"Untouchable"

UNTOUCHABLE 🌸

🌼🌼🌼

The side door swings back and forth

As in and out they run

A mischievous lot, they were

My maid's little children

Grandma frowned at them

Run round, they dare?

Outcaste and impure

Untouchables, they are

Grandpa smiled and said

Right you are indeed!

Untouchable they are

From vanity, pride, greed

Untouchable to sorrow

Nothing ever soils their joy

Untouchable to any worry

Smile fades not from their eye

They mind not of the world around

Untouchable to ideals so high

Their hearts are filled with love alone

Innocence they personify

Untouchable were their souls

For the insults and abuse hurled

Untouchables they indeed were

For the harshness of the world

Untouchable for the ways of the world

With joy and love they shine

Untouchable for the evils of mankind

They embody a spark of the Divine

They play and laugh gleefully

Standing by the threshold

Untouchable for the reality outside

So bitter, cruel and cold

They peek outside curiously

May this threshold they not cross

Innocence, laughter, smiles and joys

All are an irreversible loss

Moist eyed smiling nodded granny

Ceased being a tryanny

Through their play, frolice and fun

A valuable lesson I did learn

Play and run around as they wish

May their smile always sparkle

Unsullied by any malicious bias

May their eyes always twinkle

All the prejudices, vile and awful

May the world spoil them never

From the dirty murky mankind

Let they remain untouchables forever

🌼🌼🌼

Somewhere around the BORDER

PC: Internet 

Alpha and Luna sat in silence over the hilltop, in deep contemplation. There was something – a huge thing – happening among the humans living around them, the visuals of which had deeply disturbed them. It was all just too gory and bloodstained. That human beings would turn so very bloodthirsty,

that go against their own species, was a mind-blogging thought for the parents of the wolf pack.

Soon, a group of five cubs surrounded their parents. They too had seen the gruesome sights of the happenings around, and it had piqued their interest. Their parents had forbidden them from investigating the matter on their own, so it was now on the shoulders of the parents to quench the curiosity of their young naïve cubs.

Alpha snapped out from his contemplation when he noticed all the inquisitive eyes around him. He looked at Luna, who gave him a short nod. Signaling his kids to come closer to him, he begins his narration.

“It’s a case of marking territories. Just like us, human beings too mark territories and don’t like any trespassers.”

“Wow! Humans seem to be as territorial as animals.” exclaimed Vinexa, the second among the siblings.

Alpha nodded “They indeed are. The concept of territory is deeply ingrained in their brains, just like for us. Migration within territory happens, but in case of other territories, only visiting is usually allowed. They are very possessive over their territories.”

“Such possessiveness about territory is encouraged, just like among us. They call it patriotism.” added Luna.

“But how do they mark territories? I haven’t seen any human releasing their scent. Nor are there any natural territory boundaries here, like a river or a mountain.” observed Wang, the eldest sibling.

“No, they don’t use natural markers as boundaries. They make their own boundaries. They create drawings of landscapes and mark boundaries on that. Such drawings are called maps.” Alpha explained.

“They mark boundaries on drawings! That sounds so artificial.” squeaked the youngest one, Koko.

“They are indeed artificial. But when have these humans ever done anything natural?” sneered Luna.

All of the pack jeeringly approved.

“Yes” said Alpha. “These humans are heavily inclined towards everything that is unnatural and artificial. Look at this particular case. We divide territories on the basis of natural divisions like genetics and bloodline, but these humans here are diving it on the basis on the basis of religion, which is again a man-made construct.”

“Religion?” enquired Lomb, the third sibling.

“Well, it’s what the humans call their ritualistic practice of trying to connect to their Primordial Sense.” Alpha clarified.

“These humans have gone too far from Nature. They are too much dependent on their mind, which has led to them being cut off from their own hearts and gut. They can no longer hear the Higher Call. One clear example is the way they die en-masses when any disaster strikes. They can’t sense it

beforehand, even with all the brainy stuff they use. They can’t escape like us in advance. This shows how lost and far they are from the Primordial Sense. That’s why they have developed religions – with

exaggerated, over - elaborate practices to help them connect back to their instincts which they call the “Inner Truth”. Luna elaborated.

“And there are a number of religions among the humans. Each differs from the other in its practices. These differences often cause conflicts among humans.” sighed the wise old Alpha. “Same is the case here. They have marked boundaries on the basis of religion and people are rushing about to be on the

correct side of the border, based on their religion. This is the cause of all the mayhem we are presently witnessing.”

All the cubs let of sighs of relief, with “hmm” and “ooh” sounds – indicating that their curiosity was finally satisfied. 

Suddenly, the thoughtful Shwna spoke up. “It means that these humans are killing each other only due to their difference in the way they connect to the Primordial Sense? How ironic and idiotic!”

Alpha gave a wry smile. “Yes. It is indeed ironic. Killing without reason (food/defense) shows lack of empathy and compassion, which just shows how far these humans are from the Higher Sense. Killing for seeking to connect with the Higher Sense in a different way … that’s something which is really silly and absurd.” 

“And then, these people have the audacity to boast of being the most advanced among all creatures! They think of civilization as being as far from Nature as possible. They are disconnected from the Primordial Sense itself and depend on pretentious rituals to connect back. Also, they make big claims about all the brainy stuff they use. But one should look at them when a calamity strikes! They suffer horribly, despite all the luxuries and comforts they allegedly have.” Luna ended her rant with a deep breath. 

Wang took after his mother’s rant with one of his own. “Worst of all, they think that equalizing them to animals is an insult. Rather, equalizing yourself to us is an insult to US! Please stop it! We may be cruel, beastly, cunning, uncivilized, barbaric – whatever you think of us to be. Our brains may be not as developed as yours. But we are way better off. We live in the lap of Nature. And we are connected to the Primordial Sense. We rely on our gut instincts for survival, which has always proven to be far more efficient than your brainy stuff. You kill your own species on trivial matters … your species itself seems to be a nuisance for Nature.” 

All of the pack smirked in agreement.

They then turned towards the setting sun to take note of the time, so as to continue with the day’s duties. 

Being a TRUE Woman

PC: Internet 

I’m an introvert in an extrovert world.

I’m a feeler in a world of thinkers.

I strive to be authentic in a world of fakers. 

And worst of all, I’m a woman in a (supposedly) man’s world.

🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌗🌗🌘🌑

“One gets birth of a woman due to past life sins” – declares the Hindu scriptures. This seems to just be a casual rant of a misogynist who later gained fame as a philosopher (as it often happens in patriarchal societies). But the Indian (especially Hindu) society makes sure that these words come true. Society makes sure that women feel cursed for just being born as women – by burdening them with roles, duties, expectations, judgements, traditions, etc. 

… ... ... 

Religion is said to be a path to self-realization. It’s supposed to make people shun away the

distractions of the world and make them turn inward, towards the Inner Truth and Authenticity. 

But in reality, religion was hardly any of this - it encouraged mindless superstitions, endless rites and rituals and other such rubbish. It felt hallow, with no substance – it was very shallow with no depth or meaning.

But I am a “modern”, “educated” woman, right? Why should I bother about religion?

Well, to be honest, being educated just makes it worse. 

I can no longer remain blissfully ignorant and turn a blind eye towards all the blood boiling injustice meted out by religion. 

I can no longer buy into the bunkum that all the restrictions are beneficial for women and does good to them. 

Also, the so-called “modern”, “educated” society was in no way better than the “orthodox” “traditional” society. It was just as fake and superficial. It was quite pretentious in nature, with people who boasted to be broad-minded but in reality, were cold-hearted.

Both the societies are equally misogynist – just that one is open about it and the other more subtle.

Both have expectations about women – both expect women to uphold certain standards – both judge women for not being good “enough" ... 

Enough !!! 

I have had ENOUGH !

I just wanted to leap out of all this mess.

*Neither religion nor education gave answers to my haunting questions about life. 

*Neither of them fulfilled me nor did they give me any form of peace or solace in

life. 

*I wanted to break free from this restricted life – shackled by religion on one hand and modernity on the other. 

* I wanted to live on my own - find my own purpose of life and live authentically, all on

my own, without the need to be pretentious and fake.

A woman leading her own life, leaving behind her family, was traditionally unheard of. Indeed, the very idea was scandalous. A woman was ALWAYS supposed to adjust and compromise with her husband’s family, in spite of facing grave problems. 

And here, I didn’t even have any such problem. I wasn’t harassed by my husband or in-laws, so according to the standards of the society, me thinking of leaving my family behind was just an outburst of frustration caused by routine life. “Don’t worry, it will gradually fade. Just worship this particular deity every day. Recite this stotram, you will get peace of mind.” – This was their standard reply.

And then there were some gossip-mongers, who slung mud on my character, saying that I was planning to elope with some other guy.

HUH!

A guy who does the very same thing (of leaving behind family) becomes a saint, a Guru. But a woman who even thinks of it becomes a whore!

Religion had heavily restricted the whole concept of attending the Ultimate Truth only to men. Women were immersed in the darkness of superstitions and weren’t allowed to seek the Truth, perhaps due to the fear that they would cease to be slaves if they did! 

And what to say of the modern society? It was certainly not free of gossipers and mud-slingers. But unlike the orthodox society, it didn’t object to women leaving behind their families, as long as they became corporate wage slaves and immersed themselves in the mire of materialism. Finding the Ultimate Truth, in their context, often translated to finding a job which one enjoyed. I didn’t want that; I didn’t want to erode my energy trying to fend for myself – so the modern society didn’t approve of me. 

Also, the “modern” society only liked to side with women who were “victims” – widows, domestic violence sufferers, abandoned women, etc. I was neither of these – and was therefore considered to be unsuitable for their support and charity. The “modern’ society only liked to pity women and sympathize with them – it didn’t actually seem interested in any form of solidarity or empowerment. 

My idea of leaving behind my family, when I had no problems within sight, was always met with ridicule. “See a physiatrist, dear. You need counselling.” was the oft-repeated advice I received from the modern, educated society. 

Hounded thus by people of both sides, I one day took the bold step and escaped into the forest. 

I saw the old haunted mansion there. As I neared it, an old lady came out and looked deep into my eyes. 

There, in her eyes, laid all my answers … 👀👭🔥🔴

When WOMEN connect ...

Characters : Virmati (Difficult Daughters), Rosie (The Guide by R.K. Narayan), Priyanka, Esha, Radhika (One Night at a Call Centre by Chetan Bhagat) 

Virmati’s eyes turned all around the café as she sat sipping coffee. She was waiting for her friends - four of them - who were her soul sisters. Though Virmati had tons of friends in her personal and professional circle, the bond she shared with these four women was unique – it was more soulful. It was not just blood-bound or professional. It was more of matching wavelengths - born out of shared ideologies and experiences.

All of them (including Virmati) were “modern, educated” Indian women, who were independent and opiniated. This was something which was totally radical in Indian society, and had therefore alienated these women from the rest of the society (including their own families). Besides ideology, bitter experiences due to patriarchy was another thing which these women shared in common. The lives (both personal and professional) of each of these women had been hounded by patriarchy. While this was a common thing for almost all Indian women, what set these five women apart was that they chose to rise above it and took their own lives into their own hands and decided to work out their own destinies.

Rosie, who happened to be one of Virmati’s oldest friend, was not even an Indian. She was the wife of a British archeologist, Marco. Her “educated” British husband had bound her up in unseen chains; he had forbidden her from following her passion of dance. However, she later found an ally in Raju, who helped her pursue her passion. But this very ‘ally’ turned out to be a nuisance later on, when he wanted to make as much money as possible from her dance performances. He even started to assume that he had control over Rosie, as he had given her a second chance at life. Thankfully, Rosie had ditched him and was now leading an independent life.

“Poor Rosie, she just jumped from the Devil to the Deep Sea.” mused Virmati. She would relate a lot to Rosie, as she herself had been foolish enough to fall in love with a (already married) man, believing that he would help her follow her dreams.

“Depending on any man to fulfill our dreams is never a good idea, no matter how-much-ever friendly he seems. It’s always best for women to be self-reliant.”

Virmati had decided to impart this very piece of wisdom to her three young friends: Priyanka, Esha and Radhika. All three of them were quite young and it was only natural for them to seek male partners. Two of them – Priyanka and Esha were already dating, while Radhika was a recent divorcee.

All the three girls were quite smart and determined. They also had significant dreams – which Virmati feared would go haywire if they fell in ‘love’ and started to depend on their man to “support” them.

The three of them were former colleagues at a call center. A strange call one night had changed their destinies forever, when they decided to face the battles of their life upfront and live out their own dreams. Each had already been disowned by their families – but they lived together and supported each other, giving strength and encouragement. Their sense of solidarity and sisterhood had impressed Virmati a lot, and she had taken the three into her guardianship – becoming their matriarch.

Priyanka had been a victim of her mother’s internalized misogyny, just like Virmati. She had to constantly put up with her mother’s double standards at home and had to even fight off a forced arranged marriage, which she had been coerced to agree to by her manipulative mother. Priyanka had discovered that her would-be husband was a spineless momma’s boy, who had lied to her and was trying to trap her by flaunting his wealth and riches. Her mother had continued her scheming drama and had faked three heart attack when Priyanka called off the alliance, but Priyanka stayed strong and didn’t bow down to her mother. This had made Priyanka’s relations with her family turn sour. Virmati would easily relate to her; Priyanka was as much a ‘difficult daughter’ as she herself had been. Priyanka had now quit working and had gone back to study B.Ed. (with her own money), as she dreamt of opening a nursery playschool. She had also gone back to dating her ex-boyfriend Shyam. He was her colleague and the two of them had dated for several years, until Priyanka’s nosy mother caused disturbances in their relationships, ultimately leading to their breakup. The two of them had now prioritized their career and were working hard to build up a stable career before entering into a stable relationship (marriage).

Esha had the worst experiences of all in the group. She had modelling aspirations, which had led to her being sexually harassed. She had once “sinned” i.e., had agreed to be used as a sex-object by a creepy old man who promised her modelling chances. That had caused her a lot of guilt, shame and trauma. She was now slowly recovering, helped by her friends (her family had already disowned her because of her modelling dreams). She was working for an NGO and was also dating Varun, her colleague from the call center. He was the same guy who had abused and called her names for her "sin”. He had, of course, apologized, but Esha’s choice of dating him was not something Virmati approved of. Virmati also hoped that Esha doesn’t give up on her modelling aspirations due to fear of societal judgment and the sexist setup of the field - but would continue to pursue her passion, fighting every hurdle that came her way.

Radhika’s story was that of a typical modern Indian girl. Fell in love in college - got married against parents’ wish - became a slave – harassed by husband and in laws – blinded in love - discovers she is being cheated upon - divorce. She was now depressed, with her confidence and self-esteem shattered. Realizing that her “love” held little value in the eyes of her man was itself a huge blow for her. And her parents were rubbing salt to her wounds, by repeatedly pointing out her “mistake” of not obeying them. She had no other source of emotional comfort now, except her friends. Her husband had made several attempts to cajole her (as he wanted a maid for his family), but Radhika had toughened herself up and didn’t heed his pleas. Her friends were helping her in healing her wounds, even as she continued to work at the call center to financially support herself. 

Virmati let out a deep breath as she sat pondering over the lives of her friends. She took a sip of her hot coffee, as she sat waiting for her friends.

A Letter to Dad ...

Dear Dad,

Haaaaiiiii

*hugs*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!

*tight hugs*

*sniffs*


I think I need not tell you about how I'm doing …

After all …
 It's all your guidance and blessings …


But Papa …
I have no words to express how much I miss you …

Your words …
Encouragement …
Appreciation …
Guidance …
JUST YOUR PRESENCE !!!


I was numb with shock and traumatized for a long time after your abrupt departure …
But I have now managed to bounce back …


I am happy and proud to tell you that all the seeds you had sown are bearing fruit, Papa.

I feel like I'm finally being true to myself and becoming the best version of myself …
Just like you had always wanted to see me …

I have learnt to talk, communicate, socialize, be independent (to an extent) , take decisions, etc …


Papa, I remember how you had subtly adviced me to take up Arts and Literature as my field of study … back when I was in Class 10 and was overenthusiastic about taking Science ...
Your advice made sense … though I realised it a bit too late …


Papa … I'm now doing my Masters …
And let me tell you how much I miss you …
Even now … the void left behind by your departure has not healed one bit …
It's still the same as it was around 6/7 years ago …


I miss you when I write an assignment …
I miss you whene I do a presentation …
No amount of marks or compliments can equal your approval and appreciation …
I remember … how I used to do a mock Presentation at home in front of you when I was in school …


All my write - ups , poems …
I feel it's waste to write anything now …
When you are no longer around to read and review …
I remember … your  detailed talks and constructive criticism …

All appreciation and accomplishments amount to nothing due to your absence ...

All my milestones and success in life lack luster ... As you are no longer around to celebrate them ...

.

.

.

Ok Papa …
I don't have the heart or energy to put down all my feelings into words anymore …

I will stop here …

Hope you are happy and proud at my progress and  transformation …


Always wanting and waiting for your guidance and blessings …


Love you ,

Your Munna

Film Text Analysis : "The day India Burned - Partition" (A BBC Documentary)

Indian Writings in English – II
Assignment 1

The Day India Burned - Partition (A BBC Documentary) 

Film Text Analysis

Page 1

     The Partition of the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan can be said to be one of
the darkest moments in the history of humankind. The joy of gaining independence from the
colonial masters, the British, was heavily overpowered by the heart wrenching brutality of the
Partition. Pain, suffering, separation, uprooting of people, mass exodus, refugee camps,
murders, rapes, violence, hunger...the horrors of the Partition took up innumerable forms. These
wounds continue to bleed till today, as the traumas are ingrained in the minds of the families of
people who were affected by the Partition.


     The Partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan garnered attention worldwide. The
division of a diverse and culturally rich country like India on the basis of religion was indeed
something unthinkable. The British were peculiarly interested in it. Though they were the one
to have sown the seeds of the Partition, they artfully separated themselves from it and shrugged
of any blame or responsibility coming their way. Even 60 years down the line, the attitude of
the British remains unchanged, as is evident from the BBC documentary, Partition: The Day
India Burned.


     This BBC documentary was made for the 60th anniversary of that event in 2007. It gives an
overview of the political events that led up to that disaster. Blended into the film are eye-
witness accounts of people who had lived through the Partition, historical footage of political
leaders and dramatized reconstructions of some of the events. The title of the documentary is
something of a misnomer, as India didn’t burn for a day – the period of time involved was
around a year, as the various communities tried to shift from their ancestral homes to areas with
similar communities; and the burning of homes and villages was only a small part of the
violence.


     The documentary is introduced as being “about the effects of Britain's withdrawal from
India in 1947 which triggered one of the biggest migrations in history”. These words seem to
imply that the Indians were unable to take care of their country on their own, after the departure


Page 2


of the British. It’s trying to suggest that the inability of Indian to govern their country was the
reason of Partition, while in reality, the seeds of Partition were sown by the British themselves.
They systematically created hatred between the Hindus and Muslims during their rule, under
their Divide and Rule Policy. This was done in order to prevent them from uniting against the
British.


     The documentary pits the three major religions of India (Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs)
against each other and shoves the blame of the Partition entirely onto the shoulders of Indian
politicians and the general public. It kind of opines that the communal harmony among Indians
was superficial and the cause of the violence was the deep-rooted hatred and religious divide
among Indians. The role of the British in creating the communal unrest is nowhere discussed.
Also, the hand of Lord Mountbatten in this disaster is wiped clean, while in reality, his hands
were the one which drew the Partition lines and sparked off the unrest among people.


     “India was once the jewel in the British Empire's crown. But when it came to pulling out of
the country in August 1947, things turned into shambles.” - This introductory sentence kind of
sums up the colonisers’ perspective about the Partition. India is referred to as having being “the
jewel in the empire’s crown for nearly 200 years”. This is a clear reflection of colonial
mentality. Its not a matter of pride for India to be referred to as the jewel of the British Crown.
To address it as such, even in today’s days, is an act of arrogance. Also, the British didn’t care
for India like a jewel. The very reason for things turning into shambles in India was the 200-
years long of plundering by the British.


     The documentary needs to be applauded for one reason though: that is, it brings across the
human tragedy of Partition so very well. It emphasises on eye-witness accounts of the suffering,
the bravery, the hatred and the helplessness felt during those days by people who were directly
involved in the events. The film does a good job in narrating the harrowing reality and
unimaginable violence and murder inflicted upon the 15 million trying to flee to their new
country. Mass violence resulted in long-time friends and neighbours killing each other because
they were the 'wrong' religion. Entire trains of people were slaughtered, schoolgirls raped and
women had their breasts cut off. 15 million were displaced from their own land and more than a
million lost their lives.


     The story is mostly told through the testimony of people who lived through the time of
Partition. These people talk about how they had lived together with people of other faiths for
centuries, but were forced out of their homes as one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the


Page 3


world was spliced into two. The film gathers an impressive number of contemporary
eyewitnesses to tell their sides of the tale, including Nehru’s niece, Mountbatten’s daughter,
and Gandhi disciple Ashoka Gupta. Dramatized reconstructions are used to evoke some of the
mistrust, violence and upheaval that ensued. Also, historical video footage and photographs are
effectively made use of at appropriate places.


     The 90- minutes long documentary talks about the following important events which led to
the Partition:

• British motivation for leaving India after World War 2 in a quick manner;

• the underlying distrust of Hindus and Muslims of each other despite centuries of living
together;

• Muslim educational and economic backwardness relative to Hindus and their fear of
Hindu domination in a united India;

• the failure of the March 1946 Cabinet Mission in Shimla on account of Nehru's refusal
to a agree to a decentralized Subcontinent,

• the beginning of the Hindu-Muslim communal riots with Jinnah's call for Direct Action
in Calcutta in August 1946;

• the desperate attempts made by Gandhi to effect Hindu-Muslim unity via appeal to their
humanity;

• and the pressure exerted on most Princely States to agree to ascension to India.


     The documentary strikingly describes the manipulation of people by political leaders in the
name of religion. It depicts the slaughter, looting, raping, and mayhem among different
communities at the village level; the deep reluctance of people to abandon their generational
homes; the brave attempts of certain individuals to save their neighbours of other communities
from forcible ethnic and religious cleansing; the horrific price paid by women for defending
their honour; the utter lack of governmental preparation for a mass migration of people; the
needless human massacre caused by Mountbatten's decision to speed up the pre-planned


Page 4


Partition; and the decline of previously culturally rich and cosmopolitan cities like Lahore due
to bloodshed and loss of communal diversity.


     Another admirable point of the film is that it makes one thing clear: no one religion was
guilty or nor was any one religion blameless. All the three major religions of India (Hindus,
Muslims and Sikhs) were at each other’s throat during the Partition. The Partition took part on
religious lines. Muslims were said to belong to Pakistan, while Hindus and Sikhs were to live in
India. Both of these sides were equally guilty for the violence unleashed during the Partition.
Both sides suffered severe casualties. Both sides were equally guilt and had equal share in
blame. It was not a case of an assailant group and a victim group. Both groups had both equal
proportions of both kinds of people. Victims were on both sides, so were assailants. This clears
the misconception of lying the entire of the violence on any one religion.


     Leaving behind the escapist and arrogant supremacist standpoint, the film is a pretty good
piece of work. Gathering together a number of survivors and eye-witnesses is no joke. Also, it
can be said that the film doesn’t reduce the gravity and intensity of the Partition one bit. It is
quite detailed and strikes the imagination of the viewers. It can be said that the film presents a
clear picture of the brutality which occurred due to the Partition.


     The Partition of India was of the greatest humanitarian tragedies in modern times. People
were unsuspectingly divided along communal and religious lines, and turned against each other
in a fury of violence. The tensions sparked off at that time dominate the region even today.
Every now and then, it explodes and it had led to one of the longest separatist wars in modern
history (Kashmir). All of this stem from the fateful decisions that were made at this time. This
documentary is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to understand why such things
happen, as it presents a part of the background story in a hauntingly effective manner.

Significance of Dalit Literature for Social Uniformity with reference to the novel "Chomana Dudi"

SIGNIFICANCE OF DALIT LITERATURE FOR SOCIAL UNIFORMITY

WITH REFERENCE TO THE NOVEL

CHOMANA DUDI

by Shivram Karanth (Kannada)

- Kiranmayi M

R19MAE12

MA English, 2nd semester

Page 2

Untouchability: A Social Evil

The advent of 20th century brought many reforms to Indian society. The arrival of

English education let people to question their age-old beliefs and practices. One such
archaic practice put under scrutiny by the reformers was the inhuman custom of
untouchability.

              The caste system existed in Indian society right from the time of recorded history. It
was an integral part of the Hindu society. The system was not just strange and irrational,
it also gave rise to many coldblooded beliefs, superstitions and practices in society. One
such wretched offshoot of the caste system was the practice of untouchability.

              The traditions followed in the name of untouchability were all horrifyingly brutal and
inhumane. People who belonged to the so-called untouchable castes were treated little
worse than cattle. They had to live on the outskirts of the village, eat leftovers and eke
out a living by doing menial jobs for the so-called upper caste people. They were subject
to several restrictions. They had no right to live a decent and dignified life. Far from
living, it was considered blasphemy for them to even dream of living a good life!

              Many reformist writers took upon the task of presenting the disturbing realities of
untouchability through their plays and novels. Though untouchability pervaded all across
the country, the customs and traditions associated with it varied greatly with each region.
So, each writer brought forth new facets of the horrendous custom.

About the author

One such writer was K. Shivram Karanth from Karnataka. He was a multi-faceted
talent. Apart from being a writer, he was also a social thinker, reformist, dramatist, social
activist, filmmaker and several other figures package into one. In the literary front, there
is hardly any genre he has not worked upon. Be it a novel, short-story, drama, satire,
humour, travelogue and other forms, Karanth has shown his expertise in every kind of
literary expression. He was, in fact, compared to Rabindranath Tagore in this regard. His
contribution to the Kannada Literature is an all-time record, as he wrote, apart from his
forty-seven novels, thirty-one plays, four short story collections, six books of essays and
sketches, thirteen books on art, two volumes of poems, nine encyclopedias, and over one
hundred articles on various issues.

               Shivram Karanth is considered one of the most influential novelists in the Kannada
language. Most of his novels are widely read and have received critical acclaim. In the 47
novels which he penned, Shivaram Karanth has explore a plethora of themes. The themes
include social, political, spiritual, anthropological and other relative issues. One such
powerful and popular novel of Karanth is “Chomana Dudi”.

Page 3

The Novel

               Chomana Dudi revolves around the life of Choma, who is a bonded laborer from an
untouchable caste. The novel traces the life of Choma till his death – taking one through
his dreams and difficulties, trials and tribulations, humiliations and heartbreaks. It deals
with the series of injustices heaped on Choma, the resultant pain and anguish leading him
to the inevitable tragic end- all this because he belonged to a down trodden community.
The novel artfully brings out the multi-faceted nature of untouchability and its
consequences through Choma and his family.

                The story has a central theme of untouchability. While doing so, it covers the entire
scope of oppressive and exploitative practices which result out of untouchability. It
shows how the concept of untouchability has both immediate and far-fetching effects on
the lives of people.

Background and Setting

                The time setting of the novel is the early part of the 20th century.

                The place setting of the novel is a fictional village called Bhogana Halli in Dakshina
Kannada district or South Canara. In the preface of his book, the author gives details of
the treatment meted out to untouchables in this region. He says that, “In South Canara,
the slaves were treated as untouchables. They had to erect huts at a distance from all
other inhabitation and were not allowed to approach the houses or person without certain
prescribed distances. The holeyas (so-called untouchable castes) of the district were
divided in to various sub-castes such as Mera, Byra, Ajila, Mari, Mundala and others.

The treatment meted out to them also varied as per the practice prevailing from region to
region.

                Only Mera holeyas were allowed to undertake cultivational activity. But the society
did not allow the Mari holeyas, treated as the ‘lowest of the low’ caste, that opportunity.
There are people who say even their shades are to be avoided. They had to survive by
eating the left- overs, or the dead cattle, or undertaking despicable menial jobs. In the
northern parts of our district, they are not called for daily labor even to this day. In the
southern parts, they are however called for daily labor.

Page 4

                This description makes it clear that the practice of untouchability is a web of
complexities. It is not simple or uniform. It varies greatly all through the country, from
state to state, district to district, region to region. Furthermore, there are a number of
divisions or sub-castes within the so-called lower/untouchable castes. So, Dalit
Literature plays a significant role in bringing out and highlighting all the subtle
complexities of the untouchability issue.

Choma: A Bonded Labor

                The protagonist of the novel is Choma, who is a holeya belonging to the Mera sub-
caste in the South Canara district. He is a bonded labour serving the house hold of
Sankappayya, a land lord of the village named Bhogana Halli. The bondage has run
through several generations. Choma’s forefathers in the past, Choma now, and his
children in the future were, is, and are going to be tradition bound to serve the lineage of
Sankappayya. The bondage was unbreakable as the former cannot desert their lord /
Master and the latter is obligated to keep them under his tutelage.


                This indicates that untouchability had given rise to another social evil i.e., bonded
labour. This was another inhumane practice, wherein generation after generation of one
family (from the so-called untouchable castes) was “bonded” to be slaves of one family
from so-called upper castes. This practice was hindered the hope of a better life for the
slaves and constrained them from even thinking or dreaming of a better life! Thus, Dalit
Literature plays an important role in bringing to light the social issues which have
branched out from the root cause i.e., untouchability.


                The service offered by the bonded labourers were mostly is manual and menial labour
and is usually compensated with meagre allowances. In the novel, the payment of Choma
for his service is with 2 quarter seers of rice and 5 quarter seers of paddy a day. This is
too little to maintain a family of six, and therefore, the life of Choma and his family
members is characterized by abject poverty, hunger and misery.


Page 5

Choma: His Dreams and Difficulties

                Despite his poverty, Choma spends most of his earnings on toddy and tobacco. These
are his vices, which he simply couldn’t get rid of. He squandered all of his money on
these two, leaving little to no money to take care of his household.

                Due to his vices, Choma is pushed to take loans from his master. As he would never
repay his loans on time, his family is caught in an acute cycle of debts and interest.

                Another important passion of Choma was beating ‘dudi’ - a small hand drum beaten
with bamboo sticks. Choma compulsively involves himself on beating the dudi,
whenever he felt happy, sad, furious or miserable. or happy and elated. Beating dudi
was like giving his feelings an outlet vent.

                Choma had one major dream in his life i.e. to become a farmer. Tilling a strip of land,
even a small one, was his dream. But it was unattainable as the customs and traditions
prohibited a holeya becoming a farmer. His keen requests for a small strip of land were
repeatedly rejected by his landlord, much to the despair of Choma. Moreover, the mother
of the landlord curses Choma for ‘having the audacity to even think of tilling land’!

                Choma would have got a piece of land from the government, but the, where would he
get seeds from? How would he sustain himself till his crops grew? His landlord had made
it clear that his daily wages would be stopped the day he dared to till a piece of land for
himself.

                Conversion to Christianity is also an option open for Choma, but he is too proud of his
faith to leave it. Missionaries try to lure him with promises of land and money. But even
though he is ill-treated because of his faith, Choma refuses to abandon it and embrace a
new faith. He accepts everything thrown his way as his fate and God’s Will. This shows
the amount of indoctrination of blind beliefs and superstitions.

Page 6


                So, the untouchables had not even the right to dream and have ambitions. They had no
right to cherish hopes and desires within their heart, because tradition would ensure that
they would remain unfulfilled. Also, they dare not think of rebelling against society or
religion as everything that happens is due to their fate and God’s Will.

                Choma’s life ends in misery as he loses all his children. On his last day, he shuts himself
in his home, drinks heavily and beats his drum till his last breath.

Choma’s Family

                Choma’s family consists of six members – himself, his 4 sons and a daughter.

• Two of his elder sons work in a distant coffee estate trying to pay off their family
debt. One of them dies of cholera and the other one converts to Christianity by
marrying a Christian girl.

• His daughter, Belli works in the plantation and falls for the charm of Manvela, the
estate-owner's contractor. She is raped by him and the estate owner, who then
writes off Choma's debt. She returns home and tells everything to Choma. Choma
later finds his daughter in a compromising position with Manvela in their home.
With anger, he beats her and kicks her out of the house.

• His youngest son drowns in a river, with nobody coming to save him because of
him being an untouchable.

So, it is clearly seen how untouchability affects the lives of people in such diverse ways
that it tears Choma’s family apart.

• Lack of food, hygiene and basic health facilities leads to the death of one son
from cholera.


Page 7


• Lack of basic human rights and dignity in his own faith leads another son to
convert to Christianity. He is lured to the new religion as it promises him a life of
dignity and civic liberties in his new faith.

• Being underprivileged in society leads to the exploitation of Choma’s daughter,
Belli. She is sexually exploited, and then lured away by manipulative men with
promises of writing off her family debts. Men of power demand sexual favors
from her in return to writing off her family’s debt; taking advantage of her social
and economic backwardness. This is a case of caste, class and gender abuse.

• Finally, the last son of Choma is left to die by onlookers due to his caste. People see him drowning, but on one comes forward to help him, because he is an
untouchable. The insensitivity of people can be realized in this case. People are so
clouded by their rigid beliefs and superstitions that they turn a blind eye to a
fellow human being in trouble. The cries of the young boy fall on deaf ears, only
because of his caste.

All these cases show how untouchability leads to various forms of abuse and neglect.

Literature as a step towards Social Uniformity

                 Summing up, it can be said that Chomana Dudi is an excellent example of how Dalit
Literature can lead to social uniformity. The novel throws light on the denial of basic
human essentials and dignity to people like Choma and highlights the immorality of
society. It is able to tear up the eyes of the readers and tear open their hearts towards the
suffering of the downtrodden. The author’s purpose to create an awareness among the
public as regards to the evils of untouchability has found adequate success through this
novel. So, it can be said that novels like these can prove to be invaluable in spreading
awareness and sensitize the public towards the suffering of the so-called lower castes.
This would lead to concern, mindfulness and social uniformity in the long run.