P-202 Assignment

P-202 Assignment

Critical Analysis of  Treatment is given to the Untouchables in  “One Eyed” by Meena Kandasamy.

Name- Kishan Jadav

Paper- Indian English Literature-Post Independence

Roll no-10

Enrollment no-3069206420200008

Email id- jadavkishan55555@gmail.com

Batch-2020-22 (MA Sem-III)

Submitted to- S. B. Gardi Department of English,

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Introduction :

“Dalit Literature is not a literary movement in ordinary sense of the term. It is, like Black literature, a product of an identity as well as constitutive of that identity” points out Shashi Bhushan Uphadhayay. In 1950s and 1960s, Dalit writing saw the emergence of literature with the publication of Sathe‟s “Fakira” and “Savala Mang” and Shankarrao Karat‟s “Manuskichi Huk” (The Cry of Humanity)and “Bara Balutedar”(The Twelve Balutedar). All these writers revolted against the old notions based on Manusmriti or the part of old Brahmin society. It was at its zenith during the time of Ambedkar but it declined and reached its anticlimax in 1970s. More dalit persons began to improve the situation of Dalit through their writings with great zeal after their higher studies abroad and their return to India. Their aim was not to bring the lowness of the dalit society but to highlight the real picture of the plight of the dalits.They brought a close and real imagery as obviously true in the case with Mulk Raj Anand‟s “Untouchable” and “Coolie”. Poems, short stories, novels and autobiographies written by Dalit writers provided useful insights on the question of Dalit identity. Dalit poetry is an effort to employ symbolic images based on the experience breaking many old poetic conventions of literature. They bring in historic references and myths from a dalit point of view.Dalit literatureThe primary motive of Dalit literature is the liberation of dalits. 

Though Dalit writers have had their hands in short stories, novels and drama, the richness lies in poetry with the crying theme of “new past, new future”. The first collection of dalit poems by dalits entitledv“Akar” was published in 1967. The most notable among dalit poets are Narayan Surve, J.V.Parvar, Nimbalkar, Arun Kamble, Prakash Jadhav etc., among men and Mina Gajbhiye, Hira Bhanshode, Jyoti Lanjewar, Mallika Amar Shiekh, Anuradha Gurav, Meena Kandasamy etc., among women. A dalit poem is unique in the sense that it builds its structural pattern out of Dalit sensibility. It is, thus a poetry of protest, voicing its opposition to all that is orthodox, traditional and conventional. Persecution, Love for India, Subversion of history and myth are the recurrent themes of Dalit poetry. Dalit poetry may be said to centre around man. Eleanor Zelliot expresses about the poems of women Dalit writers as “their voices are strong and varied, echoing other dalit themes but adding new images, new perspectives and new languages”.

Meena Kandasamy’s poem “One-Eyed”

Meena Kandasamy’s poem “One-Eyed” was published in Ms.  The poem talks about Dhanam, a little girl who feels very thirsty, touches the pot and drank a glass of water from the pot to quench her thirst with her “clumsy hand”. 

Key words: dalit literature, dalits, out-castes, under-privileged, indian society.

 The learned teacher in the school slapped on the  little  girl’s cheek especially for breaking the rules.  The  concept  of  untouchability is practised mainly against the lower caste as well as the lower section people.  They are the worst sufferers.  As they do not have the political and economic power to fight against the upper class people’s supremacy, they mutely accept subjugation.  They do not have the voice to express their  conditions  and  portray  themselves  before  the  world.  Even  the  inanimate  objects surrounding her feel the pitied condition of the girl:  

“the pot sees just another noisy child the glass sees an eager and clumsy hand the water sees a parched throat slaking thirst” (One-Eyed) 

 Even the pot, glass and water take pity upon the girl.  These inanimate objects feel for her and they allow themselves to quench her thirst.  In reality, the Dalits are not allowed mingle with the public and they are not allowed to touch vessels, or any other items used by the upper caste.  They  have to  use separate  vessels,  pots,  glasses,  etc.  Dhanam  in the  poem  is a submissive girl.  She does not even react to the upper class supremacy. But she sees a kind of world which is torn into two.  

The poet pathetically concludes the poem as:

“dhanam sees a world torn in half. her left eye, lid open but light slapped away, the price for a taste of that touchable water” (One-Eyed)  

Water is a natural resource and it never gulps but sacrifices itself to all creatures in the world.  But some human beings divide water for the upper caste and water for the lower caste.  It is  very nonsensical to think deeply about the classification and caste system which still prevails in some places.  Meena Kandasamy has concentrated on the pessimistic image of her land,  gives  an  insight  into  rural  India  and  mentions  the  atrocities  committed  on  the untouchables.  The children of the low castes were denied the right to drink water with the other; Dhanam was slapped severely when she drank.  What is the price for tasting that untouchable water?  It  is nothing but  a slap  and for  that particular  reason her one-eye  is damaged.  She sees the torn world but not a complete one.  In her eyes, the world seems to be partial one and it shows partiality to a particular group.   Meena Kandasamy reveals that the weight of social pressure operates to confirm in each case their extreme subordination despite whatever personal effort may be applied towards upward mobility on the  part of  the untouchables  or towards  autonomy on  the part  of the woman. In an interview with Sampsonia Way Magazine, Meena Kandasamy remarks, “My poetry is naked, my poetry is in tears, my poetry screams in anger, my poetry writhes in pain. My poetry smells of blood, my poetry salutes sacrifice. My poetry speaks like my people; my poetry speaks for my people.

Conclusion :

Meena Kandasamy voices for the unvoiced especially for the Dalits. Human beings are 

born equal in dignity and rights. But basic rights such as right to live, right to protest, right to 

express oneself, right to live safely from violence and torture, etc are being denied to the 

marginalized communities. They continue to endure the evils of bonded labour system with 

their poverty and literacy. The Government of India plans and introduces welfare schemes in 

paper but could not uproot it completely in effective practice. The benefits of the schemes are 

pocketed by the politicians and bureaucrats. The concepts of equality, fraternity, liberty, and 

democracy in Indian context seem to be illusory for these unfortunate layers of the society. 

Even the inanimate objects have life and see this world as one, but the treatment of the Dalits 

are dissimilar.

Citation :

Gupta, Deepak. "Maharashtra Water Crisis: Dalit Man Digs A Well In 40 Days After His Wife Humiliated For Water". India News, Breaking News | India.Com, 2021, https://www.india.com/news/india/maharashtra-water-crisis-dalit-man-digs-a-well-in-40-days-after-his-wife-humiliated-for-water-1168309/.

Kandasamy.Co.Uk, 2021, https://www.kandasamy.co.uk/about.

Languageinindia.Com, 2021, http://languageinindia.com/sep2019/mkuliterature2019/rathi.pdf.