Negotiating the Issue of Casteism and Untouchability in Novel 'Untouchable'

Mulk Raj Anand is one of the few prolific Indian writers in English who have earned a good name and fame as major novelists. He tries to focus the sufferings, miseries and wretchedness of the poor and marginalized Dalit people. Untouchable is a protest novel in which Mulk Raj Anand’s method of attacking the social evil of casteism and untouchability invited the attention of the people. The caste system has played a great destruction to the people of our country. Although India Government abolished the practice of untouchability by law but mental, social and traditional outlook of the people remained the same. India is fully not free from casteism and untouchability.

Untouchable is a novel which has earned tremendous name and fame all over the world as it presents a true and crystal clear picture of pre Independence Indian society where the condition of the untouchable of the subalterns was very pathetic because of their marginalized status. The main focus is on Anand’s reformative vision against casteism. Mulk Raj Anand touched the reader with Bakha’s untouchability.

It explores that everybody should conscious and aware and depicts seriousness concerning the burning question of the entire Indian society. This paper also argues that it is not only a Hindu religious ideology but also historical, colonial, economic, political and social aspects of caste – based discrimination that can explain construction of the notion of Dalit and the marginalization and resistance of Bangladeshi sweepers.

Untouchable is Mulk Raj Anand’s first novel. It focuses attention on a number of customs, traditions, social evils, etc., of Hindu society in the 1930s, more particularly the evils of the caste system. It depicts a day in the life of Bakha, a sweeper boy, a central figure in this novel. Bakha, 18 years old boy is one of the sons of Lakha, the Jamadar of the sweepers. Bakha is a child of the 20th century and the impact of new influences causes stirrings within him.

Untouchable is a sociological novel, which seeks to stress the evils of untouchability by focusing attention on the miserable plight, suffering, poverty and degradation of a large section of Indian society. It is the story not of Bakha’s suffering alone, but of the suffering of the untouchables as a class.

Mulk Raj Anand has expressed his protest against the inhuman caste-system and untouchability by depicting a day in the life of a sweeper boy Bakha. He has a deeper awareness of his position in society. Problem of untouchability is still prevalent in the society and Mulk Raj Anand through his novel untouchable brings to light the sorrows and sufferings that high caste Hindus inflicted on the untouchables.

Can untouchables become free from the stigma of “untouchability” and emerge as useful members of casteless and classless society? Can Bakha the outcaste ever achieve some sort of “community identity?” These questions wrapped up the whole novel based on the caste system. The author poses and professes with Gandhian model of social equality and liberty. Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines the elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation, and political power.

The realistic picture of India can be seen in this novel. Like Bakha, his youthful Sohini also suffers ignominy and shame. She is asked by Priest Kalinath to come to his house to clean the courtyard. When she reaches there the Priest betrays immoral intentions and makes advances to seduce her. On her screaming aloud, he too cries “polluted”, “polluted” in self- defiance and collects a number of high-caste Hindus to condemn her.

Bakha, whose whole day goes through bitter experiences, finds a little bit of comfort in the words of comfort in the words of Mahatma Gandhi and his concept regarding the ‘untouchable’ people who according to him should be called Harijans. Gandhism works like a magic which provides a lot of enthusiasm and hope for something new, but cannot entirely solve the confusion of mind. Gandhi’s announcement that he regards ‘untouchability as a sin’, gives the whole text a new sense of hope in the end. A hope is that India will build up as a nation of humanity and fraternity. So, it can be stated that Gandhism gives an unique sense of self-dignity for the subaltern people in the text though the harsh reality influences them to think of alternatives too. Above all, Gandhism in this text has shown rays of light to the marginalized people in the society which leaves them in a dark tunnel in their lives.

Mulk Raj Anand concludes the novel with a note of faith and idealism. His commitment to reveal the deep-rooted social malice in the Indian society made him to create Bakha. Thus in ‘Untouchable’, Mulk Raj Anand’s handling the problem of untouchability through Bakha shows that he hopes to have a casteless Indian society in which untouchability has no place.

Overall, it gives a realistic picture of the exploitation and suffering of the deprived and subaltern due to casteism. Bakha the protagonist in untouchable represents the exploitation and subjugation which has been the destiny of untouchables like him. It also aims to talk about the casteism and untouchability as one of the major issues and the struggles of Bakha show his agony over the casteism and untouchability.