The first modern Dalit autobiography in Tamil, Vadu by K.A. Gunasekaran is an account of the caste oppression in the villages of Tamil Nadu, especially in the regions around Elayankudi, the author's hometown in Ramanathapuram. Translated into English by V. Kadambari as The Scar in the year 2009, the work shows Gunasekaran growing up as a Parayar in the milieu of and negotiating with three different communities namely Christian, Hindu and Muslim; his facing unforgettable insults as a result of being a 'low' caste, his anger against casteism and the grievously unjust practices of the 'upper' castes, and his empowering himself to get emancipated from these unjust practices thereby sensitizing the readers to the plight of millions of indigenous people all over the country in order to bring about a reform in the society. The autobiography unfolds the deep pain and suffering of Gunasekaran’s life from his childhood itself. It is a narrative of pain - the pain arisen out of the womb of a Dalit, and shows to us the scars left by the wounds of untouchability on the mind of the writer By pointing out his humiliating experiences as a Parayar in vivid detail, Gunasekaran in his autobiography, has tried to draw our attention to the many inhuman caste-born practices to which he was a victim.The various wounds of untouchability and the everlasting scars made thereof in his psyche are clearly documented in his autobiography which also highlights his struggle for a meaningful life, free from the murky lanes of caste-based discrimination. His voice stands for all those people who are depressed and marginalized and kept on the fringes of the society by the elite class.