CU-MA-Eng-SEM-IV-Dalit Literature-Second Draft

pointed out how our Vedic mantras constantly instilled into us this gospel of collective effort – “Yagna”. That made us great in the past. The twenty-first century will be the century of India – and also that of Hindus. That is what Swamiji has predicted. Let us all work hard to make it a reality. And that alone will make our lives worth living. 8.5 TEXT-QUOTA WALLAH Sai was ironing his shirt when he realized, in his hurry, he had not picked up the milk packets that morning. He finished ironing and walked swiftly to his front gate to pick them up. He noticed that one gate was slightly open. Probably he had forgotten to lock it on the previous night. Just as he was about to close the gate, he felt a soft furry body touch his legs. As he bent down, his dog, July, run out of the gate. “July, July come back… “ Sai shouted at the top of his voice to no avail. He knew she was going to the neighboring park to socialize with the street dogs, again. Last time, when she roamed around the park without him, she had developed a bad skin infection. Sai had spent a lot of time for the treatment, and he didn’t want to go through it again. He also didn’t have the heart to see his beloved dog with those rashes again. But Sai had an important meeting with his Chairman and senior colleagues, who had come from Mumbai to Chennai. Among other things, they were going to decide on the post of Branch Manager. There was a stiff contest between him and his rival Megha. If he did not leave home in another five minutes, he would be late for the meeting. What should he do now? If they were going to appoint Megha, just because he was late for a meeting, he’d rather let it be. July was his only companion ever since his wife died and his son went abroad. He didn’t want to lose her too. He contemplated for a few seconds, turned right, and walked quickly towards the park. Sai reached his office at 9:40 A.M. The Chairman was shaking hands with Megha and everyone was clapping when he entered. “Here we have Sai at last, coming late for an important meeting,” the Chairman said, while Sai sat down on his chair. “I am sure you have a good reason…” “Just as I was about to leave home today morning, my dog ran out of the house to a neighboring park. Last time she did this, she’d developed a bad skin infection. I didn’t want that to happen again. So I had to go after her and bring her back,” Sai told the truth. The room was silent for a few seconds. The Charmain stood up and pointed towards Megha. “Sai, would you like to congratulate your new Branch Manager, Megha?” he asked. 151 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Sai looked at her. She was smiling. He looked back at his Chairman. “I was late just for one meeting and you decide on the promotion based on that?” he fumed. The Chairman sat down on his chair and looked at the attendees for a couple of seconds. He said, “Sai has a valid point,” He turned towards Sai. “Let’s suppose, you and a rival company executive had a client meeting today to decide on an order worth rupees one crore. If you don’t reach there on time, the order will go to the rival. And your dog runs out. Would you have done the same thing?” Sai was stumped by the question. “Yes, I would have done the same thing,” he said after a brief pause. “That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the reason why I did not appoint Sai to the new role,” the Chairman said and moved on to other matters. Sai ate two subs, and drank two cokes, at the Subway stall opposite to his office, after the meeting. He couldn’t even imagine working under Megha, who was his junior by five years. He decided to meet the Chairman to give his resignation letter in person when he got a call from his former boss, working now at a rival MNC company. “Hi Sai. Heard you are looking for a change?” he asked. “How do you know boss,” Sai replied. “Oh that, I still have close contacts in your company. By the way, we are looking for a Regional Manger for our Chennai branch. Would you like to join?” he asked. “I…” Sai hesitated. “Don’t worry, your pay will be 30% more than Meghana’s and we work only five days a week,” he said. “Wow, I want to join,” Sai confirmed. And added, “You don’t know how much this offer means to me now. I don’t have words enough to thank you boss…” “Oh, you don’t need words to thank your dog,” he said. Sai smiled. 152 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

8.6 TEXT-ON KNOWING THE TRUTH Telling the truth is a very good habit. If you always speak the truth, you can save yourselves from lots of trouble! Here is the story of a man, who did a lot of bad things, but his promise to tell the truth saved him.This is a true story, so read it carefully. Once a man came to the Saint and said, I have many bad habits. Which one of them should I give up first?” The Saint said, “Give up telling lies first and always speak the truth.” The man promised to do so and went home. At night the man was about to go out to steal. Before setting out, he thought for a moment about the promise he made with the Saint. “If tomorrow the Saint asks me where have I been, what shall I say? Shall I say that I went out stealing? No, I cannot say that. But nor can I lie. If I tell the truth, everyone will start hating me and call me a thief. I would be punished for stealing.” So the man decided not to steal that night, and gave up this bad habit. Next day, he felt like drinking wine, when he was about to do so, he said to himself, “What shall I say to the Saint if he asks me what did I do during the day? I cannot tell a lie, and if I speak the truth people will hate me, because a religious person is not allowed to drink wine.” And so he gave up the idea of drinking wine. In this way, whenever the man thought of doing something bad, he remembered his promise to tell the truth at all times. One by one, he gave up all his bad habits and became a very good person. 8.7 ANALYSIS- MADNESS The story “Madness”describes the memorable racial and caste classicism of the protagonist”Krishnan Kutty”and how he is a victim of classism. He worked hard and is now financially stable, but his low caste prevents him from standing up in society or facing an identity crisis. The protagonist’s identity crisis can be seen throughout the story as he now belongs to the upper middle class and lives in a high society, but his past is deeply rooted in him. There are also differences in race, caste, and class in history. Krishnan Kutty tries to escape reality. He doesnot belong to the upper class and doesnot want to belong to the lower class. He lives in the neighbourhood. The majority of the upper class 153 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

live in it. His daughter is dating an upper class girl. Only he feels inferior, neither his wife nor his daughter feels the separation as they belong to the upper class. He is stuck between the upper class and the lower caste. The hero experiences a feeling of helplessness in this story. Therefore, this story can be seen as a journey of Krishnan Kutty’s idea of becoming a victim of an identity crisis. When a friend points his finger at his sister in a car trying to escape from the chain, Krishnan Kutty pretends to be invisible and refuses. His reaction to a friend who cannot see anything is the cruelest part of escaping reality and letting others recognize the true color of the hero. Branthu is another short story by Ayyappan, Abhirami Girija Translated by Sriram as Madness for the Oxford Indian Anthology of Malayalam Dalit Writing. A monologue by Dalit teacher Krishnan Kutty enjoys the privileges of the upper middle class. However, his family still belongs to the marginalized and oppressed layers of society. So, the protagonist is in danger of identity throughout the story, or as he is doing it. He refused to take his sister to a mental hospital. He even pretended not to see his sister when a neighbor brought her to the facility. This negligence symbolizes the social negligence of Dalits. The chain connecting them shows the caste system. In his monologue, Krishnan Kutty explains why he ignored his sister. If he takes her to a mental hospital, the neighbor will find out that his sister is Madness and he is a man in the lower caste. And he sees his fair-skinned wife and daughter look down on his mother and relatives. All literature is a reflection of life. In the story of C. Ayyappan, entitled “Bhranthu” in Malayalam and translated into English with the title “Madness”, the strong emotions of racial politics in the minds of the protagonist Krishnankutty, who represents both upper middle classes is expressed conservatively. The reader was able to get a clear picture of the identity crisis in each line of the story. In this story, Ayyappan works very hard to express the racial differences within the community. The hero’s sister is terribly angry, but she lives in the upper class and cannot help her. His friend and Panchayat President came with his people to visit Krishnan Kutty to help his sister be admitted to a nearby hospital. Krishnan Kutty does not refuse to deny, but when a friend points his finger at his sister trying to escape from the chain in the car, he pretends to be invisible. His answer to a friend that he cannot see anything is the cruelest part of the escape. Let reality and others see the true color of the hero. Chain madness and ribbons, and flight all symbolize Dalit spiritual bondage, racial madness, and flight from the alienation of class caste. The mental pain he would have given to the central figure if he had helped his sister to be admitted to a nearby hospital. 154 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

The beautiful and bright color of the wife clearly shows the separation of class and caste. Krishnan Kutty defends his wife’s negative attitude towards relatives as very natural and appropriate. The husband-wife relationship is somewhat intertwined, with the wife prospering on her husband, but the husband tries to silence the wife by maintaining her mother. The minor element lies between the husband and wife. Here, the silence of a man can symbolize the silence of the entire class. The man’s words have hints for deliberately taking his wife to class. The story “Madness”emphasizes the sense of alienation of the class rather than the caste. The main character’s daughter is not accustomed to the black color of her paternal relatives, especially her grandmother. The girl escapes to her friend’s quarters and returns only when she learns that her grandmother has left the house. According to her father, the girl associates the black color only with the begging class and the Tamil sweeper or servant class. Then how can sheassociate the colour of the out-castes to her grandmother. The girl shows contempt and hence escapes. The madness of the protagonist’s sister isa symbolic representation of racial madness. An intellectual escape from the situation is an escape from the social and community inequality that surrounds humanity as a whole. The depiction of the hero’s wife, daughter, and mother also widens the gap between black and white. Dirty Mundu, black paint, and coffee shop Papadavada, worn by her grandmother, portray the culture of oppressed people. This is in stark contrast to the upper middle class culture of Kerala. Here, the granddaughter stands between the upper and lower classes. She cannot accept a black old lady in dirty clothes. The relationship is broken and it is difficult to build the same relationship between the girl and her grandmother. Again, Krishnan Kutty tries to protect her daughter by saying that it is not a matter of growing or caring for it. He cannot blame that from the words of KrishnanKutty, it is very clear that maintaining their class and caste culture is a sort of escape from responsibility. Here he is more and more in danger of identity than running away. His defensive and guilty tone betrays his isolation from both his relatives and his family. He is in an extreme dilemma whether he helps his mad sister in a mental hospital or stands with a family member who opposes his relatives. He just wants to silence his wife, who offends his relatives. He is also ashamed of the idea. His neighbor may know about his relatives and the true background. It is very clear that maintaining their class and caste culture is a sort of escape from responsibility. Here he is in more and more identity crisis than he can get out of the identity crisis. This is another terrible reason not to visit the mad sister. This story clearly shows the essence of the relationship between human beings and human beings and the natural world. It does not exist independently of lifestyle, relationships, social organizations and basic freedoms. Caste and Class are contextualized in the story, and the protagonist asks his own conscience questions. It is shaped here by his friends and PanchayatPresident. 155 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

However, the discussion is not enough to grasp the reality. The protagonist’s reasoning is a defense of his own conscience. The author’s tone and treatment is too simple, but very powerful and direct attack on the race The female contempt for those who “lived by eating dead cows”and their husbands’ people shows the hero’s dilemma. He doesnot belong to the upper class and doesnot want to go to the lower class. It’s a situation where you run into identity issues, caste, class, and racial issues. The protagonist says that he lives in a neighborhood where the majority of the upper class lives. His daughter is dating an upper class girl. It seems that only the main character is inferior. Both his wife and daughter belong to the upper class, so there is any separation. Translating the story of C. Ayyapan may not encounter the language barrier commonly found in Malayalam Dalit literature especially in Ayyappan’s work, from his Njandukal collection. His Njandukal and Uchamayakkathile Swapnangal was a turning point in the Malayalam Dalit writings. Dalit literature is enhanced with phrases, customs and styles that are specific to that particular class. But as seen in the story of Ayyappan, these are disappearing in Malayalam Dalit literature. Compared to previous Dalit scripts, modern scripts have no Dalit language customs or slang. Of course, many Malayalam literary works make up the Dalit experience, but they have not been translated into other languages. This is a major obstacle to disclosing Dalit literature in a broader context. Translation of Dalit literary works can lead to cultural transfer. Diverse social situations in different places create room for cultural relocation. The experience of different Dalit groups depends on location, culture and other social conditions. Disparities always leave room for translation. In all Dalit works, one can perceive experience, not illusion. Like this story, the protagonist experiences pain, despair, and helplessness. The story can be seen as a psychological journey through the hero’s head, which symbolizes the victims of the identity crisis. Dalit literature as a whole is being alienated from other literary works of Ayyappan. The linguistic perception of Ayyappan’s work is an exception that breaks the taboo of separation. However, one can find class-caste alienation in the concept as well as in the treatmentwhich still remain a taboo and to escape from this subaltern ideology, writers have to find newvistas and platforms through their literary works. 8.8 ANALYSIS-THE MEMORIAL Short Story by C Ayyappan was one of those political frauds that are often staged in our country. The Gandhi statue at our junction where the three roads met was the central cause of that fraud. In reality it was not the statue but a group of crows that actually caused the problem. It is without any sense of nationalism ‘bombarded’ the bald head of Gandhiji, that is, they defecated on his very head! 156 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

The first faction said; a new agitation must be launched immediately to appoint one to protect the head of the Father of the Nation from crow shit. According to the second faction the Gandhi statue must be pulled down, crushed to fine powder and must be scattered in the holy rivers. The Gandhi statue must be allowed to stand like this for one more century. The dropping crows must not be chased away as well. The past too must be allowed to have its revenge. As one know that the crows are the souls of the dead. C.Ayyappan commented on the atrocities witnessed by the Dalits and how the top castes in Kerala gathered to become Dalit victims. In most of his stories, he uses the madness and metaphor to articulate the Dalit dilemma. His story covers a wide range of important Dalit issues. They represent the inhumanity surrounding Dalits. Most characters are due to the prejudice of caste and class that is prevalent in Kerala society. Born as a Dalit in Kerala’s society, C Ayyappan experienced pain, and suffering that led his writing to express his experience. Leaders of every political party, whether in power or in the opposition became willing supporters. Chief Ministers of every state, made handsome donation toward the VRM. The only Chief Minister who sent Eknathji empty handed was the Kerala CM Com. E.M.S. Namboodiripad. Coming out of the interview, Eknathji remarked: “It was like conversing with a sphinx. It was a monologue all the way, on my part. Only an empty stare from the other side”. It is instructive to know how he made judicious use of various means at his command for the achievement of his end. Both speech & silence were equally effective implements in his hands. To know when to speak & when to keep silent is a rare gift. Eknath Ranade possessed this abundantly. While he raised stormy controversies when necessary, he abstained from them when they served no purpose. He utilized his contact with the Press for raising the right issues at the right time and also not to raise inconvenient issues that would only complicate the situation. Thus, by bringing into play every God-given quality that he possessed in ample measure, Eknath Ranade was able to successfully accomplish the task that was entrusted to him. While engaged in battle, he was unrelenting & made no compromises – and expected none from the opposite side. But when the battle was over, he saw to it that no bitterness remained. He had the magnanimity to go to his erstwhile opponents and pay compliments to them. He avoided agitations as a matter of principle, because he knew that even if you gain your objective by means of agitations, in the end, there would be no grace in it. 8.9 ANALYSIS-QUOTA WALLAH A war of wills takes place between two men who want to run the same grocery store in this offbeat comedy from writer and director Steve Conrad. Doug (Seann William Scott) is a seemingly ordinary guy who works as the assistant manager of a supermarket near Chicago. 157 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

When the owners of the market announce they're opening a new branch near Doug's neighborhood, he applies to become manager of the new store, and both he and his wife (Jenna Fischer) assume he's a shoo-in to get the job. But Richard (John C. Reilly), a gregarious recent hire at the store who has relocated to Illinois from Canada, announces he's also applying for the management position, and a keen rivalry develops between Doug and Richard even as they strive to act like friends on the surface. As the competition grows between the two, their personality flaws become increasingly evident -- Doug's short temper, Richard's history of drug abuse -- and when Richard's wife (Lili Taylor) leaves him, the contest starts taking an uncomfortable turn. The Promotion also stars Fred Armisen, Gil Bellows, and Bobby Cannavale. 8.10 ANALYSIS-ON KNOWING THE TRUTH Speaking truth is a main principle of all great religions and cultures. The holy books of all people command man to speak the truth. False people are threatened with the tyranny of the nation and hell. False crime and sin are both considered. The facts of all cultures are very much in the pictures of the bad consequences of lying. If someone has to go according to the commands, there is no land to question the desirability of speaking the truth. Even so, the stores of practical knowledge have been critical of plain speaking or speaking truth. By saying an old Sanskrit, man is asked to speak the truth, speak sweet words, and not to speak bitter truth. The wise men in the West have also said that 'truth is always bitter'. It is generally believed that only saints can follow the truth. If he sticks to the truth in all circumstances then a man in the world can not be alive. Contradictory idea whether anyone should always speak the truth or not, has sensitized the sensitive mind, with this problem, the world has been linked to the fact that lying is not easy to speak the truth. For many people, this is another way. Since the face is an index of brain, how many people will be able to lie in the minds of the listeners without causing doubt? How many people are clever to create a whole set of lies to cover an initial lie, how many people can bear the embarrassment of lying? I hold firmly for one, that one should always speak the truth. When you are lying, you are telling the truth since it is very easy to stay consistent. It leaves your conscience clear and insecure. Your credibility has increased in the eyes of all those you come in contact with. A man who laughs not only deceives others, he cheats himself. There is often a habit of lying. For the first time, a lie starts to avoid untowardness, but soon the habit becomes false. 158 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

8.11 SUMMARY  In this short story, Ayyappan seeks to emphasize the expression of racial differences in society.  The younger sister of the middle character “Krishnan Kutty” is terribly angry, but she lives in the upper middle class and cannot help her.  His friend and Panchayat President came with his people to visit Krishnan Kutty, to help his sister be admitted to a nearby hospital  Racial differences in society forced Krishnan Kutty to deny his sister and his relatives.  The story ends with a bitter question from a friend of Krishnan Kutty.  He asks Krishnan Kutty why he is angry too.  Krishnan Kutty is a victim of the Dalit identity crisis, and his character depictions show how Dalits were crushed and defeated by humiliation, exploitation, negligence, and racial politics. 8.12 KEYWORDS  Anarchism- Anarchy is a society being freely constituted without authorities or a governing body. The word Anarchy was first used in English in 1539, meaning “an absence of government”.  Alienation- The state or experience of being alienated.  Sarcasm- The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.  Bohemian lifestyle- Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people and with few permanent ties. It involves musical, artistic, literary, or spiritual pursuits. In this context, bohemians may be wanderers, adventurers, or vagabonds.  Rejuvenate-To make young again; restore to youthful vigor, appearance, etc.: That vacation has certainly rejuvenated him. to restore to a former state; make fresh or new again  Semiotic- A semiotic system, in conclusion, is necessarily made of at least three distinct entities: signs, meanings and code. Signs, meanings and codes, however, do not come into existence of their own.  Hegemony-It is the political, economic, or military predominance or control of one state over others. In ancient Greece, hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of a city-state over other city-states.  Rationalization- The action of attempting to explain or justify behaviour or an attitude with logical reasons, even if these are not appropriate.  Discrimination- It is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age or sexual orientation. 159 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 Ideology-It is a set of opinions or beliefs of a group or an individual. Very often ideology refers to a set of political beliefs or a set of ideas that characterize a particular culture. Capitalism, communism, socialism, and Marxism are ideologies. 8.13 LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. Define Gandhian socialism ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. State the struggle for Dalit survival and human dignity ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 8.14 UNIT END QUESTIONS A. Descriptive Questions Short Questions 1. Portray the crisis of Gandhian socialism 2. Explore the victims of caste discrimination 3. Describe briefly about untouched life, according to C.Ayyappan. 4. Which are in the marginalized and oppressed part of society? 5. Bring out the victims of caste discrimination. Long Questions 1. Discuss Ayyappan is a passionate supporter of communism. 2. Elucidate the emergence of new radical alternatives of Gandhian socialism. 3. Describe about the collapse of the tradition of modernist narratives. 4. ExplainDalit literature is the rationalization of Dalit identities. 5. “Madness”describes the memorable racial and caste classicism of the protagonist- Illustrate. B. Multiple Choice Questions 1. ___________ is the victim of classism. a. Krishnan Kutty b. Ayyapan c. Krishnan’s father d. Krishnan’s wife 160 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

2. Krishnan Kuttyis stuck between the upper class and the__________. a. Middle Class b. Upper Middle Class c. Lower Middle Caste d. Lower caste 3. Ayyappan seeks to emphasize the expression of _________differences in society. a. Familial b. Economical c. Racial d. Cultural 4. Krishnan Kutty pretends to be ______________. a. Clever b. Invisible c. Identical d. Careless 5. Krishnan Kutty’s family still belongs to the ____________and oppressed layers of society. a. Marginalized b. Racial c. Educated d. Uneducated Answers 1-a, 2-d, 3-c, 4-b, 5-a 8.15REFERENCES Reference books  C AyyappanteKadhakal, Sampoornam (2018) Amibooks, Calicut,  M R Renukumar (2017) Don’t want caste, Malayalam stories by dalit writers. (ed.)Navayana publishers  No Alphabet in sight (2011) New Dalit writing from South India, Penguin books  PradeepanPampirikkunnu (2007) Dalit studies: Identity, Culture, Literature  KaviyoorMurali-The Gospel to the Daliths, Current Books Kottayam,19972. 161 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Textbook references  KaviyoorMurali-Dalit Bhasha, Current Books, Kottayam, 19973.  C. Ayyappan-Njandukal, DC Books, Kottayam, Oct 20034.  KaviyoorMurali-The Gospel to the Daliths, Current Books Kottayam,19972.  KaviyoorMurali-Dalit Bhasha, Current Books, Kottayam, 19973.  C. Ayyappan-Njandukal, DC Books, Kottayam, Oct 20034. Website  http://www.ijrar.org/papers/IJRAR19J1554.pdf  https://www.coursehero.com/file/51384359/Madness-by-c-ayyappan-Ayushi- goyaldocx/ 162 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

UNIT - 9:MUNSHI PREMCHAND:“THETHAKUR’SWELL”MAHASHWE TA DEVI:“DHOULI” STRUCTURE 9.0 Learning Objectives 9.1 Introduction 9.2 About the Author 9.3Text 9.4Analysis 9.5Summary 9.6 Keywords 9.7 Learning Activity 9.8 Unit End Questions 9.9 References 9.0LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this unit, you will be able to:  Describe how Indian culture has a very strong roots and Vedic foundation.  Identify Premchand’s writings are based on the Indian subcontinent.  State why Thakur never allowed drawing water from a well.  Analyse how a natural resource like Water was someone’s personal property. 9.1 INTRODUCTION The name Dalit is the same as the poor, the wealthy, the oppressed and the needy. There is no universally acclaimed notion of the origin of the Indian order. In every civil society, there are some kinds of inequality that lead to social discrimination. And in India it becomes a chaste dress. The speeches pertaining to the studies of the nobility did not include the subaltern literary expressions of the tribes, Dalites, and other minorities. Dalites are deprived of their fundamental rights to education, possession of property and the right of equality. Dalit literature has thus emerged to give a voice to all oppressed, lucrative and segregated communities that have suffered so long from this social inequality and exploitation. 163 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

9.2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Munshi Premchand Munshi Premchand was an Indian writer who was one of the greatest Hindu writers of the early 20th century. He is a novelist, short story writer, and playwright, writing more than 12 novels, hundreds of short stories, and numerous essays. He also translated many literary works from other languages into Hindi. A profession-specific teacher, he began his literary career as a freelancer in Urdu. He was independent and patriotic, and his first literary work in Urdu was full of explanations of the Indian nationalist movement, which had been built in different parts of India. He quickly switched to Hindi and established himself with an inspirational short story that not only entertained the reader, but also conveyed an important social message, as a beloved writer. He often portrayed the misery of girls and women in the story, hoping to awaken the reader’s consciousness, deeply impressed by the inhumane methods treated by Indian women at the time. A true patriot, he quit his job as part of a non-cooperation movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi, despite the growing number of families he supports. He was finally elected the first president of the Lucknow Progressive Writers Association. A true patriot, he quit his job as part of a non-cooperation movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi, despite the growing number of families he supports. He was finally elected the first president of the Lucknow Progressive Writers Association. A true patriot, he quit his job as part of a non-cooperation movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi, despite the growing number of families he supports. He was finally elected the first president of the Lucknow Progressive Writers Association. Premchand is a pseudonym for Dhanpat Rai Srivastav. Premechand’s story “The Thakur’s Well” tells the story of the time when feudal customs of the caste hierarchy were observed in the village. He writes about inhumane landlords and ruthless lenders. The story revolves around a well that belongs to Thakur. Thakur represents the high caste of society at the time, and Gangi represents the low caste. The fountain is a symbol of natural resources and the wealth of local governments. The Well water represents the needs and aspirations of the oppressed class. People in the lower castes are not allowed to use the necessary facilities of the village for the caste. People in the upper caste enjoy all of these opportunities, even if they cheat, steal, gamble, or tamper with them. Premchand was an important figure in Hindi and Urdu literature. He was a founding member of the Progressive Writer Movement. He has contributed many works in the form of novels and short stories. His work is characterized by a portrayal of oppressed caste life in the traditional Indian social order. His work has accepted international readers with a keen 164 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

insight into the lives of oppressed people and their analysis of poverty, exploitation and misery. His work proves “cultural curiosity”. He revealed a layer of colonialism within Indian society in the name of religion and tradition. Despite his significant contributions, he was considered an insensitive writer because he was a victim of intense criticism and never gave the problems presented or solutions to the problems presented. All of Munshi Premchand’s writings are based on the Indian subcontinent and explore the daily normative practices of society in pre-independence India. Premchand explores his novels and short stories into an intense genre to understand caste and high / low birth social structures and discriminatory practices in society, their fears and their impact on victims. Mahashweta Devi Mahashweta Devi is a famous Indian writer born in 1926 to a middle-class Bengali family in what is now Bangladesh, Dhaka. She was educated by the famous Shantiniketan, founded by the great Indian philosopher and thinker Rabindranath Tagore and later part of the University of Bisba Barati. Mahashweta Devi graduated from the University of Calcutta and subsequently earned a master’s degree in English from the University of VisvaBharathi. With the entire family moving to India, Devi began teaching at the University of Bijoygarh in 1964. At that time, this particular university was a forum for elite female students. This phase was also used by Mahashweta Devi to work as a journalist and creative writer. Recently, Mahashweta Devi is known for investigating the life history of rural tribal communities in West Bengal, India, and women and Dalits. Mahashweta Devi is a social activist who is committed to the struggle of indigenous peoples in states such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. In Bengal fiction, written by Devi, she often talks about the brutal repression that indigenous peoples are suffering from a powerful upper caste of landlords, lenders, and senior government officials. 9.3 TEXT The Thakur’s Well by Munshi Premchand As Jokhu brought the lota to his lips to drink, the water gave off a nasty smell. He said to Gangi, ‘What kind of water is this? It smells so horrible I can’t drink it. My throat’s dry, and you’re making me drink this foul water.’ Gangi used to store up water in the evening. The well was far away, and it was difficult to walk the distance again and again. The water she had brought yesterday was good. What could have gone wrong today? she wondered. She brought the lota to her nose. Yes, it was stinking. An animal must have fallen into the well and drowned. But where from would she get water now? 165 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

No one would let her mount the Thakur’s well. They would drive her away from a distance. Sahuji’s well was at the other end of the village. But who would let her draw water from there? And there was no fourth well in the village. Jokhu had been ill for many days. Though thirsty he kept quiet for some time. Then he said, ‘I can’t hold my thirst any more. Come, I’ll squeeze my nose and drink a little bit.’ Gangi didn’t let him. She knew that drinking this unsafe water would aggravate his illness, but she didn’t know that boiling would make it safe for drinking. She said, ‘How can you drink this water? God knows what animal it was. I’ll bring water from somewhere.’ Jokhu looked at her with surprise. ‘Where will you bring it from?’ ‘There are two wells: the Thakur’s and the Sahu’s. Won’t they let me have even one lota- ful?’ ‘You’ll get only broken arms and legs, nothing else. Sit quietly. The brahmin will bless you with curses, the Thakur wield his lathi, and Sahuji charge five for one. No one feels our pain. Even when we die, no one comes to see, least of all to lend his shoulder to the bier. Will such people let you draw water?’ This was the bitter truth. Gangi kept quiet, but she did not let him drink the stinking water. It was nine o’clock in the night. The exhausted labourers had gone to sleep but a few idlers were gathered outside the Thakur’s door. The times and opportunities for showing valour in the battlefield were now gone. They were talking of battles won in the law courts. How the Thakur had bribed the thanedar and saved his skin. How cleverly he had obtained the copy of a landmark court judgement. The nazir and other court officials had said that a copy couldn’t be given. Some demanded fifty, others a hundred. He obtained the copy without paying a single cowrie or paisa! One should know the art of manipulation. It was then Gangi arrived to draw water from the well. A faint light from the street oil-lamp was falling on the well. Gangi came and sat close to the platform around the well, sheltering herself, and waited for an opportunity. Everyone drank from this well. They alone, the ill-fated, were forbidden. Gangi’s rebellious heart began to hit out at the traditional society’s restrictions and compulsions. What makes us low, and them high? Just because they are wearing a string round their necks! All these people are so crooked, each one more than the other. They steal. They cheat. They file false cases against others. Only the other day the Thakur poached the shepherd’s sheep, then slaughtered and ate it up. And this panditji’s house is a round-the-year den of gamblers. And this very Sahuji adulterates ghee with oil. They make us labour for them, but don’t want to pay for it. In what way are they higher than us? In swaggering, yes. We don’t go shouting in the streets, like them, that we are superior. Whenever I walk through the village, they look at 166 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

me with lusting eyes, and their hearts turn and twist in envy. Yet they pride themselves on their superiority! She heard the sound of footsteps at the well. Her heart began thumping with fright. Hell would break loose if she was seen. She picked up the pitcher and the rope and, bending herself low, walked away towards a tree and hid herself in its dark shadow. They never show anyone any mercy. They had beaten up poor Mahngu so badly that he had kept spitting blood for months—just because he had refused to work without being paid! And they are higher! Two women had come to the well to draw water. They were talking. ‘They’ve come in to eat, and have ordered us to bring fresh water.’ ‘These men become agitated if they find us resting for a while.’ ‘They didn’t have the decency to come here and draw water by themselves. They only know to give orders, as if we were their bondwomen.’ ‘What else are you, if not a bondwoman? Don’t you get food and clothing? And you snatch a few rupees from them, off and on. How are bondwomen different?’ ‘Don’t insult me, sister. I’m not able to relax even for a short while. Had I laboured like this at another’s household, life would have been a lot easier. And he would have been grateful too. Kill yourself with work, yet no one’s pleased.’ Both the women walked away after drawing water. Gangi came out of the tree’s shadow and walked towards the well. The idlers had gone away. The Thakur too had shut the door from inside and was readying himself to sleep in the courtyard. Gangi heaved a sigh of relief. The coast seemed clear now. Even the prince who had gone to steal amrita, would not have taken such meticulous care. Gangi treaded the edge of the well with soft steps. Seldom had she experienced such a sense of triumph! She looped one end of the rope round the pitcher’s neck. She peered to her right and left, like a soldier readying himself to pierce the enemy’s defences. If she were caught now, there would be no mercy at all. At last, invoking the gods, fortifying her heart, she lowered the pitcher into the well. The pitcher sank into the water gently, making no sound at all. Gangi pulled the rope up quickly, and the pitcher came up to the top. Even a powerful wrestler couldn’t have drawn up the pitcher so swiftly. Gangi leaned forward to catch the pitcher and rest it on the edge of the well. Just then the Thakur’s door opened suddenly. A lion’s look could not have been more terrifying than this sound. The rope slipped through her hands, and the pitcher went hurtling down the well and hit the water with a loud thud. The water kept making a rippling sound for a few moments. The Thakur was advancing towards the well, shouting, ‘Who’s there? Who’s there?’ and Gangi, jumping from the well’s platform, was running furiously. 167 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

When she reached home, she found Jokhu drinking the dirty water from the lota. (Hindi, ‘Jagran’ August 1932) Mahashweta Devi: \"Dhouli\" Misrilal is a 23-year-old Brahmin boy who represents the upper class, and Dhouli represents the lower class Adivasi. The location of the short story begins in northern India. At first she hesitates to accept his love, but Misrilal tries to persuade her. Dhouli is pregnant, happy and informs her mother that Dhouli is giving birth to a child. Shanichari played a subordinate role in Dhouli as a shaman and as a gossip maker. Misrilal’s mother said these words to Misrilal because she wanted her son to think he wasn’t the first to ruin the life of an unruly woman. There are many others like Kendang, Misrilal’s older brother. Kendang also ruins the lives of many unruly women. As a result, Misrilal’s mother represents the upper class community. At some point, Mithriral’s family forced Mithriral to leave the village of Tahar, and he went to Dhanbad. They drove him to Dhanbad because Misrilal was in love with Douri, was pregnant, and didn’t need Douri as an unruly girl who was her daughter-in-law. Dhouli’s suffering has begun. Dusad and her mother suffered at the hands of the Brahmin family. Dhouli is waiting for his arrival from Dhanbad. She even decided to swallow the pesticide, but she wants to see the traitor’s face at least once. So they forced him to Dhanbad. Dhouli’s suffering has begun. Dusad and her mother suffered at the hands of the Brahmin family. Dhouli is waiting for his arrival from Dhanbad. She even decided to swallow the pesticide, but she wants to see the traitor’s face at least once. So they forced him to Dhanbad. Dhouli’s suffering has begun. Dusad and her mother suffered at the hands of the Brahmin family. Dhouli is Dhan Waiting for his arrival from bad. She even decided to swallow the pesticide, but she wants to see the traitor’s face at least once. Dhouli gives birth to a boy. She has children and is now three in her family, so it’s very difficult to survive without money. Their mother goes to make a living. Dhouli’s mother only gets food, not money. The mother promised her son, Misrilal, to take care of the Dhouli family. They get food, but they don’t recognize it. Dhouli’s suffering turned her into a prostitute. The pitiful condition of Dhouli is that they have begun to eat roots and tubers to continue their lives. This is a dire condition for oppressed people, and most people use it and throw it away. These people forget to realize that they are also people. Devi predicts the suffering of oppressed women. These upper class people forget. Take good care of the lower class as human beings. She is forced to accept prostitution in order to survive in a dominant society. The fate of such a woman in her own community depends on the attitude of the Brahmin family. If the Brahmin family mercifully handed out 168 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

the victims, they would be left alone. Otherwise she will be forced to be an exile and a prostitute. Cobra is very powerful and looks like a snake. Similarly, her personality and her clever attitude are comparable to those of Cobra. Shanichari is 16 years old. A few days later, Gohuman will enter the village and catch a few more girls. Shanichari is one of them. The Adivasi are driven into the forest. They were all suffering without food or shelter. Gohuman benefits this pathetic plight of the people. People who have no other way to survive are victims of exploitation. The author showed the other side of the world. Some people live happily and comfortably. These people have at least food, shelter, and clothing, and are also recognized as humans. On the other hand, people are alienated by the dominant society and are not recognized as human beings. This is the miserable state of this second episode. 9.4 ANALYSIS MunshiPremchand: “The Thakur’s Well” Amongst many famous works of Premchand, there is a short story named “Thakur kaKuan” which translates as Thakur’s Well in English. Thakur kaKuan starts with a low born couple (untouchables at the time story was written) Jhokhu and Gangi. Jhokhu is very sick and he felt the thirst for water and thus asked Gangi to hand him a Lota of water. As he took the Lota to his mouth he flinched away as the water was stinking like hell. Gangi too confirmed that water was stinky and suggested that some creature must have died in the container. But the real problem was Gangi was more terrified. Being a low born,Gangi was only allowed to draw water from one well which was far from her home and she was the only one to go and fetch it every evening. The nearest well belonged to Thakur (high born) who would have never allowed her to draw water from his well. It was a scorching afternoon of summer and Jhokhu’s thirst reached such a level that he was even ready to drink filthy water to quench his thirst. Gangi condemned him of drinking it and asked him to be patient as she went out to arrange fresh water. Jhokhu even warns her regarding the beating and abuse she can receive if she was caught drawing water from Thakur’s well. Premchand in this scene has tried to show the misery low born had to go through in pre-independent India and how a natural resource like water was someone’s personal property. It was late at night waiting for Gangi to sneak in front of Thakur’s house like a thief and fetch water. Gangi heard a newborn woman talking while waiting for the entire Thakur family to fall asleep. They complained that these Thakur’s never came to fetch water, only commanding women to do everything as slaves. 169 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Gangi didnot notice there, but she was the only one responsible for bringing water to her family’s husband. Here, Premchand reveals to the reader deeper facts about the oppression that every woman faces in some way. The final scene of Gangi sneaking into Thakur’s yard to draw water is described as a thief trying to escape the theft. She was able to get the water safely while walking backwards on my toes, but she was almost caught. The final scene of the story shows the helplessness and extent of Jhokhu’s thirst when Gangi returns with fresh rota water, this rota water from the Thakur well. Jokhu is ill. He is thirsty and the water is polluted. So he couldnot drink water. She plans to pump water from Thakur at night. She knows it’s dangerous because she isnot allowed to draw water from the well because of the caste. Jokhu warns that if a villager notices she is drawing water from a well, she will punish her. Gangi will pump water from Thakur at night. She knows it’s dangerous because she isnot allowed to draw water from the well because of the caste. She arrived at the fountain around 9 am. While waiting for the opportunity to draw water, she believes that everyone is drinking water from the well, but untouchables are not allowed to drink water from the well. She opposes the limits of traditional society. She believes that high caste people are cheating, stealing, gambling, and counterfeiting. She wonders how to call such people high. She listens to the conversation between the two women while waiting for the opportunity to draw water from the well. Women talk about men. The man came to eat and ordered the woman to bring water. They donot want, women rest for a while. They don’t have the decency to draw water themselves. They give orders as if the woman was a slave. The conversation reflects the society of the time. Women are treated like slaves and men are exploited. In that case, the woman has no rights. In the dark she prays to God and drops a jug into the well. She pulls up the jug very quickly. But before she was able to catch the pitcher, Thakur’s door suddenly opened. The Gangi is scared and the rope slips off his hand. The jug enters the well and makes a loud noise. Thakur comes near the well and shouts to catch the intruder. Gangi escapes from the well. Due to the caste, it is not allowed to pump water from the other two wells, the Thakur well and the Safuji well. Gangi, like other lower caste people, are victims of social injustice and atrocities. Indian culture has a very strong roots and Vedic foundation, as it was all related to religion and karma, but was strongly influenced by the interaction of different beliefs and colors. In India, women’s status was not marginalized, played a very important role in the formation of Indian culture, and was one of the strongest members of society and the system, but learned of the loss of women’s status and respect. The time has come. 170 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

A generous and equal society for all, regardless of gender, has become gender-specific and oppressive for women, and patriarchal societies have changed the definition of humanity (male and female), along with their rights. Another view of women’s exploitation is their social status when they belong to the Swarna Dalit class. At times, regardless of class, they were victims of the dual threat of class and role. When Premchand discussed both classes in detail at the Thakur fountain, Dalit-class women are Gandhi because the protagonist and Swarna-class women appear on the sidewalk and the conversation reveals a lot about their internal condition and patriarchal obligations. Dalit-class women pretend to be the protagonist Gangi, and Savarna-class women appear on the sidewalk. Their conversation reveals much about their internal condition and patriarchal obligations. In the story, Premchand Gangi depicts a bold woman who is not forced to serve her husband, Jokhu but from respect and dedication. She is afraid of social customs but wants to humbly revolt. She is aware of her rights, but is afraid of the consequences of the protest because she must have seen some bad examples before. Premchand explained the actual situation without summarizing his opinion. In the first case, women are obliged to endure oppression from upper class societies, and sometimes internally due to gender issues. Women in the high society are also destined to serve men unexpectedly because of the outlook for patriarchy. The Varna system was the most powerful system for the proper functioning of society until it was destroyed by the infringement of the humanities. Dusadng the Vedic period, people were given a certain position in society for their work. Society was divided into four Varnas Brahmin, who are the bearers of knowledge and responsible for the education of people regardless of caste. Kshatriya (Thakur / Singh)-He is the bearer of power and responsible for protection, regardless of caste or class. A Vaishya expert, he is responsible for providing essential items for everyday life, regardless of caste or class and Shudra, the bearer of public services with their work, regardless of class or caste. Society was orderly in this constellation, and all the people of Varna had equal human rights. However, desire and greed plagued the purity of the system, resulting in discernment and untouchability. Some scriptures have proven that work is not reduced. It is people’s idea to reduce or increase it. For proving that Shree Krishna worked as an old plate bearer at Bhandara (a major religious festival) and preferred to work as a charioteer in Mahabharat’s battle. But about these things in the 19th and 20th centuries, the century only upsets the harsh realities of society, not Premchand. Dr. Nagaendra has properly stated His Excellency that the most obvious quality of Premchand’s literature is endless sympathy. The human side of his character is highly developed. The oppressed people of India, the illiterate peasants of the village, the victims of the caste system everywhere who exploited the 171 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

workers in the city, and the oppressed women, as Gandhi said, untouchables are not just a social problem, they are illnesses. “Untouchables are white spots (white spots) in society.” The storyline works with the simple case of a seriously ill Jokhu is thirsty and demanding water from his wife Gangi. However, she cannot bring in drinking water because wells are contaminated and the odor makes the water unsuitable for drinking. Currently, there are wells for thakur’s, temple’s and sahu’s, which are severely restricted to the Dalit people. In the dire situation of the so-called unruly couple Jokhu and Gangi in caste-conscious Indian society, Premchand presents the injustices committed to certain groups of people under the caste system. It marks the limits of what these poor exiles can move. In the episode that this story unfolds, Jokhu, recovering from a serious illness, is thirsty and wants water. When Gangi gives him Rota’s water, he expresses disgust. Gangi recognizes that there is something wrong with the water from the stench. It is noted that the water was contaminated by the carcasses of rotten animals in the well. But she doesnot know that boiling water can make it drinkable. Shocked by her husband’s illness, she wonders where there is plenty of clean water. Ironically, there is a well nearby, but untouchables can’t draw water from it. It belongs to Thakur, known as the so-called hi-caste man. Gangi goes to the well in the dark and lurks nearby until everyone leaves. As soon as she feels safe, she begins to draw water. She is amazed at the sound from Thakur’s house. When she releases the rope, the bucket falls into the well. She runs away. When she returns home, she finds Jokhuquenching her thirst with Rota’s contaminated water. In this situation, the two feel about themselves and talk to each other Their environmental experience provides material for Premchand’s accusations against the Indian caste system. The caste system can be defined as a traditional Hindu system that divides society into hereditary social classes. Some people in this system are born as members of the higher caste and deserve respect, while others are bullied because they are the lower caste. The people at the bottom of this social ladder are considered untouchables, and unfortunately Gangi and Jokhu belong to this caste. WATER AS A METAPHOR Premchand deliberately used the metaphor “water” to serve as a pivot for his discussion. Aquatic organisms are believed to have evolved. Therefore, “water” is more important than air for the existence of life. They cannot live without a sip of water. Therefore, this metaphor is very well suited to describe the extent to which the so-called untouchable is deprived of her rights. In addition, the thirst that Gangi’s husband is suffering from helps improves this metaphor. She wants a lot of clean water just to quench her husband’s thirst. The need seems 172 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

rudimentary here. The need to have drinking water on hand is different from the drinking water they need immediately to quench their thirst. Relationships with others can be even more reckless if a thirsty person can be barred from drinking water. He violates the basic law of hospitality. The metaphor “water”, along with its antithesis “thirst”, helps to depict the degree of malice that is pervading members of caste- conscious societies through the caste system. ELEMENTAL NEEDS VERSUS TRADITIONAL FEARS Gangi has to walk long distances past several nearby wells to flood the house around 9 pm. The only reason that water intake from these special wells is banned is in connection with the lower caste. The fear of being planted in her is enormous. It’s dark, so they cannot travel a long way to escape the greedy eyes of the mighty. Her husband begins to cry for water. Therefore, despite her knowledge, she is interested in the fate of people like Mahagu. (He was badly beaten by a Thakur man for refusing to work in a forced labor group.) She courageously enters Thakur’s premises without listening to her husband’s warning. This gives her the opportunity to overcome the predicament of being there THAKUR’S SUCCESS AS AN IMMIGRANT She is waiting by the well, watching everything that is happening at Thakur’s house. The gathered nomads talk about the trial that Thakur won by harassment. He is proud to have received a copy of the paperwork in the related proceedings to prove his innocence. This shows that Thakur has influential contacts everywhere and he is using their power to carry out his malicious plans against his rivals. Another implication of this situation is that Thakur is safe in all matters related to violations of the law. Ironically, the kind of protection he enjoys in law means that his rivals, generally so-called untouchables, are dead and helpless in his presence. This lecture reveals the face of untouchables within a fraudulent and institutionalized legal framework. There is no legal way to protect their rights. Under these circumstances, Thakur continues to violate the law and order of the land. HIGH-CASTE HYPOCRISY The knowledge produced by Gangi’s knowledge of so-called hikers’ illegal activities also helps to prove the falsehood of this genetic division in society. According to her, Thakur steals sheep from the shepherd. The priest has a casino in his house. The shopkeeper mixes the ghee with oil before selling it. None of them pay the wages of their workers and when they meet her, they stare at her greedily. They personally violate the terms of Puritan speaking publicly. They claim a high fertility rate, but they have no qualifications to support such a claim because they can tolerate all kinds of mischief. 173 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

MALE SUPREMACISM The conversation between the two women who meet at the fountain illuminates another aspect of this social class. Their topic is male Chauvinism. The husband treats the woman as a slave and women live in dire situations. This shows that women in this society are no different from these unruly ones. This is clearly an attack on the Brahmanism system, forcing male members to consider women filthy. Ironically, these suffering women, despite being in the same plight, do not show compassion for the untouchables. GOD’S EQUALITY The prayers that Gangi offers to the gods also do not help maintain strength and courage while drawing water from the well. When the Thakur door opens, she runs hard. Premchand uses this moment to mock the notion of the gods by emphasizing the helplessness and indifference of the believer to suffering. Untouchables are so unfortunate that even God does not come to help. WITHDRAWAL OF UNTOUCHABLE The story ends with an ironic tone. Ultimately, Johku must quench his thirst with the same contaminated water that can be harmful to his health. Johku’s decision to quench his thirst symbolizes the fate of untouchables under the caste system and the deprivation of the right to meet even basic human needs. This is a summary of the unwritten laws inherited by the untouchables of this traditional Indian society. They do not have the right to live. Forced to work for their salvation, they do not have the right to justice. PRE-PROCESSING OF BOX IDENTIFICATION TARGET This short story is an obvious caste prosecution, but without interference from the author’s personal view. Premchand does not contain slogans or phrases to attack the caste system, but it always tries to capture the emotions of others in a true way. Water metaphors that describe the need inherent in the existence of important functions include other metaphors that describe the nature of the horror planted in them to describe the degree of deprivation suffered by the unruly. The tiger’s jaw could no longer scare them. This is a good indication of the fear of a helpless heroine. Even the overwhelming darkness implies an uncontrollable but tragic plight. Therefore, the tension of the caste system experienced by the victims becomes clear. Premchand has sincerely selected materials to justify his claim to the genetic division of society into caste. Hypocrisy, cruelty, sadism, immorality, and ignorance mix with views consistent with traditional beliefs and play with the human psyche by placing one on the other. It is dramatized throughout the story by the emotions, emotions, memories and beliefs of the characters involved. Ignorance, a mixture of immorality and views consistent with traditional beliefs, plays with the human psyche by placing one on the other. 174 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

In “The Thakur’s Well”, author Premchand presents their struggle against the bitter plight of lower castes and pure water, which are the basic needs for human survival. In this short story, the author describes low-born humiliation and how they were dominated by upper caste societies. The main character, Gangi, tries to get clean drinking water for her sick husband. When he asks for a glass of water, she gives water from a pot stored at home. When he stinks water, he gets angry and scolds her for stinking. At this point, she goes to get a pot of fresh water from an upper class well, but she doesnot. She goes to the well at night It draws water from the Thakur well when no one is around. Dalits are also the main theme of Premchand’s work. Dusadng the Vedic period, Indian society was divided into four Varna: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. When people were trained, they tried in many ways to oppose this practice of untouchables. Writing was one of them. In this hierarchy, Brahmin was considered the priestly class, Kshatriya was considered the warrior, Vaishya was considered the merchant, and Shudra was considered the working class. Since the Vedic period, Shudra has been away from the village to serve other classes of people. However, there was no respect for them and some restrictions were imposed, but they did not remain the same. When people got educated they stared opposing this practice of untouchability through various ways of writing was one of them. Dhouli by Mahashweta Devi The story revolves around four women like Dhouli, Shanichari, Josmina and Chinta. The first story is called Dhouli. She is the main character in the first story. Dhouli is a 19-year-old beautiful young widow and beautiful girl. She is the daughter of Dusad. Dusad means inviolable subcaste. The author projects superstitious beliefs in the first story. This shows the plight of helpless women like Dhouli who are suffering from such false beliefs. Dusad goes home to polish the brass dishes. She sees her reflections on the plate and is afraid of her mother because the widow and prostitute were not allowed to see her face on the plate at that time. They cannot wear bracelets, thin doors or anklets on their forehead. As Mahashweta Devi says, large-scale projects include the exploitation of poor landless people, increasing the number of tribal communities and displaced tribes. In an interview with Minori Sargado, she says she has found an endless source of material for writing to tribal people. Finally, Mahashweta Devi shows the themes, styles, history and structures she portrayed as pioneers and pioneers. She filmed stories shared in folk songs, ballads, and songs. This shows their individuality in world literature. These exiled stories show the superiority of the upper class over the lower class. Shoot ballads and songs. This shows their individuality in world literature. These exiled stories are of the upper class relative to the lower class Shows 175 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

superiority. Shoot ballads and songs. This shows their individuality in world literature. These exiled stories show the superiority of the upper class over the lower class. In “Dhouli,” the main character, Dhouli, becomes a victim of patriarchal sexual idealism. She knows it was because of her shivering eyes, thin hips, and blooming breasts. This is not the first time a tribal girl has received such treatment. More girls were ruined and raped by high caste men. These girls gave birth to children. Indeed, in this case biological reproduction is the main cause of repression. Firestone argues that the source of female oppression lies in her identity with the sexual body, as women can give birth to children. Sexual fertility increases the likelihood of being a victim of rape and male sexual repression. Dhouli was too young when she got Guuna, a ceremony to celebrate the girl’s adolescence sent to live with her husband. She was abused and beaten by her husband and became a victim of child marriage, vulnerable to domestic violence. Her body has become a place of physical violence. Her husband soon died of fever and Dhouli became a widow. However, her problem did not end, but caused another level of genital mutilation. At her in- law, her husband’s brother began to look at her. So she left her home-in-law and protected herself from sexist oppression. Such violence against women is a physical symptom of sexist oppression of the woman’s body, whether in the form of domestic violence, ritualized social practices, or genital mutilation. Dhouli’s escapism did not last long. Another story of sexual violence awaited her when she returned to her home village. She started working as a domestic servant in Mithraism. It was there that Mizuriraru fell in love with her. Misrilal did not rape her, but her suitability for rape believes that her honor lies in her intact body. In this case, Dhouli was already married, which implied the idea that she was not a virgin. When her husband died, Misrilalmade her pregnant after being seduced. Mizuriraru eventually remained under pressure from his family. This action by Dusad, who she fought, retaliated, and loved, urged the villagers to continue to pervert Dusad and turned her into a naked body for sexual pleasure. Her resilience as an independent woman in a male-dominated community further aggregates the process of exploitation. One night, Dhouli could hear someone throwing a stone at the door while he was asleep. She retaliated verbally. But the other day she was caught by a head cooler making an obscene gesture in front of her. He had every intention to pervert her. Then Dhouli realized that it was her destiny. Dhouli is being forced into prostitution by the male community because her body, which is no longer owned by her husband or Misrilal, is available. Her attractive “body” forces her to accept the sexual impulses of all men. Stereotypes, classes, and caste systems contribute to the suppression of Shanichari and Dhouli. In “Dhouli”, the reason for her exploitation is that Dhouli does not affirm the 176 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

stereotypical image of a woman belonging to her father or husband. If a woman does not belong to any man, she belongs to all men. This is an idealism favored to strengthen patriarchy of religious origin, as mentioned above. Dhouli is a low-caste tribe, and general Hindu culture forces patriarchal idealism to exploit Dhouli and other tribal girls in every way. Dhouli is an economically independent and working woman. She is the right arm of her parents. Like all tribal girls, she brings Mahajan grain to the market and makes money. When she returns to her home village, she begins working as a slave worker in Mithraism. He died after her father took out a loan from Mithraism for Dusads Guuna. Hence, Dhouli and her mother start working at Misra. They graze cows and clean the orchards. Their boldness, their financial independence, can be seen as a threat to criminal thinking and patriarchy. So she is punished and humiliated for her crimes. Their prostitution habits hurt his male ego. It is not under his control. She is said to have to either rely on the mercy of Mithraism or die. Dhouli has two options. She was burned alive “Dhouli” represents the suffering of a woman as a sub-caste and subclass that leads to the objectification of the woman’s body. Dalit falls in love with the Hindu upper caste Misrilal, but Dalit himself is an untouchable. Her alienated position does not allow her to express her “love”, but it is a sin to commit it. She gives birth to Misrilal’s son, but is unaware of it. She manages her family through forced prostitution, which becomes an unacceptable subject for Misrilal later in the story. He does not accept her as a wife and does not allow her to stay in the village. He makes a copy of it and calls Salis to confiscate it from the village. He also mentions that he is informed that he has fallen in love with her several times ago Being a Dusad woman, Misrilal gives birth to a poor, fatherless child, which makes her position more vulnerable. She is forced to sell her sexual attribution to others only for her daily needs. Indeed, their psychological world is prone to social restrictions and the so-called value of class and the dilemma of tribes. Their body becomes a product that is objectified by sexual use. Misrilal, on the other hand, is just a material product / tool of his caste and does not care about the consequences of his own actions. And in fact, he doesnot feel guilty, but they blame the other “others” for the consequences of Misrilal being solely responsible. Ultimately, Dhouli is the ultimate victim of his mistakes and cannot find any other way to fight it. Dhouli becomes pregnant because of both the upper class and the upper class, Misrilal, but does not draw attention while Misrilal leaves her. After that, she reaches the realization of a so-called good society while starting prostitution without choosing other means of livelihood. In these times, Misrilal is a habit / value saver. He denies his responsibility and motivates others in society to be expelled from society. They called Panchayat and explained their order that Dusad could not prostitute in this village. She can go to any town, lunch, where she can make a whore. 177 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Otherwise, their home would be on fire, mother and daughter. The child is burned at the stake. Such sinful activity cannot continue in the center of this village. Brahmin still lives in this village. Panchayat demanded a warning justifying her decision to leave the village and prostitute elsewhere because Dhouli does not have the right to live in a village with a prostitution profession. Due to her obedience and profession that happened due to the situation in the village, Dhouli’s position in the village is limited. And the same position is reversible and would be “fun” if they agree with Panchayat’s decision. If Mizuriraru’s brother-in-law becomes a satisfying personal belonging, she can live in the village. Also, since she is not married to Misrilal’s brother cannot be her legitimate co-brother-in-law. Rather, it deprives them of their humanity. They choose their life options without their consent and knowledge. She is isolated from the outside world alone. Dhouli lives as someone else’s wish, but she clearly rejects it. In Dhouli, Devi adds another layer of caste privileges to the structure of patriarchal rape. It surrounds both the female reproductive system and the female livelihood. In this report, Dusad, a young“untouchable Dusad girl,” was left to protect herself by becoming pregnant with the upper caste Brahmin. Devi states that the sexual kidnapping of young Dusad girls is not new in this village, as Mithra landowners are accustomed to treating girls as they belong to. Fearing how they survive, Dhouli’s mother asks her to visit Sanichari for a drug to remove the “thorns” from her womb, as her foetation is a product of greedy and ruthless forces. After Dhouli refuses to give up the child, the mother hires a sanitary to give birth to the baby and puts the fate of her daughter and grandson in her hands by ensuring that she is sterile after the baby. Again, we are experiencing aggressive attempts to remove the uterus as a social factory for reproduction. Dusad’s mother is well aware of the plight of the young girl and refuses to give her daughter a sexual worker for the desire and entertainment of the upper caste. After Dhouli was born, her mother and child were shunned and starved to death. Dhouli finally indicts her Deota (God). In Devi’s true testimony, the answer to this question is a clear “yes.” Devi blames the system for trampling women’s rights to human dignity. She accused Dhouli’s mother of allocating land when her father died. She accuses Deota of the world of forcing her mother and daughter to work for food. She blames the community and continues to believe that the country’s plight is due to the stupid Dhouli’s who let go of her body under the pretext of love. Dhouli also casts doubt on the similar fate experienced by Giribala’s daughters. Dhouli thought about suicide until he met Penn’s supervisor and realized that it was he who threw a lump of dirt in front of the door as an invitation to sex. Dhouli is forced to prostitute her body to survive. When the suitor came to the door, she put him in and the man brought corn, lentils, salt and rupees. Dhouli repays his body up to the 178 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

last cent. When Mithra’s brother discovered Dhouli’s work, he told him to do something, mocked his masculinity, and said she was a scary bug, not a man. To prove his masculinity, Misra takes over the situation and visits Dusad at night. Opening the door is a modified Dhouli mountain, where she wears a red sari and a green bracelet, and her oiled hair is braided all over her back. He confirms that she actually became a Randy (whore). She asserts that this is the only way to survive. This question reflects the patriarchal ideology of strengthening women’s sacrifices and what Maria Mies calls the ideology of eternal sacrifice and self-sacrifice. Because its sole sexual and reproductive purpose is to satisfy the needs of patriarchy. Mies confirms Devi’s ethnographic observation that women play the role of self-sacrificing mothers in Hinduism. She is a loving and self-sacrificing wife who has no autonomy in her life, her body, or her sexuality. Dhouli admits she was actually thinking of suicide, but later wondered why she, the woman who is the mother of his child, should die. The question “why” disturbs the world of patriarchy. Unfortunately, Devi shows that the legal system is also an invention of male privilege and power, as Dhouli is prevented from prostitution by the order of village spokesman Hanumanji. She is forced to leave the village and travel for lunch to register as a prostitute. When she stays, the community threatens to burn her home. Dhouli is expelled from the village and her mother takes care of her little son. Devi suggests that the prostitution contracted by Dusads is actually an act of sexual rebellion. Here, Dhouli individually controls their sexual body and fate. In the declaration of self-determination ANALYSIS Maheswata Devi’s “Dhouli” is a spectacular view of the politics of high castes and internal castes. It clearly focuses on male domination by upper and lower class men. Dhouli is the story of a left-behind innocent girl. It also highlights the cruelty of the human psyche. It is clear even in this 21st century. Women still lack their identity. Despite their education and financial independence, their identities are described by men. For a woman whose husband has died, the financial burden of the family does not guarantee an individual’s identity. India is a huge country with diverse people, languages, cultures and scripts, but the only area in which our country unites is dealing with women. For example, if a woman loses her husband at a young age, society considers her a bad omen and all the negatives go only to her. The men around this woman want her to fall in love with her, but society never allows her to remarry if she so desires. Dhouli is a marginalized girl, a girl excluded from society, whose life is ruined by the forbidden love of top-notch Deota. She loses her husband and loses all hope for marriage. Misrilal then falls in love with her, driven by her charm and beauty. He treats them equally 179 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

and secretly fulfills his greedy wishes. She gets pregnant. When Misrilal told her mother about her pregnancy, she said she had sinned. This shows that even if a man makes a mistake, the mistake is only in the woman. Women are easily named prostitutes, but women cannot become prostitutes without the help of men. Women’s identities change, but men do not acquire new identities and are not charged. Maheswata Devi mentions another case: the life of Misrilal’s brother Kundan. His three sons are carried by a woman he didn’t want to marry. It shows that women are seen as objects of joy. Dhouli’s mother speaks the word “thron.” This is a negative attitude towards the soul in Dhouli’s womb. The soul in the womb is due to both the upper and lower classes, but the culprit is the foetation in the womb. Maheswata Devi writes to Dhouli not only about the politics of upper castes on dusad, but also about honor killings. After Misrilal settles in her marriage, Dusad has no chance to live her life. The men around me stare at them. Even if she seeks a job, the high caste people around Tahar are not interested in giving them a chance. The policy behind this is that if other people don’t cooperate with Deota, they will be resentful at buying it. Dhouli recognizes that this world is only for the strongest. It shows how the young spirit prefers to rebel against male hegemony and caste-based societies. Society opposes their exclusion and control. Breaking the taboo is a kind of struggle. The sexual economy makes their life better. Dhouli is an innocent girl left behind by society. She is being forced into prostitution by covering all possible ways of life. It makes her a rebel. After achieving improvements in her life, she was again tortured by Misrilal and his family, she could not be a prostitute in Tahar, there were still Brahmin in the village, and they had a puja at home. He added that he is practicing. Kundan and Misrilal support prostitution by having sexual intercourse with the lower caste Dusad and Ganju girls. This act proves that they are not against prostitution, but against the rebel Dhouli. This act is not only the relentless exploitation of weak and helpless people, but also the inhumane way of thinking of them. It is taboo for a woman to violate such a structure and she must face the consequences. Indian women are still connected within the boundaries of caste and male hegemony. This is exactly what the author reveals. 9.5 SUMMARY Munshi Premchand: “The Thakur’s Well”  Premechand’s story, “The Thakur’s Well,” tells the story of an era in which feudal caste habits were observed in the village.  He writes about inhumane landlords and ruthless lenders. Gangi and Jokhu live in the village. 180 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 The couple belongs to the inviolable caste.  There are only three wells in the village.  The wells they normally draw water from are polluted. The well is far away.  Due to the caste, it is not allowed to pump water from the other two wells, the Thakur well and the Safuji well.  Therefore, at the beginning of the story, Gangi had no place to draw water.  In the story, Premchand Gangi depicts a bold woman who is not forced to serve her husband, Jokhu but from respect and dedication.  She is afraid of social customs but wants to humbly revolt. She recognizes her rights but is afraid of the consequences of the protest because she must have seen some bad examples before.  Since Dalit women are the protagonists and Swarna women are shown on the sidewalk, their conversation reveals much about their internal condition and patriarchal obligations. Dhouli by Mahashweta Devi  The story is based on a tribal people who were forced to relocate to Kolkata. The second story is about Shanichari.  She is 12 years old and is an Oraon girl from Rata. She drives to Tori with her grandmother, who arrives at her destination by train.  Their grandma is Takuma. She tells a story to her granddaughter Shanichari. Along the way, they can see Hiraral wearing a reed organ around his neck.  The character named Gohuman Bibi is a strange character.  The purpose of the visit to this village is to catch 20,000 girls, each at 20 rupees. Malik is another character who owns a brick oven.  Gohuman uses all the sweet words of sugar to take some girls out of the village. She needs a few people to work at rejas.  That mean workers, the girls have to work for Malik, in return they will get money, they will get 10 rupees and she will get 50 rupees in advance to her parents. Gohuman is compared to Cobra.  The first of these stories, entitled “Dhouli,” is a young Dusad (untouchable, lower caste) seduced and pregnant by Misrilal, the son of a wealthy upper caste Brahmin named Hanumanji Misra. ) shows the sad plight of the widow.  Misrilal removes the responsibility of the newborn and her mother by marrying another woman in her caste and settling in the remote Indian town of Ranch.  As Dusad begins selling her body to earn bread for her son and herself, Misrilal returns and helps her move out of the village to the town to become a prostitute. 181 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

9.6KEYWORDS  Feudal- The dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labour, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection.  Panchayat- (In India) the local governing body of a village; a village council.  Hypocrisy-Behaviour in which somebody pretends to have moral standards or opinions that he/she does not really have.  Exploitation- Exploitation is the act of selfishly taking advantage of someone or a group of people in order to profit from them or otherwise benefit oneself. Exploitation is a noun form of the verb exploit, which commonly means to take advantage in such a way.  Poached- To encroach upon especially for the purpose of taking something.  Gambler-A gambler is a person who takes a lot of high-risk chances. ... Other gamblers enjoy betting money on sports, card games, or games of chance. Gambler came after gamble, \"risk something of value on a game of chance,\" from the Middle English gammlen, \"play or be merry,\" with its Old English root gamen, or \"game.\"  Swaggering-To conduct oneself in an arrogant or superciliously pompous manner especially: to walk with an air of overbearing self-confidence.  Quench-to cause oneself/someone to stop feeling thirsty He quenched his thirst by drinking a bottle of water.  Oppression-Something that oppresses especially in being an unjust or excessive exercise of power unfair taxes and other oppressions.  Inviolable- Never to be broken, infringed, or dishonoured. 9.7 LEARNING ACTIVITY 1. Define low-born humiliation. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. Statethe tension of the caste system experienced by the victims. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 9.8 UNIT END QUESTIONS A. Descriptive Questions 182 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Short Questions 1. Why didn’t Gangi get water when the story began? 2. What was she going to do to quench Jokhu’s thirst? 3. What was the idea of Gangi waiting to get water near the Thakur well? 4. What did the two women who came to the well do? What does it show? 5. What happened when the Thakur door suddenly opened? Long Questions 1. Show that this is a story of social injustice and atrocities. Do they explain their points using examples from history? 2. Why does Premchand use the title “The Thakur’s Well” in the story? 3. Bring out the brutal repression that indigenous people are suffering from a powerful upper caste of landlords. 4. Justify how Dusad means inviolable subcaste. 5. Illustrate how Dusad and her mother suffered at the hands of the Brahmin family. B. Multiple Choice Questions 1.____________are still connected within the boundaries of caste and male hegemony. a. Indian women b. American women c. African women d. Canadian women 2. ___________recognizes that this world is only for the strongest. a. Dhouli’s daughter b. Dhouli’s son c. Dhouli d. The poetess 3. Maheswata Devi writes to Dhouli not only about the politics of _________on dusad, but also about honor killings. a. Lower Castes b. Upper castes c. Middle Class 183 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

d. Upper Middle Class 4. Maheswata Devi’s “Dhouli”highlights the cruelty of the___________. a. Human issues b. Humanstrengths c. Human weakness d. Human psyche 5. Mahashweta Devi is a ___________who is committed to the struggle of indigenous peoples in states such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. a. Social activist b. Journalist c. Novelist d. Essayist Answers 1-a, 2-c, 3-b, 4-d, 5-a 9.9 REFERENCES References book  Three sides of life: Short Stories by Bengali Women Writers, ed. By saumitraChakravarthy, oxford University Press, 2007  Chatterjee, M.N., Three Sides of Life: Short Stories by Bengali Women Writers, ed. By SaumitraChakravarty, Oxford University Press, 2007. Indian Literature: 244.  “Dhouli.” Outcast: Four Stories. Translated by SarmisthaDutta Gupta, Seagull Books, 2002  Asaduddin.M. (2008). “Of Rape and Marginalization” Mahasweta Devi: An Anthology of Recent Criticism ed. Sen, Nivedita, Nikhil Yadav. New Delhi: Pencraft, 238. Print. Textbook references  Dr.Nagendra. Ed. Premchand: An Anthology, Delhi: Bansal& Co., 1981. Print.  Premchand. “The Thakur’s well.” Trans. David Rubin. The World of Premchan: Selected Short Stories.New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2001. 83-86. Print.  G. S. Balarama Gupta, “Tagore’s Short Stories: A Plea for Fresh Out look”, Perspectives on Rabindranath Tagore, ed. T.R. Sharma (Ghaziabad: VimalPrakashan,, Ghaziabad, 1986) p. 87. 184 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

 M.RamaRao., “Short Storyt in Modern Indian Literature”, Fiction and Reading-Public in India, ed. C.D.Narasimhaiah.(Mysore: Univerwsity of Mysore, 1967) p.218.  C.V.Venugopal, The Indian Short Stoiry in English: A Survey (Bareilly: PrakashBook Depot, Bareilly) p.8.  Quoted by M.K.Naik., A History of Indian English Literature, (New Delhi: SahityaAkademi, Delhi, 1982) p.179.  Premchand “The Thakur’s well”, Twenty four Stories by Premchand (Translators, P. Lal and Nandini) Vikas Publishing House. Website  https://ashvamegh.net/premchand-thakurs-well-an-impersonal-observation/ 185 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

UNIT - 10:BABY KAMBLE:THE PRISONSS WE BROKE,OM PRAKASH VALMIKI: JHOOTHAN:A DALIT’S LIFE STRUCTURE 10.0 Learning Objectives 10.1 Introduction 10.2 About the Author 10.3Analysis 10.4Summary 10.5 Keywords 10.6 Learning Activity 10.7 Unit End Questions 10.8 References 10.0LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this unit, you will be able to:  Describe a painful and realistic picture of the oppressive caste and patriarchal beliefs of Indian society.  Identify how “The Prisons We Broke” is an expression of protest against the inhumane living conditions that the Hindu caste systemhas exposed Dalits.  State howKamble brings Maharwada rituals and superstitions.  Infer BabaSaheb Ambedkar dreaming of equality with Hindus in the upper caste of social order. 10.1 INTRODUCTION The main concern of Dalit literature is the emancipation of Dalits from this eternal bondage. Dalitis use their writings as a weapon to incite anger against the social hierarchy responsible for degrading it. After so long a dream, they have now become aware of their identity as a person. This Dalit self-awareness and self-realization about their identity has become widely praised in various charming and creative writings and works by Mahasweta Devi, Bama, Arjun Dangle, Mr. Gopi and many others. The anguish which the Dalit writers represent is not a single man, but a separate society as a whole. 186 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

10.2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Baby Kamble Baby Kamble (1929-21 April 2012), commonly known as Babytai Kamble, was an Indian activist and writer. She was born into an untouchable caste, Mahar, the largest untouchable community in Maharashtra. She was a well-known Dalit activist and writer who was inspired by B. R. Ambedkar, prominent dalit leader. Kamble and her family converted to Buddhism and remained lifelong practicing Buddhists. In her community, she came to be admired as a writer and was fondly called as Tai (meaning sister). She is widely remembered and loved by the Dalit community for her contributions of powerful literary and activist work. She is one of the earliest women writers from the untouchable communities whose distinctive reflexive style of feminist writing setting her apart from other Dalit writers and upper caste women writers who gaze was limited and reflexivity incarcerated in caste and masculinity. Kamble is critically acclaimed and known her autobiographical work Jina Amucha, written in Marathi. Feminist scholar Maxine Bernstein was instrumental in encouraging Baby Tai Kamble to publish her writings which Kamble had kept as a secret from her family. Bernstien discovered Kamble interest and her writings in Phaltan where Bernstein was conducting her research. She encouraged and persuaded Baby Tai to publish her writings which soon became one of the best autobiographical accounts on caste, poverty, violence, and triple discrimination faced by Dalit women. This auto-narrative chronicles Baby Tai’s life story in precolonial to postcolonial India. It is deeply embedded with two important critical moments in the Indian history: freedom from the British rule and anti-caste movement led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Thus, Baby Tai’s auto-biography is just not personal account of a woman’s life history but it is a deeply political and a critical record of the making of the nation from the vantage point of a very precarious social location. Jina Amucha public contribution is it is a nation’s biography chronicled from the untouchable woman’s point of view. It is also therefore a critical account the nation and its margins: lives of untouchables in a caste Hindu society. One of the major portions of the book articulates caste and gender discrimination and multilayered violence suffered by Dalit women at the hands of the savarna (upper caste Hindus) and Dalit men. Kamble writes from an untouchable woman’s perspective, not deterring from naming patriarchy in the untouchable community nor sparing the internalized patriarchy by Dalit women. This honesty and reflexivity has been largely missing in upper caste women’s writings. Kamble also underscores how the caste Hindu women and men treated untouchables with contempt, disgust, and hate. This work became one of the most powerful and poignant auto- 187 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

biographical writing in Marathi. The book was translated into English titled The Prisonss We Broke by Maya Pandit and published by Orient Blackswan. Baby Tai wrote several articles and poems focused on Dalits and also ran a residential school for children from vulnerable communities. She died on 21 April 2012, aged 82, in Phaltan, Maharashtra. Babytai Kamble was born in 1929 to an economically stable family. Her father worked as a labour contractor and her maternal grandfather and grand-uncles worked as butlers for the British. She went to a girls school which was dominated and run by Brahmins, where she and other Dalit girls were subject to discrimination and segregation. They were made to sit in a corner, separated from other students. She was married at the age of 13 to Kondiba Kamble, after passing the fourth standard. The bride, groom and their families had a marriage ceremony without a Brahmin priest as officiator. She and her husband began their own business of selling loose grapes. After they started making profits, they included vegetables in their merchandise. Soon after, this business venture expanded into a profitable initiative of selling food and other grocery provisions. Their customers were predominantly from the Mahar community. Babytai and Kondiba had ten children, three of whom died during childhood. While sitting at the shop counter, Kamble began reading newspapers that were used for packing. It was around this time she began penning her autobiography Jina Amaucha (The Prisonss We Broke). She also joined a library and began reading books from there. In her spare time, she would write in notebooks. She chronicled the lives of fellow Dalit women and how they negotiated with patriarchy and caste. Kamble was involved in the Dalit movement in Maharashtra. This movement saw mass participation and contribution by women. She was a member of the Mahila Mandal in Phaltan. She started a government approved residential school for children from disadvantaged communities in Nimbure, Maharashtra. Omprakash Valmiki Omprakash Valmiki (30 June 1950 – 17 November 2013) was an Indian Dalit writer and poet. Well known for his autobiography, Joothan, considered a milestone in Dalit literature. He was born at the village of Barla in the Muzzafarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. After retirement from Government Ordnance Factory he lived in Dehradun where he died of complications arising out of stomach cancer on 17 November 2013. Being a Dalit child, he was tortured and abused everywhere in society. He was fortunate enough to be born in a household where everyone loved and cared for him. The support and encouragement he gained from the family enabled him to face the dangers of being a Dalit. 188 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Right from the early stages of his life, Valmiki was conscious of the importance of studies and hence he was always a bright student. Reading and writing made him an enlightened human being. Valmiki married Chanda; despite the protestations his father accepted her as his daughter-in-law. He was not allotted a house in the government colony. They had to struggle a lot during the initial days of marriage. But he soon settled and both Valmiki and Chanda started a happy married life. In his novel ‘Joothan’ he talked about the discrimination they had to face in the school at different points. He says: “During the examinations we could not drink water from the glass when thirsty. To drink water, we had to cup our hands. The peon would pour water from way high up, lest our hands touch the glass”. Omprakash Valmiki describes his life as an untouchable, or Dalit, in the newly independent India of the 1950s. Joothan refers to scraps of food left on a plate, destined for the garbage or animals. Dalits have been forced to accept and eat joothan for centuries, and the word encapsulates the pain, humiliation, and poverty of a community forced to live at the bottom of India’s social pyramid. Although untouchability was outlawed in 1949, Dalits continued to face discrimination, economic deprivation, violence, and ridicule. Valmiki shares his struggle to survive a preordained life of perpetual physical and mental persecution and his transformation into a speaking subject under the influence of the Dalit political leader, B. R. Ambedkar.Besides Joothan (1997) Valmiki published three collections of poetry: Sadiyon Ka Santaap (1989), Bas! Bahut Ho Chuka (1997), and Ab Aur Nahin (2009). He also wrote two collections of short stories, Salaam (2000), and Ghuspethiye (2004). In addition, he wrote Dalit Saahity Ka Saundaryshaastr (2001) and a history of the Valmiki community, Safai Devata (2009), Do Chera’ (a play). 10.3ANALYSIS “The Prisons We Broke” byBaby Kamble Baby Kamble worked as an activist in Phaltan, a small town in the Satara district of Maharashtra. A veteran of the Dalit movement in Maharashtra, she was welcomed by Dr.BabasahebAmbedkar, radical leader who got inspired to participate in the fight from an early age. She later set up a state-approved dormitory for socially underdeveloped students in Nimboa, a small village near Partan. She has published a large number of poems and has won several awards for her literary and social activities. Autobiography is not only an individual history, but also represents the worries, sufferings, obedience, and socio-economic status of society, so it is enjoyed all over the world as a literary genre, and its literary importance is all. It is recognized by people. Similarly, Baby Kamble’s autobiography mentions certain important issues such as caste discrimination, particularly against women, and the influence of Dr.Ambedkar. Written in Marathi as 189 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

JinaAmachain in the year 1985 and translated into English by Professor Maya Pandit. It mainly deals with the lives of men and women in Maharashtra in the village of Kamble’s in Veergaon, Maharashtra. Writing on the lives of the Mahars of Maharashtra, Baby Kamble reclaims memory to locate Mahar society before the impact of BabasahebAmbedkar, and tells a powerful tale of redemption wrought by a fiery brand of individual and collective self-awareness. “The Prisons We Broke” is a vivid revelation of the oppressive caste and patriarchal beliefs of Mahar’s inner world and Indian society, but the Bible is not sunk in self-pity anywhere. Kamble brings Maharwada rituals and superstitions, joys and sorrows, difficult lives and more difficult women to life without apology. It breaks the boundaries of personal narrative, and at the same time is a sociological treatise, historical and political testimony, “The Prisons We Broke” can be divided into two sections based on the arguments she advocated. On the one hand, it pursues a broad thematic expression of Dalit women’s otherness within their own community. Second, she praises the role of her fellow wife in the footsteps of the doctor. BabaSahebAmbedkar is dreaming of equality with Hindus in the upper caste of social order. In “The Prisons We Broke,“BabytaiKamble identifies Dalit oppression and uses her life as a source for drawing a rough, real-life picture of her world. Growing up in Maharwada in Maharashtra, they are in a great position to witness Dalit repression in the worst case, as they symbolize the prejudice of the most prevalent Hindu caste system prevalent in and around Maharashtra. Maharawadas usually consists of nearly fifteen families belonging to the Maharashtra on the outskirts of the village of Maharashtra. The Maharashtra, ironically, derives its etymology from the original inhabitants of these areas, Maharashtra is one of the most prevalent states of caste structure. That doesnot mean that this advantage hasnot been hit by a backlash. In fact, for centuries Maharashtra has witnessed Dalit rebellions in literary, war and religious practices. “The Prisons We Broke” is one such attempt, and one of the first attempts by a Dalit woman to justify her story about women’s issues. Scholars have divided Indian feminism into three major waves. The first two waves (from 1850 to just before independence) were that only elite upper-class men with the Messiah complex characterized feminism due to lack of political awareness among Indian women. They were tied to a string in a family or religious facility. Born in 1929, BabytaiKamble wrote “The Prisonss We Broke” in 2009. Much of this book consists of her living experiences that can be traced back to the “adjustment period” and beyond. Pinning “The Prisons We Broke” in the literature of this period means that the work should have focused on the issues of women’s empowerment and gender equality. But cross- 190 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

feminist theory explains that Dalit feminism in its development and demands cannot catch up with other feminist movements in India, and socio-economics as the source of her writing in “The Prisons We Broke”. INTERSECTIONAL OTHERNESS OF DALIT WOMEN The central theme of “The Prisons We Broke” is the crossing of Dalit women’s problems. Babytai subtly argues in the book that if Dalits were considered by the top caste Hindus to be another community, Dalit women would be treated the same by men in their community. She traces this back to the established patriarchal social practices within the family system. This is most obvious only in the lowest social class. In fact, Babytai further suggests that the dynamics of power through family and sociological relationships lead to conflicts between women, which in turn worsen the general condition of women. She gives concrete examples of the relationship between a woman and her mother- in-law, and between a Dalit woman and Brahman in the upper caste, to support her argument in “The Prisons We Broke”. Babytai mistakenly accuses her daughter-in-law (about 10 years old at the time) of doing something she didnot even understand, driving the girl to death, and persuading her son in Maharwadas. It is said that what was done was widely observed-a married widow. It provides a psychological reason for women, unable to project accumulated emotions into society, she finds comfort in her victory over inferior beings, even if it sacrifices her life. What Babytai chose for the theme of “The Prisons We Broke” is the otherness of this woman, presented in an intersecting manner. In The Prisons We Broke, Babytai proved by the fact that despite being expelled by the Hindu community, he had to live outside the village so as not to pollute the area where Mahar lives. According to Caste, who is obeyed and advocated by Mahar, as it is, questioning the superstitious practices of Hinduism. Women had to face more than most other superstitious Hindu rituals due to their low status in Hindu society. Babytai supports this claim with an example. First, her own mother was unable to establish amicable relationships with her relatives due to years of oppression. Second, women married in Maharwada had to remain obedient to abandon their outlook. Their Pallava and Kumkum are applied in the presence of men from their community. In certain cases, she said that due to the injustice of a woman in front of the Brahmin, Mahars generally soon faced the slander of the Brahmin, but was later rebuked and beaten by the woman. By writing, she provides the background for this claim to a man in her family. She even makes a suggestion on how mythological goddesses were considered inferior to the male gods of a superstitious Hindu religion. In addition to the usual practices maintained in the upper caste households of the elite, women in Mahar faced discriminatory practices in the lower caste community, such as 191 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

women not eating until the men in the household finished their meals. For example, a Dalit woman had to bow and leave the village street when a man in the upper caste approached. Later in “The Prisons We Broke,” she states that the Brahmin woman would not touch her while receiving the money. The Dalit girl at school had to sit on the floor to keep the Hindu caste classroom clean. Hindu usage required that Brahmin not even use the house for defecation during this time, so the strange practice was that Maharwomen had to put the feces of their newly-married Brahmin on their heads. Baby Thai nailed the story to his head, because he was reluctant to build a toilet in his house to ward off evil, and because Hindu customs were for the holiness and purity of the family. Conversation with DR B.R.AMBEDKAR Babytai broke the record early on in The Prisonss WeBroke when he said he was targeting only millennials in his community. In the second part of the book, Babytai finds that Dalits’ living conditions have changed better and that every Dalit sees their improvement. Dr.BhimRaoAmbedkar. But she believes that the extent of his contribution to the Dalit cause is not fully understood by the younger generation due to their newly discovered socio- economic progress. She also believes that the role of Dalit women in promoting Dalits should not be overlooked, as it is an equally essential part of spreading the gospel of the doctor. In The Prisons We Broke, Babytai states that Maharwas a superstitious person. Physical illnesses are represented as the possessions of the soul by gods and goddesses, further justifying the death of a person due to illnesses such as invasion of metaphysical realms. This was due to Mahar’s lack of access to money and medicine, but primarily to the anti- educational culture practiced by upper castes to prevent Mahar from bearing the fruit of civilization. When Dr. B.R. Ambedkar arrived in the village in a three-piece suit, he changed this basic idea of Mahar, sought better material well-being, and a life created for them by the Hindu caste system. The superstitious practices forced by the Hindu religious order upon the Mahars for eons have been referred to as Prisonss in the title of the book metaphorically, and Babytai claims that Mahar women were instrumental in rising up against these social evils designed to keep the Mahars in professions such as manual scavenging, skinning of dead animals and boot polishing amid other practices which corresponded to lowly remuneration to ensure their animal-like existence for generations. These details support their initial argument that it is important for women to go against ancient customs and ultimately lead people to prosperity withheld by the bosses of the Varna system. The superstitious practices imposed on Mahar by Hindu orders are figuratively referred to as Prisonss in the title of the book, and Babytai are destined for Mahar women to become Mahar in professions such as manual tidying up. It claims to have helped confront 192 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

these social evils. Peeling dead animals and cleaning boots, among other low-wage practices, to ensure animal-like presence for generations. Babytai acknowledges Ambedkar’s credit for launching an intellectual discourse in which a Maharwoman participated loudly. The purpose of these claims is to encourage the young people to understand their roots and spread Ambedkar’s philosophy. However, as the report is true and personal, and worthy of this kind of work, the writing lacks the inspiration and substance to inspire serious intellectual discourse. As an example, important Ambedkar writings such as “Caste Eradication” are not mentioned to help the young readers understand the vision of Ambedkar. Babytai encourages the young members of the Dalit community to recognize and appreciate the role of Ambedkar’s in raising their ranks through this work. Dalits are those who belong to the lowest level of the Hindu hierarchy and are considered unclean, dirty, and untouchable because they have been excommunicated by Hindu society. Called unruly and filthy by the sacred Hindu Vedas, they were exposed to the most sneaky chores of cleaning, cultivating, and cleaning. Women who are already subordinate to society face double pressure because they belong to the Dalit community. They are being conquered inside and outside the house. They never enjoy honor and dignity for them. Rather, they are soft targets of all forms of discrimination in Indian society. Kamble permeated her memory and surfaced the plight of Dalit women. Kamble’s autobiography is full of miserable and tragic passages and the suffering of women who have been treated inhumanely without making their mistakes. There are few places where women can breathe comfortably. Her life is hell at every stage and everywhere is her torture inflicted upon them. They are made to suffer in every way, whether physically, financially, socially or psychologically. Discrimination against the Mahar community begins from childhood to the end. In this book, they learn that all Mahar girls in school are ignored by upper caste girls because they are afraid of being contaminated. Even if the girl in the upper caste passes by, she holds her nose and runs away. As if these Dalit girls were not humans, but scented corpses. One of the upper caste girls says she had to take a bath at home after school because her mother didnot let her in because she knew that a Mahar girl was also in this class. Kamble presents brave portraits of Dalit women subject to three themes based on gender, caste and patriarchy. Newly-weddedtheyoung women in particular suffer from the worst fate. Marriage turns out to be a major disaster, so girls usually get married at theyoung age of eight or nine. The first duty of her newly-married daughter-in-law was to prepare Berkeley so she could demonstrate her cooking skills. She had to do all the chores without being able to 193 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

complain. They cannot expect performance in return for their in-law, but if the girl couldnot do her homework, When the ritual was followed, women’s work doubled. They had to smear the house with cow dung and clean the dishes and clothes. They live a very miserable life at their husband’s house. Kambleskillfully explains that while daughter-in-law is not safe from women in her area, she is often the target of ridicule and corruption and is often physically and mentally tortured by her daughter-in-law. Her mother-in-law liked to treat them as rigorously as they learned from her in-law. It tells a lot about their illness awareness of causing unnecessary pain to immature theyoung girls. The condition of the women in Mahar was miserable, worthless and very miserable. They all had to do their homework and sell trees to earn daily bread. They collected all the leftovers from elsewhere to give to the children. In most cases, women were endlessly hungry. Dalit men never minded giving their new mother nutritious and hygienic food. The woman only had to be satisfied with porridgemade from jowar. At the time of delivery, the midwife was working without specialized knowledge. Whenever they needed help, they were at the mercy of God. Women in Mahar were the worst victims of patriarchy, caste, gender, and domestic violence. Kumble explains the dire situation of Mahar women who are supposed to behave like slaves in front of the upper caste Brahmin, and is instructed by her husband to follow the upper caste Hindus and use them as masters. In connection with these top castes of the community, they are instilled with a sense of threat. But because of their efforts and the painstaking work for their masters, they earned curses and insults as wages. Over generations, Maharserved their master very honestly. However, the upper caste community abused Mahar because he did not fall at the feet of their masters. BabytaiKamble’s “The Prisons We Broke” states that Dalit women have always been treated as sexual objects and are available to upper caste men when they have sexual desire. Dalit men need to provide their wives to upper castes in order to be sexually satisfied in every way. In his autobiography, S.K.Limbale boldly claims that his mother is detained by several Patil. He also says that none of his brothers were born of the same father. However, although he firmly believes that the woman himself had no problems, it was the inhumane customs and rituals established by the upper caste that insulted the Dalit women so low. Kumble has exposed the hypocritical mental health of the top castes of Indian society. Dalit alienation, sacrifice, and enslavement are based on this idea that Dalits are dirty and polluted. Although they are treated as untouchables, such thinking is discouraged when it comes to the use of these superior castes. In all indirect forms, the upper caste Hindus relies on Dalits. Kambleskillfully exposes the top caste of this double standard. 194 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Similarly, when the Brahmin got married, he was invited to marry. The fear of being contaminated by Dalits keeps the Brahmin priests away. But without hesitation, he accepts Dakshina money and a few kilograms of legumes, rice, wheat and jiggery. The Dalit woman shown in this text appears to be sandwiched between the Brahmin and the Dalit patriarchy because of the double oppression. Members of the Dalit community were influenced by the joy of upper castes to enslave others and wanted to imitate their ruthless nature, but no one showed their superiority. So they began to enslave weaker sex in the form of their own daughter-in-law. Although the text examines how Brahmin rule made Maharas bad as animals. Through Ambedkar’s ideology, Kamble paves the way for the liberation of Dalit women. In this book, the author talks about his influence. He asked Mahar to raise children and inspired them to fight atrocities. He asked them not to make offerings to the gods who never cared about them, and to ask them not to eat dead animals. Lambert justifies Ambedkar’s transformative thinking of helping Dalits improve their social and economic status. Kamble meticulously and painfully describes the pain that Dalit women had to experience. She suffered from domestic violence such as beatings, physical torture, snorting and overwork. She had no one to go, but she suffered in silence at different stages in different ways. She was suffering from her birth, caste, gender, and poverty. There are several layers of her suffering included for her. Life was a burden to her. There is no doubt that she had to pay a lot of money to be born. Joothan: A Dalit’s Life by Om PrakashValmiki OmprakashValmiki (30 June 1950-17 November 2013) was a Dalit writer and poet in India. Known for his autobiography, Joothan is considered a milestone in Dalit literature. He was born in the village of Barra in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. After retiring from the state’s weapons factory, he lived in Dehradun and was born at the age of 17. As a Dalit child, Valmiki was tortured and ill-treated throughout society. Fortunately, he was born in a family where everyone loved and cared for him. The support and encouragement he received from his family put him at risk of becoming a Dalit. Valmiki was always an intelligent student because he recognized the importance of studying from the beginning of his life. Reading and writing made him an enlightened person. Valmiki married Chanda. Despite the protest, his father accepted her as a daughter-in-law. He was not assigned a government colonial home. They had a lot of trouble early in their marriage. However, he soon settled down and both Valmiki and Chanda began a happy marriage. In his novel “Joothan,”Valmiki talked about the discrimination he faced at various points in school. He states: “During the test, I couldn’t drink water from the glass when I was thirsty. 195 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

We had to take our hands to drink water. Keep our hands out of the glass. Peon poured water from above. “OmprakashValmiki describes his life in the newly independent India in the 1950s as unruly or dalit. Joothanis food left on a plate for garbage and animals. Dalits have been forced to accept and eat Joothanfor centuries, and the words summarize the pain, humiliation and poverty of communities forced to live at the bottom of India’s social pyramids. Although untouchables were banned in 1949, Dalits continued to face discrimination, financial deprivation, violence and ridicule. Valmiki shares his struggle to survive a preordained life of perpetual physical and mental persecution and his transformation into a speaking subject under the influence of the Dalit political leader, B. R. Ambedkar. Besides Joothan (1997) Valmiki published three collections of poetry: SadiyonKaSantaap (1989), Bas! BahutHoChuka (1997), and AbAurNahin (2009). He also wrote two collections of short stories, Salaam (2000), and Ghuspethiye (2004). In addition, he wrote Dalit SaahityKaSaundaryshaastr (2001) and a history of the Valmiki community, SafaiDevata (2009), Do Chera’ (a play). After India’s independence, our political leaders sought to eradicate the sinister practices of untouchables through various sanctions in government law and policy. However, the elimination of untouchables was limited to simple implementation with a pen on paper. That is, legal changes have been made to the political framework, but more people’s thinking is infected with the unpleasant caste buds. India’s caste system assigns untouchables to the bottom of society. People of this isolated class continue to be oppressed and are forbidden to climb social ladders and settle in better places in society by the so-called upper castes of society. Calling them depressive, constitutional or Gandhi’s Harijan could not limit the intolerable mental states of these people caused by the disgust exhibited by their compatriots. The suspicious and disturbed nature of their realistic life and experience could not be obscured by wrapping the facts in the guise of the hopes and aspirations given to the former untouchable by law and administration, state leaders. Untouchable was first created by JyotiraoPhule,Dr. B.R. Ambedkar adopted the term “Dalit”and continued to be popular. Dalits meant broken people, defeated people. However, reading between the lines makes it easier to see that the broken parts of the people had a silver lining to forge new self-made identities resulting from the struggles and obstacles of all kinds encountered in the process of progress.It is lucky enough to cultivate knowledge and learning and to secure a very valuable temperament in society to correct their unheard of words, unfounded emotions, especially the misunderstood facts of their lives. In this context, it is worth recalling other autobiographical works by Dalit authors, like Bama’sKarukku (2000) in Tamil and in Hindi Tiraskrit (vol. 1, 2002) by Suraj Paul Chauhan 196 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

and Meri Safar aurMeriManzi (2000) by B. R. Jatav. These books express recognition of the inhuman and morally disgusting ways Indians have continued to treat parts of society. Prior to the publication of this document, Dalits were invisible men and women of Indian sayings, forced to live around society and never stepped into the high-caste Hindu vision. Valmiki begins chronicles as a child. He grew up in an unruly caste called Chula (sweepers and sweepers) in a village near Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, long before the confident term “Dalit” was coined. Unimpeded by the fear of literary decoration as seen in Dalit’s autobiography, and with unmistakable directness, Valmiki was considered completely comfortable due to the wide range of untouchable cattle, but dogs. If a cat, cow or buffalo touches it by mistake chuhra, one was contaminated or contaminated. They were not considered humans. The Nagaya where they lived was on the outskirts of the village, where the upper caste Tyagis felt lived. Have absolute power over them and their work. If Dalits dare to refuse unpaid work, severe retaliation may occur. They were severely punished when they refused to do this unpaid job. Fifteen days after being rejected, two police officers came and arrested those who could get them and took them to the village’s Panchayat (council) office. In another similar case, the boy Valmiki himself was forced to work outdoors by Forza Singh Tiyagi while preparing to appear as a slave worker on the next day’s math exam. Joothanwas full of such incidents, each leaving a deep scar on the writer’s head. Two policemen came and arrested each. Perhaps the most painful aspect of this humiliation is the fact that his teacher not only participated, but often exacerbated it. These guys, sold in the caste hierarchy idea, were annoyed by the teacher’s fair name. Valmiki was very difficult to enroll in school, had to sit away from the Tiyagi boy, had to crouch on the floor while other students were sitting on the bench, and was not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities. He became a school and one adjacent cleaning and cleaning field. During the test, he was unable to drink water from the glass when he was thirsty. Every day, his teacher brought new torture and humiliation. He was mercilessly beaten many times. The moment they knew it, they shrank from him as if he were a mass of shit. The sense of caste hierarchy is so deeply rooted in the Hindu mind that the enactment of the Affirmative Action Act alone cannot eliminate it overnight, but it does require a revolutionary change of mind. Rejected over and over again, he was disgusted by those who, as he knew, only looked down on him, despite his decency. Valmiki reconstructs an era in which Dalit literature emerged as a controversial but radical and destructive genre that would gradually shape the aesthetics of today’s Dalits. The Dalit literary movement began in his hometown of Maharashtra. Dr.BhimraoAmbedkar has spread from Marathi to Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and other Indian languages. Valmiki’s own life 197 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

experience drove him to the writings and activities of these first-generation pioneers, whose life followed a similar path to him. These writer activists bravely fought the deep-rooted prejudice and oppression of caste by raising awareness through art and literature. Reading her work ignited the sparks of literature that already existed in him. He started writing and directing short plays. He also started writing poetry and fiction. But as far as his caste is concerned, even his considerable literary reputation hasnot changed much for him. In retrospect, he seems to announce at the beginning of joothan’spreface his final judgment that Dalit’s life is unbearably painful and impatient. The experience of not being is able to find a place in a literary work. Valmiki’s very well-depicted struggle is a sign of the scale of challenges associated with the process of regaining the dignity of himself and his community. He not only articulates the caste prejudice of the members of the upper castes, but also points to the fault lines in the movement, against the castes that the depressed class themselves have internalized these prejudices against the castes they consider a notch below themselves. DALIT AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND ‘JOOTHAN’ Dalit autobiographies are a hallmark of Dalit literature. The autobiographical character is transparent and inclusive. The autobiography represents a real experience, but beyond the author’s life. Dalit autobiographies not only talk about the lives of individuals suffering from the oppression of the caste system, but also at the community level. The story of Dalit life gives a glimpse into the lives of many other Dalits. The autobiographical characters remain in place, but the story of the minor characters to watch out for is also important. One such Dalit autobiography is “Joothan” written by Om PrakashValmiki. The autobiography was written in Hindi,Joothanis a collection of memoirs. The non-linear nature of the story prevents monotony from making a great sacrifice to the reader’s mind. It is like a swallowtail butterfly associated with the author’s childhood fragmentary memories, full of difficulties that affect his affiliation with the “Chuhra” community. Throughout the text, Valmiki emphasizes the undeniable difference between untouchable and upper caste people, already created by the caste hierarchy of society. He reacts very controversially to Gandhi’s hypocrisy, calling untouchables the children of God and at the same time demanding the protection of the Varna system of Indian society. In the case of Valmiki, Pigs, narrow streets, naked children, dogs, wandering in daily fights, that was my childhood environment. People who call the caste system an ideal social arrangement If they had to live in the environment for a day or two, they would change their minds, so what he meant was to feel the bitterness of this hellish life that only Dalit himself could experience. 198 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

To encourage a talkative group of upper caste people to step into Dalit’s shoes and many other cases, Valmiki characterizes Dalit’s life in the upper caste of the “Tiyagi” in their village. He points out the ‘the deities worshipped by the Dalits are ‘different from Hindu deities and their names won’t be found in any ‘Purana’ even if one searches hard’ and also Dalits worship ‘Jaharpir’ at ‘Janmashtami’ and ‘Mai Madaran’ during ‘Deepawali’ in lieu of Lord Krishna and goddess ‘Lakshmi’ respectively. It is perceived that this assertion of differences in voice of Valmiki as an attempt on the part of his community to stand out of the Hindu fold, to prohibit itself from being a part of socio- religious integrated system of Hinduism. The scrupulous mention of the dichotomy between Dalits as ‘we’, ‘us’ and upper castes as ‘they’, ‘them’ is significantly manifested throughout his text. The subhuman existence of Chuhra community, its plight of everyday and groaning of hunger and starvation, deprivation of reverent existence, are all encapsulated in the term “Joothan”. Valmiki narrates the values of joothan or leftover received by them from the Tyagi upper caste community. The leftover foods were rugged and grubby in nature, albeit the Chuhra’s had them with relish. The consumption of pork by the ‘Chuhras’ were looked down upon by the ‘Tyagis’, the author also notes that ‘The behaviour of (this) Muslim Tagas was just like that of the Hindu Tagas’. On being exasperated at the general rebuking character of upper castes people, Hindu and Muslim Tyagis both alike, Valmiki at one instance bewrayed their hypocrite temperament and he went on to say that such moments of all the Tyagis who came in the darkness of the night to the Bhangibasti is to eat pork and meat secretly at night in day light observed untouchability in front of everybody.’ The author’s efforts to adapt to the school’s educational environment, primarily characterized by the presence of Tyagis upper caste, were painstaking and exhausting. The fact that the so- called untouchables have been given educational opportunities establishes a painstaking equivalence between Tyagisupper castes and the former untouchables “Chuhra”, who were hated by the former community. Therefore, untouchables have become an easy target for Tyagis’ anger. Valmiki expressed his helplessness by writing his story when people made fun of him with “Chureke”. His determination to overcome this disgusting stage and pass him on to posterity was genuine. Caste discrimination spread from his home to school, expanding the range of hostility towards the author. He was isolated and placed in the corner of the room. His other unruly friends, Ram Singh and Sukkham Singh, were treated equally. Valmiki talks about the indescribable torture of Sukkham Singh by her school principal, Kaliram. Kaliram also forced Valmiki to clean the entire school grounds. Omprakash never stopped chores, and it was shameful to plunder, harvest and dispose of dead cattle. Despite all the hurdles along the way, the author endured the difficulties in the hope that his father’s 199 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

words might come true, improving caste through education. Omprakash never stops chores and dies it was shameful to plunder, harvest and dispose of cattle. Omprakash did not discourage domestic work, and it was shameful to plunder, harvest and dispose of dead cattle. OmprakashValmiki is a great poet and short story writer of Hindi Dalit literature. “Jusan” is an autobiographical description of his miserable birth and life. Omprakash traces his ancestors to Valmiki, the great writer of Ramayana, proving that Valmiki also belongs to the sweeper caste. Joothanliterally means the food left on the plate. It is related to the word jootha, which means polluted. Sweeper castes have been forced to eat Jootha for centuries. The term describes uncontrollable pain, wounds, humiliation, and poverty. OmprakashValmiki’s family was in the colony of the village where Untouchable lived. Chuhra, Chamar and Jhinwar are untouchable caste names. Tyagi and Taga are the top castes of Hindus and Muslims. Valmiki’s house was in front of the stinky barn of the upper caste family. There was a pond on one side and the high walls of a Tagus brick house on the other. His family had five brothers, one sister, two uncles, and his father’s brother. Everyone worked hard, but couldnot eat a decent meal twice a day. In most cases, they werenot paid for their work. Instead, they were only verbally abused by the people of the upper castes. They never considered these unruly things as humans. If they accidentally touched (untouchables) Thule, the people in the upper caste were contaminated when the animals touch them. The first teacher to come to Valmiki’s childhood was Sewak Ram Masihi. He was a Christian who sat with the untouchable children and taught them how to read and write. It was an open- air school, and Valmiki was studying the alphabet. One day, there was a discussion with Valmiki’s father, who took him to elementary school. At the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, the public school allowed the study of untouchables. Valmiki’s father begged the principal to teach his child, and he is in debt forever. The Master asked him to come the next day, and Valmiki and his father continued for several days, and one day he was accepted into school. Valmiki had to sit on the floor and didn’t even have a mat. Sometimes he had to sit near the door and couldn’t read the letters on the blackboard! The children of the upper caste called him “Chuhreka” and made fun of him. At some point, they hit him for no reason. This distressed life made him introverted and frustrated. When he was thirsty, he ran into a hand pump to drink water. All teachers were upper castes and they hated this unruly boy and were used to punish him. Both students and teachers used all sorts of dirty tricks to get Valmiki out of school. They thought he had no right to education and had to work as a cleaner in the village. He had two 200 CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)