Michael’s review of Caste Metal: Short Story > Likes and Comments
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I saw this just now & I am so excited - Thank you so much Michael, God bless you for this! Just give me a few hours & then I'll write a longer 'thank you' note to you here on GR. I am busy with some Catholic journalistic articles which have to go up before the week is done, so bear with me! Thank you-Thank you-Thank you! Will be back! :) :D
Fiza, I appreciate the accolades, but I wasn't reviewing this for that (the accolades). I wrote my review with how I honestly reacted to your work. If "Caste Metal" hadn't connected with me in the manner in which it did, I would not have posted my review at all (or if the author truly wanted an honest "negative" review, I would have posted that). So please, "a longer 'thank you' note" is really unnecessary... Michael
Michael wrote: "Fiza, I appreciate the accolades, but I wasn't reviewing this for that (the accolades). I wrote my review with how I honestly reacted to your work. If "Caste Metal" hadn't connected with me in the ..."
Ah-ha, but I was not writing a longer 'thank you' note dear Michael to provide you with 'accolades', I think you are mistaken about that! I always thank my reviewers & introduce them to my world of 24/7 social work & Catholic Activism in this part of a GR review for my work/books/shorts etc. Just my style, you can see it in most of my reviews so far. It builds community & helps with my social work & activism as mentioned before.
Besides, I have a saying that a book review written tells you more about the book reviewer who wrote it than it can ever do about the writer who wrote the book or the short story in question.
So - I am thanking you Michael for reviewing my 'Caste Metal' & by providing this review you have helped in my social work with the Dalit Community of my city, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. We have literary talks bi-weekly & these days almost every alternate day & the Dalit Bhujan community love to hear, read & analyze the reviews that come in for my 'Caste Metal' which tells the story of Cacchar, a young Pune lower caste boy who was on the Mensa Scale & was almost punished for it by the powers that be!
I work towards the educational emancipation of the lower caste community (SCs, STs, OBCs, Dalits etc) of my country especially in the realm of education, literature, incorporating Dalit narratives in mainstream educational curricula & their day to day emancipation whether in the form of basic needs or even just guiding them towards a better life & for them to know their rights. I have been doing this for the past 14 years (2012-2026)
I personally abhor the caste system & I hope it comes to an end in my lifetime. I am a hard-core Ambedkarite which is something not many people (strangely!) can understand because according to my country's annals, I happen to be a chaste Brahmin, from the supposed highest caste of Hindu society & my ancestors were Brahmin Gurus in Karnataka in an area called Mangalore. Probably the rumor in my village is that we were even attached at one point to the Maratha Court during the days of Shivaji Maharaj, which seems so bizarre but then, as a historian, I've seen weirder stuff - so I will not doubt it!
But nevertheless, I disown that addition to my personage or my link to my ancestors & I proclaim myself one with the pain of my Dalit Bhujan friends even if that means that I have to declare myself a Dalit as well. Thank you therefore Michael for giving our community of people a topic of great discussion this week (basically tomorrow!) - it really helps a lot in the day by day awakening of society. And I agree with you, it is the work of activists & social workers like me who can spearhead our way towards Savitr Hita or the betterment of all.
God be with you always! :) :D
And I must say that I am quite taken up with your own book Michael & I would have to agree with Mehmet that it is many layered & is turning out to be a treat to read & savor as I am going along. I am now going to even check out the review of our mutual friend Steve of your work, before I continue tonight with some more Catholic Investigative Journalism. Thank you & good night to you Michael - but the night is still young for me! :) :D
Fiza,
it's been a real pleasure to have been introduced to you. I'm fascinated by your story. I absolutely LOVE for others to educate my ignorance of cultures unfamiliar to me. I would absolutely LOVE to continue these discussions: to learn more about your culture, your own personal history, and your social activism.
Michael
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Fiza
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Jan 21, 2026 08:30AM
I saw this just now & I am so excited - Thank you so much Michael, God bless you for this! Just give me a few hours & then I'll write a longer 'thank you' note to you here on GR. I am busy with some Catholic journalistic articles which have to go up before the week is done, so bear with me! Thank you-Thank you-Thank you! Will be back! :) :D
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Fiza, I appreciate the accolades, but I wasn't reviewing this for that (the accolades). I wrote my review with how I honestly reacted to your work. If "Caste Metal" hadn't connected with me in the manner in which it did, I would not have posted my review at all (or if the author truly wanted an honest "negative" review, I would have posted that). So please, "a longer 'thank you' note" is really unnecessary... Michael
Michael wrote: "Fiza, I appreciate the accolades, but I wasn't reviewing this for that (the accolades). I wrote my review with how I honestly reacted to your work. If "Caste Metal" hadn't connected with me in the ..."Ah-ha, but I was not writing a longer 'thank you' note dear Michael to provide you with 'accolades', I think you are mistaken about that! I always thank my reviewers & introduce them to my world of 24/7 social work & Catholic Activism in this part of a GR review for my work/books/shorts etc. Just my style, you can see it in most of my reviews so far. It builds community & helps with my social work & activism as mentioned before.
Besides, I have a saying that a book review written tells you more about the book reviewer who wrote it than it can ever do about the writer who wrote the book or the short story in question.
So - I am thanking you Michael for reviewing my 'Caste Metal' & by providing this review you have helped in my social work with the Dalit Community of my city, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. We have literary talks bi-weekly & these days almost every alternate day & the Dalit Bhujan community love to hear, read & analyze the reviews that come in for my 'Caste Metal' which tells the story of Cacchar, a young Pune lower caste boy who was on the Mensa Scale & was almost punished for it by the powers that be!
I work towards the educational emancipation of the lower caste community (SCs, STs, OBCs, Dalits etc) of my country especially in the realm of education, literature, incorporating Dalit narratives in mainstream educational curricula & their day to day emancipation whether in the form of basic needs or even just guiding them towards a better life & for them to know their rights. I have been doing this for the past 14 years (2012-2026)
I personally abhor the caste system & I hope it comes to an end in my lifetime. I am a hard-core Ambedkarite which is something not many people (strangely!) can understand because according to my country's annals, I happen to be a chaste Brahmin, from the supposed highest caste of Hindu society & my ancestors were Brahmin Gurus in Karnataka in an area called Mangalore. Probably the rumor in my village is that we were even attached at one point to the Maratha Court during the days of Shivaji Maharaj, which seems so bizarre but then, as a historian, I've seen weirder stuff - so I will not doubt it!
But nevertheless, I disown that addition to my personage or my link to my ancestors & I proclaim myself one with the pain of my Dalit Bhujan friends even if that means that I have to declare myself a Dalit as well. Thank you therefore Michael for giving our community of people a topic of great discussion this week (basically tomorrow!) - it really helps a lot in the day by day awakening of society. And I agree with you, it is the work of activists & social workers like me who can spearhead our way towards Savitr Hita or the betterment of all.
God be with you always! :) :D
And I must say that I am quite taken up with your own book Michael & I would have to agree with Mehmet that it is many layered & is turning out to be a treat to read & savor as I am going along. I am now going to even check out the review of our mutual friend Steve of your work, before I continue tonight with some more Catholic Investigative Journalism. Thank you & good night to you Michael - but the night is still young for me! :) :D
Fiza, it's been a real pleasure to have been introduced to you. I'm fascinated by your story. I absolutely LOVE for others to educate my ignorance of cultures unfamiliar to me. I would absolutely LOVE to continue these discussions: to learn more about your culture, your own personal history, and your social activism.
Michael
