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| Untouchable |
| Mukh Raj Anand |
| ISBN 0-14-018395-7 |
Review by Dashini Ann Jeyathurai  |
| Its pages that had been savoured again and again reflected its age. A young man stared pensively out of the cover, his arms folded in mute submission while his turban and wrinkled clothing dealt me an indelible tale. So began my journey with Mr. Mukh Raj Anand to the land of the 'Untouchable'. Accustomed only to reading and enjoying the majestic beauty of the Rajasthani palaces, I mysteriously found myself drawn to this particular book. Here I discovered an outcaste colony where its squalid and nauseating living conditions were 'homes' to scavengers, washerwomen, grass-cutters and most importantly our protagonist Bakha, a latrine cleaner. I found it especially thought provoking as the author used Bakha as a medium and voice to represent the birth of a modern India. He experiences and identity conflict within himself as he is attracted to the 'sahib' tendencies yet simultaneously he is forced to face the harsh reality that he is at the lowest rung of the caste system. Physically, he is without a doubt human, but to his Hindu brethren he is lesser than a flea-bitten dog. Mr. Anand also takes the reader deeper into certain Hindu beliefs such as reincarnation. To be reborn as an Untouchable was a form of penance for one's sins in previous lives. Even to touch an outcaste was a pollution and defilement, which required purifying. It was a fascinating experience to watch the author spin a masterpiece around the injustice and oppression faced by the outcastes in their daily lives. The upper class feasted on sumptuous semolina pudding and milk rice, while the outcastes stomached soggy pieces of leftovers from the ever 'magnanimous' gentry. A particular incident that greatly impacted me was when the unassuming Bakha accidentally bumps into a Hindu at the market place. A common enough incident, no doubt. However, a commode cleaner that touched a Hindu was more than enough reason for outcry among the Hindus. Though he does not even raise his voice against his persecutor, Bakha is heaped with 'accolades' like a donkey that has shirked from his work. The crowd's curiosity transforms into glee as he receives a stinging slap across his face, forcing him to swallow the dust of the earth and to watch blood trickle from his lips. Mr. Anand again raises the question through Bakha's conscience on how humiliation can be synonymous to penance? Another bias that is brilliantly raised is while the outcaste men had been deemed untouchable, woe betide an outcaste woman who had the misfortune of being endowed with beauty. The same Hindu who accosted Bakha attempted to molest his lovely sister, Sohini. The book presents the reader with the utter hypocrisy of particular customs and beliefs. Yet, so many are seen to believe fervently in the caste system. A distinct occurrence was played upon Bakha's lunch for the day. His bread was flung into a drain that reeked of excretion. The stench alone was enough to send one reeling, what more to eat from the drain. Here, one's consciousness is raised regarding a fellow human being that knew nothing of compassion and basic humanity. Six thousand years of racial and class superiority cannot be abolished so easily. On a final note, this has been the first book that has had such a dynamic impact, enough to leave an indelible impression on me. Not only did Mr. Anand manage to entice me into reading chapter after chapter, but he also enlightened me on the flaws every society has. Truly, I have encountered the 'Charles Dickens of India'. |
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To read too many books is harmful. Mao Tse Tung |
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