22407: Paper 202: Indian English Literature – Post-Independence
Treatment Untouchables in Meena kandasamy’s ‘One Eyed’.
Table of Content :
Personal Information
Assignment Details
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Meena kandasamy
Dalit Community
Treatment of Dalit
Treatment Untouchables in Meena kandasamy’s ‘One Eyed’
Critique of Persistent Caste Discrimination in Secular India
Role of Institutions in Enforcing Caste Hierarchy
Writing Style of Meena Kandasamy
Meena Kandasamy as Voice for the Voiceless
Conclusion
Reference
Personal Information
Name : Khushi R. Rathod
Batch : 2023-25
Roll No : 16
Enrollment Number : 5108230039
Semester : 3
E- mail : khushirathod1863@gmail.com
Assignment Details
Paper No : 202
Paper Code : 22407
Paper Name : Indian English Literature – Post-Independence
Topic : Treatment Untouchables in Meena kandasamy’s ‘One Eyed’.
Submitted to : Smt.S.B.Gardi, Department of English,MKBU
Abstract :
Meena Kandasamy always sketches the weakness and struggle of the Dalits in her poems. In her poem, “One-Eyed”, she delineates the continued existence of oppressive structures of caste, class, race and gender domination within Indian society. She has designed her poem in such a way to incorporate the marginalized voices of the Dalit community. She delineates the savage treatment of untouchables. The perspectives of the inanimate objects on the Dalits are quite common but the society rebels against the use of inanimate objects touched by the untouchables.
Keywords : Meena Kandasamy, “One-Eyed”, Dalit, untouchable, community, inanimate, Class, Women, Equality
Introduction :
Kandaswamy gives an example of various atrocities committed against the dalit women in her short poem “One eyed”. The poem depicts how the people of the upper caste are intolerant about the downtrodden people. If a Dalit girl is thirsty, ’the pot’, ‘the glass’, ‘the water’ may sympathize with her. But ‘the teacher’, ‘the doctor’, ‘the school’, ’the press’, those who are the representative of the higher class and caste, see the violation of the rules when a Dalit girl Dhanam touches the forbidden water. She has to pay the offense with the loss of her one eye, her left eye lid open but light slapped away.
Meena Kandasamy :-
1. Birth and Early Life:
- Born on October 12, 1984, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
- Grew up with an awareness of social issues, especially those affecting marginalized communities.
2. Focus on Social Issues :
- Known for addressing themes like caste discrimination, gender inequality, and political injustice.
- Her writing is deeply rooted in her identity as a Dalit woman and activist.
3. Poetry:
- Began her literary career with poetry, gaining recognition through collections such as:
- Touch (2006): Focuses on caste discrimination and social injustice.
- Ms. Militancy (2010): Challenges patriarchy and celebrates resistance.
- Her poetry style is bold and blends Tamil and English, creating a distinct, powerful voice.
4. Transition to Novels:
- Shifted to prose with her debut novel The Gypsy Goddess(2014), an experimental retelling of the Kilvenmani massacre of Dalits in 1968.
- Followed by When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife(2017), a semi-autobiographical novel on domestic abuse and women’s resilience, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2018.
5. Unique Narrative Styles :
- Known for experimenting with form and narrative style:
- Exquisite Cadavers (2019): Features a dual narrative, intertwining a fictional story with personal notes, emphasizing the blend of the personal and political.
6. Activism:
- Strong advocate for Dalit rights, women’s rights, and freedom of expression.
- Actively participates in social movements and frequently speaks out on social media against injustice.
- Her activism has sometimes been controversial and posed personal risks, but she remains committed.
7. International Recognition :
- Gained global acclaim for her contributions to literature and her unflinching portrayal of social issues.
- Her novels and poetry resonate widely, sparking conversations on caste, gender, and justice.
8. Legacy and Influence :
- Continues to be a powerful literary voice for marginalized communities.
- Her work challenges oppressive systems and inspires readers to engage with social issues.
Dalit Community :-
Dalit are the members of the lowest social group in the Hindu caste system and the sufferings their faces are put down into a form of writing called Dalit literature. The word Dalit comes from the Hindi word Dalan, which means oppressed or broken. It mainly talks about the lives of the Dalit and it focuses on the Dalit. This is written by the Dalit themselves and at times, other writers also contribute their works to this literature. The Dalit literature emerged in the 1960s in the Marathi language and got passed onto different languages like Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, etc.
This literature is a part of Indian literature as it brings into light the state and the emotions of the oppressed class of India. The main themes that this literature deals with are alienation, anxiety, struggle for identity,language,Untouchability, etc. Some of the important writers who contributed to the Dalit literature are Bama, Meena Kandasamy, Laxman Mane, Mulk Raj Anand, etc.
Treatment of Dalit :
Dalit are a community of people who come under the scheduled castes since the government of India Act, 1935. Dalit were also known as the “Untouchables”. To this day the act of untouchability exists around us. Though it does not prevail literally, the Dalit people are being treated differently from the others most of the time. They face struggles till this day in some parts of the world in one form or the other. They were the people who weren’t allowed to enter any holy places and were also denied entry into the public places where the other community people would go without any restrictions. In some extreme cases, they weren’t allowed to wear footwear and branded clothes too. They were not even given their basic rights such as the right to live safely, the right to equality, and the right to freedom. A major part of the society was controlled by the people of the Elite class and the Dalit were not given as many opportunities as the others. The Dalit were not even allowed to enter the houses of the other class people and weren’t allowed to drink water from their houses. These pitiable situations are not much in existence nowadays in the urban areas but, in some interior rural areas, it is still prevalent.B. R. Ambedkar who was a Dalit himself strongly stood for the abolishment of the caste system and supported the Dalit. He is known as the Father of the Constitution. And, he is still seen as a hero for the Dalit today. As a result of this, the situation of the Dalit these days has changed somewhat and the government of India is offering them separate quotas in the educational and working institutions.
Treatment Untouchables in Meena kandasamy’s ‘One Eyed’ :
Meena Kandasamy’s poem “One-Eyed” was published in Ms Militancy. 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”. The learned teacher in the school slapped on the little girl’s cheek especially for breaking the rules. The concept of untouchability is practiced 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 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 another; 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.
Critique of Persistent Caste Discrimination in Secular India
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.”
Meena Kandasamy vehemently condemns and criticizes the devilish practice of casteism and savage treatment of the untouchables in the name of supremacy of the caste Hindus who, according to Hindu mythology are supposed to be the most cherished children of Brahma, the Supreme Soul.
Role of Institutions in Enforcing Caste Hierarchy:
Meena Kandasamy recounts the brutal and inhuman treatment given to the little girl of this caste. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, “Education is a panacea” but here in this poem the reader could see that an institution corrupts the little child. According to Meena Kandasamy, the school, hospital and the press violate the rules.
Writing Style of Meena Kandasamy :
The style of Meena Kandasamy’s writing is like that of E.E. Cummings, a familiar American poet who is known for small letters in his poems. Meena Kandasamy’s poems are characterized by both ethnocentric and minority discourse features. Naturally, her poems clearly portray the anxieties, alienation and feeling of insecurity of a modern day Dalit. The representation of the Dalits in her poem is realistic, putting aside many controversial issues.Symbols and images are used adeptly by Meena Kandasamy in her poem. She gains maturation as an artist of excellence, significance, relevance and consequence.She also uses different narrative techniques in her creative work.
Meena Kandasamy as Voice for the Voiceless:
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 labor 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 the Indian context seems 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.
Conclusion :
Meena Kandasamy’s effective portrayal of Dalit struggles and the deeply ingrained caste-based discrimination in Indian society. Through "One-Eyed," Kandasamy sheds light on the ongoing marginalization and subjugation of the Dalit community, highlighting their lack of access to basic rights and the brutal consequences of violating caste norms. Despite India's promises of equality, Dalits continue to face systemic oppression.
Kandasamy’s poem serves as both a critique of social hypocrisy and a call to recognize and empathize with the humanity of Dalits. Her evocative style, use of symbolism, and the voices of inanimate objects bring forth the voices of the voiceless. The article suggests that while times change, the plight of Dalits remains largely unchanged, and Kandasamy’s work aims to inspire awareness and action against these injustices by emphasizing the resilience of Dalits in the face of continued adversity.
Reference :
Rathi, VP. “(PDF) Savage Treatment of Untouchables in Meena Kandasamy's "One-Eyed."” ResearchGate, 26 June 2020, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342466334_Savage_Treatment_of_Untouchables_in_Meena_Kandasamy's_One-Eyed. Accessed 13 November 2024.
Ravishenbagam, Nehasri. “Oppression of Dalit in the select poems of Meena Kandasamy.” ResearchGate, June 2021, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352284162_Oppression_of_Dalit_in_the_select_poems_of_Meena_Kandasamy. Accessed 13 November 2024.
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