CHAPTER- II

MULTICULTURALISM IN UNTOUCHABLE

Mulk Raj Anand's Untouchable describes the experiences and thoughts of an

eighteen-year old sweeper boy called Bakha, the protagonist of the novel. All

the incidents of the novel take place on one single day, beginning at dawn and

ending by nightfall. The story opens in the outcastes' colony where people

from different low castes and communities live in very unhygienic conditions.

The caste Hindus, on the other hand, live their comfortable and relaxed life in

the village called Bulashah. The privileged caste Hindus cause mental

depression to the untouchables and humiliate them in the name of purity and

pollution. Bakha leads a hard life because of his extreme poverty, caste stigma

and the kind of treatment he receives from the caste Hindus. He is a victim of

the Indian caste system that has given birth to untouchability, a social evil. The

whole story is based upon the caste Hindus' treatment of the untouchables, the

deprived and oppressed classes. Throughout the day Bakha suffers a lot but

remains mute because of his caste stigma, poverty and oppressed existence. He

tries to protest against the caste Hindus, but his inherited passivity makes him

cool. As the protagonist, he is exposed to the influences of the modem world.

But till the end he remains an inactive 'revolutionary' incapable of bringing

43
about a personal revolution. Untouchable exposes valuable records of

important phases in the history of Indian society where caste was a major

hurdle in the progress of the untouchables.

The social structure of India is stratified with in-built inequalities and injustices

based on the caste system. Although social stratification exists in almost all

societies, the caste system is quite unique to the Indian society. Caste

prejudices have existed in India, particularly among the Hindus, for a very long

period of time. Of course, it has led to inequality and discrimination.

The Indian caste system is based on a Varna system, which divides people into

four major divisions, namely, the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and

the Sudras. In addition to these four vamas, there is a fifth group called the

untouchables. They were considered as impure and polluted and were forced to

undertake all menial jobs like sweeping, tanning, cleaning, etc. They were

segregated, subjugated and harassed by the so-called 'pure' people. From the

ancient period, the Varna system maintained a sharp social hierarchy. Though

there were only four Vamas, the Jatis were innumerable. In order to maintain

social hierarchy, people of various Vamas and Jatis were entitled to perform

different occupations and jobs that made them exclusive. In India,

untouchability was the by-product of the caste system. It is, therefore, one of

the social evils of the caste system. It is a typical Indian phenomenon and is

44
derived from the pure and impure ideology comiected with caste. It is against

the fundamental principle of humanity. However, it is not just an expression of

cultural prejudice but also an unacceptable form of exploitation and injustice

that violates the fundamental right of a group of people to live a dignified life
b tX'Vsy

and earn their livelihood. The untouchables have always/at the bottom of the

hierarchy. They were set apart from the rest of the Hindu society and were ever

denied normal interaction with their superiors. They were made economically,

culturally, socially and politically powerless.

Mahatma Gandhi had taken a lot of efforts to eradicate untouchability and he

made it a part of his programme for the attainment of political independence.

He was constantly speaking against the practice of untouchability. He

struggled hard to abolish casteism and the social stigma of untouchability from

the social map of India. Dr. Ambedkar, himself from an untouchable class, also

struggled against the practice of untouchability. In a sense, both Gandhi and

Ambedkar had made serious efforts to eradicate untouchability. As a social

leader, Gandhiji sought to change the hearts of the caste Hindus by moral

pressure, whereas Ambedkar continued to work in the field of education and

politics in attempting to gain legal rights for the depressed classes. But the

ultimate goal of both Gandhiji and Ambedkar was the abolition of

untouchability. In this regard Sheshrao Chavan (2001:28) views: "Gandhiji

45
softened the Hindu heart, Ambedkar awakened self-respect and interest in

politics among untouchables, both are considered as the saviours of the

untouchables."After Gandhiji's tragic assassination, Ambedkar had taken

conscious efforts to form an egalitarian society with equal rights and equal

opportunities for the depressed classes. Therefore, in the constitution,

Ambedkar had made proper provisions for the social, cultural, economic and

political upliftment of the depressed classes or the former untouchables.

Today the constitution of India provides the blueprint of an egalitarian society.

The constitution is not based on the premises of hierarchy, but on the principles

of equality. The Indian constitution may be described as secular and

multicultural, but it is so in a specific way. The Indian constitution does not

reflect only the multicultural reality of India but also protects the rights and

interests of the socio-cultural minorities/socio-economically disadvantaged

groups. It offers special privileges for the disadvantaged social groups like the

untouchables and tribal communities. The Indian constitution promotes

genuine pluralism, i.e. the dignified co-existence of all groups recognizing the

rights of religious, cultural as well as linguistic minorities. It characterizes

conservation and cultivation of such rights as fundamental rights of every

citizen of India. Article 29 (1) says that any section of the citizens of India

having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the

46
fundamental right to conserve the same. The constitution provides an

institutional structure and principles that would allow diverse people to live

together as citizens of India. It underlines the ideas of secularism, religious

freedom, non-discrimination and equality. However, the constitution prohibits

the practice of untouchability in any form (Article 17) and assures protection to

minority cultures by providing them special privileges. In a sense, the

constitution promotes and endorses the basic principles of multiculturalism

because India is the world's most complex and comprehensively pluralistic

society; it houses a vast variety of castes, tribes, communities, religions,

languages, customs and lifestyles. As Harihar Bhattacharyya (2003:153) says:

The recent Indian debate on multiculturalism has taken two

distinct forms. First, multiculturalism as a state policy has been
operative in the growing federalization of its political system, a
process that politically, accommodates ethnic identities. In this
form, multiculturalism is conjoined with federalism. Second,
multiculturalism itself, its definition, meaning and implications,
has been the subject of discussion among scholars centering
around the issues of rights, culture, community and
communalism, secularism, religion and so on. Both forms of
debate are current today in India.

Therefore, in India, constitutionalism and multiculturalism share a common

ideology.

47
Multiculturalism recognizes cultural diversity and appreciates the value of

tolerance. It establishes cultural contacts, exchanges cultural ideologies and

promotes the value of harmonious co-existence of diverse cultures. As a social

ideology, muhiculturalism upholds the values of social equality and non-

discrimination and welcomes the idea of inclusiveness. It also acknowledges

peaceful co-existence of varied cultures with mutual respect and love.

Multiculturalism always helps to subvert the dominance of one culture over the

others and protects the idea of equality of opportunity and rights of

minority/weak cultures. The exponents of multiculturalism admire recognition

of identity, may be community, culture, gender or a group, with its

distinctiveness. However, the principles of multiculturalism referred to above

are not positively reflected in the novel Untouchable because of the rigidity of

Indian caste system, which divides people on the basis of colour, occupation,

and the wrong notions of purity and pollution. Therefore, from the beginning to

the end of the novel, very often, the principles of multiculturalism have been

violated.

The caste system in India is probably the main factor, which is responsible for

creating the enormous differences between people, and segregates them into

different groups or sections like 'Touchables' and 'Untouchables'. Though

cultural and ethnic diversity are widely considered as a source of cultural

48
enrichment, they can also generate some crucial social problems. At the

societal level, the touchables in India form a major community to be a

dominant culture, whereas untouchables, although their number is very high,

are minority cultures. Therefore, throughout the analysis of the novel

Untouchable, the touchables are considered as the members of a

dominant/mainstream culture and the untouchables as the members of

subordinate/minority culture. The subordinate status is a basic characteristic of

the minority culture. In Untouchable, we see cultural diversity exists without

respect and peace. The rift between the dominant and subordinate cultures

automatically advances social disharmony in the village of Bulashah. The

village represents India's multicultural face but it is infested with tension,

injustice, exploitation, deprivation, oppression and disrespect. Mulk Raj Anand

sufficiently builds up the atmosphere of inequality and exploitation in his

work. The very opening of the novel exposes the sharp demarcations of the

multicultural village on the basis of caste, culture, religion, social standing and

occupation of the people:

The outcastes' colony was a group of a mud-walled houses that

clustered together in two rows, under the shadow both of the
town and the cantonment, but outside their boundaries and
separate, from them. There lived the scavengers, the leather-
workers, the washermen, the barbers, the water carriers, the
grass-cutters and other outcastes from Hindu society. A brook
ran near the lane, once with crystal-clear water, now soiled by the

49
 dirt and filth of the public latrines situated about it, the odour of
the hides and skins of dead carcases left to dry on its banks, the
dung of donkeys, sheep, horses, cows and buffaloes heaped up to
be made into fuel cakes, and the biting. 0ioking, pungent fiimes
that oozed from its sides. The absence of drainage system had,
through the rains of various seasons, made of the quarter a marsh
which gave out the most offensive stink. And altogether the
ramparts of human and animal refuse that lay on the outskirts of
this little colony, and the ugliness, the squalor and the misery
which lay within it, made it an ' uncongenial' place to live. (1)

This picture of the outcastes' colony is very naturalistic, but it is also related to

the different themes of the novel. The touchables live inside the village and the

untouchables outside it in separate quarters. The bisection of the multicultural

village based on caste and occupation suggests the approved social disharmony

and inequality reinforced by the caste system in India. Indian caste system is

hierarchal and it has its roots in the notions of 'purity' and 'impurity' or

'pollution'. These notions of purity and pollution are extremely anti-human

and humiliating. The untouchables (dalits) of India are the victims of the Hindu

caste system, which is an oppressive social hierarchy, built on the v^ong and

atrocious principles of purity and pollution, segregation and social exclusion.

The dominant culture (politically and socially powerful) has assigned the

lowest place in the social ladder to the untouchables to be the slaves and

servants of their upper-caste masters. They have to live in segregated dwellings

outside the village and are a despised lot. The untouchables' unhygienic

50
situation and filthy life in the village show their miserable condition. The

people live in the village, "where there are no drains, no light, no water...

where people live among the latrines of the townsmen" (75). They are forced

to work in degrading conditions, as they are culturally, socially, economically

and politically powerless. Due to their social as well as economic

marginalisation, they become the victims of hunger and malnutrition. They

always receive base and cruel treatment from the so-called caste Hindus, the

members of the dominant culture.

The passage quoted above clearly shows the cultural diversity of the village,

but, sadly, it provides no sign of harmonious co-existence, mutual respect and

tolerance. On the contrary, it exposes intentional displacement, marginalisation

and social exclusion of different weak cultures. Through this passage, Mulk

Raj Anand depicts the social reality of the Hindu society in which the groups

of untouchables are deprived of their basic human rights and needs. In fact,

multiculturalism ensures that all members of the society should live happily

with respect, love and harmony. But in this novel, there recurs the vision of

social disharmony and disrespect. Therefore, in the opening part of the novel,

principles of multiculturalism like social harmony, peaceful co-existence,

respect and love towards the other have been violated. As a social doctrine,

multiculturalism strengthens democratic principles, which ensure that every

51
citizen has equal rights and the same level of protection and opportunity. But,

here we see how untouchables are cunningly and clearly sidetracked by the so-

called dominant culture, the so-called controller of social power structures.

Multiculturalism underscores the co-existence of diverse communities and

cultures and acknowledges cultural diversity as an inescapable reality in every

human society. Cultural diversity includes majority and minority cultures with

their distinctiveness and uniqueness. The majority culture is generally placed at

an advantageous position as it enjoys power in the public sphere, whereas the

minorities, by implication, are usually a deprived lot. The latter have to work

harder and their cultures are undervalued. India as a multicultural and

multireligious country faces some problems. The dominant culture often

exploits and disrespects the subordinate cultures. Untouchable exposes the

ugly/hideous reality of the Indian caste system and injustice inflicted on the

untouchables by the caste Hindus. Throughout their life Bakha and his family

work for caste Hindus' hygiene and their purity. But the caste/ Hindus neither

appreciate nor admire their work. On the contrary, they humiliate and disgrace

them: "Oh, Bakhya! Oh, Bakhya! Oh, you scoundrel of a sweeper's son! Come

and clean a latrine for me!" Someone shouted from without" (7).

What one sees is the dominance of one culture over the others, which leads

towards injustice and social unrest. The caste Hindu's foul language indicates

52
his cultural arrogance and supremacy. He seems to treat sweepers as his slaves

and orders them to do the menial work. He openly violates the principles of

equality and respect and proves to be a 'boss'. His bossy demeanor shows his

anti-human approach. Obviously, a dominant culture manages to establish its

cultural norms, which are hegemonic, over the others, and tries to impose its

cultural domination. The dominant culture oppresses the other weak (minority)

cultures and makes them powerless and defenseless. This kind of cultural

superiority is evident in the short quotea above. Bakha can sense the unjust

superiority of the caste Hindu but has become so passive that is impossible for

him to respond.

One of the characteristic features of multiculturalism, as mentioned earlier, is

the acknowledgement of the existence of minority cultures. But it also critiques

any form of exploitation of the weak culture. But in the novel under discussion,

we see how the minority cultures are exploited by the dominant culture. The

episode at the public well shows the exploitation of minority cultures in its

most hideous form. Pundit Kali Nath, a lecherous and immoral priest, comes to

the well. He haughtily looks at the untouchable crowd, but he gets attracted to

the beauty of Sohini, Bakha's sister. He is a lecherous fellow and purposefully

favors Sohini. He pretends to help her and says: " 'Oh, you Lakha's daughter,

come here,' 'you have been patient and the reward of patience... is supreme' "

53
(21). Actually he is neither benevolent nor kind-hearted. He only wants to

exploit the innocent girl, who is unaware of his lustful intentions. Though she

is innocent, she doesn't like the Pundit's favoritism. The other outcastes are

suspicious of the Pundit's misbehavior and false concern for Sohini. But they

remain silent because they are conditioned to believe that they are insignificant

and worthless in a caste-ridden Hindu society. Finally, the lecherous Pundit

puts the proposal before Sohini and that is to clean the courtyard of his house:

Look, why don't you come and clean the courtyard of our house
at the temple, called the Brahmin as the girl withdrew. ' Tell your
father to send you from to-day.' And he looked long at her, rather
embarrassed, his rigid respectability fighting against the waves of
amorousness that had begun to flow in his blood. (21-22)

As a member of the minority culture, Sohini remains cold and silent. She

doesn't get the evil intentions behind the Pundit's words. Innocently, she puts

his proposal before her father and says: "Father, the Pundit of the temple

wanted me to clean the family house at the temple" (23). Without any doubt

and hesitation her father, Lakha, permits her to go. Perhaps he knows nothing

about the Pundit's intention of seducing his daughter. It is said that the caste

Hindus strictly follow the notions of purity and impurity. They do not allow the

untouchables in the courtyard of their houses because of the latter's 'low'

origins and unclean body. But here we see the irony of the situation. The

Pundit himself invites Sohini, the daughter of an untouchable, to his courtyard.

54
He pretends to be a man of compassion or an angel of humanity, but actually

he wants to exploit Sohini sexually. Here Mulk Raj Anand exposes the

hypocrj||;y of a caste Hindu who is trying to pollute the 'polluted'. For the sake
/
of his own vulgar physical needs, he exempts for himself the rules of purity

and pollution. This kind of duplicity also reveals his mercilessness.

Muhiculturalism values the dignity and status of the minority cultures because

no culture is wholly worthless; each culture carries some values either social or

moral for its members. Though untouchables are labeled as 'polluters' or

'unclean', they have their own moral status and dignity. Therefore, the Pundit's

desire to have sexual relation with Sohini is an example of the hypocricy of the

dominant culture that has often exploited and dominated other minority

cultures in the name of purity and pollution. Multiculturalism attempts to

empower the weaker sections of society, especially minority cultures. But here

instead of empowerment, the dominant culture exploits the minority cultures to

intimidate and subdue them. After all, recognizing the dignity and richness of

dominant as well as minority cultures depends on the way we look at the

world.

When Sohini goes to clean the courtyard of the Pundit's house near the temple,

religious activities of singing, offering poojas and aarti are going on there. The

caste Hindus are quite busy with their so-called holy and religious

55
performances. Some of them loudly utter words like "Om Shanti Deva" (51)

and "Ram Chandar Ki Jai" (52). The devotees create a holy atmosphere of

godliness and saintliness. After a while, Bakha comes there to clean the temple

premises. The rhythm of the songs attracts him. He instinctively joins his hands

and, oblivious of his unworthiness to be there, he begins the "worship of the

unknown God " (52). But suddenly a cry disturbs him:

'Polluted, polluted, polluted.' A shout rang through the air. He

was completely unnerved. His eyes were covered with darkness.
He couldn't see anything. His tongue and throat were parched.
He wanted to utter a cry, a cry of fear, but his voice failed him.
He opened his mouth wide to speak. It was no use. Beads of
sweat covered his forehead. He tried to raise himself from the
awkward attitude of prostration, but his limbs had no strength left
in them. For a second he was as if dead. (52)

Initially, Bakha feels that the religious crowd is against him because of his

presence in the temple. So he feels pathetic and becomes subservient. But the

situation is quite different. When Sohini begins to clean the courtyard of the

Pundit's house, he tries to molest her and makes lustftil suggestions. She says,

"That man made suggestions to me "(53). In her sense of insecurity, she starts

screaming. Pundit Kali Nath, for fear of being found guilty, shouts that Sohini

has defiled him. He hides the fact and tries to project his image as a custodian

of age-old religious principles. Though other people look at him as a religious

man, his misconduct reveals his religious duplicity and pretence. This scene

56
further deepens the irony of the situation. If an untouchable unconsciously

touches the caste Hindu, he/she is punished for being a polluter, but if a priest

or a pundit touches the untouchable girl for his 'special needs', he is

considered neither a defaulter nor a fraud; nor does he feel defilement. This

kind of hypocricy has brought about social unrest in Indian society because in

the hierarchy of Hindu caste system, the caste Hindus are supposed to be at the

top and the untouchables are always at the bottom. Due to their cultural

dominance, the caste Hindus are not prepared even to listen to Sohini, a victim

of the Indian caste system. The Hindu caste system discriminates people ^nd

makes them separate on the basis of color, origin, occupation and endogamy.

What Anand exposes is the failure of religion in promoting the essential values

of multiculturalism.

Multiculturalism further underscores the necessity of providing equal

opportunities and rights to all the members of various classes/castes.

Opportunities and rights are not to be reserved for a privileged lot who are

supposedly 'high-bom' and culturally dominant. The rights of the weaker

sections should in no way be fewer than those of the members of the major

class/caste. Right to education, for example, should be common to all. And the

constitution of India ensures this. Education is an instrument of social change

at all levels. It sensitizes the human mind and makes man more aware of the

57
meaning of his social existence and identity. In Untouchable, we see how

minority cultures are deprived of their basic human rights. The basic reason for

their deprivation is the lack of opportunity for education, an agent of social

change. There are many reasons for Bakha's sufferings and misery. But one of

the main reasons for his suffering is the lack of opportunity for education. As

an untouchable, Bakha gets no opportunity for education, which he pines for.

When Bakha goes to attend his menial work, sometimes he observes the

enthusiastic faces of school children, "How beautiful it felt! How nice it must

be able to read and write!"(30). Bakha remembers his uncle's story. His uncle

wanted to attend school, but his father had denied the opportunity: " ...schools

were meant for the babus, not for the lowly sweepers "(30). It means

untouchables were not allowed to admit their children to schools. The schools

were especially established for the upper caste Hindu children. This is how

untouchables were deprived of the opportunities for education. Through the

denial of education, the dominant culture in India has established its hegemony

over the minds of the untouchables in multiple forms. In fact education is a

basic human right, but millions of untouchables were/are still away from this

facility. Though Bakha doesn't get any formal education, he is very curious to

learn lessons from a Babu's son. He requests and promises him to pay: " I will

pay you an anna per lesson " (32). If Bakha had got the opportunity to study,

he would have been a different kind of person, but his caste deprives him of

58
any opportunity for education, a basic human right. Education can bring social

change in the Uves of the untouchables but the dominant classes do not want

such a transformation to take place. The untouchables have been subjected to

various social disabilities of extreme forms. They are exploited and are forcibly

kept subservient mainly because they are illiterate. Therefore, Anand seems to

imply, it is necessary to provide them education, a dynamic agent of social

change and mobility. Bakha represents a minority culture, which remains at the

bottom of the caste hierarchy just because it lacks education. On the contrary,

the dominant culture enjoys all privileges and opportunities in multicultural

societies like India. Bakha's thirst for education is a sign of social change, but

Mulk Raj Anand makes him a passive hero, perhaps because the author wants

to suggest that the upper castes maintain their authority by denying education

to the less privileged. Education generates power and makes man aware of his

rights and identity, may be cultural or individual. In the novel, the members of

minority cultures remain in darkness due to the lack of educational

opportunities. This keeps them away from their basic rights too. And Anand

seems to highlight this lack of opportunity. Because multiculturalism talks of

equal rights and opportunities, it has a direct connection with democracy. Both

multiculturalism and democracy stand for equality and non-discrimination.

They raise questions about accommodating minority cultures, granting them

equal status. As Will Kymlicka (1995) says, the accommodation of differences

59
is the essence of true equality. But in India, Hindu caste hierarchy controls the

social power structures and unleashes social inequality. As L.S Ainapur

(1992:160) observes: "The caste system does not embody the Eugenics of

modem scientists. It is a social system which embodies the arrogance of

selfishness of a perverse section of the Hindus who were superior enough in

social status to set in fashion and who had authority to 'force it on their

inferiors'." Though the caste system exists almost in all multicultural societies,

untouchability in India is related to the notions of purity and pollution. After

all, all human beings are more or less aware of their social status. The high

caste status is associated with purity and low status with pollution. The

untouchables represent in India that section of society which is not only held in

the lowest esteem, but which is looked down upon by other castes as 'unclean'.

The sweepers are associated with the traditional occupation of cleaning latrines

and sweeping public lanes; therefore they are 'unclean'. The involvement of

sweepers in such filthy work pushes them to the bottom of the Hindu caste

hierarchy, even as their services allow high-status people to maintain their

ritual purity. Anand highlights this point in the novel because they are unclean.

The untouchables are not permitted to take water from the public wells:

The outcastes were not allowed to mount the platform

surrounding the well, because if they were never to draw water
from it, the Hindus of the three upper castes would consider the
water polluted. Nor were they allowed access to the near-by

60
 brook as their use of it would contaminate the stream. They had
no well of their own because it cost at least a thousand rupees to
dig a well in such a hilly town as Bulashah. Perforce they had to
collect at the foot of the caste Hindus' well and depend on the
bounty of some of their superiors to pour water into their
pitchers. (14-15)

Anand here depicts the misery of the untouchable groups in Indian society.

Especially, caste Hindus do not allow them to mount the platform of public

wells. They have labelled them as 'polluters'. Due to their caste stigma,

untouchables are not allowed to enjoy their civil rights. On the contrary, the

privileged caste Hindus make their life more dependent on them. Even for

water, the basic necessity of human existence, the untouchables have to depend

on the mercy of the caste Hindus, the so-called 'clean' people. As stated

earlier, multiculturalism promotes the value of social equality and non-

discrimination, but here we see restrictions imposed even upon the basic needs.

Untouchability is hard to be removed from the minds of the upper class. In this

regard P.S Choondawat (1986:57) says: "The problem of untouchability, which

always remained a part of our society and is deeply rooted in our culture for

centuries, will take its own time to die. Today the problem seems to be more of

a psychological nature, i.e. people in their day-to-day activities do not manifest

directly the behavior which reflects discrimination towards other castes." In

fact, multiculturalism respects and celebrates cultural diversity, but the stigma

of untouchability makes minority or subordinate cultures more miserable and

61
despondent. Their struggle for water, a basic human need, reveals their social

tragedy caused by their 'low' origin. When Sohini goes to fetch water from the

public well, she notices the crowd of other outcastes curiously waiting for the

arrival of a caste Hindu, who only has the right to draw water. After some time

a caste Hindu visitor passes by the well. The miserable outcastes there request

him in a chorus:

Oh, Maharaj! Maharaj! Won't you draw us some water, please?

We beg you. We have been a long time, we will be grateful,
shouted the chorus of voices as they pressed towards him, some
standing up, bending and joining their palms in beggary, others
twisting their lips in various attitudes of servile appeal and abject
humility, as they remained seated. (18)

The repetition of the word 'Maharaj' shows the rift between the dominant and

the subordinate cultures. The touchables' kingly and majestic presence in the

society proves their dominance and supremacy, whereas the untouchables'

submissiveness clearly suggests their voicelessness and subordination. This

kind of class and caste distinction creates communal disharmony and social

discontent. The voiceless but needy untouchables have no other option than to

request to the caste Hindu who is their present life savior. A thirsty crowd

makes a humble and modest request to the caste Hindu but he pays no attention

to their request. This is how a rigid caste system creates social inequality in

India. Though multiculturalism distinguishes between the majority and

62
minority communities, it argues for the granting of equality to all within the

boundaries of both the public and political spheres. Therefore, it is said that

equality and non-discrimination are the watchwords of multiculturalism. But

here instead of equality and non-discrimination, we see a rift between

touchables and untouchables. The dominant culture imposes its cultural

hegemony and uniqueness over subordinate cultures and develops prejudices,

xenophobia or intolerant sentiments among them. It is believed that living in

multicultural societies can be a source of enrichment for everyone, but here

minority culture faces problems like social inequality and discrimination. Thus,

Anand seems to argue, multicultural society has to recognize cultural diversity

mutually, where individuals are neither subjected to the tyrannies of any

dominant culture nor the oppression of a dominant group within it. In a decent

society there is always a continuous and conscious effort to eliminate

humiliation, marginalisation, subordination and to institute rights and dignity

in the lives of individuals and groups.

Tolerance, as has already been pointed out, has a prominent place in the

discourse on multiculturalism. Traditionally, tolerance has meant acceptance of

all forms of cultures, especially the minorities. But in Untouchable, tolerance is

replaced by intolerance. The pundit's misbehavior with Sohini makes Bakha

impatient. But very soon, he becomes a victim of caste^ Hindus' intolerance

63
and narrow mindedness. Actually most religions teach tolerance to all people

as God's children. But some so-called caste Hindus believe that they are th^

God's special chosen children. Consequently, religion is misinterpreted by the

caste Hindus in different ways. The caste Hindus have no tolerance, they

consider a sweeper boy's presence in the temple premises a sin:

'Polluted, polluted, polluted!' shouted the Brahmin below. The

crowd above him took the cue and shouted after him... 'Get off
the steps, you scavenger! Off with you! You have defiled our
whole service you have defiled our temple! Now we will have to
pay for the purificatory ceremony. Get down, get away, you
dog!'(53)

Bakha comes to know that the caste Hindus are fiaming at him because of his

unexpected entry into and participation in the religious procession. According

to their convention, untouchables are not allowed to participate in the religious

rituals like Pooja or Aarati for purity reasons. Anand seems to indicate that all

religions are founded on the principles of peace, equality, tolerance, non-

discrimination, respect and acceptance of others. The freedom of religion,

belief and conscience contributes to the attainment of the goals of social justice

and mutual understanding among people. But here religion is used as a weapon

of intolerance and narrow-mindedness. The caste Hindus' objection to Bakha's

presence in the temple is an example of religious orthodoxy that damages the

basic principles of tolerance. It appears th^t as though Hinduism is

64
monopolized by the caste Hindus, so-called custodians (special children of

God), who can restrict untouchables' entry in to the temple and their direct

involvement in the religious rituals for purity reasons. No religion has

explicitly divided people on the basis of caste, creed, origin or purity and

pollution reasons, except Hinduism, as it is controlled by the caste Hindus. It

is to look at religion through the lens of purity and impurity. Truly, internal

purity is far better than external purity. But the caste Hindus glorify the

concept of external purity. The caste Hindus abuse Bakha, as he 'defiles' their

holy service. It is ironic that these so-called custodians of religion, rituals and

rites are praying to the God who makes no caste-distinctions. Bakha's external

impurity is one of the reasons of his humiliation and prohibition of the temple

entry. As Mahatma Gandhi once said: untouchables are the children of God,

but here Bakha is not allowed to enter into the house of God. This is how in

India religion discriminates devotees on the basis of their color, caste, origin

and social standing. Even today, in some regions, these people are exploited

severely in the name of God and religion. This temple scene does not only

expose the follies of Indian caste system but also highlights caste Hindus'

religious orthodoxy and intolerance. Therefore, to some extent, tolerance, one

of the principles of muhiculturalism, is violated in the society that the novel

depicts.

65
The concept of multiculturalism centers around the basic assumption that every

culture is unique. Yet the assistance of other cultures is necessary for a general

understanding of the world. Thus, it is necessary to respect cultural diversity

because each culture carries something valuable for its members. But in the

novel the upper castes Hindus are not ready to accommodate and tolerate the

minority cultures that are constantly excluded from the mainstream society.

Instead of respecting and accommodating minority cultures, they start reacting

against their progress and social rise. The dominant culture is intolerant and so

worried about the 'uppishness' of the minority cultures:

'Don't know what the world is coming to! These swine are
getting more and more uppish!' said a little old man. 'One of his
brethren who cleans the lavatory of my house, announced the
other day that he wanted two rupees a month instead of one
rupee, and the food that he gets from us daily.'

'He walked like a Lat Sahib, like Laften Gomor!' shouted the
defiled one. 'Just think, folks, think of the enormity!'

'Yes, yes, I know,' chimed in a seedy old fellow, 'I don't know
what the kalijugs of this age is coming to!'

'As if he owned the whole street!' exclaimed the touched man.

'The son ofa dog!'(39-40)

One by one, the members of the dominant culture express their hostile attitude

towards the untouchables' social 'uppishness' and their enterprise of having

66
social change in terms of economic, social and cultural equality. Through their

remarks, the members of the dominant culture are making attempts to reassert

their hegemony and power which they have maintained for centuries. They feel

restless and are surprised by the untouchables' boldness, their behavior, style

and courage to demand more money. In a sense, the mainstream class is not

ready to admit and acknowledge the social change being advanced by the

minority cultures. For centuries, the upper castes have been exploiting the

minorities for their own sake, in the name of purity and impurity. But now the

kalijugs, as Mulk Raj Anand feels, may bring social change. But the sign of

social change might be disturbing to the so-called upper caste Hindus who are

worried about the untouchables' awareness of their cultural identity and their

social upliftment: "They are getting more and more uppish"(65).

Consequently, intolerance of the dominant culture brings social inequality and

it leads to social conflict and friction.

Untouchability is one of the root causes of the outcastes' social

marginalisation. The term 'untouchability' carries with it connotations of

degradation, humiliation and inhuman oppression in Indian society. In

Untouchable, Mulk Raj Anand pictures the plight of the untouchables. Anand's

Bakha is universal in that he represents the millions of untouchables and their

predicament. The novel depicts the glaring evil of untouchability, the root

67
cause of social marginalisation in Indian society. The stigma of untouchability

makes Bakha too pathetic and weak. He is easily insuhed and marginalized by

the upper caste Hindus like the shopkeeper, confectioner, Lallaji and others.

When Bakha passes through the street, he comes across a betel-leaf shop where

he sees "a number of packets of Red-Lamp" (33). He wishes to have a cigarette

packet:

He haplted suddenly, and facing the shopkeeper with great

humility, joined his hands and begged to know where he could
put a coin to pay for a packet of 'Red-Lamp.' The shopkeeper
pointed to a spot on the board near him. Bakha put his anna there.
The betel-leaf-seller dashed some water over it from the jug with
which he sprinkled the betel leaves now and again. Having thus
purified it he picked up the nickel piece and threw it into the
counter. Then he flung a packet of 'Red-Lamp' cigarettes at
Bakha, as a butcher might throw a bone to an insistent dog
sniffing round the comer of his shop. (33-34)

The above extract exposes the prevailing untouchability as a severe problem

that marginalizes a helpless young man like Bakha. The shopkeeper's act of

purifying a 'polluted coin' speaks a lot about the severity of untouchability.

Untouchability emerges out of the caste system. It was practiced, and is being

practiced even now in most of the villages in India. The caste Hindus

sensitively attribute untouchability to pollution, which is the resuh of the

occupational patterns of the untouchables who are involved in filthy and

unclean work. Therefore, after purifying the coin, the shopkeeper picks it up

68
and then flings a packet of cigarette at Bakha, like a butcher throws a bone to

an insistent dog. The shopkeeper insults Bakha only because of the latter's

'low'origin and because he bears the stigma of untouchability. This kind of

social marginalisation is quite unbearable. He treats Bakha neither as a

customer nor as a client but as an untouchable, a socially marginal polluter.

The insulting of Bakha is a resuh of 'pollution', a derogatory word that is

permanently attached to untouchability.

A series of degrading and disgraceful events chase Bakha throughout the day.

When Bakha crosses the street, he comes across a sweet mart. His mouth

begins to water for the sweets covered with silver paper on a tray. He thought:

'"Eight annas in my pocket', 'dare I buy some sweets'? " (36). Without his

father's fright, he decides to taste the sweets. He goes near the sweet mart and

asks the confectioner for some jalebi. The confectioner is more caste

prejudiced and intolerant than the shopkeeper. He directs his assistant to splash

some water on the coin being placed by Bakha. After the coin purification

ceremony, he throws a packet of jalebi at Bakha, who catches it "like a cricket

ball" (37). In a mixed mood of happiness and insult, Bakha unfolds the paper

in which the jalebi is wrapped. He tastes the sweets and walks through the

street by looking at the signboards. Bakha, in that joyful experience of tasting

69
jalebi, unconsciously touches a caste Hindu Lalaji, who slaps and humiliates

him:

'Keep to the side of the road, you, low-caste vermin!' he suddenly

heard someone shouting at him. 'Why don't you call, you swine,
and announce your approach! Do you know you have touched
me and defiled me, you cockeyed son of a low-legged scorpion!
Now I will have to go and take bath to purify myself. And it was
a new dhoti and shirt I put on this morning!' (38)

Bakha is mortified and the wrath of the caste Hindu, who expects the usual

warning call of Bakha's approach, almost benumbs him. Lallaji abuses and

slaps Bakha for touching him. Bakha stands amazed and embarrassed, unable

to utter a single word. Instinctively, he joins his hands and tries to apologize.

But Lallaji is not appeased. He says: "Dirty dog! Son of a bitch!"(38). Lallaji

deliberately addresses Bakha as a 'swine', 'cockeyed son', and Bakhya, instead

of Bakha, as he knows his social status. His address is deliberately contrived to

crush the untouchables under the weight of subjugation and psychological

oppression. Though he humiliates Bakha, still Bakha stands with his hands

joined. This indicates his meekness and timidity due to his low caste origin.

Furthermore Lallaji inhumanly beats him and calls him a "careless,

irresponsible swine!" (40). However, the crowd simply gets delighted and does

not even think of rescuing him from that helpless situation. The inhumanity of

the crowd is obvious evidence to the hostile society around the sweeper boy.

70
who continuously struggles against his social marginalisation. Luckily, a

tonga-wallah, a member of the same class, comes there to rescue Bakha and

sees his pitiable condition: "Bakha's turban fell off and the Jalebi in the paper

bag in his hand were scattered in the dust" (41). This tragic scene indicates

how caste Hindus dictate terms to and dominate the members of minority

cultures, who are mute sufferers due to their social marginalisation, in the

name of caste and religion. It is a social irony that the so-called 'patriots' (caste

Hindus) of India show lip sympathy towards the untouchables while secretly

discriminate people on the basis of caste and occupations. Sometimes

touchables demand political rights, but the so-called caste Hindus are not ready

to give social rights and equal status to the untouchables. Therefore, social

equality and fraternity remain a mirage in Indian society.

Throughout the day Bakha tolerates many offenses. When he goes to play

hockey with his friends, belonging to different strata of society, he is insulted

by a lady for the offence of touching her son. Actually Ram Charan, another

friend of Bakha, injures her son. Bakha notices the seriousness of the boy's

wound. Immediately, he picks up the boy and goes to his house. Without any

confirmation, the lady scolds Bakha: "You eater of your masters, you dirty

sweeper! What have you done to my son?" (106). Bakha is confused and

bewildered due to this sudden verbal attack. He tries to open his mouth to

71
explain things, but the lady goes on humiliating him: " 'You have defiled my

house', 'Get away, get away' "(106). Bakha fails to convince her. He feels

dejected and blames his fate as a marginal untouchable. As Bheemaiah J.

(2005:19) views: "Bakha carries the yoke of insuU meted out to him by the

caste Hindus. His heart is injured by the derogatory expression of an upper

caste woman who abuses him for rescuing her wounded child. The rescuing

operation is also 'a sin by touch' in this caste-prejudiced society. There are

many incidents which constitute Bakha's humiliation." It is seen that

throughout the novel, the protagonist Bakha suffers a lot due to the stigma of

caste, a major reason for his social marginalisation and humiliation.

Bakha is not the only victim of caste-prejudice and hatred in Hindu society.

His father, Lakha, has also been a victim. Comparatively, Lakha's public

disgrace and degradation are more shocking than that of his son. For instance,

he narrates a heart-rending story of his degradation, when he goes to the doctor

with his son (Bakha). Once his son was seriously ill, so he went to the doctor.

But nobody was there to attend to the child. He was standing there expectantly

for an hour. Finally he lifted the curtain of the door and straightway went in

and caught the doctor's feet: "Still there is a little breath left in my child's

body. Hakim ji, I shall be your slave all my life" (72). He was shivering due to

his tension about his son's life. Suddenly he heard a roaring sound:

72
 'Bhangi! (Sweeper) Bhangi!' There was an uproar in the
medicine house. People began to disperse hither and thither as
the Hakim's feet had become defiled. He was red and pale in
turn, and shouted at the highest pitch of his voice: 'Chandal!
(Low-caste) by whose orders have you come here? And then you
join hands and hold my feet and say you will become my slave
forever. You have polluted hundreds of rupees worth of
medicine. Will you pay for it'? (73)

The above extract displays touchables' caste phobia. The touchable crowd

suddenly roars only because of Lakha'a entry into the dispensary. It's a human

tragedy that people think more about the caste and less about human life.

Actually Lakha's son is struggling for his life, but the so-called '(im) pure'

people are worried about the defilement of the Hakim's feet. It is sheer

nonsense to look at the people through the dusted lenses of purity and impurity.

His professional ethics should force the Hakim to treat the boy immediately.

But he only terrorizes Lakha who has defiled his feet. The Hakim is more

anxious about the polluted medicine and less serious about the boy. This shows

how caste hatred in India is deep-rooted among the caste Hindus. The Hakim's

caste phobia signals the loss of humanism, equality, brotherhood and social

justice. It is said that Hakims are saviors of human life, but this caste-conscious

fellow gives more importance to the notions of purity, impurity, defilement and

pollution. Mulk Raj Anand notices how caste determines and decides the place

of man in Indian society. It is a major hurdle in cultivating the idea of

73
harmonious coexistence of the people with their differences. In a sense, the

untouchables have been economically and socially deprived, forced to live on

the fringes of society, and excluded from basic advantages such as education

and health services. Therefore, equality does not mean treating every one the

same. But it means providing the right service to all people regardless of their

caste, religion and social standing.

Multiculturalism ensures that all the members of a society, regardless of their

caste and religion, have equal opportunity to reach their full potential with

dignity and respect. But so far as Bakha and his father are concerned, the

dominant culture disrespects and marginalizes them because of their degrading

and filthy occupation and stigma of untouchability. Due to caste Hindus'

prejudice against the untouchables, Bakha and his father cannot enjoy their

social freedom. Multiculturalism strengthens democracy and it guarantees

equal rights and the same level of protection and opportunity to everyone. In

Bakha's case, nobody supports and treats him as an equal member of the

society. Especially the shopkeeper, confectioner and Lallaji treat him like a

stray dog. They are not ready to acknowledge Bakha's freedom, right to smoke

a cigarette and buy/enjoy sweets in the street. Bakha's father also suffers due to

his low origin. It obviously shows how the dominant culture is a major hurdle

in the way of untouchables' lives. They need constant struggle against their

74
social marginalisation, inequality, disrespect and so on. Untouchables are the

most marginalized, degraded, downtrodden, exploited and the least benefited in

Indian society. They are socially, culturally, economically and politically

subjugated and marginalized only because of their caste.

Economic marginalisation, social exclusion, deprivation and isolation with

reference to some classes are some of the disturbing features of Indian society,

particularly that of Hindu society. In fact, all these features are interlinked.

Economic marginalisation involves the process through which individuals or

groups are wholly excluded from the economic opportunities, which help them

to minimize the level of their poverty. In India, untouchables are

diplomatically excluded from economic facilities and opportunities. Obviously,

their economic marginalisation generates adverse consequences in terms of

human rights, deprivation, poverty and isolation. Therefore, the roots of their

poverty lie in their economic marginalisation and social exclusion. Poverty is

one of the reasons of Bakha's desolation and misery. It is said that poverty

knows no status and dignity. It always resides in the untouchables' 'roofless'

houses.

Bakha's next unpleasant experience also suggests the depth of his poverty.

When he goes from house to house to collect bread, he gets no response from

anyone. Standing at their doorsteps, he shouts: "Bread for the sweeper, mother;

75
bread for the sweeper " (59). But nobody pays attention. He feels tired and sits

down on the wooden platform of a house in a lane. After sometime, a sadhu

comes there shaking the bangles on his arms and cries: "Bham, bham, bhole

Nath " (62). The sadhu's peculiar chant attracts two women who start rushing

to the terraces of their housetops. Both are quite eager to meet the sadhu and

feed him. "I am bringing the food sadhuji" (62), one of them says. When she

comes with the food, she sees the sweeper's body knotted up on the wooden

platform outside her house. In her fury, she shouts at Bakha: "You have defiled

my house "(63). Her caste hatred is at its peak and it disheartens Bakha.

Immediately she goes upstairs and throws some bread: "Vay Bakhya, take this.

Here's your bread coming down" (65). Her act of throwing bread from upstairs

shows her inhumanity and heartlessness. She treats the sadhu with piety and

Bakha with inhumanity and degradation. Bakha, like a beggar, picks up the

bread and wraps it in a duster with the other bread he has received. This one

more fresh insuh makes him more furious. As we know beggars have neither

choice nor sense of dignity, therefore, they have to cope with the situation,

which always brings them disgrace and humiliation. As Binod Mishra

(2005:2-3) says: " Anand's characters are born and bred in poverty. They are

bom to earn their own bred but the age-old tradition of keeping them under the

yoke of dejection and debauchery bom of exploitation deprive them of their

76
dignity of labour.. .their exploitation by their masters is undoubtedly 'man's

crime against man."

Here we notice how the sadhu and Bakha have received different forms of

treatment from the same woman. The sadhu's soft call pleases her, whereas

Bakha's presence on the wooden platform, according to her casteist belief,

spoils the purity of her house. The woman badly humiliates Bakha, as she

knows he is a sweeper and an outcaste. But she welcomes the sadhu, a model

of purity for her, and treats him in a proper way. In a sense, she has regards for

a lazy, deceptive sadhu and hates the toiling Bakha. In this context Premila

Paul (1983:15) remarks: " The Hindu housewives favour the lazy sadhus with

hot vegetable curry and rice whereas they fling thin, stale slices of bread to the

laboring class." This kind of variation in treatment indicates her mental poverty

to exclude the outcaste who is made for beggary and favors the sadhu, the

member of a fake culture. Though the untouchables do menial work, their

struggle for food never ends because of their economic marginalisation. As

Bheemaiah J. (2005:58) views: "The improvement in the economic conditions

of the untouchables is a pre-requisite for their emancipation from traditional

bondage. Depressed economic conditions lead to illiteracy, social immobility,

and loss of personal freedom which eventually affect the development of

human personality." Multiculturalism promotes inclusiveness and denounces

77
social exclusion and economic marginalisation. It is the responsibility of all

Indians to support all groups and cultures and guarantee them equal treatment

and economic opportunity. This inclusive approach will definitely help one to

contribute to the social and economic life of India. It also makes possible to

free oneself from any kind of discrimination based on race, culture, religion,

gender or place of birth. Thus, the multicultural policy of inclusiveness

provides a framework for maximizing the social, cultural and economic

benefits that cultural diversity brings to all Indians. However, as of now, what

one witnesses is the untouchables' economic marginalisation, one of the root

causes of their misery and sufferings.

Bakha returns home with a heavy heart, with regret and a sense of humiliation.

In his disgusted mood, he finds excuses for not bringing home sufficient food:

"I don't know the people in the town very well, and I didn't call at all the

houses for food" (68). This remark upsets his father. Lakha, an old-time

untouchable, knows all kinds of mortification and degradation. So he tries to

support his son mentally and makes him aware of the social evils being

imposed on them by the caste Hindus. As he says: "You should try and get to

know them. You have got to work for them all your life, my son, after I die"

(68). Lakha's every word reflects the subordinate status of minorities and their

helplessness and defenselessness in Indian society. They are only made for

78
'others' (caste Hindus). For centuries, the minorities have mortgaged their Hves

for the service of others. Therefore, Lakha, the old time untouchable tries to

convince his son of the social fact of their subordinate status in society due to

caste. But Bakha, a boy of self-respect and identity, is quite restless about his

subordinate status in society on the basis of his caste. He is terrified by the

horrible prospect of all the future days of service with insult and subordinate

status in society. A sensitive Bakha feels suffocated and writhes in the feelings

of degradation and subordination. His suppressed feelings come out like this:

They insulted me this morning; they abused me because as I was

walking along a man happened to touch me. He gave me a
blow.... 'But, father, what is the use?' Bakha shouted. They
would ill-treat us even if we shouted. They think we are mere dirt
because we clean their dirt. That pundit in the temple tried to
molest Sohini and then came shouting: 'Polluted, polluted.' The
woman of the house in the silversmith's guUey threw the bread at
me from the fourth story. I won't go down to the town again. I
have done with this job. (70)

Bakha takes stock of all the humiliation that he has received throughout the

day. He furiously attacks the caste Hindus' dehumanizing tendencies to

sidetrack the minorities and make their own centrality sounder, as they can

easily control the power structures of society. The caste is one of the reasons

for Bakha's subordinate status in society. And according to the social

hierarchy, his social standing causes him mental agony and physical sufferings.

79
He is abused and beaten in the street by the caste Hindus, as they are well

aware of his insignificance and caste-associated subordinate status in society.

Bakha says to his father how their menial work brings disgrace and makes

them subordinates in society. In his desperate mood, he refers to the pundit's

meanness and nastiness. He angrily says that nobody objects to the pundit's

amorous behavior with Sohini because 'they' know she belongs to the lower

strata of society. These episodes upset him. Actually the woman's act of

throwing bread at Bakha shows her heartlessness, egotism and inhumanity. But

nobody speaks about her lack of concern for him. The caste Hindus take pride

in claiming their high and superior status and therefore they do not oppose the

social evil of caste system. As a resuh of their pride and arrogance, now a days,

the minorities have started making special demand for equal social status and

respect regardless of their caste, culture or occupation. Multiculturalism

assumes that a multicultural society is composed not only of individuals but

also of groups of dominant and minority cultures. But all cultures, including

the dominant and minority, have to respect each other. Bakha's father openly

admits the master-slave relations between the dominant and minority cultures.

Though he knows untouchables are the victims of caste system, he mutely

accepts it as a social fact. Perhaps he knows the futility of challenging the

dominant culture. Therefore, he appeals to his son, let 'them' be respected

because 'they' are our masters. Finally, Lakha succeeds in convincing his son

80
and makes him leave the idea of challenging the dominant culture. For Mulk

Raj Anand, literature should be an interpretation of the truth of people's lives.

Therefore, he extinguishes Bakha's idea of revolt against the dominant culture

and shows the rift between the dominant culture and minority cultures as a

social truth in the caste Hindu Indian society. And the dominance of one

culture over other will be a constant practice in India. Though multiculturalism

respects cultural diversity, it also shows that mere presence of many, plural

cultures and communities ^ e not enough. Within a democracy differences

must not be a source of discrimination. It must be acknowledged and

accommodated within a democratic polity. But in the novel, the dominant

culture is more rigid and stiff, whereas minority cultures are quite flexible and

are ready to respect and accommodate the dominant culture. This kind of one-

sided respect will not be helpfiil in cultivating the ideal of an egalitarian

society.

It is said that our universal identity as human beings is our primary identity and

is more fundamental than any other identity. Though identity is of different

kinds, everyone should be recognized for his or her unique identity may be

individual, caste, cultural, ethnic, religious, or national. Here, we are more

concerned with Bakha's caste identity and less with his individual identity

because recognition of caste/community identity is one of the major issues on

81
the agenda of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism values both caste and

community identity and acknowledges the importance of the 'distinctiveness'

of those castes and communities. Bakha, a young sweeper protagonist of

eighteen suffers a lot due to the stigma of untouchability. Though Bakha is a

sweeper, he has some rare human virtues like sincerity, loyalty and efficiency.

As E.M. Forster points out in the novel's preface: "Bakha is a real individual,

lovable, thwarted, sometimes grand, sometimes weak, and thoroughly Indian".

He is very much conscious of his caste identity and low social standing. His

survival does not rely so much on his inner strength as an individual; rather, it

is dependent on the action of the others that surround him, especially the

members of the dominant culture. Bakha represents the whole minority culture,

which is a victim of continuous exclusion from the mainstream of Indian

society. The caste Hindus exploit untouchables in different ways. They fail to

recognize them as equals in human society. In this regard Thanuavalingam V

(2001:45) says: "In Untouchable the conflict is presented in the opening page

itself, viz., Bakha craves the life style of the Tommies who treat him 'as a

human being', and he longs for social recognition from others." When Bakha

does the menial work of cleaning latrines in the barracks of a British regiment,

he is caught by the glamour of the "white man's life" (2). Bakha's love for

modernity is his attempt to protect himself against the evil of caste system. He

wants to wear the sahib's clothes and speak his language. He starts dreaming to

82
be a sahib, a superior man. He tries to imitate them in everything. He attempts

to adopt the fashion of the Tommies and desires to live like them. His desire of

becoming a sahib gives him a little mental relief He appreciates British

Tommies' non-discriminatory egalitarian approach of giving equal treatment to

all human beings. He dreams of being a different kind of man and says: '"I will

look like a sahib', and 'I shall walk like them'" (3). He values white men's

humanism and tries to imitate their way of life. This kind of revolutionary

change he wants to undergo because of caste Hindus' discriminatory attitude

towards the untouchables. In this regard P.K Rajan (1986:15) says: "Bakha, as

an untouchable, seeks his freedom in a feudal society with its unquestionable

faith in the infallibility of caste discrimination, with its hypocrisy, cruelty,

deceit and inhumanity."

Both Bakha and Sohini are victims of different social evils that prevail in India.

Though Bakha is deserted and insulted by the caste Hindus, he wants to teach

the Pundit, his sister's seducer a lesson. When Sohini narrates a brief story of

Pundit's tomfoolery, Bakha rushes to the middle of the courtyard and drags his

sister behind him. He searches the figure of the Pundit in the crowd. His eyes

look wild and red. He repeatedly asks Sohini: "Tell me, tell me, that he didn't

do anything to you!"(54). But Sohini weeps and says: " ...he came and held

me by my breast" (54). This revelation makes Bakha more furious. As P.K

83
Raj an (1992:106) observes: "Anand's protagonist fights against a hostile

environment to discover a world of new freedom. The novel presents to us the

drama of the gradual emergence of an aggressive mind, lit with a new

knowledge, from an original psychic state of ignorance. Aggression, in this

case, results from external social conditions." In his fury, Bakha abuses the

Pundit: "The son of a Pig" (55). Again he rushes to the courtyard for locating

the Pundit, but Sohini controls him: "No, no. Come back. Let's go away" (55).

His rebellious spirit gets extinguished immediately due to his caste

consciousness and social marginalisation. Sohini knows Bakha's attempt to

teach a lesson to the Pundit will be futile. She knows quite well that

downtrodden cultures can be easily victimized under the notions of purity and

pollution. Therefore, she compels Bakha to get rid of the idea of revenge. A

sense of social insecurity and injustice disturbs both of them. Bakha gets

disturbed because of the unbridled power of the dominant culture that moulds,

directs and controls the lives of minority or subordinate cultures. Inwardly, he

thinks about his passive existence in a society where the wall between the

dominant and minority cultures is too thick. He pities his own insignificant and

trivial existence in his society. His helpless existence is depicted thus:

A superb specimen of humanity he seemed whenever he made

the high resolve to say something, to go and do something, his
fine form rising like a tiger at bay. And yet there was a futility
written on his face. He could not overstep the barriers, which the

84
 conventions of his superiors had buih up to protect their
weakness against him. He could not invade the magic circle,
which protects a priest from attack by anybody, especially by a
low-caste man. So in the highest moment of his strength, the
slave in him asserted itself, and he lapsed back, wild with torture,
biting his lips, ruminating his grievances. (56)

In Untouchable, Mulk Raj Anand exposes certain facts concerning Indian

society where there is a constant clash and disagreement between the dominant

and the subordinate or minority cultures. Bakha, a boy of self-respect and

identity, wishes to challenge the traditional dominant culture that makes him

socially and culturally frail and weak. He silently cries: "Why didn't I go and

kill that hypocrite" (56). But he remains inactive because he is culturally

conditioned to accept his marginalized status in society, where dominant

culture easily sidelines him in the name of either religion or caste. The injustice

meted out to him causes his blood boil and this causes unrest in him, but the

age-old ingrained caste stigma makes him 'impotent'. He knows the futility of

his life because of his low caste origin. In a sense, he is the member of a

'broken' culture that doesn't dare to overstep the barriers of caste and culture

made by his 'superiors', the so-called members of the dominant culture. As

Ambuj Sharma (2004:74) says: " Bakha was surprised to notice a lot of

differences between the approach of Hindus and non-Hindus, Muslims,

Christians, towards the low castes. Bakha's heart was filled with disgust and

85
hatred for the high caste Hindus for exploiting and torturing all the

untouchables."

It is a social tragedy that the dominant culture shields these barriers for the

sake of hiding their weaknesses. Practically it is very difficult, even in post-

modern India, to invade the vicious circle of the dominant culture as drawn for

itself It humiliates and disgraces the lives of low-caste people, members of

minority cultures. Indian elites (upper caste Hindus) have built a national

culture that is based on the invisibility and marginalisation of minority groups.

Consequently, the minorities have been both devalued as well as marginalized.

Their world-views are sidelined and downgraded by the so-called dominant

culture. Therefore, due to the governance of the dominant culture, Bakha

remains weak and tolerates the strokes of humiliation, injustice and inequality

without any grievances. Actually multiculturalism reduces the barriers such as

discrimination and exclusiveness. But here we see how the dominant culture

strengthens the walls between castes and communities and violates the

principles of multiculturalism such as equality and justice.

Mulk Raj Anand exposes the grim realities of the social life in India. He

pictures the evil of caste system and creates awareness in his readers about the

dehumanizing social evils. In this regard C.J George (2000:19) says: " To

Mulk Raj Anand, casteism is an age-old lie made by the powerful and wicked

86
in society to uphold discrimination. His prime concern as a social critic is to

remove caste system as it damages social cohesion by giving certain sections

of society an unfair advantage over others permanently." This obviously means

that prevailing casteism in India damages the lives of millions of untouchables

who are ignorant about their own identities. After a street drama of

humiliation, Bakha inwardly thinks about his misery. He blames the caste-

ridden society of India where untouchables are inhumanly oppressed and

compressed in the name of purity and pollution. Bakha tolerates the shocks of

humiliation and dishonor. His social position as an untouchable illuminates the

inner walls of his mind. He realizes that though he possesses good qualities

like any human being- head and heart, flesh and blood, still in the eyes of the

world, he is an untouchable. Therefore, consciously he shouts aloud the

warning shouts to announce his approach: "Posh, posh, sweeper coming" (42).

In this regard K.N Sinha (1989:23) observes: " It is not the consciousness of

men that determines their existence, but, on the contrary, it is their social

existence that determines their consciousness." Bakha comes to know thdi how

the hypocrite caste Hindus twist, torture and silence him. He recognizes the

wickedness and inequality of the society in which he is placed. To Bakha,

every moment now seems to be an endless age of misery and suffering. Hence,

in one of private moments of anguish, he inwardly raises the question of his

caste identity:

87
reasons of all the events, which take place in the course of that day. He repeats

the word 'untouchable' several times and mentally translates the word

'sweeper' as 'untouchable'. Finally he realizes how caste is one of the root

causes of his misery. But he has no other option than to accept the unfairness

and injustice inflicted on him by the caste Hindus. It is quite ironical that the

caste Hindus glorify Hinduism as a religion of humanity. But at the practical

level, the so-called custodians of Hinduism violate the principle of humanity

and treat the untouchables like animals. As it is often said, Hinduism is

indirectly responsible for the brutal segregation of Indian society. In this

connection C.J George (2000:40) says: "Casteism is a social practice and no

Hindu religious leader of any merit and significance would admit it as part of

his religion. Giving a place to casteism in Hindu religion is done by certain

wolves in sheep's skin for certain privileges and advantages."It means casteism

in India is a chronic social disease that segregates Indian society. As a

principle, multiculturalism recognizes that all human beings are bom free and

are equal in dignity and rights, and have the capacity to contribute

constructively to the development of their societies. Instead of respelting

Bakfia as an individual, \)6 is left to suffer and depression. Actually his honesty

and sincerity of work contribute a lot to human society, but his caste stigma

demoralizes and disheartens him.

89
Bakha suffers too much in one day's time. He cries in exasperation: "Unlucky,

unlucky day! What have I done to deserve all this?" (110). He repeats the word

'unlucky' as he blames his misfortune. Patiently he can sum up the causes of

the entire day's sufferings and anguish. Still he controls the burning flames of

anger and remains passive. However, he is conscious of the emptiness within

him. Luckily Colonel Hutchinson comes there and puts his hand round his

shoulders and says: "Turn udas (You are sad)"(l 13). Bakha is surprised to hear

the broken Hindustani of an Englishman. He salutes the sahib who asks him:

"What has happened? Are you ill? " (114). This is the first moment in Bakha's

life when he is sympathetically addressed by a 'superior'. He feels confused

and embarrassed by the flood of kindness and compassion. Hutchinson tells

him about Christianity, a more accommodative religion than other religions.

However, the gracious treatment from the sahib, who wants to convert him,

confuses Bakha. Innocently he asks the sahib: "Who is Yessuh Messih,

Sahib?" (116). The sahib replies to him that he is the God of 'all.' This reply

has its influence on Bakha as he learns that Christianity is more humanitarian

than the caste blind Hinduism. Out of curiosity, Bakha goes on asking different

questions related to the existence of God and its relation with human society.

The colonel tries to satisfy Bakha by making ideas simpler as he wants to

convert Bakha to Christianity. Of course, conversion to Christianity may be

liberation from the casteist Hindu society. The Colonel almost compels Bakha

90
to embrace Christianity. He tells Bakha about the sacrifice by Jesus for human

liberation. As he says: "He sacrificed himself for us, for the rich and the poor,

for the Brahmin and the Bhangi" (120). In comparison with other religions,

Christianity respects the idea of a casteless society and promotes the value of

equality and brotherhood. But Bakha does not wish to be converted. Mulk Raj

Anand compares two religions - Hinduism and Christainity and indicates that

no religion will liberate the minority cultures that are in all sense crushed under

the heavy weight of dominant culture's mean acts like discrimination,

deprivation, oppression, suppression and humiliation.

At the end of the day, Bakha learns that Mahatma Gandhi is going to deliver a

speech at Golbagh. He goes to Golbagh, as "The word 'Mahatma' was like a

magical magnet to him" (126). He dissolves in the crowd without even

remembering the fact of his being an untouchable. Actually he touches a few,

but nobody notices, as they are all in a hurry to listen to Mahatma Gandhi's

words. India's multicultural face is revealed in these lines:

Men, women and children of all the different races, colours,

castes and creeds, were running towards the oval. There were
Hindu lallas from the piece-goods market of Bulashah, smartly
dressed in silks; there were Kashmiri Muhammadans from the
local carpet factories, immaculately clad in white cotton; there
were the rough Sikh rustics from the near-by villages swathed in
handspun cloth, staves in their hands and loads of shopping on

91
 their backs; there were fierce-looking red cheeked Pathans
shirted in red stuff, followers of Abdul Gaffar Khan, the frontier
revolutionary; there were black-faced Indian Christian girls from
the Salvation Army colony, in short coloured skirts, blouses and
aprons; there were people from the outcastes' colony, whom
Bakha recognized in the distance, but whom he was too rushed to
greet; there was here and there a stray European-there was
everybody going to meet the Mahatma, to pay homage to
Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi. (126-27)

Perhaps, this is the only scene in the novel that perfectly shows the

multicultural face of India. The people from various cultures and religions

assemble there to listen to Mahatma Gandhi's spiritual message for the

'masses'. As the scene suggests Mahatma Gandhi is only a single thread that

can bind all cultures and religions together. He is a messenger of fraternity,

non-violence, social equality, peace and justice. Mulk Raj Anand, therefore,

glorifies the image of Gandhi, as he knows that Gandhian philosophy is

perhaps only a source of comfort to the untouchable classes, which have been

constantly suffering from the social evils like untouchability, discrimination,

deprivation, social marginalisation and injustice. In that sense, Mahatma

Gandhi is a genuine proponent of multiculturalism, who has struggled to form

a harmonious society with peace and love. Therefore, for the untouchables,

Mahatma Gandhi is like a 'God' toiling to eradicate untouchability from the

essentially muhicultural map of India. Hence, the assembled multicultural

crowd indicates Mahatma Gandhi's popularity as a social leader who struggles

92
for the equality of the masses and the establishment of the basic principles of

multiculturalism. However, in the huge crowd, Bakha, one of the listeners,

thinks: "It is good that I came!"(132). He asks himself: "Is he really going to

talk about the outcastes, about us, about Chota, Ram Charan, my father and

me?" (132). Of course, Bakha is quite eager to listen to Mahatma Gandhi, a

supporter of minority cultures, especially untouchables. Mahatma Gandhi

begins his speech with: "I regard untouchability as the greatest blot on

Hinduism"(137). Mahatma goes on talking about the deprivation and

sufferings of the untouchables. The following emotional declaration moves

Bakha:

If I have to be born, I should wish to be born as an untouchable,

so that I may share their sorrows, sufferings and the affronts
leveled at them, in order that I may endeavor to free myself and
them from their miserable condition. (138)

Mahatma Gandhi's speech appeals to Bakha, as he is also one of the suffering

untouchables. Bakha begins to adore Mahatma Gandhi in his heart. He

attentively listens to each word of Gandhi, but sometime feels unconvinced

about Gandhi's statement, "that the Hindus are not sinful by nature, they are

sunk in ignorance" (139). This statement confuses Bakha, as he firmly believes

that the caste Hindus are the real social culprits who divide people in the name

of caste, religion and occupations. However, Bakha is overwhelmed by

93
Mahatma's emotional appeal to the caste Hindus: "All public wells, temples,

roads, schools, sanatoriums, must be declared open to the untouchables" (139).

Continuing his speech, Gandhi says that the untouchables must purify their

own lives first, and must cultivate the habits of cleanliness. At this point Bakha

feels that the Mahatma is not fair as he directly blames the untouchables'

impurity. Throughout his speech, Mahatma tries to convince the audience that

untouchables should be set free from the stigma of untouchability, a social evil.

As he says, social change depends on the mentality of the so-called 'elites'

who categorize people and exploit them for their own sake. For Gandhi,

untouchables are a part and parcel of the Hindu society, and Hindus are solely

responsible for the social marginalisation of the untouchables. It is their moral

responsibility to rehabilitate them in society. Each word of the concluding part

of the Mahatma's speech seems to convey Bakha's own feelings of horror and

indignation at the ill treatment of the untouchables by the caste Hindus. Till the

end of the speech, many times Bakha gets confused as he expects a practical

solution for his problems. After Gandhi's speech, the crowd disperses on a note

of happiness and gladness. On his way back, Bakha hears a dissident voice:

'"Gandhi is a humbug', ' He is a fool. He is a hypocrite'" (141j. Perhaps, the

commentator doesn't like Mahatma's less practical and more philosophical

views. After a while, a young poet, Iqbal Nath comes there and attracts the

people by exposing the social facts:

94
 Well, we must destroy caste; we must destroy the inequalities of
birth and unalterable vocations. We must recognize an equality
of rights, privileges and opportunities for everyone. The
Mahatma didn't say so, but the legal and sociological basis of
caste having been broken down by the British-Indian penal code,
which recognizes the rights of every man before a court, caste is
now mainly governed by profession. When the sweepers change
their profession, they will no longer remain untouchables. And
they can do that soon, for the first thing we will do when we
accept the machine, will be to introduce the machine which
clears dung without anyone having to handle it-the flush system.
Then the sweepers can be free from the stigma of untouchability
and assume the dignity of status that is their right as useful
members of a casteless and classless society. (145-46)

The poet's speech is a good example of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism not

only promotes the value of cultural diversity and social equality but also

recognizes equality of rights and privileges. The poet rightly makes people

aware of their rights and privileges. Comparatively his thoughts are more

relevant, advanced and practical than that of Mahatma Gandhi. As he rightly

says caste is a major hurdle in maintaining social integrity, equality, harmony

and peace. So let it be destroyed from the social map of India. Furthermore, he

states that there is no one-to-one relation between caste and profession, as you

can change your profession as you wish. He appeals to the small audience with

his enunciation of the reasons of social inequality. After all, caste decides/

shapes/spoils human life as birth or the place of birth is less significant than the

95
attached stigma of caste. Obviously caste divides people and places them in

different strata of society. Therefore, caste is one of the major reasons of social

inequality. As the poet says tljat the British-Indian penal code protects and

recognizes the equality of rights to all people irrespective of caste, religion or

occupation. At the end, he introduces them to the machine (flush system); one

of the alternatives that will help them to minimize their work and it will also

make them free from the stigma of untouchability. Bakha is delighted by the

practical approach of the poet than the spiritual philosophy of Mahatma

Gandhi. He returns, enlightened by the poet's idea of the flush system. Mulk

Raj Anand appears to believe that rapid industrialization alone would pave the

way for a secular situation and he introduces the flush system as a symbol of

change. Therefore, Bakha steps out from Hutchinson's religious conversion

and Gandhi's spiritual philosophy and finally accepts the poet's idea of

machine, a practical solution to the problem of untouchability.

From the beginning, Bakha understands his low and miserable position and

feels deeply hurt by the degradation to which he is subjected by the caste

Hindus. Throughout the day, insult and humiliation make him restless.

Sometimes he gets irritated and tries to revolt against the dominant culture. But

his rebelliousness looks ineffective and fruitless, as he knows his limitations at

the societal level. Therefore, throughout the novel, Mulk Raj Anand exposes

96
the helplessness of the minority cultures that have been deprived and depressed

due to different reasons. However, the dominant culture's social control over

power structures remains constant in India. By promoting tjje notions like

purity, impurity or pollution, the dominant culture exploits the minority

cultures and deprives them of their social, cultural, economic and political

rights. The caste system generates a sense of hatred and enmity among

different castes. Bakha, a protagonist of the novel, bums from within

throughout the day and finally consoles himself because he knows that all

social problems are deep rooted in Indian caste system that deprives all

minority cultures of their basic rights. By depicting the social reality of Indian

society, Mulk Raj Anand perhaps wants to reveal that the rift between

dominant and subordinate/minority cultures remains a curse to Hindu society.

Therefore, at present, Indian constitution, an important document of

multiculturalism, is only a source of comfort to the minority cultures.

97