Which of the given statements are correct?
A. Omprakash Valmiki’s Joothan is a novel.
B. Joothan represents the Dalit Valmiki community in critical
light.
C. Joothan enumerates the difficulties of being a Dalit in
independent India.
D. Joothan was translated into English by Arun Prabha Das.
E. Joothan critiques the upper castes.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is B, C and E only.

Let us analyze each of the given statements step-by-step to understand why this option is correct:

Statement A: "Omprakash Valmiki’s Joothan is a novel."
This statement is incorrect. Joothan: An Dalit's Life is not a novel, but a landmark autobiographical work (an autobiography) written by Omprakash Valmiki. It recounts his personal lived experiences growing up as an untouchable in a village in Uttar Pradesh.

Statement B: "Joothan represents the Dalit Valmiki community in critical light."
This statement is correct. While depicting the extreme marginalization and oppression faced by the Valmiki community (a Dalit sub-caste), the text also critically reflects upon the community's internal dynamics, vulnerabilities, and their struggle to assert human dignity.

Statement C: "Joothan enumerates the difficulties of being a Dalit in independent India."
This statement is correct. The autobiography vividly highlights the systemic discrimination, psychological trauma, humiliation, and deprivation that Dalits continued to endure even in post-independence India, challenging the national narrative of progress and equality.

Statement D: "Joothan was translated into English by Arun Prabha Das."
This statement is incorrect. Joothan was translated from Hindi into English by Arun Prabha Mukherjee, not Arun Prabha Das.

Statement E: "Joothan critiques the upper castes."
This statement is correct. A central theme of the autobiography is a powerful critique of the Hindu caste system and the oppressive, dehumanizing behavior of the upper-caste members of society who enforced untouchability and exploited Dalit labor.

Therefore, statements B, C, and E are the only correct statements.