SOCIAL REALISM IN JOSEPH MACWAN’S ECLIPSED ROTALO, HARISH MANGALAM’S THE MIDWIFE AND MOHAN PARMAR’S ETERNAL THIRST

Abstract:

According to time and situations, Dalit literature is written about their torments and development. After independence, the Dalits took the initiative in the fields of politics and education. Indian Constitution formally put an end to the practice of untouchability, but the classification by caste still exists in India. Despite rigid traditions and caste system, the Dalits became aware of politics, gained education, and started writing literature about their pangs and afflictions. No one can find any distinction between Dalit literature written in Gujarati and other regional languages of India. Dalit writing as a whole is an account of untouchability, caste discrimination, Dalit protest against inequality, and about their oppression and exploitation by upper caste. Dalits in Gujarat became aware of their rights during the early twentieth century, but their literature fully flourished after the 1970s. Gujarati Dalit writers like Joseph Macwan, Dalpat Chauhan, Harish Mangalam, and Mohan Parmar portrayed a realistic picture of Dalit life in rural Gujarat. Gujarati Dalit short stories unfold the everyday life of Dalit families and their struggles. The present research paper offers to study and analyze social realism described in Gujarati Dalit short stories. Social realism is a style of art and fiction that uses to describe the everyday life of working-class and poor people in a realistic manner. Eclipsed Rotalois a story Raghu of and his family. It talks about the daily life of a Dalit family in rural Gujarat. In this story, Macwan narrates that Raghu being a Dalit, is ill-treated by his classmates at school. Raghu’s parents hope that he may get a proper education in reputed school. The family becomes the victim of the caste system. In the end, the story, the writer, unfolds that the caste system is the cruel reality of society. Dalit is touchable when his/her help is needed, but as soon as the need fulfilled, he/she becomes untouchable. Harish Mangalam describes the unpleasant experiences and untouchability felt by a Dalit widow Banima in his story The Midwife. She and Banimais, a midwife, is exploited by the upper caste. In his story, Eternal Thirst Mohan Parmar portrays a leather-bucket maker Manna’s routine life realistically. It is a graphic account of society where Manna and his wife Lakhi experience caste discrimination and untouchability and their protest against it. The stories of Raghu, Banima, and Manna come to the conclusion that untouchability and caste become the poison that ruins the lives of the Dalits. The present research aims to study the social reality and Dalit awakening expressed in Gujarati Dalit short stories. The short stories by Gujarati Dalit writers present an exciting account of rural Gujarat. They attempted to narrate untouchability and caste as the cruel reality of society in their works.

Keywords: untouchability, inequality, exploitation, social realism, education, poverty

Introduction

Gujarati Dalit short stories present a realistic picture of Dalit life and society. The stories of Harish Mangalam, Mohan Parmar, and Joseph Macwan draw a perfect view of society and issues between the Dalits and the upper classes. The present paper aims to study social realism in Harish Mangalam’s The Midwife, Mohan Parmar’s Eternal Thirst, and Joseph Macwan’s Eclipsed Rotalo. Social realism is a term used to mark the works of painters, writers, and filmmakers. The above stories provide the idea of how poor people are living in the society. The stories attempt to portray the picture of cruelty in society and how it affects their development. It presents the poor people who work based on daily wages on farms. It also describes the characters facing an identity crisis and their social status, which affects their development. Social realist texts cover contemporary social issues. Social realist artists use literature and other art forms to describe society as it is. One can use the term social realism in many ways. Gujarati Dalit writers use the term to portray inequality, untouchability, and exploitation of the Dalits by the upper-class people. Social realism aims to reveal the issues between the oppressive force and the oppressed victims. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines social realism as”a theory or practice of using appropriate representation and symbol to express a social or political attitude (htt)”.

Dictionary.com as,

“….the style of painting, especially of the 1930s in the U.S., in which the scenes depicted typically to convey a message of social or political protest edged with satire” (htt1)

Collins dictionary as,

“…a use of realist art, literature, etc. as a medium for social or political comment” (htt2)

The present research paper aims to examine exploitation, untouchability, and inequality as social realism. Gujarati Dalit writers attempt to depict the life of Dalit families as it is. In their works, Dalit writers select the characters from the poor Dalit families who struggle throughout their life because of social attitudes. Using the characters, writers attempt to comment on the society and its traditions.

Social realism in Joseph Macwan’s Eclipsed Rotalo

Eclipsed Rotalo is a story of Dalit family in which Dhanji and his wife Heta work hard to provide excellent education to their don Raghu. It gives the picture of the everyday life of Heta and her son Raghu. Heta wants her son to become a barrister. The story presents poverty and hunger as social realism. Dhanji and his wife Heta work hard and believe that by providing excellent education to their son will decrease their poverty. Raghu’s day starts with eating rotalo and takes half with him for a lunch box. Extreme poverty is witnessed.   Raghu refuses to eat more rotala because he doesn’t want to take his mother’s share, “No matter how hungry he was, he would never demand more than he was given; not even when Heta coaxed him lovingly. He knew that he would be taking away his mother’s share of rotala” (Macwan 43). Raghu eats and chew each bite forty times and speaks lie to his mother, “Our schoolmaster has taught us to chew each morsel forty times as it is more satisfying, helps body to make more blood and quickens digestion…” (Macwan 44). Heta takes it as her son’s wisdom. It shows the extreme level of poverty that they don’t have any other thing to eat other than rotala. In the recess time Raghu feels hungry and is fascinated by the talks of his classmates about other tasteful food. No praises his rotala. Her ears wait to listen the praise of his rotala. Raghu is not treated well by his classmates. Inequality is seen when his classmates ask Raghu, “Stay away. Move aside… you are not our equal. How dare you sit among us? The sight of your dirty rotala makes us retch” (Macwan 45). After that incident Raghu remains irritated on hearing the name of rotala. In irritatingtone he asks his mother,”Why can’t you think of anything else but rotala; rotala in morning and rotala in the evening?” (Macwan 49). Heta can’t believe because Raghu loves to eat rotala and sudden change is not digested. She asks Raghu that, “You loved to eat rotala before. Has anything happened? Why don’t you like it now? See I also have given you some jaggery” (Macwan 49). Raghu is fascinated by his classmates’ talks about food and desires to eat that food. The talks keep echoing in his ears which compel him to steal Mintu’s lunch box. Heta wants her son to become a big man and works hard for it. She doesn’t want him to remain poor. She wants to give him a good life. In her words, “Atleast our son will have a bright future. We are fated to sweat it out all our lives, but we don’t want our son to have a similar life” (Macwan 47). Heta is worried about her son when he denies eating rotala. Raghu steals Mintu’s lunchbox. After stealing his lunch box Raghu feels himself guilty and makes resolution never to do wrong. On the basis of Mintu’s complain Raghu is found guilty. The story ends with Dr. Amin’s words that Raghu should be rusticated because a kind of theft can affect others. The story shows that poverty and hunger can demolish life. Using words Macwan draws a realistic picture of dalit family and their struggle to provide good education to their son.

Social Realism in Harish Mangalam’sthe Midwife

The Midwife is a story of a dalit widow Benima. The story is about an old woman who is gifted the art of midwifery through which she attempts to save people’s life. The story presents exploitation and untouchability as theme. Pashima, Baldev’s wife is in labor pain and wants Benima’s help in delivering the child. When Benima’s help is needed she is not untouchable and after having work done, she becomes untouchable. The story of Midwife presents exploitation and untouchability as social realism. The central character Benima is exploited by the upper class when her help is needed but from the very next moment she is considered as untouchable.  In the beginning Manek Doshi, an upper caste old woman asks Benima to help save Pashi and baby. She asks, “Benima Bhagwan will bless you. Save her somehow”(Mangalam 46). Benima without hesitation and profit helps Pashi deliver her son. But Pashi does not give any credit to Benima instead she believes that luck and Ramkabir saved her life. Partiality is there somewhere in human psyche. People live in darkness and not respect each other. When Pashi and her son meet Benima after one and half year they forgot their savior. Untouchability is there in words and actions of Pashi when she stops her son to touch Benima, “Dear, don’t touch Benima” (Mangalam 46). Human dignity is affected by this act of Pashi. Benima who saved her life is of no importance to her. After the death of her husband before twenty years Benims is wasting her life. Benims after finishing her mango left for home. The story also unfolds the notion of pollution by touch, one of the realities of the society. This incident is realistically portrayed in the story. On the way to home near the banyan tree some little boys were playing when Benima passed a boy shouted, “Hey, you scavenger woman, go away. You’ll pollute us. Can’t you look where you are going?” (Mangalam 47). Listening this Benima recognizes Daylo, Dali’s son and said to herself,”Death had almost got him… four years ago. I saved him.” (Mangalam 47). These words of a little kid hurt Benima. It shows the double standards of society. How a little kid knows anything that aman can be polluted bytouch? Harish Mangalam in this story comments on the selfishness of society. They use person when required and after fulfilment of their work forget the person. In this way Harish Mangalam presents social realism in the Midwife and satires on the thinking of society.

Social realism in Mohan Parmar’sEternal Thirst

Eternal Thirst is a story about the everyday life of Mano and his wife Lakhi. The story portrays a picture of a life and struggle of dalit family in rural Gujarat. The protagonist of the story Mano is an expert in making leather buckets. Manna gives up his study after marriage with Lakhi and as substitute takes up making leather buckets. In this story the writer attempts to present the social issues ofdalits in rural Gujarat. Mano and Lakhi belongs to poor dalit family. They attempt to gain lost human dignity. They want to be free from such humiliation caused because of caste. They believe that caste is the only responsible factor for their plight in society. Even after independence the mindset of people doesn’t change. They still live in mental darkness. Mano wants to get rid of such things. Manna doesn’t like if anyone call him Chamar. Once the relative of Joitaram simply addresses him a Chamar and Manna’s angriness on him is seen in his words, “How is this person related to you? Tell him to hold his tongue.”Manna’s wife is brought up in city and harvesting is very difficult and hard work for her. While Manna and Lakhi are harvesting Lakhi feels thirsty. Manna fetches water from the well. While making leather bucket Manna injures himself and while fetching water blood comes out. The cruelty of society is observed when Mangaji said furiously, “You stupid chamar. Have you any manners or not? You have polluted the well.” (Parmar 34)Mangaji speaks the words that affect the dignity of a class of society. ‘Chamar’ is a dalit sub-caste and they are considered by the upper-class people as untouchables because they do the work of making leather-buckets. Mangaji being a Thakor considers himself a high-born and Manna as low-born. The dalits of the rural area are treated in this way by the elite classes of society. But by the time dalits became aware and hearing Mangaji’s words Mana becomes red with anger. The concept of untouchability or pollution by touch still exists in some rural areas. Manna tries to come out of such things but is unable. He feels irritated and asks Mangaji,”I have only filled water from the well, nothing else and it makes you polluted, thakor?” (Parmar 35). It is the reality of society that of high-born and low-born persons. In the words of Mangaji who considers Manna’s act of fetching water from well as sin,”Shut up, you fool. Are you a high-born that you walk up to the well to fill up water. Didn’t I tell you to fill from the canal?” (Parmar 35). They are considered as low-born persons and not allowed to fetch water from the well. Manna wants to come out of all the sort of things which affects his development and his identity but is not able to for the society is not willing. Hearing Mangaji’s words both the husband and wife become disappointed. Lakhi wants Manna to take job in any of the mill in Ahmedabad. Manna in despair replies Mangaji saying, “You have made an issue out of my simple act of filling water from the basin of the well.” (Parmar 35). In this way the thirst of Lakhi becomes the eternal thirst of the Dalits who want to get rid of such practices. Dalits attempt to come out of such practices but their voice is always resisted by the power. It results in their oppression, exploitation and marginalization. The characters like Mano and Lakhi attempt to break traditions but the characters like Mangaji destroy their attempts.

Conclusion

The above discussed stories are set in rural Gujarat and present the realistic description of social facts. Though the stories it presents the everyday life of the dalits in realistic manner. Social realism is used to describe the everyday life of poor people which here is appropriately used by Harish Mangalam, Mohan Parmar, and Joseph Macwan to draw a perfect a realistic picture of dalit families and their struggles to come out of social bondages. Mana is not so strong character but depicts awareness and dalit’s protest against wrong. In Eclipsed Rotalo Heta and Dhanji wanted to give bright future to their son and they don’t want their son Raghu to live the similar life that they lived. The story of Raghu marks development but still behind in terms of power and economy. The character of Mana describes failures in life. Though is a literate man he didn’t get any job, it is the reality and finding no way takes up work either in any of the factory or in farms. The characters face identity crisis and fail to defend human dignity. People still live in mental darkness. Mano doesn’t like if anyone call him achamar. Because he wants people to know him as human being and they must treat him as a human. The characters suffer throughout the stories for self-identity, equality and social status. The stories present inequality, exploitation and untouchability as social realism. Both Benima and Mana are exploited when their help is needed and becomes untouchable when work is done. They are not treated equally but as inferiors.

Works Cited

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