Namdeo Dhasal has left a blazing trail in Indian Dalit poetry. He lived between 1949 and 2014 in Mumbai. Early part of his adult life was lived in close quarters from Golpeetha, an infamous drug=crime-prostitution hub. A throbbing and scary energy, characteristic of such region, is palpable in Dhasal's poetry. Dhasal founded a political part named Dalit Panther, modeled after Black Panther formed in the USA. His work and leadership with the political party was frayed with controversy and one may argue he used popular power for personal gain. A contemporary reader may find the choices in his personal life uncomfortable, in light of a memoir written by his wife, but s/he can't help but wonder how the master craftsman molded the raw elements and crude language of the gutters into memorable chalices to cheer poetry.