayal Singh and his wife Kalyani, Nusrat's great grandparents, slowly we know where they came from, why they came from their village and where the fate take them.
In 1871, the British enacted the Criminal Tribes Act in India, branding numerous tribes and caste groups as criminals. In This Land We Call Home, Nusrat F. Jafri traces the roots of her nomadic forebears, who belonged to one such ‘criminal’ tribe, the Bhantus from Rajasthan.
It's heart penetrating to read how original Indian inhabitants are easily labelled as criminals by the ruling cast and people. The book talks about the social hierarchy that forced them to take sanctuary by conversion, this family found acceptance in the church, alongside a sense of community, theology, songs and carnivals, and quality education for the children in
missionary schools.
It's a melancholic story of struggle, strength and saving dignity of nomadic people's lives.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews