Nobody likes being disliked or rejected, specially when things are not under our control or cannot be changed. But there are some people who have to live with it every day. Mulk Raj Anand in his novel 'Untouchable' portrays how the scavengers most commonly referred to as the untouchables are treated by the Hindu society. Anand describes a day in Bakha, a sweeper's life and his desire to be like the Englishmen and the high class Hindus--imitating their lifestyle and living in cleaner houses rather than the filthy and miserable living conditions and seeking similar respect instead of the ill-treatment that he has to face.
Bakha is a young and attractive boy who wishes to live a life of happiness and respect. His only fault is that he is the son of a scavenger and has to carry on with the profession of cleaning and disposing other people's waste.
Throughout the novel Bakha struggles to get some answers--Why are sweepers treated with no respect? Why are the temples, schools, wells not open to the outcastes? Why is their shadow or touch considered polluted? Why are sweepers humiliated all the time for no rhyme or reason?
His day begins with his father's abuses and curses, followed by the insults and humiliation from the Hindus of the upper castes. He is supposed to shout and warn people of his approach. He is addressed as a "Dirty dog! Son of a bitch! The offspring of a pig!"
I doubt if that's how any individual addresses a person, even if s/he belongs to the lowest section of our society. The discrimination exists because it is supported by the caste system and Hindu beliefs.
When he goes to clean the house of a Hindu lady, he is showered with unpleasant comments and the leftover bread and food is thrown at him.
"You eater of the masters! Why did you sit down on my doorstep, if you had to sit down at all? You have defiled my religion! You should have sat there in the gulley! Now I will have to sprinkle holy water all over the house! You spoiler of my salt! oh! how terrible! You sweepers have lifted your heads to the sky, nawadays!"
On the other hand she gives respect and regard to the Sadhu, who is a Brahmin, and requests him to accept her offerings, assuring him that 'the sweeper' didn't pollute her house.
Bakha feels helpless as he fails to understand why the upper caste people always abuse him or look down upon him. He soon concludes that "They always abuse us. Because we are sweepers. Because we touch dung.They hate dung. I hate it too."
Anand's novels on humanism give voice to the oppressed and allows them to express their anger and suffering. All they look for are the basic rights and privileges as human beings, which the caste system deprives them of.
Bakha is a young and attractive boy who wishes to live a life of happiness and respect. His only fault is that he is the son of a scavenger and has to carry on with the profession of cleaning and disposing other people's waste.
Throughout the novel Bakha struggles to get some answers--Why are sweepers treated with no respect? Why are the temples, schools, wells not open to the outcastes? Why is their shadow or touch considered polluted? Why are sweepers humiliated all the time for no rhyme or reason?
His day begins with his father's abuses and curses, followed by the insults and humiliation from the Hindus of the upper castes. He is supposed to shout and warn people of his approach. He is addressed as a "Dirty dog! Son of a bitch! The offspring of a pig!"
I doubt if that's how any individual addresses a person, even if s/he belongs to the lowest section of our society. The discrimination exists because it is supported by the caste system and Hindu beliefs.
When he goes to clean the house of a Hindu lady, he is showered with unpleasant comments and the leftover bread and food is thrown at him.
"You eater of the masters! Why did you sit down on my doorstep, if you had to sit down at all? You have defiled my religion! You should have sat there in the gulley! Now I will have to sprinkle holy water all over the house! You spoiler of my salt! oh! how terrible! You sweepers have lifted your heads to the sky, nawadays!"
On the other hand she gives respect and regard to the Sadhu, who is a Brahmin, and requests him to accept her offerings, assuring him that 'the sweeper' didn't pollute her house.
Bakha feels helpless as he fails to understand why the upper caste people always abuse him or look down upon him. He soon concludes that "They always abuse us. Because we are sweepers. Because we touch dung.They hate dung. I hate it too."
Anand's novels on humanism give voice to the oppressed and allows them to express their anger and suffering. All they look for are the basic rights and privileges as human beings, which the caste system deprives them of.
As a reader you feel sorry for all the humiliation and suffering he is subjected to. There would not have been a better way to show how rejection can affect a person and his/her psyche. Anand very well describes Bakha's dilemmas, emotions of anger, helplessness, rejection and disapproval. I felt I was a part of all the protagonist's experiences, as a silent spectator, and felt disgusted but couldn't do anything. The author clearly shows Bakha as a human being who has expectations, emotions, weaknesses and strengths just like anyone else. He feels happy and grateful when Charat Singh, a higher caste Hindu, treats him as a normal person and is kind to him. He wishes a normal life of kindness and equality. He is elated to be a part of Gandhi ji's speech, where the Mahatma stands for the rights and fair treatment of the 'Harijans'. The novel ends with Bakha getting some answers while he has to find the rest of them on his own during the course of life.
The only disappointment was that there was not much to read about the changes that took place in the life of Bakha and other sweepers after Gandhi ji addressed the villagers and demanded fair treatment of the sweepers. Apart from this, I enjoyed reading the book and would insist you to read it too.
Hope you enjoy it!
The only disappointment was that there was not much to read about the changes that took place in the life of Bakha and other sweepers after Gandhi ji addressed the villagers and demanded fair treatment of the sweepers. Apart from this, I enjoyed reading the book and would insist you to read it too.
Hope you enjoy it!
