SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONCERNS IN THE NOVELS OF

BHABANI BHATTACHARYA

Thesis
Submitted to

Kumaun University, Nainital

For the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
In
English

Supervisor: Research Scholar:

Professor Nirmala Pant
Department of English Meenakshi Tewari
Kumaun University
S.S.J. Campus
Almora (Uttarakhand)

2012
 DECLARATION

I hereby solemnly declare that the thesis entitled “Socio-Economic Concerns in the

Novels of Bhabani Bhattacharya” submitted to Kumaun University, Nainital, for

the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English is a record of original and

independent research work done by me and to the best of my knowledge and it has not

been submitted in part or full to any other University/Institution earlier. All the

sources used in the thesis have been duly cited and acknowledged by me. If I am

found guilty of plagiarism, the responsibility of the same shall be solely mine.

Place: Almora Meenakshi Tewari

Date:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Writing has always been my hobby but I didn’t know that one day
I’ll write a doctoral thesis as I had never thought of doing a Ph.D. even in
my wildest fantasies. There has been a noteworthy contribution of many
people in helping me complete my research work and my thesis wouldn’t
be complete without acknowledging the important role they played in my
endeavor. I would first and foremost like to express my heartfelt gratitude
towards my guide, Professor Nirmala Pant. I am thankful to her for not
only guiding me in the course of my Ph.D. but also for advising me to
choose a writer like Bhabani Bhattacharya. I personally being a fantasist
was quite distanced from the realities of society. Bhabani Bhattacharya
helped me bridge that gap and increase my social consciousness which is
imperative to be a worthy citizen and all credit for that goes to Dr.
Nirmala Pant. I also want to thank her for not only being my guide but
also for showering her motherly affection on me, during my visits to her.
A very special note of thanks to all the honorable teachers of the
Department of English, Almora and Nainital campus especially to Mr.
L.M. Joshi for all his support.

I would also like to confess that doing a Ph.D. wasn’t my personal

dream. There is someone who had dreamt this for me so I owe it to him;
my father, Mr. B.C. Tewari. ‘Papa it is because of you that I took it up
and because of you that I could complete it.’ Words fail to express my
gratitude for my mother, the only person on earth who can lighten up my
dullest of days by her abundant admiration for me and my work. ‘Thanks
Maa, your confidence in me became my confidence in myself and my
endeavors’. I would like to convey my love and respect to my sister,
Pushpa Tewari who had always been my partner in discussions. I am
grateful to her for her constant encouragement, guidance and love. I am
highly indebted to my brother, Deepak Tewari whose unfailing support
and guidance has let me be whatever I am today. My thanks are also due
to my uncles Mr. N. N. Tewari and Mr. B. C. Tewari who helped me in
arranging the required material and guiding me throughout. I also want to
acknowledge my in laws for their constant encouragement and support
especially my father-in-law Mr. J.D. Bhatt who showed his pride in my
doctoral work and is eagerly waiting for my Ph.D. to be completed.

I will be failing in my duty if I do not mention the family of Mrs.

Lalita Pant who lightened up my stressful days by providing me an
atmosphere of home away from home.

I am especially thankful to my friend Dr. Shachi Negi who

motivated me and guided me when I needed it most. My extremely
talented cousins, Kriti and Jaya for helping me whenever I needed
assistance and my loving cousins Nidhi and Faizaan for helping me in
typing some part of my thesis. I would also like to mention my brother-
in-law Mr. Rajat Tewari, who helped me initially in preparing my
synopsis.

Last but definitely not the least I want to thank my husband, Mr.
Pankaj Bhatt whose intelligence and understanding has definitely rubbed
on me and helped me achieve my potential. He has been my partner in all
my deeds, has shared my doubts and fears and has helped me come out of
them. I thank you for being my constant shadow in my journey from a
mere student to a doctor of philosophy. ‘Without your support I don’t
think it would have been possible.’

I am grateful to all the other people who at some point of time or

the other have added value to my life and the Almighty to have given me
a life with so many wonderful people around for company.

Meenakshi Tewari
Research Scholar
 CONTENTS

S. No. CHAPTER PAGE NO.

I INTRODUCTION 1- 22

II FORMATIVE INFLUENCES 23- 36

III FAMINE RESULTING IN HUNGER AND CASTEISM 37-92

IV TRADITION AND MODERNITY 93-148

V SOCIOLOGICAL COMPULSIONS 149-177

VI PORTRAYAL OF SOCIAL EVILS AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM 179-206

VII CONCLUSION 207-223

VII BIBILIOGRAPHY 225-230

 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION
 INTRODUCTION

Literature has been a reflection of the human society over

centuries. It has been the most powerful medium of provoking human
emotions and thoughts. We laugh our hearts our over comedies, we burst
into tears over tragedies, we get enthused by stirring social realities and
some literature that simply transport us to the world of beauty and good
feelings. Literature gives us an opportunity to indulge in lives and
lifestyles of people we have never known and who aren’t from our times.
It lets us sneak into the mix of their life, their social setup, value system,
culture, creed, nature, behavior, attitude and life conditions. Literature
doesn’t belong to a place, it doesn’t belong to a person; it is universal.

Indian English literature finds its roots in the rich Indian culture.
India has been a land of stories and fables. While earlier Indian literature
comprised of epics, religious writings, poetry, etc, in Hindi and other
regional languages, Indian English literature came into existence with the
arrival of the British in India. It was the presence of the British that
influenced Indians to breed their own English Literature and that gave
Indian English fiction its real existence.

Today Indian English literature has grown from a struggling eaglet

to a full-grown eagle soaring into the skies of world literature. Ever since
the pre-independence period our writers have been causative to Indian
English literature in a great deal and the recent years have shown a
multifaceted thriving of magnum opuses that have not only established
our literature but have also incited it to the apex. In the words of Sunanda
Mongia:

1
 Today, a number of Indian writers in English have contributed
substantially to modern English literature. Ram Mohan Roy who
heralded the Indian Renaissance and Macaulay who recommended
English language education in India were probably aware of what was
in store for the Indians in terms of literary awareness. Today it has won
for itself international acclaim and distinction. (Recent Indian Fiction
in English: An Overview in Spectrum History of Indian Literature in
English, 213).

Indian English fiction has certainly made its mark in the World
literature. The reasons are many. Indian English literature is an
expression of the profound Indian sensibility. Since novels are considered
to be the easiest and the most compelling medium to connect with the
readers, we, through our fiction, have been successful in touching the
hearts and minds of readers all across the globe. Though early Indian
literature didn’t have fiction as a literary genre, our Indian English Fiction
grew beautifully and became an integral part of our literature. Today
Indian novels are receiving great critical acclaim and are becoming
international bestsellers. Prof. M. K. Naik expresses his view about the
novel saying:
…one of the most notable gifts of English education to India is prose
fiction for though India was probably a fountain head of story-telling,
the novel as we know today was an importation from the West.
(Dimensions of Indian English Literature, 99)

Through Indian English novels, Indian culture, Indian thought

process, Indian mythology, Indian ideals, and Indian way of living is
being propagated and popularized around the world. The kind of variety
which can be evidenced in our novels is commendable. Indian writing
paints the true colours of life in India. The novelists have fairly presented
the social, economic, political, cultural, religious and spiritual side of
India. Our novels have truly acted as a bridge connecting the East and the

2
West. Indian English writing has come a long way since its inception.
While the early writings included translations of regional literature into
English, gradually our writers started penning down their original
thoughts in English. The origin of novel writing in India coincides with
the inception of Indian English novel writing. Earlier some novels were
written in Bengali and Hindi language. However the real beginning of
Indian English novel writing was with the arrival of Bankim Chandra
Chatterjee’s, Rajmohan’s Wife (1864) which was followed by Anand
Math in 1882. These novels paved the way for the budding writers of that
time. Then came the novelists like Rajalakshmi Devi who wrote The
Hindu Wife (1876), Toru Dutt who wrote Binaca (1878) and Kali Krishna
Lahiri who wrote Roshnara(1881) followed by numerous other writers
who made significant contribution to Indian English literature. The other
novels which were published in nineteenth century comprise Ram
Krishna Punt’s The Bay of Bengal (1866), Anand Prasad Dutt’s The
Indolence (1878), Shoshee Chunder Dutt’s The Young Zamindar (1883),
Trailokya Das’s Hirimba’s Wedding (1884), Krupabai Satthianandan’s
Kamala: A Story of Hindu Child Wife (1894) and Saguna: A Story of
Native Christian Life (1895), Michael Madhusudan Dutt’s Bijoy Chand:
An Indian Tale (1888) and Lt. Suresh Biswas: His Life and Adventures
(1900) and Yogendra Nath Chattopadhyaya’s The Girl and Her Tutor
(1891).

During 20th century novels revolved around social, political,

historical and regional themes. Rabindranath Tagore also contributed
greatly to society and literature with his novels like The Wreck (1910),
Gora (1910), and The Home and the World (1916). Other novels like
Sohrabji Cornelia’s Love and life Behind the Purdah (1902) and Between
the Twilight (1908), Balkrishna’s The Love of Kusum (1910), Sir Joginder

3
Singh’s Nasreen (1915), give a deep insight on the social inequalities,
exploitation of women, darkness of ignorance and the selfish attitude of
politicians in the contemporary period. Romesh Chunder Dutt
contributed greatly through his novels. Out of his several novels in
Bengali he translated two, titled, The Lake of palms (1902) which talks
about the family life in India and aims at social reforms and The Slave
Girl of Agra (1909) which is a romantic tale with a historical background.

Some other Novels of the early 19th century are S. T. Ram’s The
Cosmopolitan Hindusthani (1902), L. B. Pal’s A Glimpse of Zanana Life
in Bengal (1904), Sarat Kumar Ghosh’s Verdict of Gods (1905), S. B.
Banerjee’s The Adventures of Mrs. Russell (1909), B. K. Sarkar’s Man of
Letters (1911), M.M. Munshi’s Beauty and Joy (1914) and T. K. Gopal
Pannikar’s Storm and Sunshine (1916).

Besides the novels that merely presented social evils, there was a
large number of novels which condemned and challenged those evils and
went against the social norms. Romesh Chunder Dutt’s The Lake of
Palms (1909) shows the marital union of a widow with a man, S. K.
Ghosh in The Prince of Destiny: The New Krishna (1909), through his
character presents the amalgamation of the highest ideals of the east and
the west, Sir Joginder’s Nasrin (1915) throws light on the shallowness of
some pleasure-seeking Nawabs. Bhabani Bhattacharya’s Goddess Named
Gold (1960) narrates the open challenge of a peasant woman to the
Village Seth. In R.K. Narayan’s The Sweet-Vendor (1967) the elder son
of Jagan, an Orthdox Brahmin, starts living in with a foreign girl without
even getting formally married. The novel depicts the widening generation
gap and also the different social outlook of people.

4
 The social, political and economic conditions of society in 20th
century became the biggest inspiration for writers. It was a period that
was going through a great transition on social and political front. The
social upheaval was on its peak. Reforming of the old practices and
establishing new social practices in a free country was what everyone was
dreaming for. The novels produced during that time were based on the
changing social and political conditions. Contemporary writers inevitably
portrayed the social conditions of society; they boldly discussed the evils
and showed their urge to fight with the tribulations present in the society.
They wrote about the freedom movement and fundamentals of a common
man’s life. Towering above everything else, Mahatma Gandhi’s profound
influence can be seen in the writings of many prolific writers of that time.

In every Indian literature a new thinking emerged. There was to be

shift of emphasis from rich to the poor, from the intellectual to the man
of character and inner culture, from the educated to the illiterate and
the voiceless, and deep rooted in these revaluations was social reform
(226).

Mahatma Gandhi’s own literature touched people’s heart in a

unique way. His teachings were immeasurably admired by people all over
the world. People worshipped him and called him ‘The Father of the
Nation’. His writings showed people an altogether different way of living
and people followed him wholeheartedly. Krishna Kripalani aptly opines:

apart from its political repercussions, it was both moral and intellectual
and at once inhibitive and liberating…Gandhi stripped urban life and
elegance of their pretension and emphasized that religion without
compassion and cultures, without conscience were worthless. He
transfigured the image of India as she was poor, starving and helpless,
but with an untapped potential of unlimited possibilities (79).

5
 His writings are so popular that his literature is called Gandhian
literature. This reminds me of a few lines of a Hindi poem by Sohan Lal
Dwivedi which is perhaps the most fitting poem about Gandhi. It amply
and truly reflects Gandhi’s personality and his influence on people:

py iM+s ft/kj nks Mx ex esa] py iM+s dksfV ix mlh vksj]

iM+ xbZ ft/kj Hkh ,d n`f"V] x<+ x, dksfV æx mlh vksj]
ftlds flj ij fut /kjk gkFk] mlds f'kj&j{kd dksfV gkFk]
ftl ij fut eLrd >qdk fn;k] >qd x;s mlh ij dksfV ekFkA

Your magical spell has engraved your footprints on the hearts of millions.
Wherever you took a step thousand steps followed you. Your one glimpse
on something made it an attention of millions. Whoever was fortunate to
get your blessing got the blessings of millions, wherever you bowed your
head countless heads bowed there.
Such was the charisma of Mahatma Gandhi. He became an
inspiration for many writers. His movement for freedom led to genesis of
many realistic novels. Contemporary writers’ imbibed Mahatma Gandhi’s
ideals and they reflected them as major social and political themes in their
novels. Almost all their novels resonate with actual incidents and
knowledge that Gandhi applied in real life. The reflection of his ideas,
thoughts and ways of life can be witnessed in most of our novels of the
contemporary period. The other novelists who captured Gandhian
movements in their novels are K. S. Venkatramani’s Murugan, in, The
Tiller (1927) and Kandan, The Patriot: A Novel of New India in the
Making (1932), A. S. P. Ayyer in Baladitya (1930) and Three Men of
Destiny (1939).

Among the twentieth century novelists the three prominent names

which draw everyone’s attention are Raja Rao, Mulk Raj Anand and R.K.
Narayan. Their literary output provided Indian English literature a new
6
meaning and direction. Their work can be considered a real beginning
that made a true impression on world literature. K.S. Iyenger mentions:

They have managed (not minding the difficulties they have had to
face) to hold on to the chosen course, and each has now to his credit a
corpus of creative fiction of sufficient bulk and quality to merit serious
study (Iyenger, Indian Writing in English, 331)

Raja Rao is an eminent name in the history of Indian English

literature. His novels basically revolve around the theme of Indian
independence. He is a man of political and spiritual bent of mind. His
first novel Kanthapura (1938) is about Gandhian outlook and teachings.
Though Gandhi is not physically present in the novel yet his presence can
be duly felt in the character of Moorthy, a Gandhian leader who stands
for the common people in the novel. It reflects Gandhian ideology of non-
violence and eradication of untouchability. His novel, The Serpent and
the Rope (1960) which won the Sahitya Akademy Award in 1963, is a
quest for spiritual awakening and narrates the correlation between the east
and west and also of his experiences in the west. The Cat and the
Shakespeare (1965) presents a synthesis of Indian philosophy and
Western ideas. The novelist has created a beautiful fusion of English
language and Sanskrit which also reflects the synthesis of east and west.
His other works include a biography of Mahatma Gandhi titled Great
Indian Way: A Life of Mahatma Gandhi.

The other novelist in the same league, perhaps the most prolific, is
Mulk Raj Anand. He belonged to a humble family and the values that he
got from his parents were reflected deeply in his novels. His father was a
coppersmith who later joined Army for livelihood and his mother was a
peasant. Dr. K.S Iyenger correctly states:

7
 The craftman’s industry and meticulous attention to detail and the
army man’s dare-devilry and feeling for adventure are among the
major constituents of Mulk Raj Anand’s heritage from his father. From
his peasant mother he doubtless derived his commonsense, his sense of
ache at the heart of Indian humanity, and his understanding
compassion for the waifs, the disinherited, the lowly, the lost… (332).

Mulk Raj Anand’s novels throw light on the social structure and
unswervingly attack the social evils. His first novel Untouchable (1935)
depicts the life and struggle of an untouchable, Bakha who is a toilet
cleaner. Bakha is an embodiment of the oppressed class of the society,
who becomes hopeful of a better life, on listening to Mahatma Gandhi.
His much acclaimed novel Coolie (1936), describes Munoo, the
protagonist, and his struggles due to poverty. His novels like The village
(1939), Across the Black Waters (1939), The sword and the Sickle (1942)
added immensely to his reputation as a writer. His other novels include
The Big Heart (1945), Seven Summers (1951), The private Life of an
Indian Prince (1953), The Old Woman and the Cow (1960), The Road
(1961). His earlier novels reveal about Indian political system and lay
emphasis on social and political reforms and the later ones “reveal more
of his humanity and compassion.” (352).

R.K Narayan is another established writer who has left an

everlasting impression on Indian English literature. He is a regional
novelist. Malgudi, an imaginary town, is for him what Wessex is for
Thomas Hardy. He unlike his contemporaries gave more attention to his
characters and less to his social problems and social conditions. The
readers can easily relate to the characters in his novels. Gandhian
influence can be seen in his novels too, especially in his novel Waiting for
the Mahatma (1955). R.K Narayan has an art of narration that completely
grips the mind of the reader. He blends the social themes so beautifully in
8
the story that it becomes easy for the reader to relate to them. His novels
like Swami and Friends (1935), The Bachelor of Arts (1937), The Dark
Room (1938) and The English Teacher (1946), The Financial Expert
(1952), The Guide (1958), The Dateless Diary (1960), Man Eater of
Malgudi (1962), The Vendor of Sweets (1967), and The Painter of Signs
(1976) gained immense popularity and are widely read even today.
Almost all his novels brought him massive popularity in India and
abroad. Dr. Iyenger expresses his views about the writer:

He is one of the few writers in India who take their craft seriously,
constantly striving to improve the instrument, pursuing with a sense of
dedication what may often seem to be the mirage of technical
perfection. There is a norm of excellence below which Narayan cannot
possibly lower himself (359).
His four other novels that appeared later are A Tiger for Malgudi (1983),
Talkative Man (1983), The World of Nagraj (1990) and Grandmother’s
Tale (1992).

These three novelists established their fictional work among the

best in the history of Indian English literature. Though they were
contemporaries, yet each one of them had a distinct style of literary
expression holding a distinctive charm. In the words of William Walsh,
“If Anand is the novelist as reformer, Raja Rao the novelist as
Metaphysical poet, Narayan is simply the novelist as novelist” (6).

The social, political, economic and ideological stirring of Gandhian

Movements left deep impression upon the mind of contemporary writers.
These writers have not only provided direction and momentum to Indian
English literature but also worked towards bridging the gap between the
east and the west. There have been a lot of creative writers, who through

9
their work have brought laurels to our English literature, letting it dazzle
magnificiently in the sky of world literature. Some very eminent writers
who reflect social realism through their work are Bhabani Bhattacharya,
Manohar Malgonkar, Chaman Nahal and Khushwant Singh.

Bhabani Bhattacharya’s novels discuss the social, economic and

political issues of contemporary period. His first novel So Many Hungers
(1947) deals with the theme of exploitation of the poor and the hunger
that prevailed due to Bengal famine. It also throws light on the Quit India
Movement. Music for Mohini (1952) narrates the synthesis of the old and
the new set of values and also shows the superstitions prevailing in the
society. He who Rides a Tiger (1954) shows a tear-jerking picture of the
less privileged ones in the society who have to struggle every day due to
poverty, caste system and other old existing beliefs. It also shows the
callous approach of the high-born towards the downtrodden. It also
showcases a Man’s revenge against the hypocrite society. A Goddess
Named Gold (1960) presents man’s lust for gold and points out the
meaning of real freedom. It presents before us the contrary forces
working together for their respective interests. In Shadow from Laddakh
(1966), in the background of the Indo-China conflict of 1962 discusses
about the social obligations that often become a hindrance in human
happiness. He even depicts the conflict between the two distant ideas,
thought processes and beliefs. A Dream in Hawaii (1978) is a reflection
of the writer’s experience in the West. The novel simultaneously presents
the eastern and western ideals and their correlation. Bhabani
Bhattacharya’s contribution to Indian English literature cannot be
underestimated. Though he has written only six novels but all of them
bring forth the absolute realities of the society touching every walk of
life.

10
 Manohar Malgonkar another important writer who wrote novels
like Distant Drum (1960), Combat of Shadows (1962), The Princes
(1963), A Bend in Ganges (1964), Spy in Amber (1971) and The Devil’s
Wind (1972) shows his smooth approach in writing through his novels.
His best works reveal his Army experience and the public agitation
during partition of India. N.S. Pradhan opines, “What he is chiefly
concerned with is the portrayal of man’s predicament in a world where
values are changing too fast for his comprehension and adjustment”
(136).

Khushwant Singh is a well known writer in English. His four

published novels are A Train to Pakistan (1956), I shall not Hear the
Nightingale (1959), Delhi: A Novel (1989) and Company with Woman
(1999). His A Train to Pakistan (1956) brought him immense popularity
worldwide. He has impeccably depicted the scene of partition of India
and also its effect in society. His novel holds the political cause and the
communal mayhem equally accountable for the partition.

The early twentieth century was a period of great turmoil in the

society. On one end the freedom movement was on full swing and, on the
other, step towards abolishing the existing social evils were being taken at
different ends. Almost all the writers were writing about the social and
political condition. The novelists like S.K.Ghosh, S.M. Mitra, S.B.
Banerjee, S. Mukharjee, Hari Singh Gour, A. Madhaviah, and A.
Subramaniam are the well known writers of that period. Their novels
highlighted the ills of the society and criticized them. Their stories openly
challenge the norms of the society and talk of abolishing the evils present
in society. The political conditions were in chaos. While on one hand we
were combating the outsiders to attain freedom and on the other, we were

11
fighting amongst ourselves as well. The animosity between the Hindu and
Muslim was a repercussion of the quest for independence. The pain that
partition brought along with it haunted many lives. It shattered the dreams
of many including the leaders of our nation who had nourished a dream
of having a free India with all its citizens standing together with each
other as part of one great nation. People wanted their own country, their
own state, their own rights and what not. The insecurity prevailing in
every heart was natural as the fear of slavery had not gone off entirely.
People wanted to be free. They didn’t want to attain freedom from British
to become someone else’s slaves. The Hindus wanted their own Nation so
did the Muslims. This mutual insecurity along with the political reasons
of course, divided the country in two. The heart-rending description of
the partition can be found in the story of many prolific writers.
Khushwant Singh’s A Train to Pakistan (1956), gives an artistic
description of the partition agony. Manohar Malgonkar’s A Bend in the
Ganges (1965) and Distant Drum (1960), Balachandra Rajan’s The Dark
Dancer (1959) and Bapsi Sidhwa’s Ice-Candy Man (1988) are other
literary works that capture the elements of partition.

The post independence writings throw light on the contemporary

problems pre and post independence and also describe the troubles that
independence brought along with it. The novelists have written about
poverty, corruption, lack of education, caste related issues, divided
mindsets within the society, cross border conflicts, lack of exposure for
woman and so on. Economic instability has been a problem for the poor
in India and caste difference has always added to the misery of the life of
the poor. The ever deepening divide between a low and a high born is
common knowledge. The practice of defining territories for the low born

12
for accessing the most basic things like food and water has always made
them feel humiliated.

Various writers have attempted to write upon the class of society

that is looked down upon and is called the low-caste. Through their works
they have tried to make people aware of this problem and have asserted to
put an end to the caste conflict. The Brahmins have always been
considered to have the highest status and the Shudras the lowest. Mulk
Raj Anand’s Untouchable (1935), gives a deep insight into the life of a
sweeper Bakha, and the difficulties that he has to face due to his low
caste. The writer has also shown the hypocritical nature of the high born
people who claim getting defiled by a lowborn’s simple touch in daylight
but do not get dirty by having sex with them in the dark. His other novels
like Across the Black Waters, Coolie, Two Leaves and a Bud also give an
accurate account of the life and struggle of the oppressed. Similarly
Bhabani Bhattacharya has also shown the selfish attitude of the high born
in his novel He Who Rides a Tiger (1954) where he shows how a harlot
comes and asks Kalo, a blacksmith, to sell his daughter and expects him
to fall in line due to his low caste. Bhabani Bhattacharya has also shown
the hypocrisy in the character of Bulaki Rao, a Brahmin, who sleeps with
a prostitute, referred as the bad woman.

The economic problem in India is also an issue of deep concern

dealt adequately by the writers of that era. The need for economic
upliftment has always been a need of the hour. Post Independence
millions of people who had fled from Pakistan to India were struggling to
find a living for themselves. This widened the gap between the rich and
the poor. With this sudden surge in population the need for economic
stability increased enormously. The contemporary writers have also

13
written about the need for economic upliftment and eradication of
poverty.

Besides the woman novelists have also delved deep in the

problems of society especially, the problems being faced by the women.
They expressed their disapproval towards oppression of the poor and the
woman. Among the woman novelists Cornelia Sorabji, Kamala
Markandaya, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Anita Desai, Shashi Deshpandey,
Jhumpa Lahiri, Kamala Das and Arundhati Roy have made their mark in
India and abroad.

Among the woman novelists of the early twentieth century,

Cornelia Sorabji made a lasting impression on Indian English literature in
its early years. Her stories like, Love and Life Behind the Purdah (1902),
and Between the Twilight (1908) gave her widespread recognition. Her
novel, Love and Life Behind the Purdah (1902) is a depiction of the life
of a woman in an early 19th century who is bound by social obligations
and is supposed to live her life inside the four walls of her house. She
seems to have an urge to break the age old belief that mandates
confinement for woman.

She talks about the Indian woman and her place in the society. She
has an open approach and expresses the need to empower Indian woman
who are supposed to live their lives on other’s terms. K. S Iyenger states,
“In her most successful work Miss Sorabji tried to penetrate the silken
curtain of the ‘Purdah’ and reveal the nuances of femininity”. (437)

After the forties woman novelists like Kamala Markandaya and

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala secured prominent place for themselves among the
novelists of that time. Kamala Markandaya is a renowned woman
14
novelist who has a humanistic and pragmatic approach. Her novels are
enriched with plentitude of shades of emotions and various situations.
Her novels reflect different sets of values in Indian society and also talk
about the hardships in the life of a woman. Her first novel Nectar in a
Sieve (1954) gives a tragic description of a peasant’s life and portrays the
hopes, fears and struggles that are their daily companion. The protagonist
is Rukmani, a simple peasant woman, who handles the difficult
circumstances of her life with deep understanding and faith. Her second
novel, Some Inner Fury (1957), is based on a love story against a political
background. It is one of the best novels of Kamala Markandaya. A Silence
of Desire (1961) portrays the confusion between Indian spiritual faith and
modernism. Possession (1963) appears to be a continuation of A Silence
of Desire, which talks of the conflict between Indian spiritualism and
Western materialism. Her other novels are A Handful of Rice (1966), The
Coffer Dams (1969),The Nowhere Man (1972), Two Virgins (1973), The
Golden Honneycomb (1977) and Pleasure City (1982). Kamala
Markandaya seems to be at ease with eastern and western philosophies
and has done ample justice to them in her novels.

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s novels reflect her views on the concept of

arranged marriages in India. Her stories mostly have a comic spirit. Her
early novels To Whom She Will (1955) and The Nature of Passion (1956)
are superb comedies on urban middle-class life in the mid nineteenth
century. Her other novels include Esmond in India (1958),The
Householder (1960), Get Ready for Battle (1962), Like Birds, Like Fishes
(1963), A Backward Place (1965), A Stronger Climate (1968) A New
Dominion (1973), Heat and Dust (1975), An Experience of India (1971),
In Search of Love and Beauty (1983), Out of India (1986), Three
Continents (1987), Poet and Dancer (1993), Shards of Memory (1995),

15
East Into Upper East: Plain Tales from New York and New Delhi (1998)
and My Nine Lives (2004). She has great skills in portraying her vivid
characters by giving them the right colour and good humored satire. K.S
Iyenger says:

In the world of Mrs. Jhabwala’s fiction, human beings appear always a

little bit ludicrous, but some people, some situations, are more
intrinsically funny than others. By delicately exposing human follies,
foibles and self deceptions, Mrs. Jhabwala makes us laugh or at least
smile (460).

Nayantara Sahgal, who has an unfailing understanding of politics,

gives an account of politicians and bureaucrats in her novels. Along with
the political angle her novels also discuss about women and the need for
liberation of women from their social bindings. She has excellent
command over English and her political novel, This time of Morning
(1965) is believed to be one of the best political novels in Indian English
literature. Her novels include A Time to be Happy (1957), Storm in
Chandigarh (1969), The Day in Shadow (1971), A Situation in New Delhi
(1977), Rich Like Us (1985), Plans for Departure (1985) and Mistaken
Identity (1988). Her novels impeccably blend the political tumult and the
personal sufferings of an individual:

If traditional women who still retain their individuality make their

appearance in the novels of Kamala Marandaya, women who face
challenges in their quest for self-fulfillment are seen in the novels of
Nayanatara Sahgal. Like wise women who opt for modernity for
convenience and not out of conviction are presented by Ruth Prawar
Jhabvala. Women who use modernity as a license for licentiousness
too can be seen in these novels... (Tradition and Modernity: The
Portrayal of Women by Women Writers, 13).

16
 Among the female Novelist’s the list cannot be complete without
Anita Desai, one of the most popular novelists of present times. Her
flowing narrative and her pragmatic plots make her writings really
appealing. Her creative work gives her a distinct identity in the field of
Indian English novels. Anita Desai in her novels presents the innermost
feelings of women who are clutched in the grasps of middle class morals.
Her writing seems to be inspired by the high western philosophy but, also
at the same time it keeps in mind the changing social structure in India.
Her first novel, Cry, the Peacock (1963), talks about the running
emotions of an oversensitive girl Maya who feels miserable and hopeless
as she is not able to deal with her insecurities. Her troubled emotions
reach their pinnacle when out of frustration she kills her indifferent
husband. Her other novels Voices in the City (1965), Bye-Bye Blackbird
(1971), Where Shall We Go This Summer? (1975), Clear Light of Day
(1980), Fire on the Mountain (1977), In Custody (1984) and Fasting
Feasting (1999) also deal with the unbearable trauma of relationships and
individual ordeal.

The seventies brought into light some immensely talented novelists

like Chaman Nahal, Vikram Seth, Salman Rushdi and Arun Joshi.
Chaman lal Nahal is a great novelist whose first novel My True Faces
(1973) was published after a collection of his short stories The Weird
Dance in 1965. His Novel Azadi (1975) is one of the best novels written
about the harrowing episode of partition of India. His other novels
include Into Another Dawn (1977) and The English Queens (1979), The
Crown and The Lioncloth (1981), The Salt of Life (1990), and The
Triumph of the Tricolour (1993).

17
 Arun Joshi is a novelist who was remarkably insightful as a
creative artist. His treatment of the deep dark thoughts of human mind
and human dilemma reflect his curiosity in human psyche. His vast
understanding of human psyche lets him understand the inner turmoil of
an individual and that is truly reflected in his novels. His novels mostly
include his own experiences. His novels include The Foreigner (1968),
The Strange Case of Billy Biswas (1971), The Apprentice (1974), The
Last Labyrinth (1981), The City and the River (1990) and a collection of
short stories, The Survivor (1975). His last novel The Last Labyrinth won
him a Sahitya Akademy Award in 1982. He died at an early age of 54
leaving Indian English bereft of a great novelist.

Vikram Seth is the youngest yet a highly effectual writer among the
new writers. His first novel The Golden Gate (1986) is in verse. His
second novel A Suitable Boy brought him immense admiration and
popularity. Eminent writer Khushwant singh admired the novel by
saying, "I lived through that period and I couldn't find a flaw. It really is
an authentic picture of Nehru's India” (15). Vikram Seth’s third novel is
An Equal Music (1999).

Salman Rushdie started his journey as a novelist from Grimus

(1975) followed by his highly acclaimed novel Midnight's Children
(1981) that won the Booker prize that year. It is one of the greatest books
of twentieth century. His other novels include Shame (1983) and Satanic
Verses (1988), The Moor’s Last Sigh (1995), The Ground Beneath her
Feet (1999), Fury (2001), Shalimar the Clown (2005) and the
Enchantress of Florence (2008).

18
 Amitav Ghosh, started his journey as a novelist with The Circle of
Reason (1986). His other novels include The Calcutta Chromosome
(1996), The Glass Palace (2000), The Hungry Tide (2005), Sea of
Poppies (2008) and the recent one River of Smoke (2011).

Shashi Tharoor’s debut novel The Great Indian Novel (1989)

brought him recognition as a novelist. His other novels include Show
Business (1992) and Riot (2001). Shashi Deshpande is another prominent
novelist who writes about individual conflict and themes based on
women. She understands the society and the problems of women. Her
important novels include The Dark Holds No Terrors (1980), If I Die
Today (1982), A Matter of Times (1996) and Small Remedies (2000).

Last but definitely not the least Arundhati Roy is a writer with
huge reputation who won the Booker Prize for first novel The God of
Small Things (1997). She has a unique sensibility of environment and her
writing expresses great analytical skills. Her uniqueness lies in her
comfort with the language. She plays with the words with great ease and
thus produces highly creative work.

With the changing time the influence of Western society and

Western writing is evident in Indian English novels. The free use of bold
language which was contrary to the image of Indian society became a
feature of the Indian English Fiction. Many Indian English novels infact,
were based on the theme of love, marriage and sex. The failure of
marriages and extra-marital affairs were also discussed openly in the
novels. Woman novelists like Nayantara Sehgal and Anita Desai
produced work that stood for woman’s right to make decision for herself
and living life on her own terms. Bhabani Bhattacharya’s A Dream in

19
Hawaii is totally different in treatment in comparison with his other
novels. The open use of the sexual words and the sensual thoughts can be
witnessed in this novel. Kamala Markandaya’s Possession, Manohar
Malgonkar’s A Bend in Ganges, Khushwant Singh’s I Shall not Hear the
Nightingale also contain bold descriptions of the life of its characters. K.S
Iyenger expresses, “As a rule, description of sex life used to be prudish,
but the writing is less inhibited in novels published in recent years” (329)
Other than the above mentioned writers some writers are Upmanyu
Chatterjee, Amit Choudhary, and Kiran Desai who are making significant
contribution to Indian English Literature.

Thus Indian English writers, through their significant contribution,

have given a high profile to Indian English literature. Our literature is one
of the shining stars in the galaxy of world literature now. Though our
early writings took time to gain recognition, novelists like Arundhati Roy
and Salman Rushdie have ensured that their novels are among the best
written novels in the history of world literature. Arundhati Roy’s Booker
prize and Salman Rushdie’s ‘Booker’ and ‘Best of Booker’ adequately
reveal the recognition and position of Indian English literature in the
World literature. Our early writers have put in their heart and soul to
produce literature that can be considered at par among the World
literature and paved path for the young writers and our budding writers
have taken that to a different level all together. The array of themes, the
lifelike characters, the commonplace situations, the realistic approach and
the convincing and engaging literary style have given a distinct identity to
our novels. With the kind of Indian English literature that is being
produced now only sky is the limit.

20
 Work Cited

Bai, K. Meera. Tradition and Modernity: The Portrayal of Women by

Women Writers. Dhawan I: l

Bhattacharya, Bhabani. Gandhi the Writer. qtd. in Nayak, H. M.

‘Welcome Speech” National Seminar on Gandhiji in Indian
Literature, Mysore: 1971. Print.

http://manaskriti.com/kaavyaalaya/yugaavtaar_gandhi1.stm.web.

Iyenger, K. S. Indian Writing in English. New Delhi: Sterling

Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1983. Print.

Kripalini, Krishna. Modern Indian Literature. qtd. In Nayak H. M,

‘Welcome Speech” National Seminar on Gandhiji in Indian
Literature. Mysore: 1971. Print.

Mongia, Sunanda. Recent Indian Fiction in English: An Overview. In

Singh, Ram Sewak and Singh, Charu Sheel: Spectrum History of
Indian Literature in English. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers and
Distributors. 1997. Print.

Naik, M. K. Dimensions of Indian English Literature. New Delhi:

Sterling Publishers. 1985. Print.

21
Pradhan, N. S. Manohar Malgonkar: A Bend in the Ganges. Major
Indian Novels: An Evaluation. Ed. Pradhan, N. S. New Delhi:
Arnold Heinemann. 1985. Print.

Vikram Seth”, DoonOnline: Features & Spotlights, retrieved 2007-09-

05

William Walsh, R.K.Narayan: A Critical Appreciation. New Delhi:

Allied Publishers. 1993. Print.

22
 Chapter 2

Formative Influences
 FORMATIVE INFLUENCES

Bhabani Bhattacharya is one of the most admired novelists in the

history of Indian English Literature. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call
him the leading light of post-independence Indian English novelists. The
translation of his novels in more than 20 languages including fourteen
European languages amply demonstrates his recognition in the West. He
received the Sahitya Akademy Award in 1967 for his book Shadow from
Laddakh. His commonplace themes, archetypal use of Indian expressions
and values reflect the Indianness in him. His novels faultlessly portray
Indian life. His multidimensional vision has made each of his novels a
creative masterpiece in itself. Through his novels, he has not only
presented the tribulations in the contemporary Indian society and the
afflictions of a common man but has also reinforced the need to alleviate
them for a perfect balance. His unfaltering belief in the blending of the
ancient and modern set of values is transparently expressed through
various situations. His indomitable characters and their indefatigable
spirit are evidence of the optimism and fortitude that he holds inside him.
K. K. Sharma opines, “Even in the midst of ghastly and heart-rending
scenes of human sufferings and tortures, life asserts itself sparkling amid
ashes” (Bhabani Bhattacharya: His Vision and Themes, 13). This positive
attitude is what carries Bhabani Bhattacharya’s characters through even
in the most testing situations.

Bhattacharya is a real gem of Indian English Fiction novelists. His

novels present an authentic depiction of the turbulence in India due to
social, political and economic flux. His deep understanding of human
nature and human psyche helped him craft exceptional characters and
produce great literature. All his novels hold a deep social purpose, yet at

23
the same time, they are interesting enough to keep the reader’s curiosity
intact. Bhattacharya’s novels are a reflection of Indian society and the
practical importance of his novels is timeless. They are relevant even
today. The thirty years of his life as a novelist during which he produced
his major works were truly the golden years in the history of Indian
English Literature.

Bhabani Bhattacharya was born on Nov 10, 1906 in Bhagalpur

Bihar, in a Bengali Brahmin family. He belonged to a well-heeled,
educated family of Promotho and Kiranbala Bhattacharya. His father had
a transferable job and hence he also travelled extensively during his early
years. He spent early years of his life in Puri for his schooling and he
graduated in English Literature in 1927 from Patna University.
Bhattacharya’s great flair for writing took him to London for his further
studies. Due to some reasons he couldn’t continue his studies in English
Literature and opted for History as a subject. He was closely associated
with a famous professor and writer Harold Laski of London School of
Economics whose Marxist inclination rubbed on him. This gave him a
different perspective on the Indian society. “A strong undercurrent of the
early Marxist respect for the liberal humanitarianism and the effects of
economic pressures on history runs through all Bhattacharya novels”
(Shimer, Bhabani Bhattacharya, 10). His exposure to the Western world
added a lot to his understanding of people.

When he was in London he got engaged in the activities of the

‘League Against Imperialism’. From 1929, he started writing for British
periodical like The Manchester Guardian and The Spectator. In 1932, he
translated some of Rabindranath Tagore’s Bengali short stories in English
with a title The Golden Boat. He received his PhD in History in 1934 and
thereafter returned to India soon. After coming back to India he married
24
Salila Mukharjee who also had a creative bent of mind and she gave her
contribution through short stories to Indian English Literature. She
became an ally in all his pursuits and endeavors. His first novel was
published in 1947 which anchored his position as a promising novelist.
He wrote five more novels in succession and all of them were equally
awe-inspiring. The Indian Government appointed him as Press Attaché
for the Indian Embassy for which he moved to Washington in 1949.
After coming back from there he spent considerable time in Nagpur and
in 1969 he left India and became a visiting professor in Hawaii. He
received ‘Universities of New Zealand prestige Award’ for his writing.
He attended seminars all over the world and visited many universities to
deliver lectures. The themes of his first five novels were based on Indian
social life. He spent a good time in the West and his last novel A Dream
in Hawaii was authored on Western land as he was working in the
University of Hawaii then. He spent the rest of his life in the U.S. where
he actively worked in the field of creative writing. On October 9, 1988 he
left this world leaving Indian English Literature at a loss.

Bhabani Bhattacharya had a talent for lively narration. His

profound understanding of the society and its being is deeply reflected in
his novels. The themes of his novels present a multicolored picture. His
attention towards the theme and technique is matched by his unwavering
attention towards his characters. He, through his novels, presents a larger
picture of life without missing its’ nitty-gritty’s. Dr. Chandrashekharan
rightly remarks:

Bhattacharya explores the various levels and dimensions of human

growth and individual freedom and projects in his works the
confrontation between the humanistic and anti-humanistic values
(Chandrashekharan, Bhabani Bhattacharya, 2).

25
 Bhattacharya was born to be a prolific writer. His interest in
writing developed at a very young age. His first literary work appeared in
form of a poem in a well known children’s magazine Mouchak and he
was rewarded when he was in his teens. Right from his childhood he had
been a keen observer and his upbringing in different parts of the country
gave him a deep understanding of people and diverse social set up. In his
interview with Dr. Sudhakar Joshi, he revealed, “unless a writer has keen
observation and an eye for noting the details of general behavior of folks,
he cannot write a social novel” (Joshi, VII). This adds depth to his
portrayal of the various facets of society.

Bhabani Bhattacharya grew in a India which was enduring a

foreign rule. As he matured he witnessed our country’s struggle for
freedom, in the hope of making a new world of its own. There were
people who were dominant and people who were powerless. The
movements for attaining Independence were on full swing and that
affected India in every sphere. That was the time when everybody had a
dream. People were craving for independence for a better tomorrow. The
social environment became the biggest inspiration for the writers of that
era. Bhattacharya being an empathetic person got affected a great deal by
the prevailing social circumstances around him. In the words of Dorothy
Shimer, “these were the forces that swirled about Bhabani Bhattacharya
as he left adolescence and reached manhood” (4). Thus the struggle for
Independence finds a prominent place in his literary work.

India was on the verge of attaining freedom from the British,

however, the impact of English had definitely rubbed off on the Indian
inhabitants. People started going abroad for further studies and English
language became a fashion. More and more writers started penning down
their stories in English. A new India was being made. It was an era of
26
gradual change. Dorothy Shimer expresses about the environment of that
time and says, “where the outer crust of life was formed of British culture
but below there was the culture of the natives” (3). Both the cultures were
beginning to intermingle. Our Indian society and social conditions
became Bhattacharya’s muse. His scrutiny of the changing society and
stagnant social norms helped him adopt an understanding that made him a
great social novelist. His novels are a real reflection of the society and its
being and all of them bring forth a social idea. In his interview with Dr.
Sudhakar Joshi, he opines:

I hold that a novel must have a social purpose. It must place before the
reader something from the society's point of view. Art is not
necessarily for art's sake. Purposeless art and literature which is much
in vogue does not appear to me a sound judgment (VII).

Bhabani Bhattacharya got influenced by many writers and noble

people but his greatest motivation that launched his literary career as a
novelist was the social condition of India. The pitiable social conditions
of Bengal due to famine and poverty touched Bhattacharya’s heart and
shook his mind intensely. He shared his feelings in an interview with Dr.
Ramesh Srivastava:

My creative writing had its true genesis in the hunger-hit streets of

Calcutta where the great famine raged. I had an intense need of release
from the agony of traumatic experience. Apparent trivia like a pair of
dying eyes wide-open and unblinking in misery-filled sockets could be
immensely persuasive. So far, I had been writing from my cozy perch
in the ivory tower. Now I was tormented by the need to be down-to-
earth. Here was a watershed in the region of my writing career
(Srivastava, Bhattacharya at Work: An Interview, 220).

27
In the Bengal famine millions of people died and those who survived
lived a life of misery amidst the scarcity even for the basic needs of life.
Their misery touched Bhattacharya deeply and forced him to express his
feelings through his writing.

The social, economic and political conditions became the theme of

his novels. The description of World War II and its effect on the economy
of the country is also shown in the novel So Many Hungers. The
movements for freedom, the traumatic famine of Bengal, scarcity of food,
evil of hoarding, the divide between rich and the poor, caste clashes,
conflict between contrary ideas and so many other ongoing issues
tormenting the nation, captivated his attention. Through his writing
Bhattacharya seems to be reinforcing the need for a better tomorrow that
is free from petty selfish individual motives and that thrives in the
happiness of all. In his journey from a literature lover to an ardent
novelist the social conditions of contemporary India provided
Bhattacharya a vision and his intense study of literature provided him
creative dexterity.

As a young student the plays of Henrick Ibsen, William

Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw moved him greatly. He was also inspired
by writers like Walt Whitman, John Dos Passos and Upton Sinclair but
most importantly, Tagore’s delightful charm stirred the deepest layers of
his mind. Tagore’s influence on him is reflected in his own words:

I think my real intellectual awakening came when I was a freshman at

the University. For the first time I discovered Tagore…. Also about the
time, I began to delve deeper in English Literature… (Srivastava, 223).

Like Tagore, Bhabani Bhattacharya has also delved deep in the

social issues concerning human life and has portrayed them in his novels.

28
He translated Tagore’s writings in English. He agreed to Tagore’s
viewpoint and which is visibly seen in his novels. His visit to
Shantiniketan developed close association between him and Tagore. This
association inspired him to hone his artistic skills. He too depicts the
amalgamation of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern. In
his novel Shadow from Laddakh, he has even mentioned Tagore’s book
Attainment and also his philosophies. Though he got inspired by many
foreign writers, Tagore became his ideal. He says, “If Tagore’s magic
spell is excluded, I think I have been more influenced by the Western
writers than Indian” (Srivastava, 223). Tagore’s ideals resonate in his
characters and their approach to life.

The other great influence on him was of the ‘Father of the Nation’,
Mahatma Gandhi. He was deeply impressed by Mahatma Gandhi’s idea
about freedom of mind. Gandhi felt that a mind free from petty beliefs
has the power to orient people towards thinking in the same direction and
having the same perspective on diverse issues. He was charismatic and
had the power to change human heart for better. His empathy for the less
privileged ones and his fortitude to elevate them from their misery
touched the hearts of many. He was a man of supreme intelligence and
possessed a golden heart. Bhattacharya’s fondness for Gandhi is revealed
in the treatment of his novels. Gandhi’s ideas and beliefs seem to
dominate his novels or at least one of his characters in his novels. The
movements led by Mahatma Gandhi like The Civil Disobedience
Movement and the Quit India Movement have been discussed
prominently. In his first novel So Many Hungers, he expresses Mahatma
Gandhi’s ideals through the character of Devata. In A Goddess Named
Gold, Gandhi’s ideals like “you cannot fight malice with malice”
(Bhattacharya, Goddess Named Gold) 62 and “to wipe every tear from

29
every eye” (75), are expressed beautifully through Minstrel’s character.
In Shadow from Laddakh, the village Gandhigram follows Gandhi’s
ideals scrupulously. In He Who Rides a Tiger, he gives a deep insight on
the deep divide between the low and the high caste. Bhattacharya through
his novels, tried to enlighten both the sections of the society, the rich and
poor. He coaxed the rich to develop sympathy and the poor to develop
assertiveness. Yet somehow Bhattacharya seems to differ in his opinion
with Gandhi’s idea of asceticism. In Shadow from Laddakh he clearly
presents a picture of a person who has hardened himself to become an
ascetic who later realizes that sometimes the self imposed clutches need
to be broken. Bhattacharya seems to believe that a fine balance between
the ideal and the real can make human life meaningful.

Bhabani Bhattacharya’s enormous talent as a novelist is irrefutable.

His novels under one central idea cover many sub themes. Each of his
novels is like a multicolored portrait of the real face of society. The
characters in his novels are etched so beautifully that they let the readers
connect with them instantly. Bhabani Bhattacharya’s female characters
hold a very prominent place in his novels. They are either the protagonist
or they are close to the protagonist. The characters like Suruchi, Mohini,
Devyani, Meera, Chandralekha and Kajoli are the real face of Indian
woman. The female characters of Bhattacharya have great substance; they
are feminine and they hold strong will power. He portrays female
characters packed with vivacity, charm, magnetism and endowed with
wit, benevolence and endurance. This inspiration seems to have come
from his own personal companion, his wife, Salila Mukharjee. Bhabani
Bhattacharya has often admitted that Salila had been his friend and a
support in all his endeavors. She has inspired the novelist to craft great
literary work. Jayadev’s Maitreyi in Music for Mohini appears to be

30
inspired by Salila. In his letter to Dr. Malta Grover, Bhattacharya said
“my wife has been very helpful in my creative endeavours. She has read
all drafts of my novels, made suggestions, typed the manuscripts”
(Bhabani Bhattacharya as a Novelist of Social Conscience, 145). The
reflection of Salila can be witnessed in Bhattacharya’s female characters.

In his novels the female characters of Bhattacharya stand firmly

beside their partners in all thick and thin. In Shadow from Laddakh,
Suruchi has been presented as a woman of great fortitude. She doesn’t
hold the same beliefs as Satyajit yet she never comes between him and
his endeavours and helps him to realize his dreams. Similarly in Music
for Mohini, Mohini indulges in learning philosophy just for Jayadev’s
sake. In the process of trying to become Jayadev’s Maiteryi she
completely puts her own personal wishes on a backburner. In Indian
culture a wife has to play many roles. She has to always stand beside her
husband to love him, comfort him and support him. Bhabani
Bhattacharya gives great credit to his wife who supported him in his
journey of becoming a great writer. Cromwell Crawford writes about her

she has chosen to use her considerable talents to collaborate with

Bhabani in the creation of his fictional world, touching each idea with
a glow. An intense lady, you can feel the vibrations of her mind and
soul as each novel rises to a high intensity of artistic performance. The
intensity may be caught in matter of style, situation, character,
emotional tone, or ideas (Bhabani Bhattacharya: A Meditating Man,
18).

Salila’s warmth, kindness and intelligence can be felt in the female

characters of Bhattacharya’s novels.

31
 His experience of the foreign land and the exposure he got there
also influenced his writing. His extensive travels to attend seminars and
deliver lectures all over the world introduced him to many people and to
the Western ideas. During his Masters degree and Ph.D. in London he
met Professors and scholars and also worked for British Journals. This
was the time when he started to understand Western ideas. “writers such
as Dos Passos, John Steinbeck, Sinclair Lewis and Upton Sinclair, who
equally appealed to Bhattacharya and influenced his artistic vision.”
(Grover, 13). He started correlating the Eastern and Western ideas which
he has portrayed in his novel A Dream in Hawaii.

Bhabani Bhattacharya in the thirty years of his literary career wrote

six novels and a collection of short stories. So Many Hungers (1947),
Music for Mohini (1952), He Who Rides a Tiger (1955), A Goddess
Named Gold (1960), Shadow from Laddakh (1966), A Dream in Hawaii
(1978) and Steel Hawk and other stories, complete his work.

His First novel, So Many Hungers, is an outcome of his heartfelt

agony for the poor and the struggling famine incapacitated gentry of
Bengal. The novel fairly presents both the browbeaten and the tormenter.
The dual hunger, for food and freedom, chiefly forms the central theme of
the novel. The agonizing portrayal of the Bengal famine often leaves the
reader with a heavy heart. Along with the tear-jerking descriptions of
grief-stricken lives of the subjugated ones the novel is also an account of
throbbing emotions in the hearts of millions desperate for freedom from
their prolonged pain. So Many Hungers presents a picture of individuals
having varied hungers and also how one’s hunger affects the other.

Music for Mohini is a story of transition from one outlook to the

other. It narrates the efforts required to bridge the gap between tradition

32
and modernity. It presents the turmoil between two different beliefs and
lifestyles. Through various important characters the writer has
impeccably shown the effort that goes behind making adaptations in
one’s life and has also emphasized on the utmost need for adjustment as a
principal values.

He Who Rides a Tiger deals with the deep-rooted caste conflict in

the society. The society’s attitude towards the lowborn and the subjugated
ones in the contemporary period is very well reflected in the novel. It is a
journey of a simple man avenging the society for its oppression of the
poor and lowborn. It presents an individuals’ quest for identity and his
painstaking efforts for marking his existence in the society.

A Goddess Named Gold is a story of the endeavours of common

man to achieve economic freedom. The novel emphasizes on the need of
values like faith, kindness, fearlessness, unity and goodness of heart. It
throws light on the real meaning of freedom going beyond the obvious
literal meaning of the word.

Shadow from Laddakh, an award winning novel, presents the

conflict of different ideologies and affirms the need for amalgamation of
the two to create a balance. The novel presents an inner turmoil of an
enlightened mind looking for freedom from societal precincts in a
moralistic world.

A Dream in Hawaii unlike Bhabani Bhattacharya’s other novels is set on

two different lands. It talks of the Eastern and Western philosophies and
shows that in order to make life easy both the philosophies should be
nicely blended. Our life can be content when we can strike a fine balance

33
between the ideal and the real is the message that the novel clearly
conveys.

Bhabani Bhattacharya’s novels give him a distinct identity among

the novelists of his time. They are well-liked by readers all over the
world. He is the only Indo-Anglian writer whose work has been translated
into over more than fourteen foreign languages. His novels aren’t didactic
yet they beautifully edify us the right way of life. The variety in his
novels provides the readers with many well-blended flavors of the same
cuisine. His novels irrespective of the gruesome discussion held by them,
keep the optimism alive in the reader. His enduring characters and the
indomitable spirit they hold, motivates us towards doing good deeds in
life. The themes of his novels clearly show the humanitarian side of him
and show the urge he holds for a better society. His idea of the
amalgamation of the old and the new without a doubt holds the nerves of
his novels. The novelist, through all his novels, has conveyed the need for
bridging the gap between two societies and the two social strata. Dr.
Chandrashekharan rightly points out:

With his progressive ideas and his vision of a glorious future he has
also great admiration for the spiritual and cultural heritage of our
country. Like the great men whom he admired, particularly Tagore and
Gandhi, he is also a builder of bridges between the present and the past
(8).

Bhabani Bhattacharya’s journey as a writer began as a young boy

writing poems and couplets. As he grew he indulged himself in worthy
translation works and his voyage as a novelist began with his idea of
serving the society through his writing. His novels are magnificent piece
of art portraying several colors of society in the same canvass. His
familiarity with History, his towering literary skills, his inspiration from

34
the lives and ideals of Tagore and Gandhi and his empathy with the
underprivileged and the subjugated made him a great social writer. He
will always remain alive in his magnificent literary work inspiring
generations and rousing the thoughts of his readers with the artistic
portrayal of his times.

35
 Works Cited

Bhattacharya, Bhabani. A Goddess Named Gold. Delhi: Orient

Paperback. 1960. Print.

Chandrasekharan, K. R. Bhabani Bhattacharya. New Delhi: Arnold

Heinemann Pvt. Limited. 1974. Print.

Crawford, Cromwell. Bhabani Bhattacharya: A Meditating Man in

Perspectives on Bhabani Bhattacharya. ed. Srivastava, Ramesh K.
Ghaziabad: Vimal Prakashan. 1982. Print.

Grover, Malta. Bhabani Bhattacharya: As a novelist of Social

Conscience. Merrut: Shalabh Prakashan. 1991. Print.

Joshi Sudhakar, “An Evening with Bhabani,” The Sunday standard

(April 27, 1969)

Sharma, K. K. Bhabani Bhattacharya: his vision and themes. Delhi:

Abhinav Publications. 1979. Print.

Shimer, Dorothy. Bhabani Bhattacharya. Boston: Twayne Publishers.

1975. Print.

Srivastava, Ramesh K. Bhattacharya at Work: An Interview in

Perspectives on Bhabani Bhattacharya, ed. Ramesh K. Srivastava.
Ghaziabad: Vimal Prakashan. 1982. Print.

36
 Chapter 3

Famine resulting

in

Hunger and Casteism

35
36
 FAMINE RESULTING IN HUNGER AND
CASTEISM

Bhabani Bhattacharya’s So Many Hungers, is a poignant reflection

of the true face of society in all ages. It talks about life of an individual
and a society and provides a fair understanding of both. The novel
appears to be an outcome of an insightful observation of hunger, i.e. the
hunger for food and hunger for freedom. The whole story revolves around
the two hungers and primarily focuses on hunger, slavery and freedom.
Slavery, which was not optional, hunger, which had its own ways and
meanings, and freedom, which everyone was looking for. The different
classes in the society had different interpretations of hunger. Some were
craving for a bellyful, some for political freedom, some for power and
position, and some for salacity. The story talks about a society of people
having common problems and pains and a few conscious individuals
trying to break through the clutches of social obligations. It demonstrates
an individual’s inner turmoil who desires to brawl the social evils and
solve the economic problems in the country. It talks about an individual’s
resistance, social and mental, and a conscious that leads him to the right
path. It is a reflection of change which is at a stone’s throw yet
unacknowledged. The novel begins with a fleet of hunger for freedom
and ends with the same; however the hunger for food supersedes it in the
story. The scene of Bengal famine is horrifying and is elaborately
portrayed. The novel has succeeded in striking a magnificent balance
between the soul stirring narration of hunger and poverty and awe
inspiring depiction of perseverance and endurance through its central
characters.

37
 The story deals with two individuals, belonging to different worlds,
and a couple of important characters around them. The two characters are
Rahoul Basu, a city lad, representing modern, sophisticated culture with
modern values and educated surrounding and Kajoli, a peasant girl
representing old values, high ethics and humble living of a village.

Rahoul’s family, representing the rich society, lives in Calcutta

city. The eldest member in the house is Rahoul’s father, Samarendra Basu
who is a lawyer and a business man. Rahoul’s mother, his wife Monju,
brother Kunal and daughter Khuku are other characters. A very important
member of this family is Rahoul’s grandfather Devesh Basu, who lives in
a village named Baruni. Kajoli’s family in which she has her mother,
father, brother’s, Kanu and Onu, also lives here. Devesh Basu acts as a
bridge between the two ends.

Devesh Basu is a man of high ethics and principles. He whole

heartedly believes in Gandhian views and follows the path shown by
Mahatma Gandhi. He has selfless motives of sustaining peace and
attaining freedom. People from Baruni look up to him and call him
Devata (Deity) out of immense respect. He is a fatherly figure, a role
model and a true leader for the people in Baruni and he too considers
them as his kins. People love Devata as they know that he is genuine,
selfless and a true philanthropist.

Rahoul’s father Samarendra Basu is opposite to his father Devesh

Basu in nature and needs. His priorities are clearly materialistic. His
childhood has been devoid of luxury and comfort so he wants all the
luxuries now. He wants to grow richer and richer unlike his father who
has given up all his luxuries and comforts to serve his country.
Samarendra Basu is a realist and sees the war as an opportunity to grow

38
his business and mint money. Nothing else concerns him. He thought:
“Gold bar or Steele shares- which shall I buy?…Steele will rise steeply so
will gold- which to choose? The chance of a lifetime” (8). Rahoul loves
his grandfather and relates more with him than with his father. He doesn’t
like his father’s ideology. He thinks: “That mind was unshaken as ever,
insensitive. Sunk in slavery, it only thought of the war as a rare chance to
reap a harvest of Gold. Devata to have such a son! The bitter irony!” (41).

Even on the birth of his grandchild Khuku, Samarendra decides to

first call his stock broker and then see Khuku. Such was his hunger for
money. He is a true opportunist and his greed has no end. Rahoul’s
contempt is reflected in his words, “Why, at a moment like this with a
great war on and a lovely grandchild born, you have to be a Nepoleon of
finance” (9).

Rahoul is an idealist like his grandfather and full of patriotic

vehemence. Inspite of being a known scientist, a Cambridge D.Sc, and a
rich man, he has a heart of a social servant. He is a humanitarian and
wants to serve the society towards making it a better place for everyone
to live. However his social and professional compulsions restrain his
progress on his true journey. This turmoil of the inner and the outer world
often makes him restless. “But he, Rahoul, holding inside him a weighing
machine for the finer values, felt the same swift urge to take an active
part in the democracy’s war against fascist aggression” (4). His thoughts
keep on flipping between his social life and his desire. Even Kunal is
aware of his mental state and wavering mind. He consoled him by saying,
“You will be all right, dada. No you can’t join up. Anyhow, sister won’t
let you” (6).

39
 Even when he goes to the Great Eastern for dinner and dance with
Monju, he still couldn’t help his wandering mind. The commotion going
on inside him could be understood from his flipping thoughts:

While his feet moved, he was not dancing on the polished floor with a
lovely woman in his arms, but stood a lone prisoner at the bar and he,
the accused, was the accuser: there are elemental urges for freedom
and food and security which are moving vast masses of people…Later,
at the table, braised duck in his mouth, a thought crept into his mind:
what sort of food had convicts to eat? And he fled from that thought
and ate his duck (68).

Rahoul’s has been influenced by his grandfather to a great extent.

As a student, he participated in the National movement under his
grandfather’s guidance and his heart lies in serving the country and
countrymen. But now being a scientist and a professor in a university he
doesn’t find an outlet for his feelings and often grows restless.

The other characters around Rahoul are not as idealistic as he or his

grandfather. He tells his mother about the war and she decides to buy
household goods well in advance to stock them. It is common in the time
of war that prices of commodities skyrocket. This serves as a chance for
the grocers and the zamindars to take advantage of the common man.
Rahoul’s mother is a lady of traditional ideas and her whole life revolves
around seeking the best for her family. As soon as she heard about war
she said:

War? It has started, then? Why, we must buy rice and mustard oil, a
half year’s supply, before the grocer has inkling. Prices will touch the
sky...Sugar too. Clothing .I must get white English drill for father and
you two boys. And tinned butter, tinned fish (2).

Rahoul’s younger brother Kunal decides to join the Army.

However his purpose is not entirely patriotic. Kunal is young and
adventurous. He wants to see the world during the war and is not driven
by any idealism or patriotic instinct. Unlike Rahoul, he is a realist. In

40
Rahoul’s words, “Kunal, with his practical mind, had sprung into
decision, untroubled by theories of right and wrong. The war would be a
great adventure. The aims of the war did not count” (5). He is quick in his
decisions and firm too. He decides to join the Army and he does so. He
leaves for the war front and is later reported to be missing.

Rahoul’s wife Monju is a traditional Hindu woman. Monju loves

Rahoul dearly and has adopted his culture and taken to western dancing
to please him. Whenever Rahoul discusses his feelings about war and
seeks Monju’s advice she opposes him and exhorts him to recognize the
great scientist in him. She is practical and full of understanding, but she
gets worried for him looking at his restlessness and inclination to join the
war. She has a fair understanding of human psyche. This is shown in her
opinion about Rahoul’s grandfather.

Grandfather. An eccentric. He had odd ideas. Ever since he retired

from his work as a teacher at a city school, he had lived by himself in a
village, not far from the sea, he had lived like one of the peasant
folk.....Gone to prison. (20)

She also understands his father quite well and makes a very practical
comparison of him with Rahoul’s grandfather:

Father was wise, practical, unlike the aged one with queer ideas. Over
70, and living a hard life all by himself, remote from his kin, with no
one to hand him a glass of milk if he ever fell ill. (20)

So she is full of understanding and mature, has tantrums and mood

swings, and she is both traditional and modern in her outlook. She is like
any other woman who expects to live a peaceful life with her family
without any challenges.

As the war began there was storm in the share market. Market
became very volatile. Samarendra Basu had been keeping an eye on all

41
this. On the other hand, Rahoul, unconcerned with all this decided to
meet his grandfather to seek internal calm and peace.

Devesh Basu (Devata), who is a selfless patriot, has led civil

disobedience movement from Baruni and has also gone to jail. Rahoul’s
heart swells with pride to see the overwhelming love and affection the
village people shower upon Devata. The two of them talk about war, the
hungry masses, the poor peasants, the insensitive zamindars and the
freedom movement. Devesh Basu introduces Rahoul to Kajoli’s family
which is the first encounter of the two societies, and the two major plots
of the story. Rahoul is glad to meet Kajoli and her family. Their warm
welcome and traditional ways touch his heart. He is able to feel the true
spirit of the village and its villagers.

Samarendra Basu is highly calculative and a man with swift

decision making abilities. He could see an opportunity in the most trivial
of things which make him a good businessman. The idea of Bengal rice
limited flashed in his mind when he saw a man begging for rice:

A grain of rice, father, only a grain. Samarendra offered him a copper,

but the white haired one shook his head with: ‘What good is that,
father? The goodness is gone from the copper bit, it is an empty shrine.
The Goddess lives no one save in a rice grain (53).

The economic crisis is clearly reflected in the old person’s plea as the
value of money has clearly depreciated and food grain has become much
more valuable due to the inflation in food prices. This idea of Bengal rice
limited which he got from the plight of a beggar did not help the beggar
as such, but instead resulted in creating many more such beggars hungry
for a morsel of food.

Rahoul was totally into the political movement but his involvement
was in a passive manner. He was well informed about all the

42
developments in the war. In research lab, Prokash his student is his fellow
in discussing these matters. Prokash is a hardworking and sincere boy and
devotes all his time to research. However he had been involved in a
political movement earlier. Now he being the only earning member of his
family devotes all his time to his work. Prokash also inspires Rahoul as
he is fearless and truthful. He has amazing mental clarity. Rahoul
somewhere deep in his heart wants to be like Prokash and wield such
fearlessness. When Rahoul asks him for his view on going to jail he
responds:

Otherwise, sir, … ‘when my time is up I shall not fear to go the way

after all we are all in a prison the four hundred million of us. What
matter if a few hundred thousand have to be in a prison within a prison
(62)?

In the village Baruni the rulers of Bengal were seizing the fishing
boats. In return they were compensating the fishermen but that
compensation was no good to them as it was taking away their means of
livelihood from them. The fishermen were being threatened that their
boats would be captured by Japanese troops and they would not get a
single penny in return. It was a plot by the officials and the government
against the poor masses and for their own selfish interests. Kanu’s
explanation of the situation expresses it correctly:

You fisher have boats, each household has one. And there is the river
a-swell with fish. A fellow, Armed like a rogue, comes and grabs your
boats, all. Then he alone can get the fish, no other but he, for your tools
of trade are lost. The fellow speaks to you then, as though out of his
heart’s goodness: ‘Folk, you catch the fish for me, and out of every ten
you’ll get one.’ You are helpless, you reach out your hands for the
mercy. The boat is yours, yet not yours; the labor is yours, but not
yours; the river is the good mother of all, yet only your stepmother; the
fish is god’s free food for all, yet for every fish caught nine go to the
big man and you get one, and for twenty fisher folk, each with one fish
in his basket, the big man has nine times twenty. You see the trick
(74)?

43
 The government was forcing them to sell their grains as well and
this was being imposed across all villages. Under Devata’s guidance
people started a freedom movement in Baruni. He inspired enthusiasm
and patriotism in them and all of them bowed in front of the tricolor.
Personal life and self interest took a back seat and the spirit of patriotism
and fervor to fight for freedom took over. Devata got arrested during the
movement and the policemen in their rage also fired shots at the flag
repeatedly. This was enough for the people to lose their temper and as
revenge they set the old Dak Ghar (Post office) on fire. As a consequence
few more of them including Kanu got arrested. People were totally
disheartened at Devata’s arrest.

Each new day brought with itself a bigger challenge for the poor
villagers. Kajoli and Onu started working tirelessly in their fields. The
lands were mortgaged and the zamindars dues were to be paid. The
grocer and other agents were giving sweet temptations and pressurizing
people to sell their grains, however Kajoli’s family was intent on saving
their grains for the tougher times ahead.

Kajoli saw a young boy at home after she came from the fields. He
was Kishore, a fellow prisoner of her father. He had brought a letter from
Kajoli’s father in which he mentioned that he approves Kishore as
Kajoli’s husband. It was a new phase in Kajoli’s life. They married and
their love was able to overcome all their problems and pains. It was truly
the best time in her life. Then she got pregnant and Kishore felt the need
of going to the city to find work, as he had to bear all the responsibilities.
Kishore started his journey to Calcutta. But their life took a cruel turn.
Kishore was shot dead by the armed guards and their union turned out to
be short lived.

44
 Kajoli unaware of Kishore’s death works hard in the fields and at
home. She has to take care of herself as she is pregnant and is responsible
towards her family too. But her misery doesn’t seem to end as Mangala,
the cow and a colony of ants ate her vegetable patches. Melancholy filled
her heart when she saw her effort in ruins but she wasn’t angry as she
knew that the famine is not confined to human beings..It’s affecting the
other creatures too. Her family has to now depend on figs to fight
starvation. Little Onu used to climb high on the trees for figs. Mother
once took Mangala, the cow, to distant pastures so that she can feed her
properly. While coming back she witnessed a dreadful incident. A young
mother was burying her infant alive in the ground. Mother was shocked
to see this. She managed to rescue the baby in time. Hearing the woman’s
story of hunger and despondency, she gave her cow to her. When she
came back she saw a woman at her house. That woman was a harlot. She
had been keeping an evil eye on Kajoli and was there to entice her for
whoredom.

The brothel business was booming. The rich were getting richer
and the poor, poorer. Females had to sell themselves in order to save
them from starving and these petty agents were taking full advantage of
the circumstances. Kajoli’s mother rebuffed the woman and showed her
the way out. They could die hungry but not sell their values. Then after
some days the last thing of the house, the conch was also sold and they
had to leave their shelter and had to live as destitute. They used to walk
endlessly for hours through the day on an empty belly and sleep on the
streets in the dark nights. Tired of continuous walking through the day
night also did not bring any relief as the fear of creepy insects and wild
animals frightened them constantly. They thought, “What if the animals
sniffed at them with their snouts, bit them as they slept? What if the red

45
ants came? And creepy things- scorpions, snakes” (190)? They were
weak physically as they had nothing to eat and the terrible sights haunted
them mentally. Kajoli had one such terrible encounter where she saw a
jackal eating a woman who was alive.

As time passed, their condition started deteriorating. They had to

depend on the food eaten by birds. Once Kajoli met a soldier on the way
and begged him for food. He was kind and gave her bread however lust
overtook him and he tried to rape her. She cried of pain, as she had a
miscarriage. The soldier got terrified to see the blood and took to his
heels. When he met Onu, he found that the little boy was looking for his
sister and he realized his mistake and regretted it. He got Kajoli admitted
to a big hospital. That was another comfortable phase for he, however,
Onu and Mother still lived a tough life. The destitute were living in a
deplorable state in the city. They had to find food in the dustbins and
even fight for it. A fellow destitute told Mother, “Here in the city we are
less well-off than the pariah dogs.’ (219). There were a few free kitchens
but they weren’t enough for the millions of them. Mother got
disheartened. She had thought that the great city will put an end to their
miseries but her hopeless expectancy left her baffled and distressed.

Rahoul and Monju were running one such free kitchen in the city.
Monju was helping her husband in his pursuit. Once Rahoul brought a
pregnant woman home who was in a miserable state. He tried all possible
means to save her but his efforts went in vain and she died. That was a
moment of realization for Monju. Monju could acknowledge the
goodness in Rahoul’s heart. Rahoul and Monju take Samarendra’s
financial help for pursuing this. Samarendra was doing well in his
business but was not content. He was envious of Sir Lakshminath, a
renowned personality and a senior partner in Bengal Rice Limited.

46
Lakshminath was a smart businessman, a sweet talker and had
acquaintance with the government officials. But he was full of lust. He
represented the class of well-off people who are womanizers. People
knew his character but never dare to speak against him and he was
unabashed. He had sex with a girl, who called him father and begged for
food. In order to satisfy his own hunger of lust, he paid her but took
advantage of her pitiful situation. His mental filth shows up in his
statement:

Brothels have become big business… Conditions have never been so

favourable. There is a fine balance between demand and supply in the
line-both have gained greatly from this war… No better investment in
the whole money market (241).

This is how the situation was in the city and people like him were
fanning the flames. Kajoli got the real feel of the city when she got
discharged from the hospital and met her family. In Mother’s words, “We
live worse than cattle. The rich men of the city look upon us as pest, as
vermin” (243).

They live in an alley where many other destitutes live. A woman

nearby, pretends to be helping them but her filthy mind was weaving
plans of taking Kajoli to brothel. After some time Kajoli could not see her
mother’s poor condition and with heavy heart, decided to sell her body.
And on the other hand the mother, unaware of all this, puts her life to an
end. Kajoli while going to the brothel heard the newspaper vendor
announcing Devesh Basu’s hunger strike in the prison. His words charge
Kajoli up and she calls off her decision. She decides to walk on Devesh
Basu’s Path and tells the Betel woman that she will return her money. She
buys three bundles of newspapers and starts selling them. Rahoul too was
under arrest for participating in the national movement. “His mind was
without hate, without anger, in a nirvana of passionlessness” (281).

47
 He was at peace with himself now but sad deep inside his heart. He
had seen people dying and knew many more would join them soon. He
knew for attaining freedom millions will have to struggle with selfless
passion and true spirit and bring the change which was now at the
doorstep. Soon the dark night will pass and the sun shall shine on
everyone. In his contemplation while going to jail;

Freedom could not drop from the skies, nor be asked from lands
beyond the seas, but there is the vast swamp of suffering and struggle
would it break bloom, growing out of the seeds of the spirit (288).

Bhabani Bhattacharya’s So Many Hungers throws light on the

consequences of a man made calamity. The story starts with tempered
reflection of hunger and poverty and progresses further with the events of
Bengal famine and shows how things worsened due to greedy human
actions. K. S. Iyenger remarks:

no doubt an impeachment of man's inhumanity to man, but it is also a

dramatic study of a set of human beings caught in a unique and tragic
predicament. The story has been effectively told and the tragic pathos
of the real mass starvation described in the guise of fiction, moves the
reader deeply. The novel describes a factual and vivid account of one
of the most shocking disasters in history (Iyenger, 52).

On one hand, it talks about inhumanity, for how the blessed ones
close their doors for the deprived in the time of need, on the other, It talks
about greed for how someone’s misfortune is put to use for self
advancement. It talks about lust for how blind one becomes that he sees
an ample bosom but not an empty belly. It talks about shallowness for no
matter what’s inside a person, at the outside he pretends to be content. It
talks about hypocrisy, for how people harbor ill feelings in their heart for
the same person to whom they are very kind and gentle on the outside.
And On the other, it talks about principles and shows that they are not
compromised for any temptation. It talks about empathy as to how people

48
forget their own misery in the greater sorrow of others. And it talks about
love, for country, for freedom, for family, that keeps the spirit soaring.

So Many Hungers along with its treatment of social, economic and

political issues, shows the difference of mental outlook and thought
process among people. Kunal, Rahoul and Samarendra Basu, the three
males of the same family are entirely different from each other. Where
for Rahoul, war should bring a revolution and give rise to a new epoch of
world peace, happiness and equality, Samarendra Basu sees it as an
opportunity for making money from the crashed stock market. And Kunal
sees it as a chance to travel the world and an avenue to follow his passion.

The main theme of the novel is hunger for food. The novel clearly
shows the helplessness of peasants. Their hard labor provides them with
food only enough to fill their bellies. They don’t have a future but only
the present to live for. Even their children have lost their childhood
working tirelessly in the fields. In grandfather’s words:

‘About a quarter of them hold land on lease from the zamindars.

Another quarter are landless kisans, peasant laborers, who work for
their more fortunate brethren, planting the rice and reaping the harvest
for a day wage and meals. A good many are fisherfolk. Life centers on
riceland and river’... ‘On the petty income the landed peasant can have
just enough of his own rice to eat, no reserve for lean days. And the
kisans- they must always be hungry save for a spell or two or three
months in the year, when they earn meals and a wage for fieldwork.
The hundred million kisans of India must always be hungry’ (30-31).

The poor peasants who toil day and night in the fields could not
even enjoy the full rewards of their hard work. The whole system was
working against them and they were being exploited to the hilt, they
knew, “The peasantry was not in their eye a living mass; it was like a
tract of coal field out of which you hewed coal for profit and more profit,
mindless of its exhaustion”(32).

49
 Traders have resorted to hoarding to make easy profit in all eras. In
So Many Hungers, Bhabani Bhattacharya through Samarendra and his
partners of Bengal rice limited has shown how this practice of hoarding is
used to make opportunistic gains. Fully aware of the impending crisis due
to the war they collected rice grains from villagers and stored them to sell
them at exorbitant prices later. Even though the farmers received a fair
price for their grains, they failed to realize that later, in the time of need
they would not be able to purchase their own grains because of the
inflated prices then. The government also did not have a price control
mechanism in place and in times of war it could not be heeded. Even
some visionaries like Devesh Basu who understand the situation quite
well themselves are not able to convince people from falling into the trap
laid by the greedy government and traders. Dr. Chandrashekharan opines:

The sad tale of Kajoli is likewise a pathetic record of what had

happened to more than two million men and women who became
victims of a famine which was not an act of God, but which was
brought about by the rapacity and selfishness of profiteers and the
indifference of an alien Government (Chandrashekharan,11)

The economic oppression of the poor and downtrodden is

highlighted in the agony and despair of the poor fisher folk and peasants.
Due to their unawareness and the apathetic attitude of the government
they have to succumb to the greed of the mighty and the strong. Against
their will they had to part away with their boats, their only source of
livelihood. The uncertainty prevalent in the minds of the unaware masses
at the time of war was exploited by the greedy to fill their own coffers.
The poor condition of the innocent prisoners is reflected in these words,
“But the ignorant fishers grew grumpy not knowing what was good for
them. If the Japs came, would they pay for the boats” (73).

50
 In every strata of the society greed and disconcert for the others
became rampant. No opportunity of taking advantage of other’s misery
and helplessness was missed during the times of turbulence. Economic
insecurity was the biggest driving factor as everyone was concerned only
with his own well being. Girish, the grocer who is a common man with
common hopes and dreams of a better life doesn’t hesitate to take
advantage of his own villagers for his benefit.

Then Girish had dreamed of a boat for himself. He alone would have a
boat, none else. He would command the transport of all the rice grown
in Baruni’s fields. He could pay his own rate- with no boats, how
would the peasants market their surplus grains (62).

This happened more with people like him who had little but wanted more
and more. There was so much of insecurity that people lost human
feelings like empathy and concern.

Another social problem that is reflected in the novel is lack of

education among people in that period. Educating them was a threat for
the rulers and the other rich people of the society. Education brings
awareness and due to lack of it the poor peasants were always in dark.
Devesh Basu tells Rahoul about the school that he runs in the village:

A spy has been set to watch the school. They are anxious to break it
up. Mass literacy is a danger for the rulers. It would, they know, make
the trampled ones conscious of their birthright- the right to live as
human beings (35).

The uneducated people had little knowledge of things and they

were deceived easily. All they knew was that they were hungry. They did
not clearly know the cause of the calamity that had come upon them but
they were the ones bearing the brunt of it. Had they been aware, they
would have known that the famine was a man made one. Instead they
totally resigned themselves to their fate and the decision which was

51
imposed on them by the government. Their ignorance is reflected in
following words:

But they would not rise in revolt that their stomachs could be soothed-
a selfish personal end! They would fight and die over a moral issue.
But hunger was their fate, an expiation of the sins of past life. The
peasants were manacled with their antique moral tradition. The tyrants,
rice robbers, were safe from peril because of the peasants’ tradition
(149).

The economic imbalance was deepening by every other day. The

rich were sitting on a pile of money and the poor were craving even for a
bellyful. On one hand, there were people who had enough to indulge in
luxury and, on the other, there were some who had to struggle for the
basic needs like food and shelter. One facet of economic imbalance is
explicitly expressed in the words of the Harlot who came to lure Kajoli:

There is a stream of money flowing these days, no one has seen it like
in the past thousand years, not since the Mughal times. The rich don’t
know what to do with it. – they must spend, spend with their right hand
and spend with their left. What else is money for? (177).

It is absolutely ironical that there is a group that has to sell itself for
a stomach full and another that cannot keep a track of its money. On one
hand, there are people who do not have enough money to buy rice to keep
their life going while, on the other, there are people who can buy a human
being in no time.

Another aspect of social inequality is reflected in Kishore and

Kajoli’s perception of the rich. The poor and the low born have been
treated inhumanly since ages. They have been oppressed by the rich and
the high born and have never been considered as equals. So the poor hold
no expectations from them. When Rahoul calls Kishore, bhai (Brother),
the first fleeting thought in his mind is:

52
 There in the city could he have called a millhand brother? It was easy
enough to call them brother workers when at a meeting you addressed
the mass from a platform, and there was no reality in the word then, no
true warmth. With all your keen socialist faith you had no great urge to
call an individual worker bhai. Here in the village you cast off your
intellectual snobbery without strain, you felt yourself as of one clay
with the common people of the soil. Life became truer than life’s
trappings (137).

The same thinking is reflected in Kajoli’s words, “Mother, he is a

rich man. He wouldn’t know us. They have poor memory, rich folk”
(191). Though Rahoul, as an individual, is kind hearted but the class that
he belongs to is notorious for not having sympathy and concern for
anyone especially for the poor folk. In a destitute’s words, “They won’t
let you stay on the streets. They do not like to see your faces- we are no
gay sight!” (220). “We live worse than cattle. The rich men of the city
look upon us as pest, as vermin” (243).

Corruption which is considered to be the biggest evil today was

also deep rooted in Bengal then. Everybody across all rank and file was
corrupt. Only the ones having nothing were untouched by the greed of
money. By hoarding food grains the rich left the poor peasants with
nothing but hunger and struggle for life. There was a nexus between the
various authorities of the government. They bought their material goods
from the peasants at the prevailing rate and once everything was theirs,
they started printing currency notes in large numbers. This led to severe
devaluation of the currency they had given to peasants which reduced the
buying power of the peasants to nothing. The corrupt government was
looting the peasants, the petty traders and grocers were luring them to
part with their grains and others were implanting terror in their minds.
They were being pounded from all sides:
Corruption had grown like an epidemic. Money had become a mad
hunger. Flowing in great swollen streams, it made private lakes for the
rich, who grew vastly richer. The poor grew proportionately poorer.
Never in the lands’ history had the process that made the rich richer,
the poor poorer, gained such ruthless intensity (147).

53
 Sexual exploitation is a crime beyond atonement. It is an old
practice which has been present in all the eras and exists even today. In
the novel the writer has primarily focused on the pitiable conditions of the
females as to how they unwillingly jump in the fire of sexual harassment.
The indigent ones fall in the trap of pimps. The story shows that times of
calamity and distress are the most favourable times for these sexual
predators. Lakshminath a lecherous man tells his fellow directors, “You
see, the fact is, a lot of moneyed people have a liking for these skinny
girls fresh from the countryside” (241). His moral bankruptcy is visible in
his act of having sex with a girl who called him father and begged him for
food. He gave her food but not without satisfying his own hunger. Kajoli
too had similar encounters twice. One of the pimps came to Kajoli’s
house too. The lady was all decked up and had brought food aplenty with
her. She further tried to tempt them by saying:
She will live like a princess, your girl. Such features, such beauty! they
will go crazy about her in the city, just crazy. They will lick the dust of
her feet. She will eat all her stomach and hold. She will have saris in
dozens, scores, not to speak of the jewellery- gold bangles and
bracelets and pearl necklace strings and diamonds for her ear lobes.
Look I have a sari for you too (176).

As soon as she had an inkling of her real motives Kajoli’s mother

drove the pimp out of their house. Not everyone had the courage of doing
it in the face of hunger. The second time when the Betel woman
insinuatingly tried to lure her, Kajoli made up her mind for prostitution as
her mother was dying and she needed to save her life. Prostitution had
become a necessity for young girls who wanted to make two ends meet.
Such tender delicate bodies had to become a subject of lust and desire of
those who treated them like a lifeless object to satisfy their carnal needs.
There were so many brothels in the city that even small children were
used to act as pimps. Kajoli while sitting with the Betel woman saw a

54
little boy talking to US soldiers in his broken English, ‘Hey, Jim, want me
show you virgin’… ‘Small cash, good fair virgin, too small cash’ (247).

The novel talks about a variety of hungers including hunger for

freedom, food, lust, power, position and money. However the hunger for
food overpowers all the other themes. The hunger for food in So Many
Hungers is predominantly a result of man made famine. The story shows
how greed for money among the rich left millions of people starving on
the streets. People who always earned their bread respectfully had to
come on the streets and beg. Millions of them died, neither because of
Japanese nor because of illness, but only due to hunger. K.S. Iyenger
rightly remarks, “The novelist paints the naked horror of it all with a
pitiless precision and cumulative detail” (413). In the face of hunger they
had no one to look forward to for help. Families like Kajoli’s were
struggling everyday for survival. Even the youngest member of the
family, Onu, had to risk his life for a few figs. The dismal description of
the exchange of blows for the figs among kids shows the extent of
hunger. The real traits of childhood, like innocence and kindness became
a casualty of hunger and suffering. Onu, who himself was so benevolent,
contrary to his nature, decides to hide some figs only for his family.
Hunger gave birth to evil in his sacred heart. People were so tormented
by hunger that they just ate anything irrespective of whether it was edible
or not. The peasant mother’s words show her wretchedness:
Some roots tortured the stomach and you learned to discard them; but
those that only made you uneasy, resting in your stomach like a stone
load, had to be retained in your daily fare- you couldn’t afford to pick
and choose, and it was good after all to have something inside you that
ate up your hunger for a long while. When you had to choose between
the ache of hunger and the ache of indigestion, you would often choose
the latter, so in her heart the mother knew (165).

55
 After selling every single belonging of their house, the peasants
had to move to cities in search of food. Kajoli’s family was one of them.
Their living condition was deplorable. Thousands were dying on the
streets and vultures were hovering above waiting to swoop down on their
prey which was there aplenty. The sight was dreadful:

Corpses lay by the road, huddling together. Picked to the bones,

eyeless caverns of sockets, bits of skin and flesh rotting on the nose
and chin and ribs, the skulls pecked open, only the hair uneaten –fluffy
babies’ hair, men’s hair, the waist-long hair of women (188).

The suffering due to hunger was haunting the minds of those who
were yet to die. The hope for life was getting blurred with every coming
day. The most harrowing experience which Kajoli and her Mother had
was one, when they saw a Jackal eating a woman who was alive. The
Jackal fled on seeing them, but by then it had eaten her left armpit, a part
of ribs and breast. The mother was horrified witnessing the woman:

The mother looked up and saw the vultures overhead, circling, ready to
swoop down. Heaven’s scavengers. Save from them the earth of
Bengal would be putrid with the rotting flesh of man. Fellow humans
had ceased to care for the living; how then could they care for the dead
(194)?

The situation started deteriorating with every coming day. They had to
survive on stems supposed to be eaten by birds. “There had been nothing
to eat save the stems of water lilies and the red seedberries of banyan,
food for birds” (195). Then they reached the city and found the condition
to be much worse there.

The problem remains the same even today. Hunger compels people
to leave their houses in the village and they have to live like a pest in the
cities. People live in slums, collect garbage and somehow manage to fill
their stomach. In the novel too, due to hunger, these destitute have a
similar fate. The free kitchens were very limited to feed all the urban

56
poor and most of them ended up dying a death of an insect. A destitute
told mother “Those dustbins- they are our food bowls” (222). So
millions lived in the dirt, fighting for the food they got in the dustbins.
Sometimes they even had to fight with the animals for the same.
“Destitutes and dogs in those days fought often for possession of the rich
cities ten thousand rubbish heaps in which scraps of rotting food lay
buried” (235).

As the time passed by their body started losing energy gradually.

Some died of starvation and some even after getting the food, died as they
did not have enough energy left even to eat it. The writer has given some
heart wrenching descriptions of hunger. Rahoul recalled the slow death of
a man due to hunger:

The first few days the man suffered most. He was mad with hunger.
Then he grew listless. He laid himself down. His mouth was too tired
for food and he only wanted to be left alone…. He wasted to skeleton,
using up whatever shreds of flesh he had anywhere on his
body…Rahoul recalled a shape: the man had no flesh on his
buttocks… He could not absorb water, let alone food. But he was not
yet dead. Someone had placed before him a pot of rice. The rice lay
untouched (211).

He had reached a stage where he didn’t have strength enough to eat

as hunger had eaten him. Another encounter that Rahoul had in his free
kitchen was with a man who was starving since long. The tear-jerking
description is given in following words:

A shrivel of a man came toddling at the heels of others, struggling to

keep pace with them, gasping. He saw Rahoul at the gates of the
kitchen. ‘Father, it is true? You will give us rice to eat?’...For five days
I have not eaten….Tears of joy coursed down the hollowed cheeks ...
Fate, ironic, denied him his last mouthful of rice. As the food came
into sight, ready to be served, the man shuddered with an excitement
that he could not hold. Food was being handed out. His turn soon... As
he sat watching, the bleary eyes bulged with fearsome desire, a groan
of agony broke from the thin throat, and the man slumped on his side,
dead (211-212).

57
 Hunger is the biggest enemy of mankind and makes them do things
which they would otherwise desist from. When food doesn’t reach the
belly people become cold blooded and stone hearted. When the peasant
mother saw a destitute woman burying her child alive in the ground she
was shocked to see the absence of any emotions in her. She slapped the
woman and snatched the baby from her. “The woman made no protest did
not cry out in pain, her mind was empty, as empty as her stomach (168).
Another terrible incident which shows a dead spirit of a woman who
forgets even her motherhood due to hunger:

A starving mother with a child at her breast was given food at a

kitchen. While she ate, the child died in her lap. But the mother ate on.
She finished her meal and then left with her dead child (250).

This is how hunger mocks people on their face. It desensitizes

people. Many such things happened in the land struck with famine. Some
people lost their spirit and some had to decide to sell their bodies to fill
their stomach. There could not be anything more excruciating for a
female than to sell herself. Kajoli too decided to do so. However she was
able to escape just in the nick of time. Her inner strength led her on the
right path and saved her from going into that rot. But not everyone can
fight hunger like Kajoli did. Here the writer gives the description of a
poverty stricken hungry girl who bares her body to save the lives of many
other destitute like her:

Near the military encampment white soldiers stood grouped around

young destitute girl who sat on the roadside under a lamp post, her
head bent low... A soldier moved from the group and, stepping
forward, dropped a rupee into the begging bowl in which showed a few
other silver coins. She said no word, only rose to her feet, languid,
slender of limb, no taller than Kajoli. Arms drawn folded over bosom,
she stood erect and lifted her neck revealed. Her lips curled with a
smile that was somehow no smile. Then the arms unfolded, stripping
the ragged garment from her breast … She looked ashamed. Another
rupee clinked into the bowl. The girl stared at it for a long moment,

58
 then rose once more and bared herself to the flooding light… When a
third rupee had clinked into the bowl and she stood again, the lips that
curved with a smile trembled and at the corner of each eye a big tear
glistened…The destiture girl picked up her bowl. She wiped her eyes,
gazing at the coins, lips twitching with some thought, and she rose and
started to walk towards the strand…Rahoul held his feet and saw her
stop at a cheap eating-shed, and he heard her order six-rupee worth of
flat coarse bread. Life stirred in the dim, dismal lane in the instant of
her coming. The destitute sat up, faces eager and joyous, and they cried
thinly, ‘The Mother!’…She held the basket in the crook of one arm
and started to give away the bread… (254).

She sells her body to fight with hunger and take care of many with her
hard earned money.

Along with the social and economic issues Bhabani Bhattacharya

has thrown light on the political scenario of that period. He has clearly
shown how the poor people were suppressed by all the other social strata.
They were merely puppets in the hands of government. They had their
fields, their cattle, their grains yet there was no assurance of safety. They
were being threatened in the name of external forces. The government
shrewdly was exploiting the panic in people’s minds by planting visual
images and messages through various mediums:

The pictorial posters served to illustrate the theme. They showed the
Japs committing atrocities, and one poster drove home the point with
the caption: Your property is valuable to you, isn’t it? The soil of India
is rich, isn’t it? Your wife is beautiful (84).

This strategy was being reinforced by using clandestine maneuvers

of the armed forces. This is reflected in RAF pilot Brook’s thinking who
feels miserable to be a part of this cruel stratagem:

He had seen the battle of Britain… And here he was, trying to strike
terror into the hearts of ill- fed, ill-clothed, unarmed people, as though
they belonged to an enemy country…but what if he were to be ordered
to strafe village with machinegun fire? Other pilots had, under orders,
attacked villages nearby, Brooks knew. The dirty, brutal business
(104).

59
 It also talks about the National movement and the Quit India
movement. The writer seems to be inspired by Gandhian philosophy and
has puts forth his views through Devesh Basu, “We stand or fall with our
inmost faith: ahimsa. There is violence in your thoughts: that is evil
enough. Do not make it worse by violence in action.’ (101). The massacre
and other brutal actions of the government are also intertwined with the
theme of hunger. Kishore tells Rahoul, “They shot down a boy of ten
years because he cried Mahatma Gandhi-ki jai. They beat a villager to
death before the eyes of his wife and children…” (132).

So Many Hungers is a mindful surveillance of the consequences of

Bengal famine. The novel depicts the cruel reality of the society and also
portrays fortitude through convincing characters. Even the most tragic
scenes don’t seem to be unreal and through various realistic situations the
writer has beautifully blended the social, economic and political
conditions of that period. The novel forces us to shed tears as the most
gruesome and tragic events are portrayed in detail. We are often led to
asking ourselves a question Is life worth living?, However the characters
like Devesh Basu, Kajoli and Rahoul with unfading spirit and passion,
keep driving us towards positivity and hope and which keeps one’s life
going. Dr. Singh states, “Bhattacharya attempts an appraisal of the forces
that had fought against treachery and corruption to keep the face of man
from sagging in his first novel ‘So Many Hungers’” (60).

60
 Bhabani Bhattacharya, through He Who Rides a Tiger, unfolds the
reckless mindset of the intellectual and rich class that claims a prominent
role in the society. The novel derides the society for its callous and
ruthless conduct and at the same time, presents before us the most
beautiful feelings lived and expressed through its common characters.
The feeling of immense love, devotion and compassion keeps showering
in between the hard-hitting social issues. It gives a deep insight on the
social and economic issues like poverty, hunger, prostitution, casteism
and others. The story talks about individuals tied to social obligations and
striving for their existence in the society.

He Who Rides a Tiger, with its interesting narration focuses on the

social flaws and economic issues and their impact on life in general.
Through a few vital characters and many realistic situations, Bhattacharya
has been able to beautifully knit the emotions reflecting different shades
of life. The protagonist of the story is Kalo, a black smith, who is
sedulous and sincere in his profession and responsibilities. He has a
daughter Chandralekha, the apple of his eye and his only interest in life.
Kalo lost his wife with Chandralekha's birth so he brought Chandralekha
up with utmost care and vigilance. He never let Chandralekha feel the
absence of her mother. He feels proud of Chandralekha as she is
thoughtful and mature and is Kalo's only asset. He wants to give her good
education but is skeptical about school authorities providing her
admission due to his low caste. He thought “But would the school have
her? With her looks, pretty ways and even her name, she was still a
kamar’s daughter” (5). In spite of his inferiority complex of being a
lowborn he puts in all efforts to admit Chandralekha in a convent school
and becomes successful in doing that. He wants to give her good
education and all the comforts in life. He even studied late at night when

61
Lekha was asleep, as he wanted to be able to answer all her questions. As
a father, he showers all his love and affection on her. He admires her as
an individual as she is practical, intelligent and fairly mature for her
young age. But he feels inferior due to his caste and trade. Out of concern
he accompanies Lekha to school but always comes back from half way,
as he doesn't want anyone to know that she is a smithy's daughter. He was
afraid of being scorned by the high caste people and even people of his
own class. People would say “Lo! A kamar’s daughter comes to school!”
(6). This was a common feature of Indian society at that time. The
lowborn didn’t have the right to education.

Chandralekha proved herself to be a good student. She got good

marks in exams and medals in various competitions. Lekha's performance
made Kalo proud and happy and the Ashok memorial medal, which
Lekha got in all state essay competition, gave him immeasurable joy and
contentment. It was such a bliss for him that he bought three copies of
newspaper in which Lekha's achievement was printed thinking that he
would give one to Lekha's husband when she gets married, the other he
would keep for himself and the third one as a spare copy if any of the two
was lost. His thoughts used to revolve exclusively around Lekha. Kalo
expected people from the city to pay them a visit to congratulate Lekha
on her success, as her essay had been the best among the thousands in
Bengal. But nobody came, not even his very own village folks. “No one
came. It was as though nothing had happened to Jharna town” (13). No
heed was paid to the achievement simply because Lekha was a smith
man’s daughter. Lekha dazzled the school authorities and made Kalo
proud but at the same time she became a thorn in the eyes of the so-called
highborn, religious minded people and her social group. They mocked
them by saying, “A kamar girl puts on the feathers of learning! A sparrow

62
preens as a parrot” (11). But Chandralekha continued to perform well in
her studies and didn’t pay attention to the scornful remarks made on her.

Sorrow and misery immediately followed the joyful event of

Lekha's success. The famine came as a calamity upon Bengal. The writer
has discussed about the outcome of the famine in the novel. People face
hardships due to scarcity of food. Markets were empty. People were
heartbroken. They sold their land to fill their bellies. This was the only
way left for survival. The prices were skyrocketing and the ordinary
people were paying a big price for their daily needs. The common village
folks sold their utensils, the shopkeepers sold their instruments,
workshops were shut, and the fishermen chopped their boats and sold the
wood. Common man was left with nothing but hunger. When everything
was sold unemployment pervaded. Kalo, sitting in his smithy, watches
the road expecting customers but no one comes as people around were
left with nothing to be mended other than their broken dreams and
dejected hearts.

Kalo was left with no other option than to sit at rest. His tools and
other equipments lay resting in the workshop in hope of work. Insatiable
and greedy traders from the city kept swarming like bees in villages to
take advantage of the destitute expecting household items and other
valuables in return of food items. “Twenty cartloads of household utensils
had moved out of town” (15). Pimps from brothels wandered from place
to place to take vulnerable girls to brothels. One such person visited Kalo
and insinuatingly asked him if he has something to sell, jewels or a young
daughter. Kalo could sense the evil in his voice and turned his back
towards him. The person ridiculed him and said, “The low born people
won't bend but they will crack. God has sent this mighty hunger to teach

63
the lowborn people a true lesson” (16). Kalo got to know that Lekha has
sold her bangles to the same agent. He was horrified and got really
worried about Chandralekha’s security. So he decides to visit Calcutta
city to find work. He leaves Lekha behind with an old aunt. His heart was
heavy while leaving Lekha, as he knew that she was surrounded by evil-
minded people those days. Kalo starts his journey with high expectations
of being able to earn enough to open his own smithy in a year, to build
new home, make jewelry for Chandralekha and may be find a suitable
groom for her in the city. He had a handful of rice and a bundle of clothes
when he left the village. In the train, he was starving and for a moment
his hunger overpowered him and he stole three bananas. He was caught
and the magistrate paid no mercy on him and sentenced him to three
months jail. He was ordered to toil and do hard labour in there.

In the jail, he met a couple of who were also there for minor
offences just as he was. His life in the prison was pitiable. “The other
convict labours carried a yoke on their shoulders and ground the mustard
seed by walking endlessly round and round” (33). They used to sing a
song expressing their hurt, “Eat this, the oil of our bones, eat. Take this to
fry thy fish with…that, for the egg-apple curry thou fancy… and this to
rub thyself with. Eat this, the oil of our bones, eat” (33). They used to be
hit till the time their spirit breaks down. They became companion of pain
and solitude. They had common problems and developed amity amongst
themselves. The atmosphere in the jail changed Kalo’s mindset towards
life and society. He started to relate with other criminals and understood
that most of them had common problems. Poverty and hunger compelled
them to indulge in crime. Kalo met B-10, another convict who had been a
victim of society. He developed a close friendship with B-10. B-10 had a
deep association and familiarity with suffering and he understood its

64
cause. He at a young age seemed to have seen enough in life and gave a
deep explanation on the cruel society to Kalo. His revulsion for the
society and the wish to take revenge can be heard in his words:
‘There is one road for us-for me, for you, for all of us.’ … ‘We are the
scum of the earth. The boss people scorn us because they fear us. They
hit us where it hurts badly in the pit of the belly. We’ve got to hit back’
(37).

He started to grow malice in his heart on listening to the stories of

brothels, prostitutes and rich people. B-10 told him how these places
work, how maidens are bought or stolen from their places and are forced
to jump in this fire of indignity and disgrace. Ambition of having plenty
of money and leading a comfortable life in the society can be fulfilled by
either working for woman houses or by sucking money in the name of
religion and faith. The rich people hire prostitutes for fun and the poor
sell themselves for food and other responsibilities. The rich have much
more than what they need and the poor have to fight for just about the
need for survival. B-10 showed a side of society to Kalo by telling:
Rajani works for a house of woman, … The men at the top remain
unseen. May be they are highly respected lawyers or bankers, pillars of
the society, anyway, and the houses, Rajani told me, are prospering
today as never before. New ones have been started. Maidens have been
bought from their parents, or stolen, or lured away with fair promises
(38-39).

Kalo who had great respect and liking for B-10 could not take his
words with ease. He was a man of ethics. As a craftsman, he had been the
best in Jharna and had never cheated anybody. He firmly believed in hard
work, honesty and goodness. When B-10 spilled the beans about the
hardcore reality of society and provided tricks to fool the rich people,
Kalo got perturbed. “Kalo felt unhappy. He was a man of accepted
conventions; his roots ran deep into age-old habits of mind and belief”
(41). He was not a rebel and showed the same attitude in jail. He neither

65
questioned anything nor protested. He worked hard for all three months in
jail and bore his punishment with full sincerity. He felt disgusted to hear
about the ills of society however he developed liking and respect for B-10
because of his knowledge, experience and deep understanding.

After completing his time in jail Kalo encountered the city life for
the first time and it was worse than he had expected. The big city had a
small heart and no mercy for the poor. His plans of calling Lekha to the
big city started to seem futile. He had nothing to eat let saving alone. He
desperately wanted money. Kalo lifted the corpses for living for which he
got very little amount. One day when cart man told him that he is taking
the bodies to a doctors’ house he was surprised wondering what a doctor
would do with the dead bodies when his job was to save lives. The cart
man told him that the doctor would peal the skin from the bodies and sell
the skeletons to foreign medical schools. The skeletons give good money,
told the cart man. Kalo couldn’t speak anything. The more of selfishness
and inhumanity he was witnessing, the more pessimism and disgust was
developing in him. He felt sick about people and got worried about
Chandralekha as she was far from him. His inner turmoil often left him
perplexed and led him to deep contemplation:
How long could he go this way? He would sink; sink until he was lost
in that mass of misery on the streets, until his skeleton, which had
more value than his living body, would sail across the black water to
the schools of medicine (47).

Every other day he witnessed something that bewildered and

embarrassed him. He saw merciless people all around. He saw the rich
and the poor. He identified with the nature of life. He felt that some are
worthy even after dying and others are unworthy even living. He
witnessed a death procession of a rich man and was surprised to see the

66
kind of life that differs from man to man. On one hand he saw the
procession of the rich on the other he saw the unclaimed bodies of the
destitute lying on the side of the alley. He grew terribly worried about
Lekha. He wanted money at any cost so that he could call Lekha to stay
with him. Kalo started to work as a pimp at Rajani boss' office. Kalo
often realized the meanness of the job but he had no other option than to
work in a harlot house. Lekha’s concern was killing him. He had to make
a decent living to get Lekha to the city. His only motive was to earn some
money and start an honest job. But he didn’t know that fate was playing a
cruel game with him. His heart skipped a beat one-day when he heard
deafening cries of a woman which resembled his own daughter's voice.
Earth slipped beneath his feet when he found that the girl was none other
than his own daughter Chandralekha. When he saw his daughter having
fallen prey to prostitution he was aghast. He fortunately escaped with
Lekha from that hell but the incident left him nerve-wrecked. He started
to hate the entire system. He could not bear Lekha's pain and decided to
avenge the inhuman society. He couldn’t bear this black spot on his
daughter whom he loved more than anything. The only asset of an
underprivileged is his dignity and that seemed to have been lost in Kalo’s
case. He, who had always been honest in life decided to take revenge
from the society. He recalled B-10’s words. He recalled how B-10 told
him, the importance of the white nine-stranded thread worn on the chest.
He told Kalo about the blind faith of the city folks, the rich and the poor,
on God and worship and how religion and faith can be used to befool
people. Those who trick and exploit the humble castes should be
punished for their evil deeds. He decided to fight against the cruel society
using their means and in their style. He wanted to settle accounts with
them and became determined to teach a lesson to the merciless society by
becoming a priest. He thought, “They hit us where it hurts badly. We’ve

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got to hit back. We’ve got to hit back” (77). He recalled B-10's words of
wisdom and decided to work on his ideas.

Hail Shiva! Hail Shiva! (Namo Shivaya!) chants echoed all around.
A well built Brahmin in full Brahmin attire including a yellow cloak; a
rosary on the neck and a thick nine stranded white thread was seen under
a banyan tree. The man was Kalo. News spread across from one to
another that the Brahmin has dreamt of Lord Shiva's miraculous rise from
the ground. Kalo in a yellow garb was performing an act while
Chandralekha sat beside him. After a regular interval of performing
rituals like chanting and sprinkling water on the ground the miracle
became a reality. A stone statue of Lord Shiva rose from the ground. The
crowd initially got tongue-tied but gradually recovered and shouted
Shiva! Shiva! in accord. Word went around that a temple is to be built on
the spot for the upliftment of people and to reignite their shaking faith.
They bowed down in intense excitement and thrill, as God has chosen
their land to reside. People hoped that the Almighty would mark a full
stop to their suffering and agony. A magnificent temple was constructed
with the help of heavy donations. On the day of inauguration a large
number of people starting from the rich to the destitute, the Black
Marketers' to the common villagers visited the temple. Money, Jewels,
Gold and Silver coins, food and other gifts poured from all directions to
the temple premises. Some gave for penance for the past sins, some for
the present wrongdoings and others for future endeavors. Even the poor
gave in hope of getting a good life. Kalo opted for a suitable Brahmin
name, 'Mangal Adhikari' for him and appointed another Brahmin to
perform the rituals since he knew nothing about it. To play safe he
planned to involve himself in other financial and Administrative works.

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 One of the influential persons, Motichand, came to the temple and
encountered Lekha. Thinking her to be a divine soul and spiritualist he
sought her advice on market shares. He incidentally had profit in that deal
and took responsibility for the construction of the temple. Other affluent
people formed a team of trustees to manage the administrative and other
work in the temple. Motichand and Abalabandhu were the two influential
members. Soon the temple got fame and other respected and reputed
people started visiting the temple. They used to bow down to Mangal
Adhikari's feet on which he used to feel proud. He felt ecstatic one day
when the magistrate who once imprisoned him, came and touched his
feet. He shared his joy with Chandralekha who was not very comfortable
with this disguise. She feels guilty about lying. However she supports
Kalo in everything. Kalo enjoys this new life of name, fame, money and
respect and feels obliged towards his friend B-10 whom he met in the jail.
The idea of Shiva's birth from the ground was given to him by B-10.
For some time things went smooth. Kalo started getting
comfortable with the new life though Lekha seemed to be disinterested in
most of the things around her. She somehow could never see fun and
enjoyment in the prestige and fame. Sometimes she used to long for the
simpler things of her earlier life like cooking, reading and seeing her
father mending pots. Lekha's apathy never let Mangal Adhikari sink in
Kalo. She was missing her father whom she used to involve in all her
activities.

Kalo, in spite of all his endeavors towards Brahmanism remained a

simple man and that's why, a lot of times, he could relate with the poor
people around him. He wanted to support and do well to his own people
from his own station. He was sympathetic towards Vishwanath, a
Blacksmith who came begging for food. He appointed him as a gardener

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however he could never accept him with open arms, as he was restricted
in his new image. Once he shouted at Vishwanath as he touched him by
mistake but Lekha was averse to Kalo’s behavior and she expressed her
strong disapproval. Kalo could bear anything but not Lekha’s hatred. He
became gentle to Vishwanath as he feared falling in Lekha's eyes but his
behavior towards him was capricious. He even told Lekha to maintain
distance from Vishwanath, which Lekha did not approve. Kalo kept
swinging in between his two identities. His inner soul was struggling for
a real identity. Outside he was a Brahmin, inside a simple Blacksmith. He
tried convincing Lekha that she should play her role as a goddess
wholeheartedly and should stay away from lowborn, as they were being
watched by thousands of people but he could never convince her, as he
was himself not convinced.

Vishwanath, a poor gardener respects Kalo and Lekha but he holds

no ideal ideas for God. He, as an individual has a practical, logical and
humanitarian approach. The milk for Shiva's bath that used to be drained
in the holy Ganges started disappearing. Vishwanath began to steal that
milk and distribute it among destitute children in the neighborhood. When
Mangal Adhikari got to know about it he initially rebuked Vishwanath
but later on the Kalo in him got touched by the gesture and began to
support him. Though he was worried about confronting the trustees who
in fact got furious to hear about this but he raised his voice above theirs
and was able to establish this new custom of giving milk to destitute
children. This triumph reinforced his confidence in his position and he
started to re-believe in humanity and goodness. He also felt that he had
finally got success in becoming one of the highborn and was happy to
have an upper hand.

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 Motichand started taking considerable interest in Chandralekha.
The man had married four times and was the talk of the town for this,
though he had justification for it. He was lecherous and selfish and a big
womanizer too. He tried to gain Kalo's confidence by offering to provide
an English doctor for Lekha, as she looked pale and weak. Kalo being a
loving father couldn't see Motichand's selfish motives and appreciated his
kindness instead. On the other hand B-10 was about to complete his time
in jail. Kalo, who has great respect and liking for B-10, thinks of giving
him a good share in his profit, as the idea of Shiva's birth was his. B-10
was Kalo’s fellow companion in the jail house. He, a Brahmin by caste,
renounced his Brahmin status due to the bad experiences he had in the
hypocritical social set up. He was a firm believer in equality and opposed
the caste segregation in the society. B-10 represents the intellectual and
visionary class of the society. Kalo went to pick B-10 on his release and
Lekha accompanied him, as she was impressed with B-10 after hearing so
much about him from her father. The three of them had nice time
together. Lekha was really impressed by B-10's realistic approach
towards life and people. B-10's ideologies gave new wings to Lekha's
thoughts. His thoughts towards the society reinforced her uneasiness for
her fake life. She had no zeal and exuberance left for the hollow world
she was living in. Kalo sensed that B-10 and Lekha are in love with each
other. He thought of approving B-10 as a suitable groom as he likes him
but only after making sure that he is a Brahmin. He wants B-10 to wear a
sacred thread like Brahmins. B-10 doesn't agree to it, as he has no faith in
the rituals and social customs. When he asked B-10 about his caste he
replied that he was of 'convict caste'. B-10 shared very little about him
and didn't even disclose his real name. He preferred being called Biten,
which came from B-10 only. B-10 hated to be called a Brahmin as his
sister had died because of the caste conflict in the society. His sister

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Purnima loved a boy Basav, who was sincere and was in a good job. Her
parents grew furious to know about him. Mother lamented:
The disgrace of the fourteen generations of our ancestors in heaven!...
Mother seized her by the hair, streaming down her back and dragged
her into the bedroom. She started to beat the girl, hard furious
blows…The mother abusively sneered at her Why did I rear a serpent
with the milk of my breast (165-166).

Basav’s fault was that he was not a Brahmin. He loved Purnima

dearly. He wanted to marry her and give her a good life. Purnima’s
parents wanted her to marry a Brahmin. She was married to an old
widower who had children and grandchildren. B-10 kept thinking all the
while, how Purnima was the apple of her parent’s eye and how they
suddenly turned hostile to her. After a few months news reached that
Purnima died. B-10 knew that it was not an accident. And this personal
loss had such a huge impact on him that he broke his sacred thread and
became B-10. He didn’t share this fact with Lekha and Kalo.

Chandralekha was fond of B-10 and B-10 also liked her. He

revealed his feelings to her and tried to embrace her. This intimacy had a
negative and upsetting effect on Lekha as she recalled the dreadful
experience she had in the brothel. Seeing her cold reaction and distress B-
10 was puzzled. He could not figure out the reason and left the place in a
sad state. He started to work in the garage where he had worked earlier.
In the meanwhile Kalo kept his search on for a Brahmin match for Lekha
because he wanted her to have a respectable life. Lekha started
developing hatred for the unreal life she and father were living.
Lekha didn’t appreciate Kalo's take on their new life. She wanted to be
un-clutched from this hypocritical role being played by them. She often
passed sarcastic remarks to Kalo, which used to hurt him. She was

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indifferent towards everything. She was no longer the same Lekha who
was proud of her father and had full faith in his goodness. She grew
uneasy when Kalo told her the trick of Shiva’s birth. “Clever Baba, She
said, mechanically” (86). She wanted to get out of this web. She wanted
to dismount from the tiger’s back that the two of them were riding. She
was tired of pretension. “The lies press heavy on my chest, she said” (94).
She being a conscious individual had no fear in challenging the ancient,
worn-out customs. She was thoughtful and sympathetic. She said to Kalo,
“Uncle Vishwanath gave milk to destitute babies…May be in those
starvelings he found his own dead grandchild, the three year old Meenu,
who died of starvation” (123). She is empathetic by nature and loves
children.

A ray of happiness came into her life through Obhijit. He was a

destitute boy who had been separated from his parents. Lekha got him
home and named him Obhijit, the name Kalo and his wife had thought for
Lekha's brother if there would have been one. Chandralekha was very
fond of the boy and protected him in all possible ways. She was happy,
however sometimes she used to be lost in B-10’s thoughts. She doesn't
appreciate Kalo's precondition to B-10 to be a Brahmin for marrying her.
She was hurt and was starting to lose faith in her father's goodwill.
Motichand had been keeping a bad eye on Lekha. He was greedy and a
pervert. He lost interest in all his wives and now wanted to get physical
with Lekha. He had dreams of marrying her and making her his fifth
wife. Chandralekha wanted to teach Mangal Adhikari a lesson by
marrying Motichand. She thought that marrying Motichand would be
saving Obhijit's life as Obhijit was a destitute and people had already
been talking negatively about him. A rich man like Motichand could
handle anything. She was particularly sarcastic to her father when she

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told him about her decision of marrying Motichand. They had an
argument over the same in the following manner:
How can you even think of it? He asked in anguish. That old shark
with his cast-off wives...
Chandralekha, need I tell you again what I have always wanted.
Chandralekha replied: Marry me to a Brahmin? I cannot play that
game with a person whom I am supposed to hold in respect...Is this not
what you have expected of me? Don't you see the benefits? I shall have
a rich husband. You will be safe with your temple…I shall enjoy that
last scene of the temple play before I move on to the next act (231-
232).

This decision of Lekha was enough to stir up Kalo from his

slumber. Lekha was his only hope in life and he realized that his fake life
would destroy Lekha's real life. His hypocrisy would ruin her life forever.
He could look beyond the present and feel that the repercussions of his
obstinacy would be harmful for his child. He felt that he is not only
cheating the society but also his own soul and he will set his own house
on fire while trying to avenge the society. He enjoyed his power and
position but not at the cost of his child’s future. Dr. Chandrashekharan
rightly says, “Kalo experiences a moral and spiritual conflict between
love and ease, power and prestige on one side and desire to be true to
himself on the other” (Bhattacharya, 77). He had a realization that he
could never let go of the Kalo in him while playing Mangal Adhikari.

He decided to raise the curtain from this drama on the day of

Yagna, when Chandralekha was supposed to be installed as the 'Mother
of the sevenfold bliss'. On the day of Yagna, when the whole city
assembled to witness the divine mother, Kalo delivered a speech and
shocked everyone with his confession of Shiva's birth. He explained how
he placed a stone image on a tin containing two seers of grams in the
ground. As he sprinkled water on it, the grams beneath swelled and

74
pushed the stone up to the surface. His confession outraged the audience
and caused chaos amongst them.

People called him ‘The Rogue! The Shaitaan! (241). They wanted
to beat him to death. Some people, considering it a case of fraud, wanted
legal action. Sir Abalabandhu a well-known name in black market
seemed to be impressed by the clever scheme. He supported him and
called him a mastermind. This gave strength to the other lower caste
people sitting in the back row. They all started shouting in accord:
He has taught them a lesson they will hold in their bellies.
He has given them three good kicks on the buttocks for the filth they
have always thrown on us… He who has been master of the temple is
our kin, our own brother (243)

They were overjoyed with the idea that someone who was one of
them had taught a lesson to the so-called religious-minded people. Kalo
and Lekha were extremely happy to see Biten and Vishwanath. The
sound of ‘Victory to our Brother’ harmonized the surrounding. Kalo
could dismount the tiger with flying colours without getting hurt. The
conscious soul finally broke the clutches of pretense, diffidence and
social obligation and realized its place and worth in the society. The
similar description of disguised identity is found in Raju’s character in
R.K. Narayan’s The Guide, however, unlike Kalo, Raju couldn’t take off
his mask of pretense. Meenakshi Mukherjee rightly remarks, “where as
Kalo at the end throws away the mask and goes back where he began,
Raju finds it more and more difficult to tear off the mask until he finds
the mask has become his face"(The Twice Born Fiction, 119). Kalo and
Lekha with a heart filled with truth, peace and contentment left the
temple premises quietly.

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 The novelist through lifelike characters and realistic situations has
mirrored the socio-cultural and economic reflections in the novel. The
novel since its beginning shows the opinion of the highborn about the
lowborn. The society doesn’t allow them to have a life of their own. The
lowborn are not supposed to have the kind of dreams, aspirations, respect
and position in the society as the elevated ones have. They are expected
to be doomed in misery. While mending the Brahmin’s pot when Kalo
was smiling about something and he told the Brahmin that he was
thinking about something, the Brahmin bluntly commented:
‘What madness! the old Brahmin cried in horror. What business have
you to think?...I am thinking,...My woman- she is pregnant, my
woman. Her time is full... And you grin with joy! One more mouth to
feed. Mad! Mad!’ (2)

Bhattacharya has immaculately depicted the condition of the poor

and lowborn in the society of rich and highborn. The poor were not
expected to be happy even about the extraordinary joys in their life. If
they showed happiness they were rudely called mad. They too nourished
dreams of giving their children the best education and a good life. The
caste system was so deep rooted that only the high class were supposed to
have all the authorities and social rights. Education, success and fame
were the whole sole rights of the elevated ones. The poor and the
subjugated ones were not supposed to think of those even in their golden
fantasies. And if ever they did so they were mocked. In the school,
Lekha’s friends mocked her, “Smith man’s daughter, what’s your fee to
mend a leaking bucket?” (8). Even the same caste people never came to
her house on her success. Instead she became a subject of negative debate
among those people. “What if the motherless girl is dizzied by her
knowledge?” (12). The lowborn were considered animals. They were
expected to be submissive and timid and respect for them was out of

76
question. They were scorned and mocked at if they showed any sign of
dignity and self-respect. One harlot made fun of Kalo when he turned his
back to the agent’s indirect proposal to buy Lekha.

The economic disparity is the biggest divergent of the society.

Even today things haven’t changed. We can still witness destitute staying
on the roadside in pitiable condition. The writer has shown the economic
condition of that time and has portrayed how economic problems became
irrepressible due to famine. People started to starve to death. There was
severe monetary crisis. There was no food and the rigid caste system
worsened the situation. The writer gives a deep insight on the poverty
which left the poor depressed. On the other hand the city folks kept filling
their sacks with money flowing from all sides. The village folks sold their
lands in order to purchase, on augmented rates, the same that they had
produced and sold at a nominal price. “And now rice was five times the
old rate” (15). The crisis had forced the people to sell all that they had.
“Weavers sold their looms to traders from big cities who scoured the
countryside for bargains. Artisans sold their tools. Fishermen’s boats
were chopped up for firewood to sell” (15). We see a similar distressing
description in Bhattacharya’s other novel Goddess Named Gold where
one of the characters, the Old father had to give away all his assets to
repay his loan.

People are unable to find a way out of such situations which leaves
them disheartened and distressed. They live hopelessly and die
hopelessly. In the novel, after the famine hit, people howled for mercy
and aid. They aspired for the big city as they thought that the big city
would have food in abundance. The journey from hope to despair is quite
authentically described in these characters and their cry, “‘Hungry, we

77
die… Give us a few grains of food, Baba… Give us a ride to the great
city. Food enough in the city, food even for dogs and cats… Take mercy
on the dying ones, Baba, permit us to leave’” (23).

Evil pervades more in misery. Greedy people do not leave a chance

to take advantage of people’s vulnerability. Kalo who considers
Chandralekha to be his lifeline, could sense evil prevailing in the village.
Some agents from brothel were seen wandering in Jharna to take
advantage of impoverished girls. One such pimp got successful in
befooling Lekha and brought her to a brothel. Though Kalo rescued her in
the nick of time, not all girls have such good luck. New brothels were
being opened and more and more vulnerable souls were being engulfed
by this filth. Even though Kalo successfully saved Lekha he couldn’t save
her the trauma and feeling of loss.
There was no conscious joy in her at her rescue, no feeling save utter
exhaustion. All she wanted was to lie down and sleep, or die…..she
kept her eyes closed. If only she would never again have to open them
(70).

Through Lekha the writer shows the condition of millions of girls

who are forced in this marsh. These agents thrust girls in flesh-trade
against their will and ruin their life. This is an evil that is widespread.
Some do it by choice to support their family and others are forcibly
thrown in this filth. Hunger compels people to sell themselves. The
white-collared people who are mostly involved in this trade remain
undetected. The business in the cities does flourish. Girls are brought
from all over the country to be pressed in this crime. These selfish people
see female body as a source to mound money. The traumatizing
experience leaves the girls to be rotten to the core.

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 ‘Poverty is the mother of crime’. Most of the offenses are
endeavored because of scarcity and need. The circumstances force people
to get into wrongdoings and adopt incorrect ways in life. Crimes like theft
and even murder are most often a result of poverty and need. The capital
disparity was so evident that the poor were left with no other option than
dying or indulging in all kinds of misdoings. In the novel, Kalo while
going to Calcutta in train, could not bear his hunger and tried stealing
three bananas. The hunger of food let his self control go for a toss. He did
not think of the repercussions. The writer has shown how need compels
people to commit such offences. Kalo who was an honest man and had
always lived his life with dignity; allowed his hunger to overpower his
ethics. He didn’t even realize that he was doing a crime as feeding an
empty belly should not be considered a crime. The writer through these
incidences suggests the need for economic upliftment of common gentry.

The writer has also shown the ruthless and unsympathetic attitude
of the society towards the poor and the subjugated ones. The plea of a
common man for justice often goes unheard. We see a lot of cases where
the elevated ones in the society get privilege on the rights of common
man. When Kalo stole the bananas a policeman caught him and took him
to court. He confessed his offense in front of the magistrate saying, “I
was hungry, Sir. A madness came upon me. It was because I thought I
had to eat or I would die. A madness came upon me. I had to live” (31).

But the law could not see his pain through its dark eye fold. The
magistrate showed no concern towards his plea and sentenced him to
three months rigorous imprisonment. The callousness of the society can
be heard in the magistrate’s words asking Kalo Why did he had to live? It
seems that his living or dying didn’t matter to anybody. This incidence
fills our heart with utmost sorrow. It seems as if taking birth as poor is the
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biggest crime on earth. The society, the law and the rich people were so
inhuman towards the poor in the contemporary period that they consider
them no better than insects. In Bhattacharya’s novels there are many
scenes that shake even the deepest layer of readers mind. His novels
certainly have a cathartic effect that adds to his writing.

The writer has also thrown light on the prison life of that time. It
was no less than the image of hell in our minds. The convicts used to toil
all the time and were treated like animals. They, even after giving all their
energy and sweat, were disdained and abused. The miserable condition of
the prison and the inhuman behavior towards the prisoners is reflected in
the Protagonist’s words: “Hell on earth... The idea is to reform the
convict, make him a better man, is it not? But they do their utmost to
make the convict feel he is not human at all” (110). He further continued
sharing his bad experience by saying:
They do it in so many ways. For no reason they swear at him and call
him…..They call him at most filthy names they can think of. If he
dares make a protest, he gets slapped, kicked and the filthy names are
repeated. His human dignity is put in between grindstones until it turns
to powder and blows away (131).

Another way for survival in the society was to fabricate tales and
deceive people in the name of faith, which is prevalent even today.
People hold enough faith, be rich or poor. The rich fear to lose what they
have, the poor fear to die a miserable death. The rich, the black marketers
and the white collared people give a lot in the name of faith as an act of
penance for their sins. The poor, though having very little, give in the
name of faith expecting a better life for them and their kin. In the words
of B-10, “faith can be squeezed to yield cash!” (41). It is comprehended
that religious Faith is one power that can control anybody. A sacred

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thread on the chest can do wonders. The religious institutions suck poor
people in the name of faith. B-10 asked Kalo:
Can you wear a saffron loincloth, smear your body with ashes and
mark a red paste trident of Shiva on your forehead? Then, as you walk
the streets, your alms bowl will fill up in no time; and may be, if you
have luck, someone with money enough to squander will see in you a
yogi with great spiritual powers (40).

Similar idea is reflected in Bhattacharya’s last novel A Dream in

Hawaii. Bhattacharya shows that there is no dearth of swindlers who take
advantage of common man in the name of faith and religion. Kalo’s
success in befooling not only the poor people but also the rich and
highborn clearly proves the futility of religion. Dr. Ram Sewak Singh
states “Since the society has tricked Kalo into a thief, a convict, and an
immoral trafficker, he has foisted a big fraud on it and thus proves how
hollow our religion and its upholders are” (Bhabani Bhattacharya: A
Novelist of Dreamy Wisdom, 67).

The selfishness and hunger for money prevalent in the moneyed

minds is presented fairly in the novel. The well-off class becomes so
mean that they exploit anything that provides them any profit whether
living or dead. In his destitute days Kalo even lifted corpses for a living.
The poor used to load the corpses of the destitute in the municipality
truck and used to get pennies for it. Kalo was shocked to see the doctor
taking corpses with him to sell their skeleton when his job was to save a
life.

The novelist has portrayed vulnerability through several incidents.

He exposes how helplessness prevails in the life of an unfortunate. The
poor have to bend down on their knees in front of hunger and poverty.
They have to compromise even their dignity and self-respect on several
occasions. The self-centered ones leave no chance to exploit them and
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push them into all the more filth. Kalo was content, as he knew that he
had been able to cheat the biggest cheaters of the society. He was truly
happy. He thought:
He is going to be a pillar of the society! A pillar created by two seers
of gram. Han! That was the way to avenge himself. A smith
reincarnated as Brahmin. A convict and harlot house procurer became
a master of the temple, placing the hand of benediction of the bowed
heads of pious folks. So had the wheel of karma turned! (86-87).

The dreadful experience Lekha had in the brothel never let her
become the same Chandralekha again. She couldn’t enjoy even a bit of
her new life. She hardly took interest in anything and lost her enthusiasm
and vivacity. Rape is the biggest evil in the society. It traumatizes the
victim deeply. Lekha too was shaken. Her innermost soul was kind of
shipwrecked. She seemed to have marooned in her own life as if
somebody had snatched a part of her from her. When Kalo rescued her
she was numb. She lost all hopes in life. She had no excitement or
happiness on being rescued. She was left with no energy to live and
wanted to die. Many females in our country go through the same pain in
their life. This is a crime which is beyond punishment and leaves the
victim ruined. The grubby feeling in their hearts is beyond repair. The
moral-bankruptcy of people pushes them to do such crimes. The writer
has given a grim description of this crime and it’s after effects through
the character of Lekha.

Bhattacharya has also shown the shallowness and futility of the

society. It is very easy to deceive the religious minded people. These
people have no respect for real virtues like hard work, values and morals.
They only see the outer surface. The magistrate who punished Kalo for
stealing bananas couldn’t see the sincerity in his plea and when he lied
and deceived the society, the same Magistrate touched his feet. The
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writer, through all these incidences, has shown the superficiality of the
society. Kalo was amazed and felt proud while telling Lekha about it. He
said, “Yesterday a man came and touched my feet humbly. Lekha, he was
no other than the magistrate who sent me to prison…” (93-94).

Similarly people like Motichand and Jagdish Mitra scorn the

lowborn. These people have no sympathy for the poor. However the same
people respect Mangal Adhikari, thinking him to be a Brahmin. God has
created one world and all the people with same physical organs yet the
caste and class system has segregated them. There is a class of society
that seems to have all the privileges and another that seems to have none.
This imbalance develops hatred amongst people and reflects the
fickleness of the society. The situation of the poor and the lowborn were
like worms. They keep struggling for existence till their last breath and
ultimately their efforts go in vain. They earn nothing but contempt and
nobody mourns over their death. They come into the world with empty
hands; they live in the world with empty bellies and die with emptiness in
their hearts. Kalo saw a funeral procession of a rich man. He could hear
rituals like name chanting, in the procession, for the peaceful departure of
the soul. The rice and copper coin flung in the air ensures the soul’s warm
welcome in Heaven and also a better incarnation. Lots of questions
started to poke him about life, death and afterlife:
What would happen to the departing souls of those dying on the
streets?...Were they doomed to haunt the earth forever as specters? Or
doomed to be denizens of the seven hells? For them there was no
chanting of the Name, no scattering of the rice, the rice that would feed
their earth form (52).

People who die rich get many people in their procession to pray for
their coming lives but the destitute who actually want prayer for
upliftment never get anyone's prayers. The poor and the low caste are

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born jinxed and die jinxed. The vivid disparity between of the lives of the
lowborn and the highborn and rich and poor brings to our mind the
Subaltern theory. There are some who can afford to have gold and copper
coins on their dead bodies and then there are others who do not have
money enough to have a decent cremation.

The Society curbs and exploits the impoverished to such an extent

that he absolutely loses his self. A person who decides to avenge the
society for its meanness sometimes overlooks his purpose and object and
gets influenced by the superficiality and glitter of their new found status.
They start enjoying the power and the real purpose is buried. Both B-10
and Kalo were running away from their real identity. Both were deeply
hurt and both hated the society. Their ways and reasons were different but
the pain was same. B-10 being a Brahmin, calls him of convict caste and
Kalo being a Smith man calls himself a Brahmin. Both of them thought
of taking vengeance against the society but over a period of time one of
them disregarded his own motive. And Kalo was the one. Mangal
Adhikari gradually started overpowering him and suppressed the simple
man in him. He starts his search for a Brahmin match for Lekha.
However Lekha doesn’t want to fly into an unknown sky leaving behind
her own land. Even after having great respect and fondness for B-10,
Kalo put a precondition before him of wearing a sacred thread in order to
marry Lekha. The Mangal Adhikari in Kalo didn’t want to support
Vishwanath in feeding the destitute babies, as he didn’t want to challenge
the society and set regulations, which was his sole purpose in the
beginning.

Not everything that glitters is Gold. But something that glitters

always fascinates people towards it. People who hate the superficiality
and glitziness of the society, slowly but surely are sucked into the marsh
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of showiness. People who hate the hypocrisy of the society themselves
become hypocrite when in they come to power. Kalo also was now
comfortable with his position and class in the society and had forgotten
his real self. Vishwanath, B-10 and Lekha acted as brakes in his mad rush
towards the fake world that he had created for himself and Lekha. Due to
them he sometimes used to rise from his slumber but again the strong
dose of fame, money and popularity used to put him to sleep. He even
became arrogant and rude at one point. When Vishwanath came begging
to the temple for the first time and touched Kalo’s feet he shouted in rage:
“Rogue!..How dare you touch my feet? I shall have to take a bath at this
late hour to cleanse myself” (112). The flamboyance of his new class
dazzled him so much that he forgot that his own self, the Kalo in him, is
infecting Mangal Adhikari every other second. That is how the showiness
of the society traps people. They feel they are entangled in a spider’s web
but they like it that way. Similarly in politics also we see that a common
man who comes to power promises to bring about changes in the society
but the power captivates him and he too becomes a slave of it.
Bhattacharya has beautifully shown that power has an intoxicating effect.
The more we get into it the more it submerges us in it and makes us its
slave.

The novel also throws light on the life of woman in the society in
that period. In that period also the worth of a woman used to depend a lot
on her fertility. This happens to be seen even today in a lot of societies in
India. The society looks down on a childless woman even today. The
husband marries another female in hope of a kin and her husband’s
second marriage brings more trouble for the first wife. Such females are
beaten and looked down scornfully or have to leave their set up and live a
life of loneliness. Motichand a trustee left his first wife and married

85
again. “Without a son, a thousand years of family history would end”
(141).

The economic and social imbalance is clearly visible in the novel.

Bhabani Bhattacharya has impeccably exposed the nakedness of those
covered in the best outfits. Power and money can drive people mad and
that has been clearly presented through the characters in the novel. They
commit the most gruesome evils but remain unseen and enjoy life. The
insensitive approach and thoughtlessness of the society expressed in the
novel can put anybody to tears. The milk donors in the temple were
furious to know that the milk after Shiva’s bath is not being drained in the
Ganges but is given to the destitute babies. It was unkind and highly
insensitive of one of them to say: “Tens of the thousands have died of
hunger. What difference would a few more, or a few less make? The
issue at stake is bigger than those useless lives” (134). Bhattacharya has
candidly depicted the indifference of one human to the other. The
reckless indifference of this kind presents an awfully selfish side of
human. This reminds me of a poem of W.H. Auden, titled Musée des
beaux Arts which depicts the self-centered nature of human:

In Breughel’s Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away

Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

The poem is chiefly about how individual torment is subjective and

makes no impact on the world outside. Just as the ploughman continued
walking on, even though he possibly heard Icarus's cry in the water, and

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the ship kept on sailing, people everywhere and in all times don’t care
about the misery and suffering others go through. Bhattacharya too has
authentically depicted the ruthlessly indifferent attitude of the rich and
privileged class of people, towards the destitute who were starving to
death.

Filthiness of the high class is also shown through the soldiers

dining at Hotel Savoy. Kalo witnessed them making merry by looking at
people beating each other to snatch the little piece to bread they had
tossed out of the window. He saw them grinning when a couple of
destitute madly started hitting their bare limbs hoping to attract the
soldiers’ attention and expecting them to throw a few more pieces of
bread.
More, sahib, more!...Ho! They struck their skeleton hips with the flat
of their palm in the manner of wrestlers. With fierce cries one
challenged the other, striking him a hard resounding slap in the face.
Bony fingers cracked on bony cheeks. Slap followed slap, yell
followed yell. The other watched first with surprise, then with
understanding, and in a minute they had all caught the meaning of the
game. They added to the excitement by giving war cries; the veins
stood blue in their throats with the effort. They cried till their voice
croaked. Then they begin to hit one another, the blows getting harder
and fierce, until it was not a sham but a real battle! A madness took
hold of them… Skeleton beat at skeleton, clutched, clawed, grappled.
Blood spilled from naked limbs…The white faces at the window
approved and grinned (129).

Attitude towards education of girl child was another drawback in

the society in that period. It was considered to be a matter of worry if the
girl had good education. Society expected them to be dexterous in all the
household jobs but stepping out of the house was considered disgraceful.
Education of girl child was also a barrier in marriage. Girls were not
supposed to study. The same kind of attitude is still seen in some places
in India, where girl child is not given enough education.
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 Falling in love was another big sin in the society. B-10’s sister
Purnima had to die for loving a boy outside her caste. Her loving parents
suddenly turned hostile and they decided to marry her off to a Brahmin in
a hurry. They married her to an old widower and after some time the
news of her death reached her parents. The social pressures don’t let the
loving parents be themselves. They have to get their daughter married to
a person in their own caste against her wishes even if the groom is old,
blind, handicapped or widower.These stories exist even today. Parents
kill their own children or marry them to someone who makes their life
living hell. They do not have the courage to challenge the old customs
and under social pressure, they do not let their children marry the one
they love. Bhattacharya suggests breaking the clutches of old customs
and getting some newness in life.

Bhabani Bhattacharya has impeccably depicted the fight of an

individual with self and society. It is not easy for an individual to fight
with a disguised identity. Lekha, who disguised as a Brahmin girl, could
never accept her fake self. She used to fight with her inner turmoil every
day in order to support Kalo in his plan. Lekha often observed the
inequality of capital and class difference in the society. She had become a
goddess and faith healer for common man in the temple but the uneven
distribution of God used to leave her puzzled. A childless rich woman
expecting Lekha to bless her with a baby moaned one day, “What good is
all our wealth?…Who will eat the ripe fruits we leave behind” (221)?
Another woman who had such fertility that she had nine children and had
a fear of bearing more, prayed, “Mother how can I go on bearing children
whom I have no means of feeding and clothing” (221)? Bhattacharya
emphasizes on the power of truth. It is easy to speak a lie but very
difficult to hold on to it. One cannot run from his/her real self.

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 The novel magnificently depicts the society, people and situations.
It throws deep light on the difference between the capital and the labour
class and gives a lesson that a balance has to be maintained in the society.
The deep-rooted caste system in our society is a cause of many troubles
which divides people among various groups and often develops enmity
amongst them. Dr. Chandrashekharan rightly remarks:
The point emphasized by Bhattacharya here is that caste has become a
habit of thinking, as much as a way of life and therefore extremely
difficult to eradicate. How the feelings of superiority engendered by
belonging to a high caste can intoxicate and turn the head, is illustrated
by the ironic case of Kalo himself. To begin with, he puts on the cloak
of Brahminhood as part of a deliberate trick. The victims of the hoax
are to be primarily the very classes whose ranks he joins surreptitiously
through the backdoor. But in a very short time the Brahmanism affects
his mind and he out-Herods Herod when he rebukes the Kamar,
Vishwanath for polluting him with his touch. Although this is a
temporary state of intoxication in Kalo, the incident illustrates the
arrogance of the higher caste people. The treatment of Obhijit by the
pujari’s wife is another example of the tyranny of caste
(Chandrashekharan, 69-70)

Caste is just a way of segregation of groups but it should not affect

one individual’s behaviour towards the other. Vishwanath and B-10 are
people who are enlightened by the experiences they had in life and who
want a better society. The evils of the society should be abolished. The
novel gives an understanding on the economic and social concerns in the
contemporary society. The novel in a nutshell tells the tale of that period
through its various powerful characters. It throws light upon the various
evils prevalent in the society and vividly depicts the struggle of the
common man in fighting those evils. The selfish and inhuman behavior of
the high born, their insensitivity towards the less fortunate ones and their
hypocrisy of religion and faith is clearly depicted in the novel. The ever
deepening divide between the rich and the poor ,the constant duel of the

89
soul between the good and the bad is expressed powerfully through
careful juxtaposition of the central characters of the novel. Bhabani
Bhattacharya also captures the plight of women during those times by
exposing the harsh realities of the flesh trade and the attitude of society
towards the women which considered them nothing more than an object
of desire and lust. The author also makes a mockery of people’s blind
faith in religion by exposing the shallowness of their faith. Most
importantly it shows an individual’s triumph over the society which is
nicely expressed in B-10’s words, “You have chosen my friend. You
have triumphed over those others- and over yourself. What you have done
just now will steel the spirit of hundreds and thousands of us. Your story
will be a legend of freedom, a legend to inspire and awaken” (244-245).

90
 WORK CITED

Bhattacharya, Bhabani. So Many Hungers. Bombay: Jaico Publishing

House. 1964. Print.

Chandrashekharan, K. R. Bhabani Bhattacharya. India: Arnold

Heinemann. 1974. Print.

Iyengar, K.R.Srinivas. Indian Writing in English. New Delhi: Sterling

Publishers. 1984. Print.

Singh, Ram Sewak. Bhabani Bhattacharya- A Novelist of Dreamy

Wisdom. Banasthali Patrika. July 1969. Print.

Bhattacharya, Bhabani. He Who Rides a Tiger. Delhi: Hind Pocket

Books. 1955. Print.

Chandrashekharan, K. R. Bhattacharya. India: Arnold Heinemann. 1947.

Print.

http://english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/auden.html.web

Mukherjee, Meenakshi. The Twice Born Fiction. New Delhi: Arnold

Heinemann. 1974. Print.

Singh, Ram Sewak. Bhabani Bhattacharya: A Novelist of Dreamy

wisdom. Banasthali Patrika, July. 1969. Print.

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 GLOSSARY

Kamar: A downtrodden caste in ancient India

Lo! : An expression, a prefix to say ‘See’ usually to mock somebody

Jharna: A village in Bengal

Shiva: A supreme Hindu deity, who is a destroyer, among the Hindu

Trinity

Yagna: is an act of prayer to invoke Gods and seek their blessings by

lighting fire and reciting holy chants.

Shaitaan: Devil

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 Chapter 4

Tradition and Modernity

91
92
 TRADITION AND MODERNITY

Music for Mohini is the liveliest piece of work among all Bhabani
Bhattacharya’s novels. The deep chasm between tradition and modernity
is vividly portrayed and the need for their harmonious amalgamation is
primarily expounded in the novel. It speaks of different mindsets, beliefs
and outlook present in different sets of society. The novel presents the
conflict between the old and the new, the ancient and the modern beliefs,
between different societies and individuals within the same society. All
the characters in the novel have their individual view point but none of
them can be pointed out to be wrong. Their dissimilar approach towards
life has often been a reason of conflict and malice towards each other.
The story throws light on traditional and modern beliefs, their uneasiness
towards each other and its effect on human life.

The characters in the novel, which are well-knitted in the story and
make a link between the distant societies, are etched like ordinary people.
Their ordinariness lets the reader connect with them and see his reflection
in them at some point or the other in the story. Through Mohini, the
protagonist of the story, and her family, the author weaves a homely
atmosphere. The carefree life of a girl before marriage, the responsibility
that marriage brings along with it, the changed setup in which the girl is
supposed to adjust herself and the transformation required in one’s
personality is very well portrayed through Mohini’s Character. The two
female characters, Mohini and Rooplekha depict the need of adjustment
between tradition and modernity. The writer has a keen eye of
observation and through the intricate details presented in the story he has
delved deeply in human psyche. Dr. Chandrashekharan opines that the

93
“novel is a study in psychology without the involutions and complexities
of a typical psychological novel” (Chandrashekharan, 37). The story
focuses on the nitty-gritty’s of life and society’s influence on human
behavior.

Mohini, the central character in the novel has a very affectionate

family. Her mother left the world in her youth. However Mohini’s father
and grandmother never let Mohini feel her mother’s absence. On one
hand there is Mohini’s father, who is a professor at the university, is a
man of modern beliefs. He believes in education, progress, development
and openness. On the other hand Mohini’s grandmother is a stern
traditional woman. This difference in their beliefs often leads to conflict
between them. The two of them share deep love for Mohini. Though
Mohini’s father has modern beliefs but he also has respect for tradition
and culture. He is a man who believes that a fine balance between the two
can make life perfect. He is highly educated and also wants his daughter
to be educated to be able to keep pace with today’s world and develop a
modern outlook.

Mohini gets her education in a convent school as per her father’s

wish. Initially Mohini’s grandmother, the old lady, strictly opposed her
father’s decision of sending her to a convent. She wanted her to be well
versed in Vedas and Puranas only. Mohini’s father, knowing the
importance of modern education, did not pay heed to his mother’s
tantrums and went with his decision to send her to convent. He also
supports Mohini’s interest in singing and allows her to be a radio singer.
He is proud of the fact that his daughter’s songs are recorded and sold in
the market. Old mother has a totally different way of looking at it. She
feels it is a shame to have Mohini’s name printed on a CD. She loves
Mohini plenty, but wants her to be traditional and homely. So Mohini’s
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needs have often been a reason for argument between the mother and son.
In the first set of people introduced in the novel, these two characters
represent the friction between the old and new values.

Mohini’s grandmother is over 70 years of age. She loves her son

and grandchildren dearly. She worries about all of them and ensures that
they remain safe and protected from any evil. She is a woman of
traditional beliefs and orthodox ideas. She believes that a girl should stay
indoors and not mix with the outer world. She should be educated in
ancient scriptures at home and she shouldn’t pursue any hobbies outside.
She should only be intimate with her husband. She totally dislikes the
idea of Mohini’s going to a convent school. She is conservative in her
approach and disapproves his decision of sending her to a convent and
advised him saying, “Let Mohini be trained at home; let her learn
classical Sanskrit, the language of gods, the precious vase that holds the
essence of true knowledge and wisdom” (24). She is motivated by old
values and beliefs and doesn’t appreciate her son’s open-minded attitude.
She still considers him a child and calls him ‘childing’. She expects him
to agree to her ideas and if he doesn’t, she threatens to walk out of the
house, into a life of austerity.

Mohini’s brother, Heeralal, is another adorable character. He is

naughty, yet innocent. He respects Mohini and loves her. He confides in
her. The two of them share a very special bond. They indulge in a game
of collecting weird English names and are always competing for adding
to their collection. Often Mohini compromises on names as she loves to
see her brother happy. Heeralal is a gourmand. The ordinary snake
charmer, who has an eye on Heeralal’s maid Bindu, could befriend
Heeralal by luring him with some sweets. Mohini knows his brother’s
weakness and tries her best to keep an eye on him. Like every young boy
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Heeralal has his own fantasies. He wants to go to Teesta Valley and steal
away the ‘frozen gleam’. He imagines selling it at an incredible price and
then becoming the richest man. He listens to his grandmother but often
seeks a respite from her traditional beliefs. He takes Mohini’s help to
convince old mother to tie the amulet on his arm and not on his neck. He
is a simple boy with no superior air of being a Brahmin. But he still
knows where to draw a line. He takes gifts and toffees given by the snake
charmer and the beggar woman, but when she offered him curried pork,
he refused recalling old mother’s teachings. The discussion between the
snake charmer and Heeralal followed like this:
‘Eat, man, eat,’ cried the snake charmer, scornful of such taboos.
‘Why, a pig’s a pig.’
‘And a Brahmin’s a Brahmin,’ snapped Heeralal. His temper rose. He
felt the inside of his nose itch.
Defile caste? Never. Not for the Nizam’s treasures. Not for the
governor of Bengal’s powers (37).

The rift between the high and low caste was so deep that even children
were conscious of it. Heeralal who is an innocent kid and who takes
sweets from the beggar woman and the snake charmer, presents an
example of the age old hypocrisy of the so called high born.

Mohini is the central character in the novel. She acts as a

connecting bridge between the two sets of society. She is adorable to her
family members. She is a conscientious girl. Her father and old mother
have inculcated great values in her. She has studied in a convent school
yet she takes note of old mother’s traditional beliefs and respects them.
She respects her father and cannot see anyone take him lightly. She loves
her family dearly. Her voice is beautiful and she sings on Radio. She is
beautiful, vivacious and extremely charming. She has common dreams
like any other girl. She wants to be loved, adored, praised and romanced.
Many boys are attracted to her. She eagerly awaits her dream prince.
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When old mother tells professor to look for a suitable match for her, she
feels ecstatic however she pretends to be disinterested.

Mohini’s father gave a matrimonial ad in the newspaper. This

gave new wings to her dreams. Then the whole process of bride-showing
began. Some people asked for dowry, some expected her to be well
versed in Sanskrit. When parties came to see Mohini, they asked her all
sorts of questions. Mohini was constantly under scrutiny. They looked at
her from head to toe. She was told to walk a few steps so that they are
sure that she has a graceful walk. One of them rubbed her cheek hard to
make sure that she hasn’t applied powder and her fair complexion is not
artificial. That lady also started to pull her sari up to see the shape of her
ankle and legs. Mohini felt humiliated. Seeing this, her father got furious
and told them to leave his house. Mohini broke into tears. She hated this
practice of bride-showing and reflected her contempt by saying:
Why don’t they set up a monthly fair where girls could be on view?
Honest and inexpensive and much more convenient than this hateful
bride-showing. The groom’s party could go round the stalls and see
fifty girls in two hours, and the girls would be showing themselves to
so many people at the same moment (58-59).

Old mother tried to console Mohini but she also knew that it was
the only reasonable option. Old mother, who hated that party’s nasty
behavior, had to put her grief aside and speak contrary to her feelings:
“Peasant girl and Princess alike bear this ordeal. What other way is there
Mohini? In some modern cities in Calcutta, so I hear, girls and boys are
allowed to mix freely and select their own mates. Are they happier? No!”
(59). This happens even today in our society in some places, in the same
manner. Even those people who do not appreciate this show business;
find it difficult to break the age old tradition.

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 Bhabani Bhattacharya is a man of true brilliance. He understands
the nuances of life. He has a fair idea about human behaviour and actions.
Through his excellent observation skills he has impeccably shown the
difference in opinion that leads to conflict and disagreement among
various people. The old Woman and her son often disagree over Mohini’s
matters; however one of them has always accommodated others’ view to
avoid any conflict. The writer has shown how diverse ideologies breed
malice for each other. Some of which go away over a period of time and
some remains forever. When a modern boy came to see Mohini for
marriage, and asked her all sorts of questions upfront, old mother didn’t
like him and told Mohini’s father to reject the match. The two got into an
argument over the same:
‘No, childing,’ She shook her head with quiet decision. ‘He is not the
right sort for our Mohini. He and his friends have no respect for elders.
They smoke cigarettes in your presence, didn’t they? And they asked
our girl such indecent questions. ‘Do you dance?’ As if she is to be an
actress or something. What Vulgarity! No. Our girl has not been
trained up in their un-Indian way, even if she has read at a Christian
convent school. She will be a misfit in that fast circle. Why, they may
force her to dance in public, English-Fashion, man and woman
together, arm in arm. What Misery!
But Mother, the groom-
The groom belongs to this circle. He has his roots in that soil. They are
all alike. No tradition, no true culture. Apes of Westernism!
His patience gave way. His face darkened. Let our girl remain unwed,
he cried harshly, rather than be sacrificed to your antiquated outlook
(60-61).

Mohini’s father doesn’t question modern culture. He understands

that the time is changing and readily accepts it. He has given the same
values to Mohini as well. Mohini too was averse to old mother’s thoughts
in this matter. She felt annoyed, listening to her peculiar ideas. Her
thoughts reflect the rebellious side of a teenager:

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 Never had she been so angry with old mother. Why must she, who was
of another age, have her way against all reason? Why must her
antiquated outlook prevail against even father’s judgment? With her
fixed ideas, her iron prejudice against modernism, how could she
expect to know, to feel, to understand new generation? Misery to dance
in public! She, Mohini, would love to dance on a ballroom floor in the
English way, in time to lovely music (61).

Mohini felt suffocated and helpless. After some time a fortune

teller came to her place and suggested a groom. The boy was Jayadev,
master of Behula, a brilliant research scholar. Old mother felt overjoyed.
She discussed about Jayadev with the professor. The professor also felt
that Jayadev is a good match for his daughter but he was skeptical about
marrying his daughter in a village. He knew that Jayadev has got his
education in the city but he belongs to the village and lives there. Mohini,
on the other hand, is lively and chirpy. She would find it really difficult to
fit in a village life among old folks. Old mother who was convinced with
the proposal assured him to believe in his upbringing. She assured him of
Mohini’s intelligence and adjustable nature and how she would play an
anchor in Jayadev’s life and when Mohini also showed interest than he
was left with no reason to object to such a worthy match. Old mother
happily talked about Mohini’s luck signs and horoscope but the professor
mocked her consideration and said, “Luck signs. Horoscopes. What
rubbish! His voice was mocking. There’s to be a cultural synthesis of a
horoscope and microscope!” (71).

Though he mocked the idea, they give the horoscope for matching
and the result turned out just right. They were meant to be together as per
the horoscope. The marriage got fixed with everyone’s approval. On the
day of wedding, Mohini fasted for whole day for purgation of her soul.
This was an accepted practice and Mohini, who was so full of love, did it

99
with all her faith and conviction. old mother told her to follow every
ritual and she obeyed her with all her heart. After the wedding, Mohini
and Jayadev started for the village. The last few minutes of her departure
were extremely sad for her father and grandmother who brought up
Mohini like her daughter. She gave her words of wisdom at the time of
her farewell saying:
Take good care of yourself. Eat well. Be the Lakshmi of your own
household. Her voice grew solemn.
Be fulfilled- by your husband, by your children to come…
Honour your Mother-in-Law as though she were your mother, and
abide by her will. Answer her hot words with absolute silence.
Sweeten your speech when you talk to your neighbors. Words dipped
in honey cost nothing. Bend yourself to the customs and traditions of
the village (89-90).

This was truly a moment of transformation for Mohini. Her life

was going to change beyond imagination but all she was thinking about
was her husband. Mohini was happy to be wed to a scholar and was
looking forward to having a gala time with him. Jayadev, on the other
hand was quite restless. This was a sudden commotion in his tranquil life.
His fondness for Mohini has made him anxious. He doesn’t want his
passion for work to get defeated by his new found predilection.
He was silent solitary man with heavy lidded dreamy eyes in a young
tranquil face. Marriage had stirred a whirlpool in the stream of his
feelings, and he was anxious to smooth the disturbance and be his true
self again (91).

Mohini received a conventional and customary reception at her

new abode. Her Mother-in-law, being a widow, didn’t attend the rituals of
reception. The widow women were considered to be a bad omen on
propitious occasions. In Mohini’s new family, her mother-in-law, her
sister-in-law, Rooplekha, and her husband were her new companions.

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 Mohini’s mother-in-law is a lady of traditional beliefs and is
orthodox by nature. She welcomes Mohini with a happy heart and is
impressed by her beauty and good looks. She is strict in nature and seems
to be forlorn. She has a graceful face. She doesn’t talk much and when
she talks she seems intense and solemn. She has her fallacies and believes
in giving offering for fulfilling a wish. She had dedicated her right hand
to Lord Shiva for Jayadev’s good health. She can go to any lengths to
protect Jayadev from any evil as he is her only son who is to take the clan
ahead. She firmly believes in the rituals and follows them stringently. She
is a strict disciplinarian. Rooplekha, Jayadev’s sister, defines her mother
in following words:
My Mother is the usual orthodox Hindu woman, only she is more
intense than others, and all her faith is pinned to the family tradition.
No deviation for her, not one inch. Stern-willed, though tender at heart,
she is a simple soul, with singleness of purpose, a one eyed mind. She
exists for the Big house; she wouldn’t have it changed the least way.
Even the age-gray walls are not to be lime washed because Mother
loves to see them absorb time (127).

However Jayadev doesn’t believe in his mother’s philosophy. He

doesn’t believe in the rituals. He is knowledgeable and understands the
philosophies of east and the west. He believes in both of them and knows
that the best way to maintain a balanced life is to blend and harmonize
these cultures. The old philosophies are to be acknowledged with a pinch
of salt. Jayadev’s mother doesn’t like his outlook towards life and culture.
She expects him to follow her footsteps and believe in rituals. He only
pretends to believe in old customs just to keep his mother happy.
Jayadev’s mother holds a fear in her heart which Rooplekha tells Mohini,
“Mother is afraid of her son’s hearsay, resumed Rooplekha. Mother
thinks city education has spoiled him and he will destroy tradition, ruin
the big house” (128). Jayadev and his mother have completely opposite

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beliefs. The only person who is able to relate with both of them is Roop-
lekha.

Rooplekha, Jayadev’s sister was the only person in the big house in
whom Mohini could find a friend. She is neither cold like mother and nor
grave like Jayadev. She has a friendly attitude. She has a good
understanding of people and life in general. Her experiences have taught
her enough, so she has good grip over issues concerning life. She
impresses Mohini with her learned talk while she guides her on her new
life in the village. She makes Mohini aware of the post-marriage
transformation in one’s self and the important role a woman plays in
bringing together different societies:
We who’re so wed serve some real purpose. It’s as though we made a
bridge between two banks of a river. We connect culture with culture,
Mohini, our old Eastern view of life with the new semi-Western
outlook. The city absorbs a little of the ‘barbaric’ village, the village
absorbs a little of the ‘West-polluted’ city. Both change, unaware
(127).

Like Mohini Roop-lekha too had to leave her roots and start her life
afresh after marriage. She got wedded to a city doctor, whereas she had
always stayed in a village before marriage. She understands that life
would not be easy for Mohini in the village, so she helps her in getting
familiar with the people and rural setup. She said:
You, Mohini. You’ll have to be patient with the Big House. Mother is
old-world, exacting, but do not fail to see her point of view-and her
heart. Jayadev is unutterably lonely, idealists always are. He will need
all your compassion. And you, Mohini, you’ll be lonely too. A house
with some 20 rooms, a dozen servants. But I don’t mean that. Lonely
within. (128).

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Mohini was positive that she will not be lonely and with Jayadev, life will
all be happy. Mohini however eagerly wanted to know about Sudha the
name she heard from Jayadev on her first day in the house.

Sudha, Saturn’s eyesore, as people call her is a very important

character in the novel. She is the one whose life is most affected by
orthodox beliefs. Sudha stays in the village with her uncle. Her uncle was
a very genuine, kind and helpful man until the time when his life took a
turn. He once went to a fair from where he bought a book on the
planetary system and learnt about their effects on human lives. He learnt
to make horoscopes as well. One day he saw in his horoscope that the
Saturn was about to cast shadow on his life. He lost his spirit and started
behaving as if paralysis has struck him. He got disheartened and
depressed and believed that the Saturn in his horoscope is playing
dreadful games in his life:
What wonder that, soon after, his best milch cow should die of snake
bite? That an insect pest would appear on his potato patch and eat up
his young root? That, one dark night he should trip against a bulging
root and sprain his ankle?
There! There! Does not my reading say the wrath of Saturn will blaze
upon me this year and years to come?
He seized to expect any good from life. What chance had he against
the heavy malice of so mighty a planet? When friends approached him
with business proposals he gave a sad smile and shook his head. No
use. Just look at my horoscope (130).

People started to mock him by calling him Saturn’s eyesore.

Sudha, his niece, was supposed to get married to a young handsome boy
who owned a jute business. But unfortunately she also had to bear the
brunt of her uncle’s new found wisdom. He checked Sudha’s horoscope
and found Saturn approaching her life too. He thought of delaying the
wedding but even that was of no use as the groom’s side did not want the
marriage to take place anymore and walked out. Sudha also became
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Saturn’s eyesore. She became a bad omen and nobody agreed to marry
her. After the Saturn’s shadow on her went away, her uncle tried to find a
suitable groom for her but nothing worked out. After some years people
saw her spending time with a blacksmith. They all started seeing her with
scornful eyes:
Tongues wagged. The lynx-eyed village elders watched. She, a
Brahmin maid! Nothing like this had happened in Behula, ever- the
elders stretched back their memories- the village had been stainless.
True there had been a case of abortion, but the woman was peasant.
But this Sudha, a high-caste girl! A curse lay on their head: must she
smear society with its blackness and a deputation of the wrathful elders
stepped to the big house and saw the mother (132).

Such acts are never expected from a Brahmin. Sudha’s affair with
the blacksmith gave everybody a topic to discuss. She would have been
doomed for life. But mother of the big house dragged her out of this filth
in the nick of time. She took Sudha under her wings and took
responsibility for educating her. Sudha became a close member of the Big
House and a frequent visitor too. One day a barber woman saw Sudha’s
hands with so many luck signs. She told Sudha to show her hand to the
Mother of the Big House as she is looking for a girl with all luck signs for
Jayadev. Sudha, without thinking of the outcome, started weaving
colorful dreams. She thought, “She, the most luckless on the earth,
spurned, trampled on, holds the very life of the village in her grip! The
young master who haunted the virginal dreams of all fair maids of
marriage age- her husband, her own!” (153). But Jayadev’s Mother knew
about Sudha’s association with the blacksmith. She thought that Sudha
doesn’t qualify to be the mistress of the big house. However she told
Sudha that she doesn’t qualify as she doesn’t have all the luck signs.
Sudha’s dreams were shattered. This was her golden chance to get back
to a normal life again. She realized that all this while she had been
playing a bizarre game of self deception. She was completely broken.
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After that she rarely visited the big house and Jayadev’s marriage put a
full stop on it.

Here in the big house the city inhabitants were having a great time.
Mohini initially was quite happy and proud of getting a family and
husband that everyone looks upon. Heeralal on the other hand, was
enjoying himself with his village friends. He would narrate all his
fantasies like real life stories to the villagers leaving them amazed and
amused. He used to talk of aero planes, radios, elevators, X-rays,
underground railways, 50 stories sky scrapers and what not. Mohini was
also being guided by her mother-in-law. The big house, its history and
traditions, its heritage and its customs started to seem like a big
responsibility to her. There was a fixed time for everything, for food, for
worship etc. But she was still enjoying this phase as she had Jayadev’s
company. Jayadev considered Mohini his ‘Maitree’, his wife, his
inspiration. Being a scholar and idealist his wife was not only his life
partner but also his anchor, his guide, his inspiration with whom he could
discuss his work and his philosophies. Mohini used to get anxious on
hearing his idealistic philosophies. Whenever they were together Jayadev
wanted Mohini to read and develop her understanding but she was least
interested in it. She wanted to live her life, be happy with her husband,
play music and sing songs to him. She started feeling lonely. Though
Jayadev loves her madly and is highly attracted to her, his devotion to
work holds him back as he wants to focus single-mindedly on his goal.
Mohini also being a devoted wife never lets him realize her loneliness.
Jayadev tried to read Mohini’s mind and asked “Not lonely, Mohini? He
took her hands, read her face…Lonely! Her lips curled, and she scoffed at
the idea. I’ve become an important person! So much to do, so many
responsibilities. Only idle minds have time to feel lonely. Too much of a

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luxury” (144). She has studied in a convent school but still managed to
retain her Indian values. She is a true blend of tradition and modernity
and has a flexible nature. She has gravity and doesn’t want to make
Jayadev realize what she is going through. She ponders over love and
truly wants to be loved and adored while for Jayadev his family tree, the
big house, his work was also a priority. This often left Mohini in a mental
turmoil. She thought:
This house lived always in the shadow of the family tree; nothing
mattered so much as the family tree. The tall gilt-framed portraits of
ancestors that seemed to hand from every wall had rich vivid life
beyond canvas and paint. An old proud house of an old proud family.
A tradition within a tradition. And here she was, sprung out of shallow
soil, forced by circumstance to be mistress of the ancient house and
trustee of an alien tradition. The struggle to retouch her mental values,
readjust her expectations, hurt fiercely…And why must she surrender
completely? Why must she bury her dreams? Love alone could make
her pain worthwhile. Did he, her husband, love her truly? (145)

After Heeralal and the cook woman left, Mohini became aloof and
only after a month she realized that her Mother-in-Law wants a
grandchild. She was surprised with the sudden transformation in her life.
She, who a few days back was a school girl, now would be a mother.
Then one fine day she got to know the reason of her mother-in-law’s
longing for a grandchild. Mohini’s friend Meera told her that Jayadev’s
horoscope suggests that he would survive only till twenty eighth year of
his life and only the father-luck of his son would let him prolong his life.
Mohini is a brave girl and is absolutely devoted to her husband. Rather
than feelings scared about the impending menace she felt positive and
powerful as the birth of a life from her womb would bring new life to her
husband. Though she doesn’t believe in these old theories, she readily
convinces herself to go ahead with it. Since Heeralal left Mohini had
started feeling very lonely. Jayadev’s involvement in his work kept

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increasing with every passing day. She yearned for his company. Her
mental state is reflected in following words:
She was bewildered. She needed more, oh, much more of him than he gave.
She ached to know all that he was, all that he had been. What had his
childhood been like? What thoughts and feelings had marked the years that
carried him into young manhood? Who were his friends? What is your work,
your dream of glory, scholar of scholars? I know so little of you! But he
trapped inside himself, expressing almost nothing of what he thought and felt
and needed when he did speak. (163)

Jayadev’s deep contemplation was only an attempt to stay focused.

Mohini’s presence in his life has been overwhelming. He wants to be
with her all the time but he doesn’t want to get distracted from his work.
So even his mind was in turmoil. He believes that he can truly contribute
to India’s social revolution. He keeps himself under pressure in his
soliloquy:
Neglect your work, be less intense, he would say to himself, and
never would you recapture your vision. Having reached your aim,
having dedicated your vision to your people, you would be free, free
to be fulfilled with- no Maitreyi, but Mohini, just Mohini (166).

He trusts Mohini and expects her to walk beside him. He wants

Mohini to be a part of all his upcoming endeavours. Mohini’s first step
towards the journey of rediscovering herself was teaching the ignorant
women in Behula. Her classes with the women gave her a sense of
independence which otherwise she had never felt. She felt unhappy on
her mother-in-law’s domineering attitude and compared her with her
grandmother:
Old mother had compromised with modernity and her struggle to
uphold the orthodox way was without passion. But the Mother of the
big house was stern, adamant, like iron. Old mother was of the old and
of the new; this mother had nothing in her nature that would allow
change (174-175).

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 Through Mohini we see that how rudimentary practices become
suffocating for people. It creates a division among people. Mohini’s
Mother-in -law tells her to sing religious songs only. She asks her to wear
plain cotton woven saris, wear gold instead of trinkets and not wear
make-up. She didn’t have anybody with whom she can share her
soreness. The big house had become a wall between her aspirations and
herself. The little boy Ranjan acted as a life-vest for her in her drowning
gloom. Mohini, who was devastated by not being able to conceive, found
Ranjan on whom she could shower her motherly bliss. Ranjan brought
happiness back in Mohini’s life. Mohini used to forget her pain when she
was with him. Jayadev who was totally buried in his work gave Mohini a
gramophone one day which made Mohini very happy. She used to show
it to the village women every day. She used to teach them lessons and tell
them stories. The women in Behula love to listen to Mohini. She means a
lot to them. Things started changing in Behula. Mohini was Jayadev’s
shadow and Harindra became his right hand.

Harindra, a city doctor, whose father is an old style medicine

practitioner, left his job in the city and came back to Behula for its
upliftment. He started working for reformation of Behula. Behula, like
any other village or city in India, was divided into two sets of people. One
who were looking for freedom from slavery of old customs and others
who wanted to cling onto it. The incident of a seventy year old money
lender’s marriage to a young girl which was outlawed enraged the old
people of the village. People having old ideas said:
What business had the ruffians to stop the marriage with a threat of
violence? Was there to be no individual freedom in Behula? And the
master of Behula had been unmoved. It was as though he had
approved! Preposterous! In the twenty generation past such an act of
abject treachery was unheard of. Where would it all end? (186).

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 Harindra who was working hard to bring change in Behula and to
stop the conflict among people was himself facing a conflict at home. His
father who wanted him to work in a city hospital and earn a good salary
was disappointed to see him work for the village. He didn’t agree with
Harindra’s view that the two medicine sciences could exist together in
harmony. Harindra tried to explain his point and asked, “What is wrong
in using in the fight against disease the best that East and West have to
offer? Medicine knows no race or nationality, father! No great blessing
for our people than the sulfa drugs” (187). He couldn’t convince his
father inspite of all his arguments.

Jayadev and his mother were also not in agreement. His mother
didn’t like his decision of supporting Harindra and people like him. She
was against any change and wanted his son to follow the same. She
supported the hierarchy system and didn’t approve of widow remarriage.
However Jayadev, based on his beliefs wanted to make Behula a socially
reformed village. He was the inspiration of many like Harindra. It was
very difficult for Harindra and his people to work for the upliftment of
the village. When they wanted to clean the pond of mosquitoes they were
not allowed in the name of faith and religion. However they managed to
do so in the darkness of the night without anyone coming to know of it.
So, gradually things were changing for better in Behula.

Jayadev always wished to transform Behula and bring an end to all

sorts of evils existing in the society there. However he did not have an
idea of what was going on in his own house. When Mohini completed
two years of her marriage and still could not conceive, her Mother-in-
Law started becoming insensitive towards her. She was really harsh to her
and said, “Are you barren, then?” (217).

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 She ordered that Mohini would have to sacrifice some part of her
body to the goddess for a child. Mohini got really angry. She seemed to
lose her purpose of existence. She knew that her mother-in-law had gone
through various hard practices as a widow but this order was beyond her
imagination. Mohini could not tell her husband about this but at the same
time she could not even resign to her irrational demand. There was a duel
going on in her mind. She could recall her father’s words, “Do not bow
down to such insult. You are the new India. The old orthodox ways have
been our yolk, have enslaved us. Let us be free” (221). And
simultaneously she recalled old mother’s words as well, “How can we
live without our past? Time is our earth, the earth which feeds our roots.
Faith will not be denied. Give yourself to the goddess with grace, if not
with faith” (221).

Mohini and Jayadev, both were going through their own share of
sorrows. Unfortunately they couldn’t see each other’s. Troubles went
from bad to worse between Mohini and her mother-in-law. Mohini was
completely disheartened. She used to curse herself and call herself a fool
to have believed in the superstitions like drinking milk while gazing the
moon and making quilts for the baby. She is a girl full of love and
innocence. She loves her husband and for him she could sacrifice her life
but she could not relate to the idea of offering her blood to Devi for a
child. She, a convent educated girl who has received modern values from
her father did not want to resign to her fate. She wanted to make her own
destiny. At the same time she recalled old mother’s traditional teachings
as well. When Jayadev was bitten by a harmless snake her mother-in-law
convinced her that it was a warning and worse could follow. Thus finally
she agreed to her Mother-in-Law’s decision and they hired a cart to go to
the Devi’s temple. In the meanwhile, Sudha who had come to know this

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through the cart man’s wife reached the big house and narrated
everything to Jayadev. Jayadev was stunned on listening to all this. He
reached the temple in time and saved Mohini from falling prey to the
cruel practice. Jayadev was furious to see this and confronted his mother
by saying:
Values, Mother? There are values beyond your grasp, since you will
always try to reach them with your reason, never with your feeling.
Life has punished you. His glance rested on his wife. He returned to
his mother whom he now addressed without pity. Blind belief shapes
your thinking; blind belief cannot make a sentiment (239).

Mohini’s Mother-in-law could go to any lengths for an heir. She

conspired to have it through Sudha then. She planned to send Mohini to
Calcutta and let Sudha be with Jayadev. She discussed her plans with
Sudha who was shocked to listen to this. In the meanwhile Mohini got to
know that she is pregnant. At the first instance she could not believe it.
She was happy but the hard feelings which had got accumulated over a
period of time could not go away from her heart easily. She had suffered
so much all along that even such big news did not evoke much happiness
in her. Mohini’s Mother-in-law was ashamed of herself for the plot she
had been laying out against Mohini. For the first time in life she could
relate to Jayadev’s idea and felt the honesty in Mohini and Jayadev. She
felt belittled in front of them. Mohini, who had lost her jubilance and her
real self, went back to Calcutta to rediscover her old self.

Bhabani Bhattacharya is a man of a vast and versatile erudition.

His novels talk about issues that prevail even today in the society which
prove the realistic importance of his novels. He in ‘Music for Mohini’ has
presented a very clear picture of old and new ideas and the conflict that
arises when they intermingle. Through various characters he has shown
the difference in thinking and opinion among different sets of society.

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‘Music for Mohini’ shows that having a flexible approach towards life
makes life balanced. Blindly following old customs, traditions and
orthodox beliefs is like eating rotten food that only leads to illness.
Similarly in the novel the writer has emphasized that human beings in
every era are often trapped in self created web of customs and traditions.
Sometimes social obligations make the society miserable. There has to be
flexibility in thought and audacity in action. Through this novel the
author has thrown light on social issues that have been making lives
difficult for people living in that era. After being a slave for so long,
when India got independence, the society was very keen to put its noble
thoughts into practice. We wanted to build a nation of our own where we
are free, where we follow our ancient culture and keep our heritage safe.
But the situation was chaotic and there was commotion in every mind.
The country was divided into two different sets; one that was welcoming
the change and was ready for adopting new practices while the second
that was adamant, fixed to the old practices and which had closed its eyes
and ears to any new idea. And even these two sets were themselves
confused. They were neither totally new, nor totally old. People were
following each other blindly. Some social practices were being followed
just to ensure one’s acceptance in the society.

Early marriage was a practice which was prevalent in all parts of

India especially in villages. Girls were expected to be wed at quite an
early age. Some of them who were born in educated families were lucky
to have completed their education where as others didn’t even get that
chance. Once married they were expected to deliver a baby as early as
possible. Even the people, who were educated, used to go for early
marriages, under social pressure. This happens even today in some
villages of India. At such a young age girls are overburdened with

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responsibilities. In old mother’s words “Mohini, a child? Mohini, a
woman for four whole years, a child?... Seventeen! Old mother resumed
in a moanful tone. And no horoscope made for her yet” (26).

Bhabani Bhattacharya has shown the heartrending condition of

girls in contemporary period. Mohini whose father is a professor even she
got married at an early age of seventeen. Girls who belonged to poor
families used to be married even earlier. The only aim of a girls’ life was
to get married. Right from her birth her parents would start worrying
about her marriage. At an early age a girl was supposed to be impeccable
in all household chores. It was the responsibility of the girl to make her
qualified for marriage. The pre-requisites of a bride wanting a fair match
were her fair complexion, her knowledge of Sanskrit, expertise in
household work, graceful movements and so on. Even today things
haven’t changed in real. They are expected to be perfect from tip to toe.
The process of bride showing sometimes becomes humiliating for young
girls even today. Mohini also had one such encounter:
The second party came a fortnight later, the groom himself, a young
married sister, their old parents. Four pair of eyes surveyed the girl
from foot to head. She had to walk a few steps at the Mother’s bidding
to prove she did not lack grace of movement. They fumbled with her
prettily arranged hair and unloosed it down her back to know its
length. They rubbed her face with their thumbs to make sure the fair
complexion was natural not paint. Mohini gulped down her tears of
shame. When the women stooped to pull up her sari to the knees to
inspect the shape of her ankle and legs… (58).

And if any of these qualities were not found in the bride it would
lead to an increase in dowry. The first party that had come to see Mohini
asked to increase the dowry for one such reason. They asked Mohini a
few questions:

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 Tell us, how many divine incarnations have descended on this earth of
ours?
The name of the stars that make human destiny?
What is Yoga?
Mohini with quick wit gave half answers or kept a discreet silence…
The dowry you offer, sir, isn’t enough. We would take your offer if the
maid were versed in our ancient culture. She isn’t. In the present
circumstances, dowry must be the decisive factor. Think it over (57).

The marriage of course didn’t take place. Mohini’s father being an

educated man did not pay heed to the party’s demand. He had confidence
in his daughter and knew that she would get a good match even without
paying any dowry. However not all parents can think like this. People
who give in to such demands under pressure open a can of worms. Such
demands never stop coming and the girls’ life becomes hell. Dowry is a
practice that has taken many lives. Girls who go to someone’s house by
taking vows of togetherness around the holy fire are sometimes even set
on fire for dowry. They are abused, attacked and sometimes even beaten
to death. It is still a prevailing practice in every strata of society. Greedy
people perceive marriages as business opportunities. Mohini went
through the proposals that had come in response to her matrimonial
advertisement:
A dozen letters had come, languidly interested in the bride’s person,
greedily interested in her dowry. She had read the letters with resentful
scorn. Why had she been photographed, exquisite in the gold bordered
sari called Mist of Dawn, since her sepia prettiness must lie unseen in
father’s desk? Looks were dumb. Only gold spoke, gold (56).

Another very important factor was color, which is given equal

importance even today. Color discrimination is seen not only in India but
in most parts of the world. Fairness seems to be a qualifying factor for
beauty. Even today with such a wide range of fairness creams and
thriving market of fairness products one can make out the importance that

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is attached to one’s skin color. The matrimonial ads that Mohini read
clearly stated; “Wanted, extremely beautiful, tall, slim, really fair-
complexioned Brahmin bride...” (48). Being dark in complexion is like a
stigma. People do all sorts of experiments with their skin to look fair.
Mohini who was very beautiful and naturally fair had to undergo a test
for her fairness.

The writer has given a just insight of the condition of girls in the
society. Since childhood they are always preparing themselves for
marriage, sometimes by trying to become perfect in household duties and
sometimes by experimenting with their skin if they are not naturally
gifted with fairness.

The main reason for such an attitude towards the girls in the
society was the lack of awareness amongst them which persists even
today. In those days females were given no exposure. They were
supposed to be confined to the four walls of the house. The society was
changing rapidly. However the position of girls in society remained
stagnant. Mohini, the daughter of a professor, had also often become a
reason of argument between her father and grandmother. Mohini’s
grandmother was never in favour of sending her to a convent school, nor
did she approve of recording her songs on CD:
You let the girls’ voice be caught in shiny black discs. You let her
songs be sold in the bazaar for a few rupees apiece (22)
A fellow, good or bad, saint or lout, can go to the gramophone shop
and buy a shiny black disc for Rs. 3, and it is as though he buys a little
of our girl, for her voice is truly a part of herself. Terrible! Even her
name is printed there, on the disc, for every eye to feel (23).

This attitude towards girls doesn’t allow them to be independent

and stand on their feet. Marriage thus becomes the only goal of their life

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and they always have to depend on someone else for subsistence. This
lack of exposure and unawareness leads to orthodox thinking and rigidity
in attitude.

India is a free country but we Indians are still not free. We are still
serving somebody and are still a slave. We are serving a fearful mind.
This fear leads to superstitious beliefs that make our life shallow. It
reaches its pinnacle when we try to impose our superstitious beliefs on
others and want them to fall in line. This attitude of people distorts the
image of tradition and old values and depicts a wrong picture of the
society and its customs in the mind of those who are free from fear and
superstitious beliefs. The writer has given various examples of
superstitions followed and their dreadful outcome. The significance of
horoscope shown in the novel is the biggest example of superstitious
beliefs. Jayadev’s Mother found the best match in Mohini. She thought
that Mohini is going to deliver a baby boy soon whose father-luck would
save Jayadev’s life as mentioned in Jayadev’s horoscope. When this
didn’t happen, she developed malice in her heart for Mohini. The usually
sedate Mother-in-Law suddenly turned hostile and said indecent things to
her:
What evil destiny made me to bring you into this house? Your
barrenness will curse it for all time. You will take the life of your
husband, you will- her voice broke in emotion, you will end to the big
house. Those deceptive luck signs-scrape them off your skin with a
knife. Do not bear the shame of so much falsehood (222).

She told Mohini that she should give blood from her bosom to the
Devi as an offering for a child. She was ready to give an offering too.
This was the height of superstitious belief. She said to Mohini, “You’ll
cut the skin of your bosom and give her the blood in a lotus-leaf bowl. I,
too, shall give my heart’s blood and pray for the gift of a grandson”

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(217). The scenario hasn’t changed even today. It happens discreetly but
people still give offerings to the almighty. These offerings range from an
animal to human life which is an absolute shame for our society. Mohini
doesn’t believe too much in horoscope. She recalls a case where these
predictions have been totally wrong:
Sita loved her second cousin whom she had known since childhood. In
a mood of desperation Sita revealed her heart to her mother. There
could not be a better match, for the boy was well placed, both were of
the same caste and social status, and no dowry had to be paid. But as
luck would have it, the stars came in the way. It appeared that if Sita
were to marry she would be widowed in her middle years. So the
parents looked for another groom and forced the woeful Sita to marry
him because this time the horoscopes indicated a happy fruitful union.
And what happened? A month had barely gone when Sita’s husband
was killed in a street accident. This horoscope! (157).

Mohini’s grandmother is also guided by superstitious beliefs and

imposes the same on her children and grandchildren. She has forcefully
tied an amulet on Professor by threatening him of forsaking the world if
he doesn’t listen to her. And then she enticed Heeralal to give him money
for tying an amulet. She believes that these amulets will protect them
from evil eye. All these fears take people away from reality. Their
superstitions lead to more fear in their minds and there is no end to these
beliefs. These superstitious beliefs do not let things materialize and fill us
with negativity and despair. Even Mohini, when she could not conceive,
started to curse herself for drinking milk in moonlight and stitching baby
clothes.

This belief in superstition comes from another evil of the society.

Bhabani Bhattacharya has shown this in all his novels and emphasized
upon the need to address it. This evil is the unawareness of the masses
which is a result of lack of education. People, who are uneducated, are

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mostly unaware and they are the ones who never let go off worn out
customs and rotten social norms. In ‘Music for Mohini’ scholars like
Jayadev and Harindra know the importance of education and awareness.
Mohini started to teach the village women on Jayadev’s advice. She
supported his mission which was to make Behula an educated, aware and
open-minded village that is free of social evils like casteism,
untouchability, remarriage, early marriage and many more.

The villagers were so unaware and stuck in religious beliefs that

they could not see misery and illness moving towards them. When
Harindra and his fellows wanted to clean the Shiva pond brooding
mosquitoes, the temple priest didn’t allow them to do so. When Harindra
told the priest that the situation may lead to spread of malaria and the
hyacinth needs to be cut. He replied, “What mad man’s talk is this? cried
the priest in anger and surprise. To annoy the devote one now disguised
as an animal! To make a vulgar commotion in the holy abode” (207).
When Harindra told him that it is inevitable he replied, “Harindra, you are
a fool, my boy. Alien learning holds your spirit in its slimy corruption. A
worthy father cursed with such an unbeliever for a son!”(207). However
at the end Jayadev and Harindra could achieve what they wanted.

Casteism is another social evil that has divided the society in

different groups and all these groups have no liking for each other. The
society has a complex hierarchy and in earlier times it was totally
inflexible. The person who holds the top position in the hierarchy seems
to have all the luxuries and privileges. The person who is lowest in this
hierarchy is considered as a pest, someone who is born with a label of
being inferior, who doesn’t get any right and who is usually subject to
disrespect, discrimination and disgust. When Harindra, a highly educated
doctor, along with his friends, wanted to clean the pond for the benefit of
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the villagers, Jayadev’s Mother didn’t like it. Jayadev had an argument
with his mother over the same. He tried to reason with his mother but
they had an argument which followed like this:
‘They say, Jayadev, you’re helping the fellows called ‘ruffians’ in their
mischievous work. True?’...The mother asked him sharply one day.
Jayadev replied;
‘What they have done? They are out to destroy fever mosquitoes; they
demand that ponds and grounds be kept clean, that shallow pools of
water be filled up so that mosquitoes lose their main breeding area.
They even volunteer their services free to the owners of ponds. What
could be more fair?’
But they demand!
They begged, they pleaded, they prayed and were laughed at. Now
they demand. (188)

In those times the highborn people never imagined that lowborn

could demand for anything. For them, the lowborn were born to be
brought up on the leftovers of the high born. Nothing more than that. This
entire caste system had created a rift between human beings. They hated
each other for the rights they had. Earlier, only the Brahmins showed
their hatred for the low caste but after independence when the low caste
got empowered through reservation they too reciprocated the same. Now
with a new social system this problem seems to have subsided in some
cities but has still not died in our villages and some cities even today. For
a nation’s overall progress, equality amongst its citizen’s is a must. The
social hierarchy is such a complex system that it not only divides a high
born and a low born but also creates a rift within the lowborn and the
highborn. Jayadev’s and Harindra’s efforts to abolish the caste system
and trying to bridge the gap between the two societies were totally futile.
When Harindra tried to reason his idea with a cobbler, he replied, “What
if our own low caste folks lift up their head to the higher among us? What
if a scavenger claims to be a leather workers brother and equal? (190).

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Harindra then understood the depth of the hierarchy system. He thought,
“Yes, the casteless had their own hierarchy of caste. They had their
priesthood, if there was no equality among themselves, how could they be
equal as a class with other people?” (190).

In Indian tradition infertility or sterility is a curse for women. In

old days a woman was just considered as an object of reproduction. She
was expected to live in her husband’s shadow. She was brought in a new
house only to deliver an heir who could take the family legacy ahead.
And when she was not able to do so she was tortured and scorned. Her
life used to becomes meaningless for herself and useless for others. A
tender girl who comes to her new house with colorful dreams and positive
expectations starts to curse her womanhood. She feels suffocated in a
place where people consider her only as machine. Mohini too, totally lost
her real self after her marriage and started hating her life. Mohini, who
was the cynosure of all eyes, who was a great radio singer, who had many
admirers, is going through an existential crisis today. Her grief is evident
in her words;
I am needed only to bear a son. Mohini clenched her hands as the
Mother’s words rang in her ear, and she cried, Just as well I am barren,
just as well as I am barren. And even as she calmed down, her hands
clenched again, and her eyes were bright. I won’t have a son who is to
be a limb of the cold heartless big house (222).

Even today this takes place in many places in India. A woman who
is not able to deliver an heir is no longer treated as family. The best way
to get rid of the problem, which is her, is to find someone else who can
replace her. This practice of remarriage for an heir affects the condition
of the first wife badly. Mohini too would have faced the same fate if she
would not have been able to conceive. Her Mother-in-Law had planned to
send her to Calcutta and give Sudha her place. She being the mother of
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the big house and inspiration for many did not reveal her plans to anyone
except Sudha. Mohini didn’t even know about it. Even after seeing such
an insensitive side of her Mother-in-Law she still felt sad for her.
Yet, Mohini told herself, perhaps she judged the mother too harshly?
Perhaps she saw the wrong side of this old tapestry of tradition and
missed the design? Duty and compassion were not at odds in the
mother; the key to the design was sacrifice which was a right and
privilege, not a duty alone. If necessity pointed to a co-wife, it was
your proud privilege, not a punishment, to perform the welcome
ceremony for the new bride, waving lit lamps before her face, touching
her ears with honey! This much was certain: the mother in the prime of
her youth would herself have arranged her husband’s second marriage
if fate had made her barren (230).

This practice snatches all the rights from the first wives and gives it
to the new one. They have to give upon their love, trusting whom they
had stepped in the new phase of their life. These men would not mind
marrying a young girl half their age; they would not mind marrying again
and again even in their old age but it is highly ironical that they will mind
widow remarriage. Raja Rammohan Roy was a great social reformer who
fought for widow remarriage. In that period, a widow was no better than
cattle. Life without a husband was miserable for them. These women
were considered a bad omen and were kept away from any auspicious
ceremony. When Jayadev supported the idea of not letting any old man
remarry unless he chooses a widow his mother was aghast. Harindra and
Jayadev started to fight for widow remarriage and against child marriage.
Harindra and his friends were able to save a young girl from marrying a
seventy year old money lender. All these practices are widespread in
many villages and many families even today. Even if the nation is
changing for better some of us are still stuck with our regressive
individual beliefs.

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In Mohini’s case, the other woman, who as per her Mother-in-Law’s
plans could have been Sudha, had herself been oppressed by the society.
Sudha, who was an absolute beauty and intelligent too remained unwed
for quite long. She is a true victim of social norms and superstitions. Her
uncle, who delayed her marriage because of Saturn’s shadow in her
horoscope, could not get her married even after several years. People
labeled her as Saturn’s eyesore and considered her jinxed for life. The
superstitions first made her life miserable and the social obligations
would not let her make her life meaningful again by marrying Harindra
since he is not a Brahmin. Educated people like Harindra and Jayadev
knew Sudha’s pain. Harindra expressed his views to Mohini by saying,
“We have made her what she is. She has no one to call her own, for her
uncle doesn’t count. We have made a mess of her life, haven’t we? It’s
our plain duty to rebuild it, or to offer her the substance to build with”
(210). Harindra deeply understands Sudha’s situation as he knows that
Sudha is a victim of the old worn-out petty beliefs and superstitions and
those beliefs have made her life entirely colourless.

Harindra who is educated and aware knows that things like evil
time, bad planet and good planet do not exist. He is sympathetic towards
Sudha, likes her and wants to marry her. But he knows that even if she
remains unwed, depressed and lonely the people of the society would not
mind. But they will surely mind if he decides to marry her. He knew that
there would be an outrage against his decision and people would say “he,
a non-Brahmin, marrying a Brahmin girl and defying a timeless social
practice” (214). Sudha unwed and unhappy who desperately needed a
companion was clutched in social norms. She was jinxed for life.
Harindra had decided that for Sudha he would go against anybody.
However he was not sure of Sudha’s decision.

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 All these things remain unchanged even today. Many girls don’t
get a suitable match through matching horoscopes at marriageable age
and then it gets too late for marriage. They are supposed to marry within
their own caste and sub-caste and if they go against this system their
family and they and become a subject of social mockery. All the social
norms have entangled us so tightly that they do not let our individuality to
present itself. We waste half of our life in deciding between right and
wrong, and this confusion becomes an impediment in our progress both
as an individual and as a nation.

Bhabani Bhattacharya has clearly reflected the position of a human

being in the society. A man who himself makes the society cannot take
social decisions for his own life. His self created norms come in between
what is right and what is considered to be right. He has also shown the
position of women in the society. He emphasizes upon the need of
education for women through Jayadev and encourages us to take initiative
through Mohini. The novel clearly depicts that every individual, be it
male or female should have an identity and purpose for living. A
woman’s life is not only her man’s but also of her society’s that needs
her. A woman should be a shadow of her man. But she should also realize
when she needs to step forward to do her bit to make her life meaningful.
We can get rid of all social evils like early marriage, remarriage for heir,
superstitions, blind faith and so on by spreading awareness amongst
people. Mohini’s character shows the struggle and strength of a woman.
Her character tells that life is all about making fair adjustments. The
novel shows that a balance between the old and new traditions can make
life worth living. K.S. Iyenger rightly remarks “Out of the clash between
the old and the new, the seeming antagonism between the country and the
city, a creative new synthesis has to emerge” (Iyenger 415).

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 Bhabani Bhattacharya’s Shadow from Ladakh deals with the
conflicting ideologies and dissimilar approaches people have towards the
way of living and individual restrictions to self in a moralistic world.
Unlike other Bhabani Bhattacharya novels, that talk primarily of social
and economic issues, this novel takes the reader to a different plane all
together. It lets them probe into Indo-China relationship in that period.
The novel along with its light social and economic treatment, presents the
political picture of post independence period during Chinese aggression
for Ladakh and the different ideological treatments emerging to surmount
the problem.

The divergence between idealism and pragmatism and its effect on

people is put through by Gandhigram and Steeltown respectively.
Gandhigram, which blindly follows Gandhian philosophies and economic
policies, stands opposite to Steeltown, establishing steel plants rapidly.
The Steeltown plans to elaborate its existence and mark its shadow on the
adjacent village Gandhigram, where people feel deplorable about the idea
of industrialization. On one end there is Satyajit Sen, who has raised
Gandhigram and its ideals by his timeless devotion and, on the other,
there is Bhaskar Roy, Chief Engineer at Steeletown, Lohapur, who
believes that Steel is going to be the backbone of Indian Economy.

The writer has skillfully shown the characteristics of both

ideologies through Satyajit and Bhaskar and also their uneasiness towards
each other. He also emphasizes the need of following a middle way. The
best of both worlds should be taken in order to be competent and content
at the same time. The need of this fusion has been one of the major
concerns in all his novels. A happy state, whether it’s a country or a

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human, requires a harmonious incorporation of the old and the new
beliefs.

Satyajit Sen, who is the heart of Gandhigram, is a Cambridge

student. He had quite closely seen and has been in the European culture.
The influence of Tagore pulled his heart strings towards Shantiniketan
and then Gandhi’s influence towards Sevagram. While teaching in
Shantiniketan he fell in love with a pretty girl, Suruchi, and married her.
Though they belonged to different castes yet Tagore approved the
marriage. Caste system was not given much significance in
Shantiniketan. After some time the duo had a daughter who they named
Sumita. Satyajit who had idealistic thoughts, soon developed restlessness
in him and it kept on increasing through time. He was searching for the
significance of his life and purpose of his existence. In this state of mind,
he met Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi told Satyajit that Sevagram needs him
and threw light on the life there, “You know how it is to be there? At
Sevagram we don’t try to teach the people; we become one of them. Our
thoughts reach them through actions alone” (16). Mahatma Gandhi
became his guiding star and showed him the way to go.

He took his decision to move to Sevagram but was also thoughtful

about Suruchi. He gave her an option to stay back but she decided to go
along him with little Sumita. After Gandhi’s assassination the village was
called Gandhigram. In Gandhigram the way of living was quite opposite
to what they had experienced earlier. There was no question of luxury
and in fact a lot of needs were to be forsaken. Gandhi-ji told Satyajit:
The mud house assigned to you in Sevagram would need no modern
furnishing; you sat on a floormat, slept on a string cot. Your clothes
would be woven out of yarn produced on spinning wheel, preferably
your own. Kitchen gadgets were out of place- the food had to be the
simplest peasant’s fare. Money itself was a needless burden (16).

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 Gandhigram was a place where all were equal. All belonged to one
status. Consideration of Caste was out of question. Life was simple and
hard-work was the only key. People in Gandhigram truly followed
Gandhian principles like non-violence, simple living, and celibacy:

Values to be lived, to be expresses in terms of deed. Complete

equality. Unreserved fraternity. Limitless non-violence, as much in
thought as in action. Slogans glibly everywhere; in Gandhigram they
had to be real. The Gandhian village was not its mud walls alone. It
was spirit (46).

Satyajit followed Gandhi’s way of life with all dedication and

Suruchi’s submission let him in the pursuit of living. Ever since they
moved to Gandhigram, Satyajit became more aloof and kept Suruchi
away from him. He, as he knew was imposing his ideas on Suruchi, once
offered her to move ahead in life and get married again but Suruchi was
devoted to Satyajit. She could think of compromising with this kind of
life but could never think of staying away from him. Suruchi was twenty
nine when Satyajit spoke about this and since then they never discussed it
again. Thus Suruchi is virtuous. She is a true Indian woman who supports
her husband in everything come what may. She never questioned Satyajit
and always stood beside him. She is a loving mother. Suruchi pines for a
normal life free of confines and also for the two sons who she thought
would have born if they would have had a normal life. Suruchi had
always wanted to have more children but Satyajit’s vow of celibacy could
not let her wish come true. She never discussed it with Satyajit and
always remained his shadow, accepted all his ideas and actions. When
Sumita was eighteen, Satyajit sent Suruchi on a foreign delegation on
‘World Peace Congress’. Initially she was hesitant to go as she had
always walked behind Satyajit but later, on his motivation, she went there
and came back with a whole lot of confidence.

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 The Indo-China relationship was not at its best state. Chinese
troops were seen near Indian border of Laddakh and there was a lot of
stimulation as to what china wants. Satyajit holds a positive opinion about
China and believes in the neighboring friendship between India and
China but ever since Suruchi came back from Moscow she was skeptical
as she saw china’s feeling through the two female fellows she
encountered in Moscow. One of whom had a violent approach and
expressed that war was the only way to end all wars and the other assured
her of China’s role in making India’s future just right. “We in China will
turn liberated India into a new heaven. We love your people; you know
that!” (6).

She told this to Satyajit but his belief in Indo-China relationship

was steadfast. He believes in love, brotherhood and peace. He has
inculcated identical values in Sumita too. Sumita respects her father
immensely. She too is an ascetic like him. Though Suruchi did not want
Sumita to have a life like hers’ yet she never came in between her and
Satyajit. She let Sumita be what he wanted her to be and she is unerringly
that. At such a young age she lives like a widow. She wears white attire,
never wears any make up or accessories. She produces cotton fabric for
her cloth, from her own spinning wheel, which she got from Satyajit as a
present on her fourteenth birthday. This Spinning wheel was given to
Satyajit by Mahatma Gandhi and it is very precious for him. Sumita
completely believes in her father’s philosophy and follows that sternly.
Her character is well defined in Bhaskar’s words: “Eyes too big and
insipid, he decided. The eyes of a cow. But nothing cowlike in her
demeanor...Not a trace of decoration, no color anywhere on her person”
(28-29).

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 Bhaskar Roy is the Chief Engineer in Lohapur, Steeltown. He is
the man of modern values and believes in development. He has worked in
America and stayed there for a long time. He has had a feel of American
culture quite closely. He has a good personality and is intelligent. He
believes in openness and has a flexible approach. He is meticulous and
firmly believes that Industrialization is the need of the hour. More
production of steel will lead to a more stable economy. He believes in
machines and huge production, on the contrary, Satyajit, believes in
human labour. Satyajit calls machines evil. Bhaskar tries to explain him
that both good and bad give meaning to life. “Vice is the darkness that
gives value to light. No darkness and light is hurtful. Let there be some
virtue, some vice. Let them be juxtaposed, balanced” (29). Though they
couldn’t agree with each other’s ideas.

Suruchi got a warm welcome from the villagers and she delivered a
speech for them in which she told about her experience of the delegation
in Moscow. This was the first time when Suruchi went out of her shell
and did something independently. Her speech reflected her deep
understanding of situations and human nature. She is a person who is
hopeful and positive but doesn’t like to sit unprepared. She also spoke
about the females reflecting Chinese mindset.
We shall not rush to a conclusion, was her final comment. We shall
give our Chinese sister the full benefit of doubt. At the same time, we
cannot afford to live in a paradise where we think all’s bound to be
well. She paused. Facts will speak- in a few months or a few weeks,
maybe. Then the riddle of our beautiful Chinese sister will stand solved
(53).

All of them were happy and proud of her, but their vigour turned
into sorrow as they heard the announcement of Chinese firing on Indian
soldiers without any provocation. Nine soldiers died and others were
taken in detention. This dreadful news shook our country, India, which
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was just trying to stand on its own feet after independence. Also this
incident reinforced Bhaskar’s belief in the need for arms which needed
steel. He didn’t agree with the philosophy of Gandhigram and wanted it
to change. He planned to expand Steeletown and merge the adjacent
village Gandhigram in it for rapid industrialization. “To annex, not a
village, but an entire way of life. There couldn’t be two Indias, back to
back, gazing at opposite horizons, ready to march off and get further and
further apart…” (56). He feels the desperate need to uplift Gandhigram to
a progressive level.
The mud houses would go where they belonged- to feudal past of
India. A colony with blocks of new dwellings would be built on the
new meadow’s left side; brick and mortar, supplied with current, water
on tap day and night. Becoming one with the city, these people would
at last learn to live (57).

He decided to make a Center for close association between

Steeltown and Gandhigram. That, he thought, would bridge the gap
between the villagers and the Mill workers. He wanted to draw the village
people’s attention to the city life so that they get allured. He plans to call
every villager in the opening ceremony of the center which was called the
Meadow House. The work of the Meadow House was on full swing.
When the work was over, they had an opening ceremony in which all the
villagers were invited. Sumita, Suruchi and all the villagers went for the
ceremony. Bhaskar who simply doesn’t agree with Satyajit, tried to
convey his thoughts to Sumita who had become his friend by then. She
had started liking Bhaskar though she didn’t realize it as she was
unfamiliar with this feeling. When she heard Bhaskar’s view about
Satyajit, she felt sad. She trusted her father more than anyone else. Thus
seeing Bhaskar and his father on different ends was a saddening fact for
her. “Why was it that the two men of complete dedication had to face
each other with challenge, and on or the other must bear the pangs of

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defeat? The thought of Satyajit’s defeat was unbearable and the
alternative…” (89). She wanted her father to win but she didn’t even
want Bhaskar to lose.

Satyajit was submerged in his own world. Ever since the bodies of
the nine soldiers reached Delhi, the country was on a boil and this flamed
his restlessness. He had always believed that China is cordial with India
but the situation had left him bemused. He thought about Mahatma
Gandhi and tried to look for answers. He started going to the library
everyday to study books, read articles about India and China. He tried to
look at it from different points of view but all his efforts of finding a
loophole went in vain. He was denying the reality because of his
immense belief in Indo-China relation, but eventually the facts spoke and
he tried to reach to Gandhi through his thoughts again. He decided to
undertake a peace mission to the frontier regions of Laddakh. Suruchi got
perturbed hearing this but Satyajit’s decision was firm. He decided to take
four men from the village and a woman, and that woman was Sumita.
Suruchi felt disheartened but didn’t display her disappointment. Sumita
understood her emotions by looking at her crestfallen face and told
Satyajit that Suruchi would be alone but Satyajit with all his conviction
said that Suruchi would not mind. Suruchi had always felt that Satyajit
values Sumita more than her but she never complained about anything.
Sumita was extremely excited about her being a part of the peace march.

Bhaskar used to visit Sumita’s house as he liked to spend time with

her. When Sumita and Bhaskar went to a temple they saw an aesthetic
sculpture of a woman and a man in a loving posture. Sumita didn’t react
much on seeing the sculpture. Bhaskar asked her about her views on the
sculpture but even that couldn’t arouse any feeling in her. He was

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shocked to see a grown up girl not having any feelings even after
witnessing something so practical. He felt annoyed and thought,
She was India, wasn’t she? The India of Satyajit. The India that had to
be transformed. It wasn’t enough to fight Satyajit on the economic
front. The battle must touch every facet of living. The machine age
asweep over the country could give no quarter to repressions…One
kind of blindness linked up with other kinds in a chain. No wonder that
Sumita failed to see the dark menace from beyond the mountains.
Satyajitism, working at several levels, was all of a piece. Delusion-and
more delusion (128).

Bhaskar truly likes Sumita but doesn’t like Satyajit’s influence on

her which was impenetrable. He wanted her to be like all the young girls
and live her life fully. Sumita spilled the beans by telling him about
Satyajit’s peace mission and his decision to take Sumita along. This
increased his anxiety on her account and he grew restless. Bhaskar’s
personal secretary, Mrs. Mehra, who is a good lady, gave a matrimonial
ad in the newspaper. She suddenly started receiving a lot of attention
from the rich ladies in Steeltown as most of them were looking at her as a
medium to reach Bhaskar, the most eligible bachelor for their daughters.
They were competing with each other and Mrs. Mehra was enjoying the
show. Bhaskar had no interest in marriage however Rupa sometimes
becomes a pleasure for his eyes.

Rupa is an Anglo-American girl whose mother left her at an early

age and went back to America. She loves Bhaskar but he doesn’t
reciprocate her feelings. His life was dedicated to work. She was only a
stress buster for him. He likes to talk to her because of her modern
outlook. He told her about Satyajit and his stubborn ideas. He wants to
break Satyajit’s ideal world and shake his belief. He, in this state of mind
spoke to Rupa:

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 If only Satyajit could be destroyed-
Rupa gave a gasp. Destroyed?
I am thinking of the inner man. The man of crystal purity. The man
who abhors vice. Vice in his own reckoning, of course. Let him fall
from his moral height, and he will declare himself unworthy of
leadership (133).

Rupa, who had seen a difficult life due to the separation of her
parents and betrayal in love life, yearns for Bhaskar’s love. However she
knows that she doesn’t hold a better chance than any of his other female
flings. While thinking about her conversation with Bhaskar a though
crossed her mind. She contemplated about being the vamp and shaking
Satyajit’s asceticism by using her feminine charms. She read Tagore’s
book ‘Attainment’ which Bhaskar had mentioned. She met Satyajit in the
library and told him that she is there for his assistance. Satyajit took her
help in typing the notes. He remained untouched by her presence.
However she surely brought back the old memories of his Cambridge
days and shook the ascetic inside him. After so many years he noticed
Suruchi again and wondered where all the previous years had gone by.
He wanted to be with Suruchi and felt like breaking the wall between
them.
What’s happening to me? he asked himself, troubled by memory,
images from a past experience, and then he saw Rupa across the desk,
her pink –nailed fingers dancing on the keys of the Remington, and
there was Stella somewhere in her body, and there was Harriet!...Rain
beat on the window pane, and Rupa stooped to the floor, collecting
papers scattered about…That was it-the thought burst with a dazzle of
strong light. Rupa had done this to him. She had called back his youth
from its graveyard. She had taken the inner poise he had attained in
years of hard effort, made those years futile and he was helpless, as
helpless now as in those Cambridge days (179).

And that day after years there was again a reunion of Satyajit and
Suruchi.

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 Sumita, who was in love now, was naturally undergoing a
transformation. She who had always worn the white garb had now started
giving colours a privilege to adorn her person. She went to the opening
ceremony of the Meadow House wearing a red sari. She thought it would
be a pleasant surprise for Bhaskar. Bhaskar on the other hand had no idea
of Sumita’s feelings and he knew that idea of acquiring Gandhigram and
making it a part of Steeltown would hurt Sumita. He wants Sumita to be a
part of his life. She, for him, is a face of adjustment and simplicity. She is
away from complications and that is what he admires most. She lives a
life of austerity yet she loves technology and machines. Her visit to
Steeltown and her interest in learning about electricity and machines
proves her flexible nature. She does everything with nonchalance.

Satyajit started his journey to Delhi to present his proposal to the

Central government. But they turned down his proposal as it would have
put Satyajit and his team’s life in danger. Even Bhaskar’s worry for
Sumita was reasonable as he knew that going into the peace march could
mean an end to life. As the government turned down Satyajit’s proposal
he addressed the press. The press heard about the government’s denial
and realized that in this case, only great voluntary support by the entire
nation could pursue the government to relent. “Nonviolence, much more
than violence, demands mass action” (196). Satyajit truly feels that a non-
violent movement can bring a change in the hearts of our neighbors, the
Chinese, but the government, due to Chinese aggression had no faith in
peace. The minister said to Satyajit, “I hate to think of innocent lives
being sacrificed. All for an ideal that has no chance at all in a situation
where human life has no value whatever” (197).

Satyajit stayed with Bireshwar Basu in New Delhi. Bireshwar Basu

is Satyajit’s best friend who was with him in Cambridge. He is a man of
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happy- go lucky nature and believes in enjoying life to the fullest. Until
three years ago, he used to frequently visit Gandhigram. He is very close
to Satyajit and wishes the best for him. He confessed about his feelings
for Suruchi, Satyajit’s wife and how she never paid any heed to his
oblique gestures. He also tried to show Satyajit the real reflection of his
soul and also what he was missing in life. He really wants Satyajit to
enrich his relationship with Suruchi and break the shackles he had tied
himself with. He feels, “Gandhigram gone, he might regain something far
more precious. If only he would understand” (217).

Satyajit, on the other hand, was in remorse thinking of the night

when he moved towards Suruchi once again. Bireshwar tells him about
the plan of Steeltown expansion and enveloping Gandhigram and also the
big possibility of plan becoming a reality. This news increased the
uneasiness in him. He thought:
Was he not betraying him? Accepting the end of Gandhigram with no
will for resistance, was he not belittling all that he had lived for?...That
incident of a single night was not all; it had lost its isolation and was
merely one strand in the evil cobweb enveloping his senses. (218-219)

And he again started to look for the path of penance.

Suruchi felt relieved to hear about Satyajit’s call to nation. As she

knew that mass acceleration is less hurtful. However Sumita felt that her
existence and her father’s would lose its meaning as many people would
be a part of this mission now. Suruchi who has better understanding of
life and people explained to Sumita. “This you have to understand,
Sumita. The people are greater than an individual. Any individual” (221).
She understands the power of Unity and feels that Satyajit’s mission can
come to reality only by mass support.

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 Suruchi is the medium through which the writer shows the
importance of adjustment and experiment. She believes in love and living
life fully, however she accepts austerity because of Satyajit. She is a true
Indian woman who sacrifices her dreams for her husband. However she
wants a different kind of life for Sumita where she would enjoy all the
shades of life. She believes in harmony and fusion of the old and new
values. She is able to relate with the feelings of a young girl Jhanak, who
fell in love with a boy in Gandhigram. But at the same time she never
pushed Sumita to follow a similar path. She let Sumita follow Satyajit.
However she had firm belief in Tagore’s philosophy:
And now she moved quickly from the personal factor to the idea that
simple folk music was worth no less than the classical melodies. That
was Tagore’s firm belief. Integration-that was the poet’s lifelong quest:
integration of the simple and the sophisticated; the ancient and the
modern; city and village; East and West. Keep this in mind, Sumita.
The poet didn’t believe, as many do, that uniformity has to be bedrock
basis of unity (222).

When Bhaskar told Suruchi about government’s approval of

Gandhigram’s merger in steel town, she told him not to tell it to Sumita
as she may misunderstand him. She, being a mother and a woman, was
able to sense the love growing between them. However Satyajit’s letter
revealed the news to Sumita which made her disheartened. She felt that
she had been living in a fool’s paradise and Bhaskar had been making a
fool of her. Satyajit, in his letter, revealed his decision of fast unto death,
so Sumita decided to go to Delhi. She also spoke scornfully to Suruchi
when she expressed her desire to join her in her trip:
No, Mother. You have to be here in charge of the school. What will
you do in Delhi, anyway? She met the bewildered stare, and her voice
hardened: You don’t approve at heart, do you? Father’s single-handed
struggle to save the village. You’d rather see it wiped away? (232).

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 Suruchi understands her daughter’s emotions and knows what she
is going through. She also knows that she has helped Satyajit in making
him what he is today. Her support has made things easy for Satyajit.
However listening to her daughter, she felt that she shouldn’t have helped
him in his endeavours of becoming an austere. When Sumita reached
Delhi she witnessed a life that she had never seen before. She stayed with
Bireshwar’s brother’s family there. Bireshwar’s niece Nandini became
friends with Sumita and introduced her to the life in Delhi. Sumita helped
Nandini to manage her canteen that she was running for the soldiers. She
met Nandini’s brother Debes in Delhi who was an army officer. He really
liked Sumita’s simplicity and enjoyed spending time with her. She too
enjoyed the attention she was getting as it was all new for her. In the
meanwhile Suruchi wrote a letter to her explaining Bhaskar’s point of
view and she felt relieved to read it. That was the time when Sumita
could understand Jhanak and she didn’t seem to be wrong to her.

Sumita and Satyajit were in Delhi and in this situation the village
council wanted Suruchi’s guidance in taking a decision for Jhanak.
Jhanak had gone against the spirit of Gandhigram and had challenged it
by openly admitting what she had done. But Suruchi believes in love. She
believes in the ideals of Gandhigram but at the same time she understands
human feelings as well.
She has felt attuned to Jhanak. She had once pleaded for her. Yet,
today, could she give her blessing to the rebel? Could she float by that
gesture all that she herself had lived for? True that she had not
accepted Gandhigram in its entirety. But she had not rejected it, either.
Or else the current threat to its existence would not have been so hard
to bear (283-284).

Satyajit planned of a fast unto death while Bhaskar was also

working on his plan. The army headquarters appeal to the nation for help
was given full support. People from all walks of life were ready to give
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whatever they could. However some people wanted to manipulate even
this situation for their benefit. When one of the women of Steeltown club
tried to do so, the assistant told her:
Hundreds in the city are waiting to give their gold. Those who have no
gold, the working people, are eager to give whatever silver trinkets
they owned, even heirlooms. An aged widow has a small thatch roofed
cottage- she lives in one room and rents the other two for her living-
she waits the chance to donate this, her only property. The millhands
have announced through theirs that they will give a tenth of their
wages every month to the fund. Rickshaw men have decided to give
every Sunday’s earnings. Countless thousands stand ready to donate-
upto the point where it will hurt and well beyond. The common man
will answer the call to the nation with his lifeblood, if needed (289).

Bhaskar also gave shelter to five Chinese girls whose father was
under police arrest. Initially Bhaskar had negative thoughts about them
because of the Chinese aggression in India but gradually he started liking
the kids and vice versa. The writer has shown the importance of love,
friendship and care by a gesture of a little girl who started writing her
name as ‘Erh-ku Roy’ as she was attached to Bhaskar Roy. These girls
used to do many chores for Bhaskar and started loving him dearly. Rupa
took responsibility of teaching them at home as things had become
difficult for them in school. Rupa loves to come to Bhaskar’s house to
teach as she loves Bhaskar. However he could not take his mind off
Sumita, who he knew would go against anybody to be on Satyajit’s side.
Sumita, however, was having a different experience of life in Delhi.
Nandini helped Sumita peep in the deepest layers of her mind and made
her aware of what she actually wanted from life. Nandini’s philosophy of
love sank deep in her. She recalled various incidences from the past
where her mother showed her deep urge to have a life full of love and
marital bliss for her daughter and also her own ignorance for it. On
Sumita’s eighteenth birthday she recalled a discussion:

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 Each one seeks a bride very much like our daughter. Tall, slim, fair
complexioned. That is the modern style. In our days tall girls used to
have trouble finding a groom. If only… if only Sumita had a
photograph. Father understood at last. Ruchi, he said, Haven’t you
realized that Sumita wants a life of dedication? No girl wants a life of
dedication, Mother countered. Every girl thinks of a husband and a
home of her own… ‘Mother,’ Sumita interposed, In this country every
girl gets married-there is hardly any exception. What if I don’t follow
the set path? What if I prefer to be different?…I have chosen my way.
I am old enough to know my mind. I don’t have to seek the great glory
that belongs to our hundred million house wives (324-325).

This was her feeling before this self realization and now when she had
seen life and had experienced a tinge of the feeling called love, the
change was evident in her:
Sumita, avid for experience of new world, absorbed this pattern of life.
There was no question for her to approve or disapprove. All that she
wanted was to see, to know, to understand. Later, back to Gandhigram,
she would sort out the facts and weigh them in the balance of values
unless, meanwhile, that balance had broken down! (325).

By the end of the novel the writer has tried to show the deep layers
of human psyche. Satyajit too had a realization about his relationship with
Suruchi which led to flexibility in his thoughts. He realized that self
restriction may bring discipline in life but sometimes it becomes
suffocating.
Disciplined living could be a chain, admittedly. A useful chain. But…
a chain was good only when it served a good purpose. There was the
chain tied to a ship’s anchor. What happened when the anchor got
stuck? The chain became a danger. It had to be cut asunder (337).

Satyajit heard about the Chinese ceasefire and felt happy; however
there were contradictory views that this was just a break due to winter
and snowfall. After six days Satyajit returned to Gandhigram and wrote a
letter to the government announcing a fast unto death for saving
Gandhigram. He began his fast and people also started following his

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footsteps. Bireshwar visited Gandhigram to appeal to Satyajit to break his
fast as the government had decided to make an exact replica of
Gandhigram with better facilities. But Satyajit replied, “The roots of life.
You cannot dig them out and place them in wooden cases for transport”
(357).

Bireshwar tried his best to persuade Satyajit. He knew about

Bhaskar Roy and compared Satyajit with him. He tried to explain to
Satyajit that there is no existence of light without darkness. Both are
needed in order to maintain a balance in life. But Satyajit remained
unmoved and continued with his fast. Bireshwar’s speeches and the press
reports in Delhi, really moved people towards Satyajit. Even the mill
workers in Steeltown started to look upto him and they all cried out.
“Hands off Gandhigram!...We have no quarrel with the spinning
wheel!...Gandhiji arise!...soul force, not brute force!...men of
Gandhigram, we are your brothers” (365).

People from all around started visiting Satyajit and were

determined to walk on the path shown by him. The agitation among the
mill hand was growing. They planned a procession to save Gandhigram.
Bhaskar knew that it would hamper the progress of expansion project but
he also understood what was right. He joined the procession and moved
towards Satyajit’s house to request him to break his fast. The mill
workers decided to work more than ever and help the project complete
faster and at the same time to let Gandhigram be victorious. Here the
writer has shown true victory of a life that lets go of tradition and is open
to modernity. People yelled in unison ‘Victory to Satyajit, victory to CE’.
At this moment Bhaskar thought about Sumita and realized how much he
loves her. Iyenger portrays Sumita’s importance in these words,
“Bhattacharya’s answer is Sumita, who is moulded in her father’s image
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and will yet marry Bhaskar. She will bring Gandhigram and Steeltown
together” (Iyenger, 422).

Bhaskar saw her coming towards him and could see the happiness
in her eyes. Sumita felt ecstatic and remembered Nandini who had told
her about love and its effect. It was a victory for Satyajit, for Bhaskar, for
Sumita, for Suruchi, for all the people, and most importantly it was a
victory for acceptance and adjustment. It was the victory of a philosophy
that embraces acceptance and openness.

Shadow from Ladakh is a magnificent literary piece of work that

presents a picture of opposite attitudes and beliefs and their amalgamation
simultaneously. The writer has been successful in leaving a lasting
impression on the reader’s mind. The novel divides the reader’s mind in
two parts. Our thoughts continuously fluctuate while reading the novel.
Steeltown representing novelty, progress and modernity, was the need of
the hour that could not be denied, however not at the cost of
Gandhigram’s existence. Moving towards the end of the novel the reader
wishes fervently for a middle path and hopes to save the old and let the
new get going. The writer has successfully knitted various situations
which arouse respect for opposite ideologies in the mind of its characters.
Apart from this, the book primarily focuses on Indo China relationship
after India’s independence. The rift between India and China for Tibet,
Siachen and Ladakh is elaborately discussed in the novel. This chaotic
situation truly divided the minds of people. Satyajit who represents
Gandhian philosophy was for ‘soul force’ and Bhaskar Roy the Chief
Engineer, Steeltown for industrialization.

Shadow from Ladakh along with its political discussion, is a

platform where the writer has shown the changing social conditions and

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reformation of some evil practices. The writer, who has discussed caste
system and its bad effects, has shown a way towards abolishing it. In
Gandhigram all people are equal. Nobody has a caste there. Satyajit Sen
discarded his surname for caste equality and became Satyajit. Apart from
this the other problems like feudalism and hoarding that were primarily
discussed in his other novels seem to be moving towards reformation.
The writer has shown that how Gandhian influence changed people’s
mind:
He bade the landed gentry give a portion of their earth to the landless.
He, non violent neo-Marx sought a redistribution of wealth through the
instrument of the heart, the inherent goodness of the human spirit!...
Strangely the instrument did work, within limits. Seized by some
unaccountable urge, a number of Haves gave off their free will. Village
councils sat in a daze of bewilderment, apportioning the gifts of earth to
the landless. Sometimes zamindars gave away an entire village (9-10).

The novel shows strong Gandhian influence on the writers mind.

Bhabani Bhattacharya has always emphasized on the need of education in
his novels and in Shadow from Ladakh, he has shown that each
individual in Gandhigram, though he lives a simple life, is educated.
Bhaskar Roy who plans to expand Steeltown and merge Gandhigram in it
knows that all the people of the village can be leveraged upon as they all
have the power of education. He thought:
The village craftsmen, well skilled in their fashion would find it easy
to learn the new techniques. As for the tillers of the soil, they would
become unskilled mill hands, and that would be no problem either.
Was not the entire working class of India drawn from the peasantry of
only yesterday, and was not the process continuing today, hour on
hour? Besides, there was one good reason why the change of
occupation would be easy for these peasants folk- they were all literate,
that was Gandhigram’s one remarkable gain (56-57).

The writer has also discussed about change in marriage-matters.

Earlier females used to be wed to any person that was chosen for them.
Even age was no bar. The writer has earlier discussed social conditions in

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which females had to marry a widower or even an old man. But in the
changing society he talks about the free will of girls and boys.
City folk saw no ill in a boy and girl going to a movie together or
walking the meadow. Free companionship. Interchange of partners.
The question of marriage could come only after one new the other well
enough. Those were the ideas on which the city increasingly set store.
Ideas that had blown in with winds from the west (283).

In a progressive society, education and equality for women is

imperative. The lack of opportunities and the closed mindset of people
often impede the progress of women in society. Suruchi who has always
been Satyajit’s shadow and has always felt dwarfed in his presence,
noticed a difference in her after coming back from Moscow from the
International Peace Mission.
All these years she had stood aside in humility, resigned and helpless.
She had felt too small even before her daughter. The journey to
Moscow had changed all that- she had faced the World Congress and
received its acclaim. She had discovered unknown sources of power in
herself (101).

Satyajit always knew she was good but she could not realize her
potential. The Indian society has always been male dominant but now
things are changing. The women, if given an opportunity to realize their
full potential, can prove themselves to be better than man in several areas.
Suruchi too was highly admired by the villagers when she delivered a
speech. Her understanding of the Chinese psyche was better than
Satyajit’s.

Suruchi understands both Bhaskar and Satyajit’s views. She is a

blend of tradition and modernity. She knows that one should change in
accordance with the need of the society and time. Those who adopt
modernity often discard traditional beliefs and those who believe in ideals

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have mental blocks to accept modernity. One should soar in the sky of
new experiments without forgetting his roots.

Bhaskar Roy who represents the developing modern culture, has

Satyajit somewhere inside him and in Satyajit, there was some element of
Bhaskar. Bireshwar Basu explains the same to Satyajit. Bhaskar too could
not let his morals and ideals go off. Rupa, a beautiful girl, who works in
the Steeltown, wants to be close to Bhaskar but somehow Bhaskar could
never let himself immerse in Rupa’s charms. Once he said “Rupa, I
cannot do you wrong. I am much too fond of you. You know that”
(333)? The ideals he nurtures are evident in his own statement. He, in the
U.S., dated many women but now there was something that stopped him.
Rupa understood his psyche when he declined to have physical relation
with her. She asked him, “Must you be dominated by Satyajit? The
Satyajit within you” (334)?

Similarly Satyajit who has been an ascetic for a long time couldn’t
control his feelings and that impulse led to a reunion between him and
Suruchi. Thus the writer clearly states that idealism and reality go hand in
hand. Sumita, who always wears white garb, after meeting Bhaskar, starts
liking colours and falls in love with him while Jhanak, who has always
been a rebel, decides to follow Satyajit’s footsteps to save Gandhigram.
Satyajit who is scrupulous and adheres to his principles, in the end,
accepts that social and self obligation is a chain which sometimes needs
to be broken. So the synthesis of the two ideas and two mindsets is
required to live a balanced life. K.K. Sharma rightly opines,
“Bhattacharya spotlights the synthesis of asceticism and aestheticism. In
more ways than one, he points to an integration of Gandhian asceticism
and Tagorean aestheticism” (Sharma, 78).

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 Steeltown lets us fly and Gandhigram reminds us of the ground
beneath our feet. The young daughters of Ah-To, who earlier used to
worship Mao Tse-tung, Chinese communist revolutionary, starts loving
Bhaskar and mingles nicely in the culture around her. The writer has
exemplified this beautiful synthesis:
Ah To, before he stepped into the waiting cab, turned warmly to
Bhaskar, and the barrier between ceased to count as his hands drew
together in an Indian Salute. Among the children’s baggage, he knew,
was Erh-ku’s precious possession-the spinning wheel (364).

At the end the dichotomy of the mill hand worker’s support for
Satyajit and the villager’s acceptance of Bhaskar was a positive sign. The
victory call given out by the villagers for both confirms the importance of
the blend of the old and the new values. Gandhigram restricts shallowness
and flashiness while Steeltown gives way to progress and new ideas. Both
are required for overall development and contentment. Suruchi played a
very important role in bringing the two together. She supports Bhaskar in
his endeavor, at the same time stays with Satyajit like his heartbeat. Even
after years of separation, when Satyajit showed a sign of desire, Suruchi,
though initially unwilling, let him enter in her love orbit. Their
conversation goes as follows:
Suruchi sat with her head bowed, her breath quick. The sheath of
virginity she had been made to wear over the long years would not slip
off at a mere gesture. But an hour later, close to midnight, she pushed
open the study door. The room was in darkness. Ruchi! the surprised,
humble, grateful voice came from the direction of the bed…A moment,
she said, and as in the times long gone she turned round to the door and
closed the wooden bolt (180).

By the end of the novel everybody realizes the need for adjustment and
acceptance of each other’s view.

The writer has impeccably shown post-independence Indian

society, where on one hand, Gandhian influence made some feuds a little

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liberal and, on the other, India had to face Chinese aggression. The writer
has shown how China wanted to be the new super power after Britain.
Chinese insecurity was being obvious, their attacks on the borders of
Ladakh caused problems for the non-violent, overtly satisfied, generous
India. People who had belief in Gandhian philosophy suddenly started to
see the need of arms for safety.

Apart from the political situation of post independence India, the

novel shows the conflict between idealism and realism. The novel shows
the two ways of winning an opponent through Gandhigram and Steeltown
respectively. The first way is by winning their heart by showing
compassion, love, forgiveness and non-violence. The second way is by
winning minds by raising ourselves to a much secure position above the
others, where we are more developed, have better means and we can
challenge. Thus Gandhigram and Steeltown were trying the opposite
approaches.

The writer also talks about post independence preparation for

establishing a free society in India. Economic upliftment for the masses
was also being given consideration. People like Satyajit, Bhaskar and
many others, wanted a fulfilled, happy and a just society. In
Gandhigram’s view:
The new community of people was creating a social order in which all
were truly equal. All land belonging to the cooperative. Food from the
fields distributed according to needs. Other needs met by small
industries based locally; economic self-sufficiency was the set aim
(25).

Similarly people like Bhaskar seeking development and fulfillment

wanted an economically self-sufficient society. He feels that for the
coming generations Steel will be a backbone.

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 Two hundred tons of steel ingots in each round of smelting: the means
of life for two hundred new born babies. The babies would not eat
steel. But steel was the spine of economy. Steel was food and clothing
and dwelling. Steel was culture and art and rituals. And steel was soon
to be the honor of the people, the shield of their freedom (34).

The writer has also discussed the problem of unemployment that

persists even today. With the increasing population and scarcity of
adequate business models, unemployment in youth is increasing by every
coming day. The problem of lack of work is expressed in Gandhi’s
words:
The fight was with the system that welded human beings to the
machines. But that was not all. Mechanization, Gandhi had said, was
inevitable when there was dearth of labor. It became needless and evil
when there was a surplus of hands; the problem in India was not how
to find leisure for the teeming millions in its villages, but how to utilize
their ideal hours (26).

Due to population, increase in unemployment has always been a

problem in India and industrialization has worsened it. Demand for low
skilled jobs went down with increased mechanization. For the skilled jobs
the supply was not sufficient. Also small industries lost out to the big
players as they could not match them in automation and production. So
the writer envisions a country where there are ample job opportunities for
everyone and that can be accomplished by protecting the interests of the
small scale industries while promoting rapid industrialization.

Shadow from Ladakh is far different in its treatment of subject

from other Bhattacharya novels. The novel primarily talks about the
political scenario of the post independence period and its effect on the
social and economic life. Unlike other novels, this novel is a fight of an
individual against his own ideals. It presents a picture of individuals
trying to break the clutches of social and self obligations. Like all

146
Bhabani Bhattacharya novels, this too talks about the need for synthesis
of the opposite outlooks which is of ideal and the real world in the novel.

147
 WORK CITED:

Bhattacharya, Bhabani. Music for Mohini. New Delhi: Orient

Paperbooks, 1952. Print.

Chandrashekharan, K. R. Bhattacharya. India: Arnold Heinemann. 1984.

Print.

Iyenger, K.R. Srinivas. Indian Writing in English. New Delhi: Sterling

Publishers Private Limited, 1989. Print.

Bhattacharya, Bhabani. Shadow from Ladakh. London: W.H. Allen.

1967. Print.

Grover, Malta. Bhabani Bhattacharya: as a Novelist of Social Conscience.

Merrut: Shalabh Prakashan. 1991. Print.

Iyenger, K. S. Indian Writing in English. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers

Pvt. Ltd. 1989. Print.

Sharma, K. K. SHADOW FROM LADDAKH: THE IDEAL OF

INTEGRATION AND SYNTHESIS. in BHABANI BHATTACHARYA
SOME POINTS OF VIEW. ed. Sharma, K. K. Delhi: K.K. Publications.
1995. Print.

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 Chapter 5

Sociological Compulsions

147
148
 SOCIOLOGICAL COMPULSIONS

A Dream in Hawaii is a discussion on eastern and western values

and the distinct mindsets formed by living those values day in and day
out. Unlike other Bhattacharya novels that primarily revolve around
Indian Society and specifically focus on Bengal, this novel soars high in
the western sky capturing the Western values and life. Along with his
discourse on the Western world, Bhattacharya talks of the Eastern
influence on West and also the constant friction that exists between them.
The novel lay emphasis on spiritual values in life and also shows the
interaction between the east and the west. It shows the changing mindsets
of people due to the influence of other values and philosophies. It
presents the human hunger for spirituality to fill the emptiness in their
lives.

The writer has impeccably portrayed the desire for gratification in

one’s life. The faith that people have in spirituality and meditation for
attaining fulfillment and peace, is quite evident in the characters. The
novel presents a clear interpretation of spirituality and its scope that
varies from individual to individual. Along with that it also presents the
fallacies of the deep need of spirituality that often traps people in the web
of adulterated spirituality professed by advantage seekers and selfish
frauds in religious garb. Along with this the writer has firmly stated that
one cannot lead a fulfilling and peaceful life by suppressing ones natural
needs.

The story is set on a spiritual plane and narrates detachment of

characters from worldly affairs. However the interwoven attachment in

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detachment is nicely portrayed in the character of the protagonist, Swami
Yoganand. His journey of transformation from Neeloy to Swami
Yoganand and life further as Swami gives a deep insight on the after
effects of adapting novel values in life. Neeloy Mookerjee who later
became Swami Yoganand was a Professor of Indian philosophy in BHU.
He had deep knowledge of Vedanta and possessed highly intellectual
ideas. His expertise lay in correlating the Vedas with modern life. Neeloy
was greatly influenced by the ideals of Swami Vivekananda. He was a
strong believer in Vivekanand’s mission of focusing on building human
values rather than merely propagating knowledge. One of his students
Devjani had firm belief in Neeloy’s abilities to bring about a positive
change in the world .She always saw something extraordinary in him.
Neeloy however was happy in his current role. He was highly admired by
his students for his level of understanding of Vedas. Once a month he
used to invite a local monk who could share his views with the students
to add depth to their understanding. Once the old monk said that Neeloy
holds inside him a great Yogi and that shall come out soon. This
reinforced Devjani’s belief in her thought about Neeloy. Neeloy however
laughed it off. He considers himself to be an ordinary man. Devjani
respects him immensely and always sees in him the potential to be the
one who will enlighten the world with his wisdom. While Devjani tries to
make Neeloy realize his real self he likes Devjani and is highly attracted
to her. He was often caught staring at Devjani by her friend. Devjani
denies any such possibility as she sees a great future Yogi in him.
Devjani, who wanted an escape from her troubling thoughts desperately
wanted guidance to help her get rid of them. She wanted to attain
spirituality.

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 Devjani is a Bengali girl who studies Indian Philosophy in BHU.
Her father was a scientist who could not give enough time to her mother
because of his busy schedule. This resulted in Devjani’s mother’s
amorous relationship with Devjani’s best friend’s father. The revelation
of the infidelity of her mother caused her great distress. She became
disenchanted with the idea of love and marriage. This pain brought
Devjani to Benares, the land of spiritual fervor and a deep desire for
discovering spiritualism sprung in her heart. Here she met her Professor
Neeloy Mookerjee and saw in him her spiritual Guru whereas Neeloy an
intellectual man and a visionary had no plans of moving in that direction.
Devjani discussed it with Neeloy and shared her view by saying, “You
have to live Vedanta, as you know. To interpret the text in a classroom-
that is a task for lesser minds despite the high level you attain...” (86).
She showed her deep urge to follow him and tried to make him realize his
importance for the society and her own self. “For those of us who need
guidance and do not know where to turn; whom to seek out for direction”
(87). She reinforced her belief in him and showed it by saying, “A star
cannot be a firefly” (89). She sowed the seed that would lead to his quest
for discovering his real self.

Devjani shared her views of Neeloy being a spiritual guru in future

with one of her friends who in turn spread the rumor that Neeloy had
decided to become a spiritual guru and renounce the material world. The
rumor reached the students and the professors as well. When Neeloy,
who had no such thought of renouncing the world came to know about
this rumor he confessed to his class: “My students as well colleagues
have laid down my future course of life. I have no choice left” (89). His
quest for spiritual discovery began and his sole aim became to serve
mankind by sharing his intellectual thoughts with people in order to uplift

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them spiritually. He also planned to work for common people, the
“Sadhana-humanitarian work” (14). He started to live a life of an ascetic
though he wasn’t totally like the old gurus and understood the importance
of modern values. Soon he became quite popular in India.

An American scholar, Stella Gregson who had come to India at

Delhi University witnessed Swami Yoganand’s address at Ramlila
ground, New Delhi. She stopped to have a closer look and found
thousands of people listening to his address. That was the first time she
saw him. She saw a clean shaven young man with long hair who was
requesting people to listen to him in silence and not applaud him. She
thought, “What is wrong with that universal mode of acclamation? This
man is over reacting. He is dramatizing himself” (10). When she reached
Delhi University her friends told her about Swami Yoganand and offered
her to join them on a visit to Yoganand’s ashram in Rishikesh. Stella
went with them and stayed there for a long time. She was so fascinated
by Yoganand’s personality that she didn’t even go back to Delhi for her
own work. She requested him to come to America, Hawaii as she felt that
people in US needed him. Yoganand was unwilling as he had his plans to
serve the people in India but Stella was persistent and she expected him
to take Swami Vivekananda’s mission forward. She said, “America
would be grateful for one more person on that path. One who has given a
new meaning and purpose to Vedanta. Orienting Vedanta to the needs of
society today…” (15). She was persistent with her request and tried to
reason it out with him.

She told Swami Yoganand that they would go to Hawaii. As soon

as she mentioned Hawaii he recalled that Devjani is also there. When he
was in BHU he was in love with Devjani and was even physically
attracted to her. He unintentionally used to give special attention to her.
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Once in the class his mind transited to another world and a thought
crossed his mind; “To undo the braided hair and let the disheveled mass
cascade over her bosom! Just to see that what she looks like in such wild
abandon, the neatness gone” (16). Later when he renounced the world at
the age of 30, he moved to his Himalayan Ashram for Sadhana and
people kept coming to him to become his followers. When he became a
popular name, he wrote a note to Devjani blessing her. Devjani replied by
a note and asked if she could become his disciple but he never replied
back to it. He wasn’t sure of his feelings for her. “He has no strength to
endure her salutation, her hand touching the guru’s bare feet. In her
gestures of reverence Swami Yoganand will be destroyed” (17). He let
Devjani go away from him to become Yoganand.

Since then his journey of Sadhana started. He practiced fasting for

long durations and deep meditation for two years. Then he was reborn as
Swami Yoganand. After a while he received a letter from Devjani in
which she mentioned that she was going abroad. Though Yoganand
wanted to call Devjani back but he didn’t do that and kept moving on his
path of Sadhana. Stella’s offer of visiting Hawaii brought back those
memories to him. However he felt that the carnal feelings in him have
died and he had become a celibate. Stella felt that “there was no better
meeting ground of East and West” (15). than Hawaii. When he reached
Hawaii he got to know that Devjani was in Harvard on a research grant.
In Hawaii Yoganand got an equally calm atmosphere with the sea and
beautiful beaches around. However the nostalgic feeling didn’t go away.
The tranquility of the environment suited his body but not his mind. He
still couldn’t feel totally detached from the bodily pleasures. While
looking at a woman at the beach who was basking in the sun, he realized
that he gazed at her, captivated by her physical form:

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 For the first time in his life he saw a woman in the full beauty of
bareness. His eyes moved over the smooth flow of grace- the flat
stretch of belly ending in a straight rise, the sharp slope to the hips, the
long smooth legs. Presently she turned over as if to reveal more of
herself; the sun-bronzed back slightly marred with red peeling skin; the
well-rounded bottom. The shock of pleasure that went through him
was partly surprise (47).

Devjani’s thoughts too kept troubling the serenity in him. His

agenda for visiting Hawaii was set rolling. He addressed the gathering at
many venues in public meetings arranged by Stella. His first address
went really well. The audience was mesmerized at listening to him.
Stella’s husband Walt Gregson also came there along with his girlfriend
Sylvia Koo. Stella was separated from her husband as they had different
views on life. Walt Gregson gave utmost importance to physical
satisfaction and carnal fulfillment while Stella on the other hand to
spiritual fulfillment. Stella is an instructor in religion and is doing Ph.D.
in Hinduism and Walt is a professor of English. Walt challenges
Yoganand’s philosophies and questions his visit to America. He said,
“An Eastern sage looking in vain for an answer to the unanswerable. The
crises we know are beyond his limited range of experience” (28). Stella
however pays no heed to Walt’s thoughts. She is a devotee of Swami
Yoganand. She believes in Vedanta. She follows chastity and searches
for spiritual ascent. Her abstinence led to differences between her and
Walt. Stella blindly believes in Yoganand and is really happy to have him
in Hawaii. She along with Jennifer arranged a welcome meet for
Yoganand where they invited many intellectual people.

Jennifer is a socialite whose husband died in an accident. She who

earlier had no interest in meditation and spiritualism now finds
Yoganand’s lectures enchanting. She feels that Yoganand would help her
fill the void in her life. After her husband’s death she moved to Hawaii

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and started socializing with people by throwing regular parties. Yet the
emptiness within her didn’t go away. So she hopes that Yoganand’s
arrival would help her:
Abstractions were Swami Yoganand’s main concern, not the
problems of individuals. However, he was a very human person and
his wisdom was beyond question. He could give her life a direction, a
meaning. He could show her how to be free from the void she has
been trying to fill, but making it worse and worse (42).

The welcome and birthday celebration of Yoganand was arranged

by the two ladies at Jennifer’s house. Stella created the ambience with an
Indian touch. Yoganand met many people there. Vincent Swift, the
President of the East-West center also met Yoganand. He appreciated
Yoganand’s work. He had plans to make full use of Yoganand’s presence
in Hawaii. He planned to establish an institute in Hawaii under
Yoganand’s guidance and discussed this idea with the people he would
need support from in his endeavour. He emphasized on the need of
raising funds for the same to ensure that it is launched on a big scale. He
even decided to name it Yoganand as he found it cryptic enough to attract
attention. Stella suggested the name of the center. She was overwhelmed
by the thought of Yoganand’s stay in Hawaii for a longer time that the
institute would ensure. She feels the desperate need of his guidance.
Stella’s husband Walt, an uninvited guest to the celebration who
questions Yoganand’s need in Hawaii asks him a question: “How does a
yogi like you arrange his sex life…” (57)? He called a celibate’s life
abnormal. He tried his best to trouble Yoganand by his questions.
Vincent Swift’s entry from his discussion area stopped Walt’s and
Yoganand’s conversation. Swift then presented his idea to Yoganand.
Yoganand disapproved of it as his motto was only to help people in their
spiritual quest but Vincent Swift with his smooth talk convinced him to
think over it in a month. He also offered him to take a break for his

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Sadhana and go to a serener place. Swift had of course thought of setting
up the institution for his personal gain and he had no intention to help
Americans uplift spiritually. He thought:
The fact had to be accepted that the Academy had not added a single
inch to its founder-Presidents international stature. The time was ripe
for Dr. Swift, inexorably driven into his mid-fifties, to have another
moment of great impulse. (64)

He started drawing his plans and thought of keeping Jennifer and

Stella in the core team. He even decided to hire a hath-yogi for physical
exercises. He wanted his institute to become a commercial center and
bring him huge profits. He was a little skeptical about Yoganand’s view
yet he was confident that Yoganand would agree and thought:
Averse to self –projection unlike his famed yellow sages from India, he
surely had sense enough to accept certain Western techniques. Even
the Buddha would accept them if reborn in this century! (65).

He also decided to set up Astrology as a separate department. He

wanted to take full advantage of the believers in Astrology, he thought,
“Astrology-that was a big possibility. Americans were crazy about the
stars! (65). Jenifer understood Swifts intentions and tried to reason it out
with him. But he showed his positive belief and assured her that it would
flourish multifaceted. A brochure was made by Stella to publicize
Yoganand.

On the other end at Harvard, Devjani received a letter by her friend

Nishi updating her about the events planned in Hawaii under Yoganand’s
guidance. Nishi had asked her to come back to witness all the
happenings. Devjani recalled her first visit to Hawaii where she met
Nishi, an Indian girl. Nishi dressed like western people, had totally
imbibed western ways. She dated many men in Hawaii. Her husband
stayed in India and she wanted to experience all that she could before

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returning to India. She often coaxed Devjani to move in the direction of
getting westernized and she was even successful in changing her outlook
towards the western culture and American ways of living. Devjani
thought of visiting to Hawaii.

In Hawaii, Swami Yoganand spent his time in meditation. One fine

day on the beach he saw a woman sitting in lotus position. Her name was
Frieda and Frieda told him how an Indian Guru, a year back, taught her
Padmasana. She expected Yoganand to teach her more. Yoganand didn’t
teach her Vedanta but Frieda started meeting him on the beach every day.
They used to talk about life at America. “All America is experiencing a
completion. The old life ways are gone; they’ve left a sort of emotional
mess, but out of that mess new attitude arise-fast” (101). She further
enlightened him about American Society by saying:
The death of worn-out sanctities. Marriage reduced to a convenient
contract. For the young and unmarried, dating and mating were the
same. Virginity became a sin when you are over sixteen. Virgin girls
and virgin boys beyond their teens were all too rare anyhow (102)

Frieda opened up a western mind in front of Yoganand. She gave him a

deep insight of the western world. She told him about the changing
western values.

His discussions with Frieda showed him a closer picture of

American society. Yoganand now realized Stella’s emphasis on the need
of a spiritual leader for American society. Frieda’s views helped him see
the void, the complexity of thought and the attachment to material needs
among Americans. One day when he was reading the notes sent by
Vincent Swift, Frieda came to his hotel room. She undressed herself and
demanded to have Heavens Ambrosia a term used by the guru she met a

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year back. Yoganand cleared the picture for her and was sad to see such
defilement in the name of spirituality.

Parallelly Jennifer and Stella were working hard on Swifts idea.

Jennifer through her sources collected information about the other
movements and Yogis like Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his
transcendental meditation in U.S. and its impact, just to have a clear
estimation of the scope of their World Center. Stella too tried to
understand Krishna Consciousness a movement by Swami
Bhaktivedanta. She met two disciples who were Americans but had kept
Indian names and adopted Indian identity. Stella prepared a report
keeping in mind both these movement, however she knew that Yoganand
didn’t fall in any of the two categories. He believed in doing ones Karma
without expecting a reward. She knew that Yoganand would never
approve of a commercial center. Yoganand’s sole purpose was to guide
the disillusioned youth and help them find a meaning in life whereas
Swifts plans were to set up an institute that could bring him fame, money
and prestige.
…World Center, it cannot be a charitable institution. We shall follow
the established norms of business practice. We are getting good
donations; our appeal has met with more response than we had hoped
for; all the same, there will have to be a take-off stage.… When our
budget begins to show a surplus, the money will be ploughed back.
Expansion and more expansion. The scope is limitless. We call
ourselves a World Center and the title isn’t going to be a misnomer
(113).

Jennifer who was uncertain of getting Yoganand’s approval asked,

“Are you sure Swami Yoganand will let the Center be turned into big
business? Something quite different from his ashram? Something
contrary to Indian tradition?” (113). Swift had no plans to compromise on
his plans. Rather he wanted Yoganand to accept his plans and get

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moulded accordingly. He replied, “Swami Yoganand wants to easternize
us to a certain extent; in fairness, he should be ready to westernize
himself to the same extent” (113-114).

Swift decided to keep mum about his plans and tell Yoganand
about them once all the work is done. And on the other side Frieda’s
incident enforced the need for a World Center in the eyes of Yoganand.
He, through Frieda’s episode gauged the mental state of the people in the
west and got convinced that they were in real need of the World Center.
He thought:
Walt, the man he had met in Jennifer’s house, one who was obviously
torn within despite his vehement self-assertion. Walt had asked him a
pointed question and it was left to Frieda to strengthen the question
with the pretence of an answer! Those two, Frieda and Walt, built a
challenge for him to face; they were the confrontation for which the
World Center was truly needed. (117)

Walt Gregson is quite popular among the students. He believes in a

society that is free of any morals. His ideal society is the one that is away
from all ideals. His disapproval of and skepticism towards Yoganand’s
philosophies increased as he saw his students’ attraction towards him.
The young people started taking great interest in the initiative Dialogue
Evening taken by Yoganand. His philosophy of purpose, belief and hope
for a better tomorrow, caught the fantasy of the youngsters. The evening
sessions started to grow more and more popular. In the meanwhile
Devjani too revisited Hawaii and called up Yoganand. She assumed that
Yoganand must have forgotten her by now and he assumed that Devjani
would have been married. However their assumptions turned out to be
fallacious when they met. Yoganand told her about the World Center.
Stella too discussed about the Center with Devjani. Vincent Swift wanted
to make a multidimensional institute. His idea was to introduce other
practices too to attract peoples’ attraction. “Vedanta was a color in his
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rainbow, and it was far from his intention to underrate that color. But it
couldn’t be the whole rainbow. The other colors had to be there” (131).
Jennifer, who had access to all the confidential files, knew that Swifts
sole purpose of establishing a world center was to add prestige to his
persona. She thought, “The Academy’s President had to find a bigger,
newer area of work and Yoganand could be an instrument to his of his
dreams. Well-calculated” (132).

Jennifer was also in a quest of fulfillment. Inspite of having money

and social status she somehow felt empty from within and copulation had
become an escape from the void in her life. Yoganand’s lectures ignited a
hope in Jennifer to have a more meaningful and fulfilling life. Stella also
sought the same from Yoganand. Stella had invited Devjani for lunch to
discuss with her about the Center. Devjani while waiting in the restaurant
for Stella, recalled her journey from Banaras to America. She recalled
how she longed to be Yoganand’s disciple, how she met Sujata and
Anami.

Sujata was a widow who after her husband’s death adopted

asceticism and came to Banaras leaving all the material comforts behind.
She accidentally met Anami, a young man, and they became friends.
Devjani too became friends with the two of them. Their like-mindedness
allowed them to connect with each other instantly and their discussions
became a daily affair. One day Sujata and Anami left Banaras forever to
live their life together. Devjani was left alone and then her scholarship
brought her to Hawaii.

Stella’s meeting with Devjani gave her further insight on

Yoganand’s life journey. They told each other about their experiences
with Yoganand. Devjani expressed her doubt about Yoganand’s approval

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to the name of the center and also the idea on which it is supposed to be
built. Walt Gregson, who was also with them on the lunch table, was
negative as always in his conversation about Yoganand and Stella kept
confronting him. Walt didn’t have a very good personal image in Hawaii.
People considered him to be a pervert. However Devjani never felt so
while she was with him. She once went for a movie with Walt but Walt
did not make a move which was very unlike him. Walt really admired
Devjani as she is covered with clothes unlike all the western beauties.
Devjani too started to feel some transformation in her personality. She
was seeking change and that is why she could relate with Walt for the
first time. She thought about Yoganand and Walt, two sides of the same
coin, at the same moment:
An amused smile crossed her mouth as the curious thought struck her
that between Yoganand and Walt she would be swinging like a
pendulum! And the pendulum would stop only if the impossible
happened, the two extremes met and then they ceased to be extremes
(150).

Here, Vincent Swift was busy in adding colorful feathers in his

cap. He now decided to arrange for an exorcist for the world center. He
recalled witnessing one in Delhi and decided to call him. Hanumant
Prasad was a famous exorcist in Delhi who used to deal with unsatisfied
and wandering spirits.
A few lessons in the spoken tongue should be given before the man
was brought over to Honolulu with a three-year contract. The salary
offered was sure to release him from the bhootni’s charm! Anyhow he
was free to bring her over- she would not need a passport! (161)

Swift rarely believes in such Indian customs yet he wanted them to

be a part of World Center to attract more attention which would in turn
pile on more money. He mocked his own idea of calling the exorcist yet
he knew the importance of it.

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 How would a man like Ojha, deal with Americas possessed ones when
his help was sought? A cynical thought made Dr. Swift smile. The
bhootni could have the pick of her victims as she hovered over the
bikinis on Waikiki! And the Ojha would certainly benefit from his
associates activities, which could indeed bring about an unprecedented
epidemic (161).

He started dreaming of the popularity of his idea and the World Center.
He knew Americans imprudence and attraction for such things, that’s
why he had high hopes from the Ojha.
The Ojha would get an orientation in that line. His own inventive mind
would be in full play after a month in Hawaii and a grasp of the
American psyche…Eventually, with the right build-up he would
perhaps be the World Centers topmost financial asset (161).

When Vincent laid the site diagram in front of Swami Yoganand

he opposed the idea of trampling down the trees to construct any
structure. His evening dialogues with the youth gave him this reflection.
He became firm that he cannot agree with Swifts ideas and if he does, he
would not be doing justice to his ideals. Devjani also knew that
Yoganand would not agree to these ideas.

Swift had no option but to agree with Yoganand and accepted his
demand of keeping the trees intact; however he knew that he had to be
cautious in order to keep his other plans a secret. Jennifer who had access
to all the confidential details of the project and knew everything about
Swifts plans, out of her guilt, revealed everything to her friend Maynard,
who worked with a newspaper. However she immediately realized that
she had taken a hasty decision. She, in her frustration and anxiety, left her
workplace to go to someplace that would act as her escape from her
troubled feelings. She saw the shoe shine boy with whom she had made
love once but to her surprise, she didn’t wait to meet him. That was the

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moment of self-realization for Jennifer. She realized that she has perhaps
risen up from seeking such petty things for gratification.

The information which Jennifer had shared got published in the

news in detail mentioning the hatha-yogi, the astrologer, and the exorcist
from India. Devjani read the news and understood that Swifts plan is to
give a scanty corner to Vedanta. She discussed this with Yoganand who
knew that the most crucial need of American youth was Vedanta and not
anything else. He requested Devjani to guide some of the university
students in their quest for fulfillment but Devjani revealed her plans to go
back to India and indulge in Sadhana, which is her only goal in life. She
said, “My place is in Sadhana. All else has become meaningless. Only
Sadhana matters” (195).

Devjani felt a sudden shudder of gloom and this was second time
she felt the same pain. She knew that leaving Yoganand would be sad
and difficult as she would be terribly alone again. Devjani got Diksha
from Yoganand and became his disciple yet, a conflict between her
deeply ingrained eastern values and her newly understood western values
was going on in her.
Even if she accepted the World Center, it could be only a small
fragment of her life, the bigger fragment merging into America. How
curious that many Americans seemed in need of light from the east
while she, born of that light, was intent on finding out what America
could give! (171).

In Walt’s class where there were many students who liked

Yoganand’s philosophies there were some who hated listening to his
ideas. They could not stand Yoganand and his philosophy. One of them
scornfully stated “Its sheer cheek for an alien guy to tell Americans about
the quality of life and such rot” (178). They wanted him to return to India
and help the poor and subjugated Indians to overcome their crisis.
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Yoganand clearly became the topic of discussion in Walt’s class. Walt
could not bear the fact that Yoganand, a non-native, could cast such a
spell on American youth. His uneasiness reflects in these words,
“Something was screaming within him: to hell with it all, to hell with it
all! (147).

His ego was throbbing and Devjani’s revelation of getting

initiation (Diksha) from Yoganand fluttered him even more. He was
attracted to Devjani though she wasn’t the kind of girl Walt was usually
associated with. He wondered if deep inside him he appreciated the so
called concept of purity in Indian culture. He was crestfallen to see
Devjani’s excitement and this increased his dislike for Yoganand. He
along with his girlfriend, Sylvia Koo, made a plan against Yoganand. He
told Sylvia to seduce Yoganand and shatter his ascetic world.
Let him simply touch you with a sex thought in his head, and he’ll be
defiled, he will be a fallen man. That’s their set of conduct. A Hindu
yogi’s asceticism is as fragile as bone china. Just keep that in mind, Syl
(203).

Sylvia borrowed a sari from Devjani and went to Yoganand all

decked up at night. She kissed him in the dark and he touched her braid
and whispered Devjani’s name. Later she came back to Walt and told
him the same. Sylvia knew Walt liked Devjani and wanted to sleep with
her. When she asked him he thought
The physical was only a small fraction of Devjani. Devjani was her
face and figure and every part of her that could be seen, felt, desired,
caressed, and yet would be left unreached, perhaps unreachable, was
the part very much bigger (202).

And when Walt’s plan worked and he got to know that Devjani
somewhere resides in Yoganand’s mind and Sylvia was able to shake the
ascetic vein in Yoganand, he became perturbed. His happiness went for a
toss and the victory started to seem futile.
164
 ….he felt deeply depressed. It could be that he was secretly hoping his
experimentation would be decisive in a very different way. How much
pressure could he withstand, the ascetic sure of his self- restraint?
(206).

He somehow felt defeated. He would have preferred losing this time

which would have resulted in elevating his faith on Yoganand’s values.
He regretted his experiment and recalled his words he once spoke to
Stella, “You squeeze out all the juice from life as though it were a bunch
of grapes and what’s left in your hand is some skin, some seed, fit only to
be tossed away (207).Walt anxiously left the house to be away from
Sylvia, from his so called fun.

Yoganand on the other hand, kept thinking about the woman and
her motive. The moment that made him re-realize of his attraction
towards Devjani, shook his faith on his role as Yoganand. He realized
that he went against his natural self when he decided to be a part of
Swifts idea. He thought:
The roots of his corruption lay exposed. He had deviated from his vow
of action without desire. Hankering for the fruit of action, he was ready
to walk arm in arm with Vincent Swift (209).

He decided to confess to Devjani as he considered it to be his

ultimate repentance. He met Devjani and told her that he has planned to
leave for India the same night. He also confessed that she never totally
went away from inside him. He told her about Frieda and how she proved
that he did have Yoganand in him as she could not shake his asceticism
and that became his strength to accept Devjani as a disciple. He also told
her about the recent episode of a girl dressed in a blue sari like Devjani
and how he was ready to let the Yoganand die and let the Neeloy take
over Yoganand. He told Devjani that even during Sadhana days she kept
coming to his mind. Devjani felt happy partially but she knew that he

165
would have to kill one in order to become the other. Emotions started
flowing rapidly in her mind. She was happy, sad, confused, and guilty all
at the same time.

Vincent Swift got stunned to know about Yoganand’s decision.

Simultaneously he started thinking of a suitable replacement for
Yoganand. He knew he could let Yoganand go but could not afford to
abort his plans as they were going to change his career forever. He
thought:
With him away for a time, six months or so, there would be no
hindrance to the American journey of an Indian Astrologer as also a
hatha-yogi, and above all Hanuman Ojha, the exorcist (215).

Out of his numerous plans there was one that would make him a
Swami in place of Yoganand. He had very high hopes from the project
and he could not imagine aborting it under any circumstances. Vincent
Swift went to the airport at midnight as per Yoganand’s idea of last
Aloha. He was still thinking of various strategies that would ensure a
smooth sailing for his long term plans. Jennifer and Stella were also
waiting for Yoganand at the Airport. Stella called up Walt to inform him
about Yoganand’s departure. Walt wasn’t too happy with the news as he
realized that Yoganand came as a fresh air of change in the suffocating
lives of the Westerners. “There was a new dream of youth, and Yoganand
seemed somehow closer to that dream than he who claimed to be today’s
America!” (221).

Walt too had a conflict in his heart at that moment. He always felt
unpleasant to hear about Yoganand and was envious of his growing
popularity among the youth, especially his own students. He also realized
that the elements of life that he considered to be vital to keep it going
have not lead to a satisfied and content life. Regardless of living a life as

166
per his idea of ideal living he couldn’t let the fretfulness go from inside
him.
And out of the chaos of contrary thoughtways a strange conviction was
taking shape: despite all his bitter challenge he himself was in deeply
felt personal need of Swami Yoganand! (221).

He too rushed to the airport hoping to see Yoganand and witness his
grace one last time but all he could see was the aircraft ascending in the
sky. Devjani who wasn’t certain about Yoganand’s future course of
action, wished for him, “Reveal yourself again as an Illumined One”
(222).And that’s how all of them bid their goodbye to Yoganand. He left
them in a dream like state from where all of them had to rise, tie the loose
ends and walk towards their pursuit of contentment.

A Dream in Hawaii is an interpretation of West through Eastern eyes and

vice-versa. Unlike other Bhattacharya novels that are based in India,
particularly in Bengal, this novel has a cosmopolitan touch to it. It covers
a broader horizon and deals with the philosophies of East and West. The
story is set on a Western ground and narrates instances from the East.
The writer’s experiences of the West are deeply reflected in the story.
The novel presents an American society that is enamored with
materialism and is constantly drowning in its greed for power and
fixation for carnal needs. Like other Bhattacharya novels this depicts
hunger but of a different kind, primarily the hunger for self actualization
and self realization. The hunger to be free of the worldly desires and
pleasures either by indulging deeply in them or by restraining from them
seems to be the hidden desire of every character. The story along with its
treatment of the Western philosophies, Western values and Western
social and human issues also presents two set of characters having
opposite approach in the same setup. Swami Yoganand and Stella are
people who have kept themselves away from sexual pleasures for the
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ultimate inner fulfillment whereas Walt Gregson, Jennifer, Sylvia Koo
are characters who consider sex to be a key to fulfillment. The writer has
portrayed the characters quite logically and has also shown that none of
them is able to derive contentment from their individual approaches. The
need for a middle path is reflected here as well. The writer firmly
believes that one can lead a content and satisfying life with no self
restraint and adequate and self control. We cannot run away from reality
rather what we should do is accept what we really are and then evolve
our persona as we deem fit.

The protagonist Yoganand, even after renouncing the world,

couldn’t get over his physical needs. He couldn’t totally detach himself
from the worldly pleasures. His feelings for Devjani kept questioning his
renewed identity and in the end he realized that he had failed in his quest
for being an ascetic. Bhattacharya emphasizes on the need of Karma
oriented meaningful life without refraining from satisfying ones natural
needs. In Shadow from Ladakh, he presented the same idea through
Satyajit. By the end of his fight for his ideals Satyajit too realized that
sometimes one has to let go off the clutches of self and social obligations.
Similarly A Dream in Hawaii shows the psyche of an individual who sets
afoot in the quest of the real meaning of life and subsequently realizes his
true inner self. Jasbir Jain rightly quotes;
On the surface it appears to be a novel about two cultural traditions,
but in reality it is about the conflicting needs of man. Neeloy
Mookerjee is unable to submerge his identity completely into that of
Swami Yoganand; and just as Satyajit realises he is not a Gandhi,
Neeloy too realises that he is not a Swami (Jain, 63-64).

The writer has shown the twin sided customs, traditions and other
social practices. In today’s society due to rampant commercialization the
real value and meaning of social practices and customs have been lost.

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Today even religion and education have become a business. The gigantic
temples and five star educational institutes have veiled the truth behind
their glitter and pomp. In many temples we see the offerings to the deity
going waste while the hungry beggars outside keep begging for a morsel.
Similarly educational institutes have been reduced to just being a source
for piling money for the founders. The standard of education has gone
down because many institutes now focus more on physical infrastructure
and less on imparting knowledge and building character. This
commercialization of traditions is nicely portrayed in the novel. Vincent
Swift the Chairman of East West centre, Hawaii proposed the idea of
World Center saying that it would help people in their spiritual
upliftment. However he had his own egotistic motive behind the idea. He
decided to add more attractions like Hatha Yoga, astrology and exorcism
to gain greater publicity and garner greater money. Jennifer said,
“Supermarket of religion. Department store of religion with seven
counters” (66).

Similarly the institutions of religion also have a big business in

most places. People in their times of misfortune spend abundant money
on religious ceremonies to alleviate their misery. Bhattacharya has tried
to show this in the words of Yoganand
The Church of Scientology with its cadre of priests offers the therapy
of curing ones engrams for a five-figure fee, making the privilege
beyond the reach of all but the well to do. One receives a bonus of
increased health, happiness, and longevity, which is atleast a hundred
to one for every hour of therapy, states its founder and high priest.
Receiving ten percent of all fees collected by scientology centers, he is
said to have deposited millions of dollars in numbered Swiss Bank
accounts. Big business indeed if correctly reported (108).

It is fairly common for people to look for spiritual fulfillment in

their stressful life. With changing society and unlimited material means

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people are becoming hollow from within. The religious practices in
today’s time aren’t giving any solace to people. They follow religious
practices out of fear and the commercialization of religion has marred
their faith. This dissatisfaction and skepticism leads them to falling prey
to the prevalent vices in the society. The writer expresses his view
through Yoganand:
Youths sense of belonging is lost in the mud of generation gap so that
they stand lonely, needing a testament which holds the promise of a
new security. The established church has failed them, being soulless,
as materialistic and money-minded as the self-satisfied society itself.
….Out of gloom of youth drug culture has grown. At first a
psychedelic search approved by men of intellect, it has degenerated
into loathsome habits and criminality. There are only two or three short
steps from the asocial to the anti-social- that’s how Swami Yoganand
has described the process (109).

In these situations people desperately look for someone to follow.

The need for a spiritual icon who acts as a ray of hope is felt even more.
This too results in genesis of some frauds who in the name of God or
Faith take advantage of the common man. Bhabani Bhattacharya has
tried to reveal the corrupt face of these frauds who claim to be
spiritualists and Gods own people. One such Guru took advantage of
Frieda and told her that she was chosen to receive the Heavens Ambrosia
(104). Yoganand felt sad to hear this from Frieda. He thought “All
through the history of civilizations every spiritual system had attracted to
it an aura of corruption, an enveloping vapor which threatened to
suffocate the system itself” (106).

Other than this the need for amalgamation of contrasting beliefs

which has always been a prime discussion in Bhattacharya’s novels is
discussed here as well. The synthesis of the old and the new beliefs, the
traditional and the modern values, the ideal and the real approach is
emphasized in the novel in form of eastern and western philosophies. In
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A Dream in Hawaii the writer has focused on the need for harmony
between the Eastern and Western values. Either of them by themselves
alone cannot lead to a happy and fulfilling life and this lack of
satisfaction brings the need for synthesis. “Some fraction of one value
system replaced by another. World culture could have no reality unless
based on the broadest spectrum of interchange” (132). The writer has
beautifully compared and shown the difference between them. The East
and the West may have same needs but they value different approaches.
The destination might be the same but the paths taken are different.
Here in America its the splendor that attracts. In India its self denial.
So it was in India twenty-five centuries ago when the Buddha gave up
his royal inheritance: as Prince Gautama he could not have created
Buddhism. In our own days Mahatma Gandhi renounced all and, clad
in a peasant’s loin cloth, he lived as one of the poor and humble; that
was the secret of his power over a hundred million people. Two
contrasting attitudes (172).

The writer has also shown the ill effects of rapid use of technology.
People are so obsessed with modern technology that they are getting
increasingly dependent on it to the extent that they don’t even have time
to enjoy simple worldly pleasures. Due to widespread use of modern
means of communication people hardly communicate with each other in
person. The human touch in communication is fast getting eroded leading
to more frequent but less meaningful conversations between people.
Swami Yoganand has pointed to the signs as an indication that
Western Society is imperiled by its self-induced venom called
progress. Implied in the progress is science destroying as much as it
creates. Implied equally is the loss of humanness (108-109).

Similarly the production of weapons in the name of national

security is another ill effect of advancement of technology. The
emergence of nuclear energy has made human life insecure. Nuclear

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energy comes with its associated side effects. Devjani recalled her
father’s letter:
The Indian economy was hit hard by power shortage and the fuel
resources in the country were severely strained. Nuclear power seemed
the only answer but the question of safety was involved; uncontrolled
radio activity could bring about disaster……some elements of hazard
would always be there, he had admitted. That was the price one had to
pay for all progress (136).

In Walt’s lecture an American student Carol reflected his thoughts about

the mass destruction caused in the name of so called national interest and
bluntly expressed the repercussions it brings along.
No bigger hoax has ever been invented. Spectacular crimes committed
in the name of national interest. One day nuclear bombs will be
dropped somewhere on the globe in our national interest. Other bombs
will come flying to our country in someone else’s national interest, and
out of every four Americans one will become a fistful of radioactive
ash. Millions of unborn babies will come as monsters, three eyes,
legless, extra arm… (124).

The writer has also discussed the contrasting situation of women in

society. The writer has spoken about the condition of widows in India.
The widows in India had to go through severe penance for a crime that
they had not committed. After their husbands death they were supposed
to spend a colorless and austere life and were supposed to give up on all
worldly pleasures. Their families considered them as a burden. Since
long widows have been coming and staying in Varanasi to spend their
lives in seclusion. “Widows-thousand-unwanted burdens for their
kinfolk. From all over India they came here and settled” (138). Even
today thousands of widows stay in Varanasi all alone as they do not get
the love and respect which they deserve in their home. On the other hand
the writer has also depicted the negative side of female liberty in
America. In the words of Mildred, a student in Walt’s class, “The
liberated woman has opted for a new tyranny to replace the old and

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discarded. The tyranny of a curious compulsion-getting liberated at any
price. Even if emotional disaster is the price to be paid” (122).

Unlike other Bhattacharya novels this novel is totally different in

terms of the language used to describe situations and authors
observations. The writer seems to have come out of the typical Indian
inhibitions and has freely expressed his thoughts in an explicit manner.
While In Shadow from Ladakh the lovemaking between Satyajit and
Suruchi is expressed only by closing of the bolt of the door, A Dream in
Hawaii narrates openly the intimate discussions between a male and a
female. However all the bold statements in the novel are expressed by
characters from the Western world. Even terms like oral sex, cocksucker,
and fuck etc. are unabashedly used in the novel which is unlike his other
novels. “Look, honey. These tits-same as Devjani’s. Try them. Compare”
(205). Similarly the writer has bluntly spoken about the condition of
India in the eyes of the Western people. He has tries to show the
economic condition of contemporary India. One of Walt’s students says:
The Europeans-let them speak and Americans will listen. The
Japanese, strong in technology, scientific expertise, productive drive;
they may also speak freely- they’re the Americans of Asia! But the
South Asian peoples- what a contrast in human development! No food
for empty stomachs which are countless, and they go on breeding like
pigs. Demographers have worked out how many millions- in India,
for instance, the homeland of our man at the Amphitheatre with his
big mouth- will be starving in the course of the next decade unless
Americans give them wheat (178).

A Dream in Hawaii throws up a moment of life-transforming

realizations in the lives of many of its characters. The protagonist
Yoganand, after a few years of living like an austere, realized that the
common man in him has still not died and all this while he has been
suppressing his feelings and not winning over them. The novel gives a
beautiful message that one can never get rid of one’s feeling by running
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from them or suppressing them. We can never be sure about not getting
affected by something unless it actually happens to us. One must make a
good balance between what one wants to do and what one should do and
that only makes life complete. “All the art of living lies in a fine mingling
of letting go and holding on” (Henry Ellis).

Similarly Jennifer, a socialite, who tried everything ranging from

throwing parties, socializing to having sex with strangers for relaxation
couldn’t find peace and couldn’t fill the void in her life. Then came a
moment when she realized that she doesn’t need any of these things to
get fulfillment. That moment was a fresh start in Jenifer’s life. Walt too
realized that deep inside him he fascinates the purity and does need
Yoganand.

The novel is a reflection of the western influence on the writers

mind. It also describes the writer’s experience of American society. He
has given a fair insight on the American social life of the contemporary
period and the constant changes they desire. Bhattacharya who has taught
in the University of Hawaii and other foreign Universities seems to have
seen the desperate need for peace and contentment in the lives of people
there and also their fascination towards the eastern philosophies. He has
also dealt with the different mindsets prevalent in the same society,
walking on different paths for reaching the same destination.
A Dream in Hawaii is a novel with many facets and layers of meaning.
On the surface there is the East-West encounter; at a deeper level it is
an analysis of culture. Particularly of America, from a specific Indian
point of view; it is also a dissertation on the sickness of modern
society, both eastern and western: At the same time it presents mans
search for the self, or alternately, his endeavour to discard the masks. It
is possibly much more (85).

174
 A Dream in Hawaii gives a beautiful description of the East and
the West holding on to contrasting ideals and yet sharing the same
feelings and desires. The novel brings out the eventual desire in man’s
heart which is fulfillment and shows how people opt for different ways
and follow different ideals for attaining it. It presents the distinct values
of the East and the West and at the same time accentuates the need to
have a balance between them. The key to living a content life lies in
making right use of the accepted and bridging the opposites.

175
 WORK CITED

Bhattacharya, Bhabani. A Dream in Hawaii. Delhi: Macmillan Company

of India. 1978. Print.

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/156566-all-the-art-of-living-lies-in-a-
fine-mingling. web.

Jain, Jasbir. The Human Dimensions of Statics and Growth, in

Perspectives on Bhabani Bhattacharya ed. by Srivastava, Ramesh. K.
Ghaziabad: Vimal Prakashan, 1982. Print.

Sharma, S. Krishna. & Rangam, V. What is in a Dream, The Literary

Endeavour. 1.3 1979­80. Print.

176
 GLOSSARY

Yoga: An act of Meditation, an exercised practice in Hindu discipline to

promote control of the body and mind

Guru: Teacher, A spiritual teacher

Padmasana: a sitting position used in Yoga. Lotus-position

Vedanata: Study of Hindu scriptures

Karma: the effects of a person's actions that determine their fate, deed

Ashram: a place of religious retreat for Hindus

Bhootni: Evil spirit

Ojha: Exorcist

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 Chapter 6

Portrayal of Social Evils

and
Economic Freedom

177
178
PORTRAYAL OF SOCIAL EVIL AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM

Goddess Named Gold is set in a rural background and throws light

on man’s hunger for money. The novel revolves around gold which
emblems wealth, status and position and discusses money as need, want
or desire for different individuals depending on their different mindset.
Gold being the highlight of the story seems to be a solution for all
troubles. The writer has immaculately shown the change in human
behaviour, thought process and actions because of greed. He has also
shown that the yearning for Gold often makes man blind and pushes him
down to any limit. The story is set up in a village called Sonamitti. The
name of the village itself means a land where the soil is of Gold but
ironically the soil of gold was only under the Seth’s feet. The story is
simply related to the Seth and the common folks. The Seth represents the
rich and greedy face of the society and the common villagers represent
the struggling poor class. Among the common villagers, people of
different shades make a kaleidoscopic picture of society. The poor but
self respectful, the powerless but visionary, the dependent but vocal and
many more such folks give a multicolored look to the story. Unlike other
Bhattacharya’s novels this novel presents strong female characters.
Females who believe in equality, who do not hesitate to take a bold step
for social betterment and who have the courage to fight for the right and
against the wrong. The novel depicts human hunger for Gold, for some,
driven by the urge to pile on money and for others, to come out of their
miseries. The other hunger that leaves its mark on the novel is the hunger
for miracle. The unrelenting hunger for a miracle after a long struggle is
portrayed very well through the characters of the story. The story portrays
the desperate need for eradication of poverty but at the same time dwells
upon the vices of wealth that comes without hard-work. It shows the

179
repercussions of greed for money and also the negative effects of social
evils like hoarding and black marketing. The novel gives a chance to its
characters to ascend to different planes, on personal, on social, on mental
and on spiritual fronts. Other than its material value Gold has
allegorically been used for wholesomeness of human heart and strength
of mind. The novel at its end leaves a pleasant impression on the minds
of the readers defining an outcome for all the characters in line with what
they deserve. The novel revolves around two opposite characters chasing
Gold for different purposes, Meera and Seth Samsundar.

Meera the protagonist of the story is a confident girl who has a

selfless attitude. She is quite young for the intelligence and understanding
she possesses. She is the youngest in her group of friends, the cow-house-
five, but is most courageous. They all have faith in her. She lives with
her Grandma and loves her dearly.

The story begins with the cow-house–five’s usual gathering in

which they were cherishing their memories of freedom struggle. The
cow- house-five is a group of five women including Meera. The cow
house five consider Meera as leader of the group and she is their true
strength. They love her truly and admire her courageous nature. They
recalled her active participation in the freedom movement even when she
was a child:
Though you were only ten eleven at that time, you did have your share
in the big struggle…Thin as a squirrel she was truly at that age…Straw
on hair and clothes-what a picture. The women stood squeezed in one
police man, the men-folk in four other. How the child yelled ‘Quit
India!’ lest she missed the ride to town and to prison! Grandma saw
her captured and muttered angrily, but the glow of pride in her face!
(7-8).

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 Today they were discussing an agenda that needed immediate
action. The village was facing poverty, and the peasants were immersed
in debt. The village women didn’t have proper clothes to wear and had to
depend on tatters to protect their dignity. Their sarees had patches all over
and torn jackets had become their cover. The condition was so pitiable
that some of the women in Sonamitti had to sleep almost naked at night.
They thought, “This, in a village of rich black earth yielding a hundred
bales of good fiber cotton every season, enough to clothe the whole
district”(9). The condition deteriorated too much because of the Seth
Samsundar, businessman of Sonamitti. The Seth owns the only cloth shop
in the seven villages of that area. People look at him in scorn. They said,
“Making use of the country wide sari shortage, he had cornered the
supply and pushed up prices” (9). He has no concern for the villagers and
he always takes advantage of their miserable state.

The Seth is an equally important character like Meera in the story.

He is a true businessman with no human values. He is cunning and super
calculative. His only aim in life is to pile on money and make a big
empire. He is not only a cloth merchant but also a moneylender who
charges unreasonable interest for the loans. “The village was neck-deep
in debt to him and teethered to his stiff rate of interest” (9). He knows the
condition of the villagers especially the village women but he has no
sympathy for them. When his wife Lakshmi, who has always helped
Meera and the villagers in their struggle, pleaded with him to provide one
sari for each person in a year or more he denied and justified his stand by
saying, “Have I manacled their wrists? He had asked. Have I stolen their
moneybags? Or have I hidden the bundles of cloth in the fat paunch of
my stomach” (9-10)? When Lakshmi complained about the price which
was five times higher and requested to set a fair rate he got angry and

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sarcastically told Lakshmi to advise those people to go to court. He seems
to be totally apathetic to their pain. On the other hand Lakshmi, who is
his wife, fully supports the villagers. She is kind and sympathetic. She
has no superior air of being the wife of a Seth. She often tries to reason
the villager’s needs with her husband but all her efforts go in vain. She
belonged to a humble family before marriage and the Seth leaves no
chance to make her realize that. He married her because of their favorable
star conjunction.

The writer has portrayed two opposite characters under the same
roof. Lakshmi and the Seth are quite opposite to each other in nature,
manner, and action. The Seth is mean while Lakshmi is generous. She has
always been with her friends through their thick and thin and even today
when being with her friends meant going against her husband she did not
hesitate. They decided to put their zealous feeling into action by planning
for a procession against the Seth for the freedom of women from tatters.
They also decided that if the Seth would not agree to their demands they
would go ahead with a naked march on the streets. The same day
Lakshmi’s son Nago fell in a well. Everyone was looking for a savior.
While no one had the courage to endanger their life, Meera, thoughtful as
ever, descended in the well to save Nago without caring for her own life.
The villagers then recalled another incidence when Meera in her
childhood had saved snake bitten Ganeshi, by sucking poisonous blood
from his body. Meera was fearless and selfless since her childhood. This
incident reinforced Lakshmi’s belief in Meera and she firmly decided to
support the procession. Their procession started in full vigor and they
shouted aloud ‘We demand cloth to wear’. “A tattered sari stretched
between two poles for their banner, they set out toward Main Road and
their voices came in unison, We demand cloth to wear, cloth” (24).

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People who witnessed the procession sarcastically stated, “Words will
melt a ripe coconut but not the Seth’s heart in its cast-iron shell!...He will
get a bellyful of good laugh. He will spit at the demand. Go back, women,
to your household work and leave it to the menfolk to fight with Seth-ji
(24). But the women-folk did not pay attention to anyone and walked
together. Meera went inside the Seth’s shop to talk to the Seth. The Seth
by that time knew that Meera had saved Nago, his son. He admired
Meera’s courage but as soon as she put in her demand for cloth he denied
fulfilling it. When she threatened him that she would go bare, the Seth
quipped that he was waiting for her and all her fellows to do so. Meera
was dismayed and so were all the other women.

Lakshmi saw Meera’s crestfallen face and decided to be their

representative and went to talk to Seth her husband. When the Seth
denied her demand too she said, “This is no bluff. I will strip for certain.
Even though I may be the only one” (30). She forewarned the Seth by
going half naked in front of him and as soon as she was about to unknot
her sari the Seth got stunned and agreed to her demand unwillingly. He
tried to emotionally blackmail Lakshmi but his efforts went futile.“Your
bread-giver will gasp in poverty, remember that. The child of your womb
will turn one day into a whining beggar boy (32)” This was a true victory
for all the women of the village. The Seth was badly hurt due to his loss.
He thought that seeing his own wife naked would have been no big deal.

He regretted his decision but he was a businessman and he knew

how to make use of the situation that he was in. He thought that he will
project his loss as an act of charity and that would help him to win the
upcoming district board elections. He decided to get into politics and
recover his loss. “The saris were part of the preparedness, the first item in
his election accounts on the debit side. For among the women in rags
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were many whose husband or son would have a vote” (31).The Seth
displays real smartness which is required to run a business successfully.
His only aim is to make money and he is excellent at conjuring up the
numbers.
He had trained himself to cast up accounts as a sort of mental picture,
the credit and debit columns neatly entered, the balance worked out
and no paper wasted, no telltale records kept. This capacity had guided
his progress in the dim alleyways of the black market. Even big dealers
paid him respect for this gift, even the sharp-toothed city sharks called
him a brother and an equal (35).

He started making strategies for the upcoming elections and

decided that the village school boys can be used for canvassing for him.
The school master he knew, would not deny as he is deeply in debt and
the school children’s interest could be acquired by offering them fried
bread and sweets. He believed that the district board elections would
bring him ample money to make up for all his previous losses. The Seth
also organized a picture play in the village which was planned by the
‘Peerless’ company to promote their product. The Seth kept the village
halwai at the top of the guest list as he was supposed to be the biggest
consumer of Peerless vegetable Ghee. When he got to know about the
excitement prevailing amongst the females for the play, he decided to
forbear their entry to the play to avenge their protest against him.
Children and women are alike in a way. Spare them and they get spoilt.
It is for their own good that now and again, they should be taught a
hard lesson. Here is one. The women are crazy about the cinema show
and I therefore announce: women will not be admitted. (42)

He seemed to have got an amazing opportunity to recover his lost

dignity. Seth’s action fashioned anger and absolute disappointment
among the females. It was an act of gender discrimination in their eyes.
“Let ten women go to the show, any ten in the village, and we shall have
no grouse. This ban against all womenfolk!” (43). All the females of the

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cow house five decided to teach Seth a lesson. Meera gloomily discussed
everything with her Grandma but her Grandma had full faith that they
will be able to see the picture play.

Meera’s Grandma is an old woman whose husband is a minstrel.

She is the backbone of the village. People in the village respect her and
pay heed to what she says. She is intelligent, thoughtful and hardworking
peasant. However her old age and gout troubles her a lot. But even that
cannot bring down her enthusiasm. She actively participated in the
freedom movement and even today she participates in everything that the
village demands. Since Meera’s parents left the world Grandma took over
their roles in her life. Meera gets to know from her Grandma that her
grandfather is expected to visit the village soon. Meera had immense faith
in her Grandpa, who is a wanderer, who sings religious and moral songs
to people of the world. People in the village respect him and consider him
a sage. There are many stories attached to the minstrel. People believe
that he in his previous birth was ‘Atmaram’, a sage, who meditated for
long years in Himalayas and attained a divine soul. His songs often leave
people spellbound. Meera, who was extremely excited to hear about her
Grandpa’s visit, went to the Halwai to enquire about the exact date of his
arrival. The Halwai who is another selfish person tried to sweet talk
Meera into his proposal. “The sadness that our casts disagree, mine and
thine... Otherwise, lass, I could take thee for my second spouse” (53). The
Halwai was dreaming about marrying Meera as his first wife was dead.
He, a father of two married girls wanted to marry Meera, a girl of sixteen.
Meera did not pay heed to his proposal and when she got to know about
the date on which her Grandpa was supposed to arrive, an idea clicked in
her mind. She told the Halwai that the minstrel is going to perform the

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same day and same time as the picture play. This, she knew, would put
people in dilemma and the picture play would be a flop show.

Meera’s grandfather, the minstrel, arrived in the village on the set

date. People were joyous as they were longing for his songs. Meera
narrated their encounters with the Seth and told the minstrel how she has
planned for his concert to coincide with the picture play. The minstrel
told Meera that this was not the right way to put across their point and
decided that he will sing afterwards. “Meera, His voice was gentle,
persuasive. You cannot right one wrong with another. You cannot fight
malice with malice” (62). Meera agreed with him though half-heartedly.
She also told him about Seth’s tyranny, his future plans of joining politics
and their processions against him. She also discussed with him her
ignorance about the district board elections. And the ‘vote-mote’. He
replied, “You have to know. A frown sank in his forehead. Will you sent
the tyrant to the district board to speak and act for you” (70). He gave
Meera a good understanding of the people in power and the common
citizens’ right and power to choose the one.

On the day of the picture play Meera’s other idea worked. She was
successful in misleading the people about the presence of large number of
monkeys in the village who were creating havoc. All the viewers,
including the Seth took to their heels to save their stuff. Later when they
found nothing and returned back they saw the females watching the
picture play alongside some men. Everybody had a good laugh about the
episode excluding the Seth. Later when the minstrel started his rendition,
in one of them he mentioned an amulet that could turn copper into gold if
the bearer does an act of real kindness. He gave it to Meera and told her
that if it is parted from her arm, it would become a pebble. He was
successful in making people believe him. When the Seth heard about the
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‘touchstone’ he grew restless as he had expected to get it. After a couple
of days when the Seth got an offer to buy the touchstone from Meera in
exchange for oil for her Grandma’s gout, he refused to acknowledge the
existence of any such touchstone. He recalled his previous bad
experiences and decided not to fall into the trap again. However the
dream of the gold goddess that he had once, kept troubling him. One day
he went to the city and got himself a red motorbike and a driver named
Sohanlal.

Sohanlal is a young boy who was in military transport for five

years. He agreed to the Seth’s offer and started enjoying the new village
setup. He is an intellectual who has had varied experiences in life. He
reads a high-class newspaper and understands the social and political
system well. His job was to take Seth’s stuff from one place to the other,
and in a short span of time he was able to understand the Seth well.
Absorbed in making money which he did not want to use. He lived
almost like a peasant, yet he had bought a motorcycle. He was
barefooted at home and wore a shabby pair of slippers when out on the
street, but he had to exhibit a colorful bathroom to prop up his prestige!
(105).

Sohanlal became a part of the village and befriended everyone

around especially Meera and her Grandma. Every evening the three of
them would sit and chit-chat about their lives. Sohanlal told them about
his background, how his father died in an earthquake and how his mother
died after he joined the war. He, who had seen a lot of outer world, who
knew about the villager’s friction with the Seth, tries to tell Meera about
reality and the new social system. Meera’s level of understanding
impresses him greatly. Meera and Sohanlal gradually fell in love with
each other but they kept their feelings safe in their own heart. Meera’s
grandmother also used to like Sohanlal.

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 Meera’s grandmother decided to nominate another candidate
against the Seth while the Seth’s preparation were on in full swing. The
Cowhouse five and other females started to canvass for Meera’s
Grandma, though she had not approved of herself as a nominee yet. The
Seth did not consider her as a threat. He knew that the loan that he had
given to her would come in between her endeavours against him. He is
really cunning in his approach. Because of his high interest rates on loan,
several people had to leave their ancestral houses and move to cities in
order to find a living. Yet he thinks of himself as a giver. He commended
himself in his soliloquy:
Every man who migrated in distress received a cash gift from him five
rupees, ten rupees, or even fifteen. Depending on the acreage he had
lost. There were no real grounds for such a gift. You bought wheat and
ate it, you bought cloth and used it up- the dealer would not make a
free replacement of even one grain or one strand of thread. But the
Seth of Sonamitti was too soft in his dealings. That was his trouble, he
had good need to watch himself and hold his softness subdued lest it
overpower him, lest it hurt his son and heir (132).

The Seth deep in his heart also knows Meera’s grandmother’s

goodness but is too arrogant to acknowledge it.

She had written her fate with her own hand. The minstrel had left her
six broad fields, half of them black cotton earth. Only two mouths to
feed. Two depending on the land could have all they needed. But then,
they had to gain popularity. They had to go out of their way to give
help (133).

When they needed another loan, Meera approached the Seth

fearing the worst. She could see her doom nearing with her departure
from the village round the corner. The time was tough and their accounts
with the Seth were bad, but suddenly a miracle happened. The Seth
happened to see Meera’s ring which was of gold and when Meera stated
that it was copper he concluded that the great miracle had happened. He
kept that ring with him and contemplated for a long time. The miracle had

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blown his senses away and he decided to make Meera his partner in
harvesting gold. He called Meera and told her about his plans to invest in
copper jewelry so that it can be transformed into gold. He also offered her
an equal share in the partnership. Meera agreed as she wanted to have
abundant gold to put an end to everyone’s misery. The village people
were however cynical, thinking that Meera would not be able to go
against the Seth for ‘vote-mote’ after joining hands with him. Meera
assured them by saying, “With all of myself I will work with the Seth in
one field where our motives meet. With all of myself I will work against
him in another where our motives are in conflict” (163).

However the five elders who were being considered for being
nominated against the Seth had diverse opinions on contesting the
elections. The Seth on the other hand was weaving golden dreams. He
was after Meera’s life, to persuade her to think about the act of kindness
which led to that miracle which turned her copper ring to gold. And he
wanted her to do more acts of such kindness. He was too keyed up to
realize that kindness is inherently natural. He fed many boys with puri’s
and jalebi’s but it went in vain. Sohanlal tried to make Meera understand
that people should not stop struggling in the hope of a miracle. However
Meera who was only thinking about everyone’s good replied, “Gold is a
strip of field released from bonds. Gold is a new straw thatch on the walls
of a mud hut. It is the rag-woman’s escape from hunger and the old
father’s wish for a pilgrimage to Holy Benares” (175). Sohanlal has no
belief in this miracle however he respects Meera’s sentiments. He being
an intellectual and visionary wanted people to be independent and
struggle for their rights. “Sonamitti must not live on charity; not even on
charity from your hands. We must demand what should be ours, the right
to live as human beings” (176). Meera who had no greed for gold for her

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own replied, “The gold will not be mine. I have to pass it on. That is what
Grandpapa meant. That is why gave me the amulet. Recalling in her
heart: to wipe every tear from every eye” (176). All the villagers had their
eyes stuckon Meera. The miracle became their only hope.

As time passed the village folks started to give their copper coins
to Meera so that she can wear them on her body. They already started
looking at her as a rich woman. The news of the miracle spread like wild
fire. The Seth also got an offer of partnership from a rich man but he
denied it. He was hopeful that soon he would be bathing in pond filled
with gold and shall also be a district member. And then he saw a
procession, canvassing for Rajaram, one of the five elders of the village.
People who were eagerly awaiting the miracle to happen gradually turned
negative towards Meera. Even her friends did not understand her real
feelings. Sohanlal often tried to reason out with Meera.
With your gold you will save this village. You will save the seven
villages. But there are eight hundred thousand others. Each has a Seth
of its own. Each Seth waits to snatch the new power from the people.
You cannot have gold enough to save all India!...It is the fight with the
Seths that will save India, not a miracle, not armfuls of gold. You did
have your share in the fight, a big share-(197).

She wanted to understand his point of view. However she could

never disbelieve the minstrel’s words. Meera became the talk of the town.
Her admirer, the Halwai, sent a mediator, the barber, to her house to
discuss Meera’s marriage with Halwai. Meera’s Grandma laughed her
heart out at the proposal and suggested Buddhu’s mother, a widow as a
suitable match for the Halwai. However the Halwai had his fancy set on
Meera and was weaving dreams of a golden future with her. On the other
hand the villagers considered Meera’s body as a way to treasure. They
expected her to wear everyone’s coins and when she showed discomfort
they decided that she would wear fifty coins at a time. As time passed by,
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their craving for the miracle increased. “We hunger for the miracle,
whatever else may follow, good or bad” (207).

The Seth’s efforts to create an act of kindness failed once. He still

did not learn a lesson from it. He was exhausted of thinking about a real
act of kindness all the time. He told one of his debtors, an old man to
repay his loan. When the old man could not do so, the Seth sold off his
utensils and instruments. The old man was forced to leave the village. On
the day of his departure when Meera saw him, she could not see him in
this pain. She went to the Seth for help. The Seth after dilly dallying a bit
conciliated and gave her the money. When Meera came and offered the
money to the old man he refused to take it. He explained it to Meera
saying, “Happily would I accept help, my daughter. Happily would I take
what our brethren give. But not one pice of the Seth’s money, soaked in
peasant’s blood” (214). Grandma too approved in silence whatever the
old man said. He bid farewell to everyone and said to Meera again.
“Homeless wretches, we still have our honour. Beti, do not grieve for us”
(214).The incident turned everyone against Meera. Saubhadri, a girl who
had given her a copper coin asked it back and said, “I know what woes
will befall my folk. Better far that we bear a hundred woes than use the
accursed gold for our relief” (216). The old man’s farewell gave everyone
a reason to talk against Meera. They held Meera responsible for it.

In a couple of days other womenfolk also did the same and

sarcastically taunted Meera that it would be a relief for her as she would
not have to share her gold with anyone. Even her friends deserted her.
One of her friends Sohagi rudely commented, “May be the miracle is a
rainbow, a thing with no substance. Let the rainbow fade off and you will
find us at your side” (218). Everybody seemed to be blaming Meera for
old father’s departure from the village. Her own friend Munni scornfully
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said, “Kindness was on sale. What an ugly form it had taken! Old father’s
doom had been a question of time, but it was rushed for one reason: an
act of kindness needed to be done” (219). They stopped talking to Meera
and separated their ways.

So on one hand Meera’s friends, who had deserted her, were

canvassing along with Meera’s Grandma for Rajaram, and on the other,
Seth and Meera were waiting for a miracle, of-course for their own
respective reasons. Meera was devastated internally. She was not able to
figure out why people were against her.“It is my fate to wear the taveez
for one purpose. To be scorned; to be despised; to be the scourge of
Sonamitti” (224). Sohanlal was aware of the reality. He had firm belief in
her goodness but he knew that she was sowing seeds on a barren land. He
told Meera what the villagers thought of her and also tried to show
Meera’s true self to the villagers. “Try to grasp this simple fact. She
wants nothing for herself. I know her mind. She has less hunger for riches
than everyone else in this village” (228).

Bulaki Rao, the Seth’s manager shared a lot of stories with

Sohanlal about the village and outside. He is a sly and greedy person. He
eavesdrops on people’s conversations and has no shame. He indulges in
juicy gossips. He told Sohanlal about the drunk, whose wife’s death made
him a drunk, the bad woman who was a prostitute and many more such
stories. Bulaki Rao also suggested Sohanlal to visit the bad woman and
gave him the whereabouts of her place. He was so sly that he was even
able to extract money from the Seth who was famous as a miser.

The Seth on the other hand grew restless, as he had spent a fortune
on the copper jewelry and there were no signs of a positive outcome.
Meera had clearly told him not to superficially create any act of kindness,

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but his impatient mind led him to do so twice. Once he, along with Bulaki
Rao, pretended that a little boy had fallen in the well so that Meera could
get in and save him but instead of Meera, Sohanlal went in the well and
found nothing. Meera was furious. She felt sick of the Seth and yelled at
him. In the meanwhile Sohanlal wrote a letter to the minstrel in
Grandma’s name updating him about the incidents in village. Lakshmi,
who had long back gone to her parent’s house, had also returned to the
village. She saw the change in behaviour of everyone towards Meera. She
met Meera and also tried to convince her friends. But by that time the
situation had gone worse. Lakshmi overheard the Halwai telling people
about the plans of burning Meera’s effigy. Lakshmi felt gloomy. She
went to Sohanlal and revealed a secret to him. She told Sohanlal that the
gold ring that Meera was wearing was hers. She had slipped it in Meera’s
hand while she was asleep as per the minstrel’s wish. She also told
Sohanlal about the effigy. Sohanlal and Lakshmi along with their other
friends were furious on learning about the plans to burn Meera’s effigy.
They found her effigy and gave it to the Grandma. The old lady was
shocked to see it. She, who had always been with the villagers had never
imagined that this treatment would be meted out to her granddaughter.
She took the effigy in the field and addressed the villagers:
You forget what she is, a mere child. You try to make a savior out of
her. You bid her fulfill an inmost wish of your heart. Your stern voice
says, do or die. She has no value for you apart from the gold. She must
be made to produce. Not for once has it occurred to you to ask
yourself: Why must she? (270)

All of them felt guilty and they agreed that their greed had blinded
them. They felt ashamed. But the Seth unaware of all this tried to do
another act of kindness by getting the ‘drunk’ and the ‘bad woman’ wed
to each other. He believed this to be an act of real kindness but
unfortunately this idea too failed. Meera was exhausted doing all this. A

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sudden urge sprung inside her and she started removing the ornaments
from her body one after the other. It was like a bad dream that had passed
away. Sohanlal supported her and they went back home in the darkness of
the night. The Seth was abjectly disappointed but later he too realized that
he had spent too much of his time, money and energy on this distant
dream.

Meera’s Grandpa also reached home. Grandma narrated everything

to him including the plans of burning Meera’s effigy. She also told him
about Sohanlal and how he was her support all this while. Later Grandpa
revealed to Meera the point that easy money doesn’t bring happiness by
weaving a dream in which Meera is able to turn copper to gold. He tries
to show her how money makes people idle. They would have nothing to
do in the fields as they would have all the money to buy whatever they
want. With more money there would be more money lenders. The poor
outside the village would look at them in scorn because of their own debt.
The rich would want to stay in the town and gradually Sonamitti would
lose its real people. Meera would be called a Devi who shared her fortune
with the less privileged ones and would be married to an affluent man, an
elephant merchant or so. This was a moment of realization for Meera.
“With a sudden jerk of her hand she bared her right arm, pulled at the red
string of her taveez until it snapped, and in the same movement she
flunged the taveez far into the river” (298). Her grandfather enlightened
her by telling her the importance of a purposeful life.

The next morning, Sonamitti was in a daze. With the loss of the
touchstone a long cherished dream was broken. However the Cowhouse
five seemed to have the best day of their life. They got their Meera back.
The same day the minstrel addressed the people in the village. They

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listened to him attentively. He told them that finally the touchstone
worked and the miracle they got is freedom.
Brothers, now that we have freedom, we need acts of faith. Then only
will there be a transmutation. Friends, then only will our lives turn into
gold. Without acts of faith, freedom is a dead pebble tied to the arm
with a bit of string, fit only to be cast into the river (303).

The audience understood the message and the minstrel started

singing for them. Sohanlal, who had gone to the city, came back to
Sonamitti to fulfill his wish and follow his faith, Meera. He urged the
people to request the minstrel to stay back. He also proposed to elect the
minstrel to the District Board. People started to shout in unison: “Vote for
our minstrel-brother, vote!” (305).The minstrel grew uneasy, as he had
never thought of this. Singing was what he loved. He tried to explain it to
people but they replied, “Brother, you will make those men share your
faith in the future…You will release them from a past now dead and
gone…You talk of a house to be built. Will you shirk the task of laying
the first few bricks” (305)? Meera, Grandma and everyone convinced him
and he gave in to their request and that moment became a moment of
freedom for everyone.

Bhabani Bhattacharya, along with the social issues, has portrayed

the need and greed for money through his superbly etched characters. He
portrays the need through Meera and greed through the Seth. Gold has an
overarching influence on the novel. Along with its physical importance
the writer has metaphorically suggested that human heart is as good as
gold as long as it is untouched by any evil. The writer not only talks about
greed, but also shows the vices it brings along. He not only portrays
suffering but also shows the ways to fight it. Along-with depicting the
evils of the society he also suggests ways to counter them. He states that
money that comes without hard work only brings momentary happiness

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and relief. Like all other Bhabani Bhattacharya’s novels this novel too
has strong Gandhian influence. The character of the minstrel is inspired
by Gandhian philosophy and his influence has also been stamped on
Meera. The novel is sprinkled with happy and sad moments finally
leading to a happy ending.

Greed is present in all human hearts. This greed even leads to the
death of human feelings in individuals. Greed is like a blindfold on the
eye which restricts us from seeing the difference between the right and
the wrong. When the simple village folks got to know about the miracle,
they started weaving dreams of a comfortable life. Due to their selfish
greed they couldn’t even see the pain it caused to Meera. She had to sleep
with her ornaments on her body. She used to carry thousands of coins in
her jacket but people still blackmailed her emotionally to add their coins.
Seth’s greed led to his downfall. He spent many sleepless nights thinking
about the act of kindness. He spent a fortune running behind a treasure
which was never to be found. He became so blind with greed that he even
failed to distinguish between benevolence and an ostentatious action. His
character has a tinge of humor and his soliloquies are amusing.

The minstrel emphasizes the need for compassion and states that
without it, the touchstone (human heart) is a mere pebble. Meera is the
one who is compassion personified. She as a young child sucked
poisonous blood from someone’s feet, she saved Nago’s life when no one
could gather courage to do so, she wiped the beggar boy’s nose with her
sari and on top of everything she spent many uncomfortable nights
wearing her jewelry only for the sake of the villagers. The Seth often put
Meera in uncomfortable situations. Through his failed antics of creating
acts of kindness, the writer wants to edify the readers that kindness is a
natural urge. It can never be insisted upon or forced for that matter.
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 Corruption is a deep rooted evil in the society and greed is the
mother of corruption. Our society is facing a great challenge to fight
against corruption. With so many movements like Anna Hazare’s Lokpal
movement and Baba Ramdev’s movement of Bharat Swabhimaan,
Indians are trying hard to make our nation corruption free. Inspite of that,
one scandal or the other of unprecedented proportions keeps jolting the
nation. In the story, during Bengal famine the hoarders took advantage of
the miserable condition of common man. Hoarding is an evil practice
rampant in the society even today. This leads to artificial shortage of
necessary commodities at times leading to a sharp increase in prices
resulting in a windfall for the traders. During Bengal Famine the scarcity
of food turned into ‘no food’ in no time. The rich marketers filled their
lockers with money and go-downs with grains while hundreds of poor
died everyday because of hunger. Unfortunately these few marketers
became an inspiration for many others. The Seth of Sonamitti became one
of them. Samsundar, the Seth of Sonamitti is the only moneyed man in
the village. He, like many other traders in the market practices hoarding.
This trick of cornering the market was not his invention. He had
learned it by watching his betters during the rice famine in Bengal four
years before. At that time three million men and women had to die so
that there could be thirty new millionaires (31).

The writer has shown how the money-men take advantage of the
poor and create havoc in the lives of the needy. These rich, unkind people
have only one aim and that is to pile money. The arrogance of the Seth,
Samsundar, of Sonamitti is reflected in these words:
Even a small cash loan would often take people over a crisis-a
marriage ceremony, a birth, a funeral.….Was there in Sonamitti a
single brother of a mule who had never taken a loan?..Even Meera’s
Grandma, so inflated with pride because her pride over the people, had
borrowed with both her cash. She had thumb-marked away almost all
her holding to meet her hunger for cash (39).

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 His greed has no end. Money rules his senses. He wants to win the
district board election to ensure that money keeps flowing from all
directions. He is unsympathetic and believes in cut throat competition.
His thinking is revealed in his own words, “The slow-witted were meant
to be the prey of their betters. The weak had to feed the strong with their
flesh. The fittest alone were fit to survive” (96).

Another problem that the writer has discussed is feudalism which

was widely prevalent in society. The poor people were always oppressed
by the feuds, rich powerful. People who used to take a loan were never
able to repay it and at the end they had to give up their lands and often all
their belongings as well. It was a vicious cycle. The condition of the
peasants was so pitiable that even for the most basic needs they had to
take a loan. The Seth of Sonamitti had his own rules for this practice. His
rate of interest was so high that usually people were never able to settle
their accounts. Meera gave an insight about him to her Grandpa in
following words:
When he paid out twenty rupees, the figure he entered in his book was
forty- a year’s interest charged in advance as soon as the loan was
given. The debtor could whine or howl but had no option. If you
dislike my terms, go elsewhere. Go to the big money lender in town.
Or else go to the Imperial Bank of India. That was how the Seth
Talked. So the debtor swallowed and put his thumb mark on the bond
and went his way. When he returned to the clothshop after harvest the
money he paid lessened the balance but the remainder doubled itself
with the new year’s advanced interest added. So it went on year after
year (67-68).

And this was the situation in every other village in India and in some
places the situation was even worse. This situation used to force people
to leave their ancestral village and move to the cities in search of a
livelihood.

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 The unequal distribution of money has led to a lot of friction in the
society. The poor have to toil hard to earn enough to feed their family. In
these families everyone is struggling for existence. The children are not
able to enjoy their childhood and the old are not able to sit back and relax.
All of them must always be worried, must always be on their toes to be
able to survive in the world of few privileged people. Meera’s Grandma’s
conversation with Roghuvir, Meera’s childhood friend and his response
reflects his sad mental state. “Boy, why do I never hear you laugh? You
are as owlish as an old man! He had said in answer, I feel as old as Old
Father” (68). This economic division presents a picture of an unfair
society. There are a few people who have enough money to afford all the
luxuries of life and many other who have to sell and mortgage their assets
for their basic needs. “This fruit-giving earth. Enough earth for all if
shared fairly. So much belongs to so few. The same tale everywhere. One
man owns half of village; the tillers the rest in five hundred morsels”
(69).

The villagers in Sonamitti had to face the same treacherous

situation because of Seth’s stiff rate of interest. “Dhannu, who had been
forced to tie down his loom to the ‘belly-that-ate- all’, so he could get the
cash he needed for his father’s funeral” (9). This shows the sorrowful
condition of the poor peasants. In the farmlands of Vidarbha in
Maharashtra even today the farmers are forced to commit suicide due to
huge debts. In a study on official data of farm suicides by Professor
Nagaraj published in The Hindu (14th November 2007) it is shown that
nearly 29000 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra between 1997
and 2005. Also 93% of all farm suicides were due to indebtedness which
shows that management of farm debt is still a big concern even in modern
times while moneylenders are ruling the debt market in our villages.

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 This unequal distribution of money creates an ever deepening
division between the two classes of society. The poor have no access to
the rich and the rich do not want to reach out to the poor. The poor have
no means to change their lives and the rich have no interest in doing that.
Their lives become two ends of a bridge which never meet. In Sohagi’s
words:
A river has flown between the rich and the poor. There is no boat to
take the poor to the other end. The rich cross the stream at their will.
They put wary feet on the mud and from a distance they hail the poor
and speak good words and feel pleased with themselves that they have
been so kind. It is a game for the rich to play. But the river flows on
and the rich return to their bank and wash mud off their feet. And the
river flows on (256).

The poor who were deeply in debt were able to see their doom
explicitly. They knew that there will be a time when all of them like
many other will have to leave their abode and wander for livelihood. In
this situation the touchstone became their path of rescue. They all started
seeing it as their only hope. They were desperate for the miracle to
happen. The writer has tried to show the normal human tendency through
this. When we become helpless we expect a miracle to save us. This
attitude becomes a barrier for our actions towards our work and
responsibilities. Even the Seth of Sonamitti realized how his hunger for
gold had digressed his mind from his work and business.

These false expectations make people superstitious in life. They

start believing more in the unseen and avoid reality. The writer also
mentions a girl who plucks a flower from her hair each time she makes a
wish. Bhabani Bhattacharya has portrayed the minstrel’s character as a
blend of old and new ideas. He believes in saving the rich heritage and
working uninhibitedly towards everyone’s betterment. “The miracle will
not drop upon us. It is we who have to create it with love and with sweat”

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(303). His character follows Gandhian ideals and believes in applying
them in day-to-day life.

Bhabani Bhattacharya gives a deep insight on the position of

women in society. He has shown how dowry becomes a defining factor in
their marriage. Even in modern times there are families who still give and
take dowry openly. In certain states in India there is a predefined price
according to a boy’s profession which the girl’s parents are supposed to
pay. And if they cannot afford the defined price they are supposed to
compromise on the prospective match. Some girls remain unwed all their
life because their parents cannot pay the dowry. Bhabani Bhattacharya
has also mentioned a poor man who is not able to manage the dowry to
get his daughter married. “Spectacle for misty eyes going blind… a
dowry for a maid well past her marriage age; she had no good looks, but a
match could be arranged for eighty rupees…”(181).

A woman has always been considered inferior to man. As a girl she

constantly lives under the shadow of her brother and after marriage, her
husband’s. She is not supposed to take her own decisions. The women
since their childhood are brought up with this belief that their husbands
are their God and their wish is supposed to be their command. Lakshmi
who used to mean well for everyone was hesitant to take her first step for
the procession against her husband. “What can a woman do? What
strength has she against her household king” (5)? The males seem to have
a birth right to govern their lives.

Though we attained Freedom in 1947, women in Indian Society are

never free to take their decisions. Gender discrimination is quite evident.
There are different rules for man and woman. It is easy for a man to get
remarried whereas the same freedom is not allowed to a widow. They are
considered inauspicious and at the same time are not allowed to remarry.
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Similarly the thought that a woman is born to serve is never changing.
After marriage she has to be suppressed by her husband. She is supposed
to listen to everybody in her new abode home follow their commands
even if some things do not make sense to her. “Freedom, four steps
ahead. Not for use, women. We live to press our masters’ legs” (43). It
has been an old ideology to equate woman with cattle. As the cattle toil in
the fields they are supposed to toil at home and listen to their masters.
The writer has tried to show this in Seth’s words, “Loosen the reins of the
restraint and the women will get out of hand. The times are bad. We
cannot be too careful” (42). A woman is expected not to have a thought
process of her own which is highly impractical.

Indian society has always been male dominant. In earlier times

only males were supposed to make a choice of their life partners. The
females were supposed to marry whoever came their way. Sometimes
they even had to marry a widower, an old man or a rich tyrant. It used to
be considered sheer luck if a young maid got married to a rich man or a
man of high caste even if he was of her father’s age. In Goddess Named
Gold, the Halwai, who was a father of two married girls and a widower,
wanted to marry Meera and was convinced of getting her approval. He
was proud of his high caste and status. The barber, who took his proposal
to Meera’s grandma, boasted, “Wed to Halwai-ji, the barber resumed,
Meera will gain in caste status, remember. This is of great value-do I
have to tell you? Even gold cannot give her this rise in caste status”
(200). Thus women in society were considered good enough only to get
married, manage the house, beget children and serve their husband and
family.

Bhattacharya’s novels mostly talk of adjustment and sacrifices

made by women. It is very unlike Bhabani Bhattacharya to talk of bold

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actions from a woman. In the novel, the women of the village decide to
organize a naked march if their demand isn’t fulfilled. So unlike his other
novels, Goddess Named Gold talks of the existence of woman and her
importance. The novelist has presented courageous woman characters
that are sensible and smart. Through Meera the writer shows women
power. The fight of woman against the Seth and their victory amply
demonstrates women power. From the days of freedom struggle and even
earlier, women have played an active part in the social movements.
Goddess Named Gold also slightly hints at feminism in various instances.
Meera sounds challenging while talking to the Seth, “We outwitted you…
We had to do it. Equal rights for men and women that was the song. We
had to fight for that song (148). Another instance where Lakshmi
challenged her husband saying, “Plead? We have done that long enough.
We demand” (29). Bhabani Bhattacharya seems to be influenced by the
feminist movement that was popular enough during that time.

The writer through these female characters reflects female

awakening for their rights. He also talks about the shallowness of the rich
class. People who earn money through wrong means are always afraid of
the consequences, and, as a sign of penance they try to bribe God. They
would spend money on the idol but not on the real human life which is
nothing but a manifestation of the Supreme lord. The Seth of Sonamitti
who never thinks about anybody else’s benefits and has no concerns with
anyone’s life talks of charity in his own style.

Later he would have to give in charity so that he could earn merit for
the hereafter, but it would be done with well calculated purpose. To
give unto a Brahmin was more merciful than to give to any other man.
It was even better to give unto a priest. Best of all, to give unto a Deva
or Devi…Towards the end of his life he would build a new temple, an
impressive structure with the polished top bright in the sun, the image
in the sanctum pure marble and its eyes black gems (133).

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This reminds me of a famous couplet of Nida Fazli that also shows
human tendency of and reflects our shallow and selfish mindset ^^vUnj
ewjr ij p<s] ?kh iwjh fe"Bku] eafnj ds ckgj [kMk] bZ'oj ekaxs nku** ¼Qkt+yh], 107½
While the real God (Man) outside keeps waiting with an empty belly for a
sympathetic glance of the rich, their offerings go to the Idol.

Similarly in real life people pay more attention to satisfying their

material instincts while their soul remains discontented. The writer,
along with his socio-economic treatment, seems to have a deep
understanding of human tendency. Goddess Named Gold is an overview
of the society which was striving towards a better tomorrow. The evils,
which are presented through human characters, are the real hurdles that
hinder the progress. The novel suggests that freedom of the mind is more
important than physical freedom. Being free from greed and having
sympathy for others lets positive spirit stay alive. We may have achieved
freedom but freedom can be sustained only when our mind is free from
inhibitions, fears and evils. Goddess Named Gold is far different in
treatment from other Bhattacharya’s novels. The novel, while discussing
social and economic problems in contemporary India holds on to a
positive tone. The character of Seth, Samsundar, has a touch of humour
which keeps amusing the reader. The novel ensures a happy ending and
something positive is in the store for each character. The readers too, get
the subtle message about life and how it can be lived meaningfully by
understanding the true meaning of freedom and using one’s right
intelligently. Malta Grover expresses it further

The minstrel in the novel advises the villagers to be sensibly conscious

of their political rights and responsibilities, and vote for the most
deserving and noble political leaders who will be able to guide the
destiny of the village in the right direction. (Grover 31-32)

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 WORK CITED

Bhattacharya, Bhabani. A Goddess Named Gold. Delhi: Hind Pocket

Books. 1967. Print.

Q+kt+yh] funk- [kks;k gqvk lk dqN- ubZ fnYyh% ok.kh çdk'ku nfj;kxat- „00‰ çfr-

Grover, Malta. Bhabani Bhattacharya: As a novelist of Social

Conscience. Merrut: Shalabh Prakashan. 1991. Print.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/14/stories/2007111453091100.htm

205
 GLOSSARY

Seth: A rich man

Halwai: A sweet vendor

Vegetable Ghee: A form of clarified butter

Puri: Deep-fried, unleavened bread

Jalebi: A type of sweet

Beti: Daughter

Taveez: Amulet

Devi/Deva: Diety

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 Chapter 7

Conclusion

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206
 CONCLUSION

Bhabani Bhattacharya’s fiction mirrors the society and vividly

captures the social, economic and political conditions of pre and post
independence India. His six novels starting from So Many Hungers to A
Dream in Hawaii cover the entire spectrum of society and its being. The
previous chapters show the vivacity and variety of sub topics in his
novels. Bhattacharya’s genius lies in his flawless cohesion of the equally
important and interesting subthemes with his main theme. The deep
influence of the changing society on him can be clearly witnessed in his
novels. He is a novelist who cares about the innate issues in the society.
His humanitarian approach always persuaded him to write about society.
His novels touch his reader’s mind to the deepest core because of his
profound understanding of life and people. Bhattacharya believes in the
power of human will. He truly feels that an individual has a power to
bring about a major change in the society if he/she becomes determined
to do so. His major characters are all common people having a great sense
of social and moral responsibility. He doesn’t hesitate in showing the
most grisly details of the society and authentically shares the predicament
of common man. Sometimes he evokes utter grief in the hearts of his
readers by showing the throbbing plight of a common man and just when
the reader is about to lose hope he brings up a flicker of hope which turns
the story towards a positive ending. He depicts the social and economic
issues and portrays their effect on common man both with equal
adroitness. In my previous chapters I have discussed the social,
economic and political issues in his novels yet it is almost impossible for
a reader to overlook the other aspects of his writing. Bhabani
Bhattacharya is a novelist who has a deep understanding on various
aspects of life and he has demonstrated it abundantly in his novels.

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 The writer has immaculately shown the huge impact of society and
social norms on an individual. He reflects the upheavals in human life
due to the old and worn- out customs. However he not only depicts the
ills of the society but also lays stress on the need to set them right. He is
truly endowed with a brilliant sense of observation which makes his
novels so life like. His writing is a blend of art and reality. Even the most
gruesome situations presenting the social reality are narrated with great
sense of art. Bhattacharya doesn’t hesitate to reach to the deepest layer of
the problems prevalent in the society. He talks bluntly about them. His
narration of the tribulations of human situations often brings one close to
tears. They motivate our mind to indulge in deep contemplation, and then
the realization and awakening of his characters give his novels a positive
turn and his characters a new ray of hope. His novels reflect his optimistic
approach and his belief in working towards making the world a better
place. They fill the reader’s mind with a sense of sanguinity and hope and
reinforce their belief in the victory of good over bad.

The humongous influence of Tagore and Gandhi is clearly visible

on his novels. Bhattacharya’s characters steadfastly carry Gandhi’s ideas
in the journey of their life. In So Many Hungers Devata, in Goddess
Named Gold the minstrel, in Shadow from Ladakh Satyajit show strong
undercurrent of Gandhian philosophy and ideals in their thoughts and
actions. In other novels also Gandhian ideas do prop up on frequent
occasions. Tagore’s influence is also seen in Bhattacharya’s novels as he
suggests novelty in his novels. In Shadow from Ladakh he has directly
mentioned Tagore and his ideas. Bhattacharya professes the idea of living
a free life without constraining one’s self too much with social
obligations. His novels suggest the need for doing one’s karma without
suppressing the natural needs in human. However Bhattacharya

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ultimately chooses a middle path combining the ideals of Tagore and
Mahatma Gandhi. Tagore’s concept of fulfilling one’s innate desires and
Gandhian ideals of self-control and self empowerment are simultaneously
emphasized in his novels. Even today there is a strong need to balance
development with conservation. Industrial development should not take
place at a heavy cost of our natural resources. Also the conflict between
different social set up due to indiscriminate use of power should be
avoided. Incidents like Singur throw up many uncomfortable questions on
the political and social setup of modern India. The ideals of our great
visionaries should guide us in such situations to find an amicable
solution.

Bhabani Bhattacharya’s novels depict hunger in some or the other

form. However, He not only authentically presents the hungers prevalent
in human heart but also presents the direct relation between human
hunger and actions oriented by that hunger. Human hunger brings out the
best and the worst out of people be it a hungry belly, a hungry heart or a
hungry mind. It instigates all human actions. A person can get completely
transformed in order to satisfy his hunger. Kalo’s hunger compelled and
strengthened him to become what he wasn’t. Similarly Rahoul’s hunger
for contributing to Indian political freedom and working for the people of
India ultimately gave him the courage to come out of his shell and walk
on the path full of thorns. Satyajit’s hunger for saving Gandhigram
oriented him towards a fast unto death. Meera’s hunger for the betterment
of her fellow villagers provoked her to partner Samsundar and
Samsundar’s hunger for Gold inspired all his mischievous deeds. Seldom
do we see a writer exploring so many aspects of one phenomenon and do
justice to all of them. Bhattacharya’s genius lies in detailing the various
aspects of each kind of hunger and showing the human frailties that

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become a hurdle and strength of character that facilitates in conquering
them. . His novels make us realize that the Hunger can primarily be of
two kinds. First kind of hunger is one that is forced upon us by the
circumstances like the hunger for food during the Bengal famine. This
kind of hunger often degrades one’s characters and leads us to do acts
which we would be ashamed of doing in normal circumstances. However
we are left with no choice as satisfying the hunger becomes our primary
concern in life. The other kind of hunger which is the hunger which is
born from within, like the hunger for betterment of others is the hunger
which really elevates a person’s thoughts and his actions. They get an
opportunity and motivation to rise from their commonplace existence and
bring about a real change in the society. Such a hunger is always desired
and only this kind of hunger in its citizens can lead a nation to greatness.
This is the hunger which has led the human being to reach the moon, to
explore the possibility of life on Mars, to find cure for the seemingly
incurable diseases, to fly in the air, to dive deep beneath the sea and make
what was deemed as impossible, possible.

Another important aspect of Bhattacharya’s novels is the

concluding part of all the novels. The end is always a new beginning, a
challenge, a purpose for the protagonists. His protagonists do not just live
happily ever after. Bhattacharya always gives them a motive, a reason to
go on. The end never seems like an end we can definitely say that there
can be a sequel to all his novels. The readers would want to know the life
of the characters beyond the novel; such is the imagery he creates and
spell he casts through his work. This is a very beautiful aspect of his
writing. Kalo’s struggle started with the famine, his daughter had to go
through a lot of turmoil, he had to go to jail for a petty crime of stealing
bananas to fulfill his hunger. He somehow managed to rescue his

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daughter from a harlot house, he disguised his identity, perched as a
Brahmin in a temple and fought with his real identity everyday and in the
end Bhattacharya again gave him a challenge to strive for and find the
lost bits of his life. Bhattacharya sets a new challenge for the vivacious
and chirpy Mohini who had to conceal her real self behind the worn-out
customs, superstitions and social obligations and had got to struggle hard
in the end to regain her old self again. Kajoli’s and Rahoul’s challenge is
to walk the hard way. Meera and others decided to take up the challenge
to become a part of the system to reform it and fight against injustice. In
the end Shadow from Ladakh, sets a challenge for both Satyajit and
Bhaskar to blend their opposite beliefs and derive synergy out of it. A
Dream in Hawaii ends with a beginning of Yoganand’s quest for self-
actualization. Marking a new beginning at the end of each novel is a real
masterstroke from Bhabani Bhattacharya. There is always a new
beginning hidden in each ending, this is the message he strongly conveys.
What we need is a vision to look beyond the obvious and give a new
meaning to our lives. Each of his characters possesses this vision and also
backs it up with necessary action to make it a reality. Vision without an
action is just a dream and Bhattacharya certainly doesn’t believe in
showing us just the dreams. He shows us the way to fulfill our dreams
and work towards a better tomorrow.

Bhattacharya’s novels develop great curiosity and fantasy in the

minds of readers. Though his stories conclude on a fulfilling note, yet we
are left with a curiosity to know the future life of his characters. It
becomes intriguing for us to imagine the challenges set for them and their
pursuits towards conquering them. He awakens our curiosity to such a
level that we start to envisage the hereafter of the characters. He leaves
many questions open for our imagination. Only a gifted writer can arouse

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his reader’s inquisitiveness to this level. Bhattacharya gives us freedom to
fabricate the story as per our understanding and thought process. We
imagine the hereafter of Kalo and Lekha after so many upheavals in their
life. We wonder if Mohini came back to Baruna and could she become
the old Mohini again. How far did Rahoul go in his pursuit? We want to
picture Satyajit’s life after his realization of the need to set himself a little
free from his ideals. Could Suruchi get the life that she always longed
for? The turmoil in Yoganand’s heart due to duality of his persona might
have made him realize that he had to be a blend of the two in order to be
at peace with himself. All the concluding paragraphs in his novels often
leave us in a dream-like state. He leaves his readers at a juncture from
where it becomes indispensible for us to let our imagination fly. This is
the brilliance of Bhattacharya’s writing. Even after drinking the nectar of
his masterly writing we feel thirsty for more.

Bhattacharya’s female characters are an embodiment of ideal

Indian womanhood. They are a true reflection of purity, strong moral
values and tolerance. Bhattacharya presents his female characters with
utter positivity and hope. His female characters are sacrificing and they
seem to have everlasting endurance. Bhattacharya has given some shades
of his wife Salila to each of his female characters. Salila has played an
anchor and a support in his life and all his female characters seem to have
the same qualities. His Indianness reflects in his illustration of female
characters where he has shown women who always keep their needs,
wants and desires at stake just to keep their family and society and
content. His female characters are powerful and they believe in righteous
actions. They are untouched by evils and have strength to deal with it if
required. His female characters are caring and courageous at the same
time. Lekha could successfully mould her father to stand up for the right

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deed. Mohini dealt unassumingly even with the most difficult situations.
Bhattacharya has shown the pinnacle of selfless sacrifice in Jayadev’s
mother’s action of devoting her left hand to the deity praying for
Jayadev’s safety. The quality of being able to make the needed
adjustments when required, is a vital characteristic in all of
Bhattacharya’s female characters. Bhattacharya’s woman characters are
embodiment of perseverance and endurance. He shows the never dying
spirit of a woman through the characters like Kajoli and Meera. His
woman characters are filled with kindness. Even his young woman
characters have great mother like qualities in them. Meera, Chandralekha,
Kajoli, and Mohini, are all examples. Suruchi presents the quality of
mother earth, bearing so much of load yet never complaining. All
Bhattacharya’s female characters have completeness in them. All of them
are beautiful and hold a fair understanding of life and people. They have
the potential to rise and do better even than the males whether it’s Lekha
or Mohini, Suruchi or Meera, Kajoli or Devyani. All of them have proven
their credential through their actions and deeds. Bhattacharya wants the
position of woman to change. He presents the sacrificing, adjusting
woman and hopes for their upliftment by abolishing evils like dowry and
flesh-trade, by providing them education and encouraging widow-
remarriage. However it seems that he doesn’t want the woman to change
from within. He likes women in their purest form as he presents his
female characters, possessing utmost positivity and hope. Such a sensitive
portrayal of female characters speaks highly about Bhabani
Bhattacharya’s observation of the society around and his understanding
of female nature and traits.

Bhattacharya doesn’t come across as a rebel like his contemporary

writers. He realistically suggests fighting with the problem in the society.

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He believes in adjustment, be it related to contrasting views or human
beings. He doesn’t show the ugly side of the conflicts. He believes in
harmony, peace and goodness. Not only his female characters but his
male characters also adjust with the situations and with their fellow
beings. Mohini compromised with her mother-in law’s wish, her father
compromised with his mother’s and Mohini’s wish of marrying Mohini in
a village. This is one of the main reasons why his writings resonate with
the common man as his characters display traits usually associated with
the common man instead of indulging in superhero like antics. Every
common man has the potential within him to elevate to a higher pedestal,
this is what Bhattacharya seems to suggest through his characters. What
is required is the will power to rise above individual interests and work
towards common goals.

Though Bhattacharya believes in adjustment and emphasizes the

same through his characters especially female characters, yet his novel A
Goddess Named Gold presents strong female characters advocating equal
rights for women which reflect the need for change in the patriarchal
society. The women’s constant endeavours for establishing their rights
are seen only in this novel.

Bhattacharya’s major characters are simple and they often win over
the situations by their strong will, honesty, grace, hard work and
sincerity. Their life is never a bed of roses. Whether they are rich or poor,
their ordinariness sets them apart in the crowd. They aren’t the modish
and super confident people; instead they are contemplative and unsure
because of the elevated causes they are involved in. All his characters like
Yoganand, Rahoul, Satyajit, Jayadev aren’t super confident and they have
their own share of doubts. They all have great intellectual power and
profound understanding yet they often encounter restlessness and
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confusion because of the great goals they have set for themselves.
Bhattacharya’s characters like Kunal, Bireshwar who are happy,
confident and content can never be his protagonists as they may be
modish outside but are quite ordinary at heart. Bhattacharya respects
virtues like truth, kindness, sacrifice which are the key virtues of his
characters.

Another important aspect of his novels is that women often find

their strength in men around them. His female characters are full of
substance yet they find inspiration and strength in males. They idealize a
male or a father figure to follow their path. His woman characters who
have everlasting fortitude do look up to a male as a guiding star. Kajoli
idealizes Devata, Chandralekha idealizes Kalo, Mohini idealizes the
professor, Sumita idealizes Satyajit, Meera idealizes the minstrel and
Devyani and Stella idealize Swami Yoganand. Bhattacharya’s woman
characters are extremely proud of the intellectual ideas and genuineness
of these male characters. His female characters always consider their
potential to be less than men and prefer following them in the course of
their life. While his female characters choose to follow a male, his male
characters too depend on female characters and share a great working
relationship with them. His female characters stand with the males in all
their pursuits and help them to be what they want to be. This symbiotic
relationship between the male and female is a strong pillar of our Indian
society. Be it the mythological characters of Ram and Sita, our Gods
Shiva and Parvati or couples like Bhabani Bhattacharya and Salila of
modern times, woman have stood behind their husbands steady like a
rock and the husbands have always derived their inspiration and support
from them.

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 His male protagonists are hungry minds who crave for self-
actualization. They all have their own quests in life and are in the process
of discovering themselves. Bhattacharya too seems to be in the same
quest of self discovery and self-realization. His journey as a writer started
under Tagore’s influence; however he wanted to develop his own style
and ideas. He didn’t stay in Shantiniketan as he didn’t want to be
overshadowed by Tagore’s eminent image. His own quest for self-
realization is reflected in his male protagonists as well. They are always
bridging the gap between what they are and what they want to be.
Rahoul, Satyajit, Yoganand and Jayadev, all had their respective quests
for self-actualization. They do not wish to be entangled in and restricted
by the worldly duties and pleasures but set higher goals for themselves.
This acts as an inspiration for the readers to discover a purpose for their
lives beyond the mundane. Intellectuals often feel that the life by itself is
very troublesome. Thus they set challenges for themselves to make their
life meaningful and also uplift others. This is the characteristic of
intellectuals even in his novels who are not sucked in by the daily
routines of their life but constantly look out for higher purposes in life.
He has beautifully shown that one doesn’t need to go to the Himalayas
and meditate for attaining self actualization. That may or may not help in
attaining one’s goal. What one needs is a mindset which provokes us to
leave our comfort zone and explore the real purpose of our life. Not
everyone can be involved in radical transformations. What we should
realize is that even if we can make a change in one person’s life through
our noble deeds that would serve as a big step towards self actualization.
His stories contain a beautiful moment of realization in the life of
his characters which becomes the turning point of their lives. That
particular moment plays a very important role in deciding their future
course of action. We can certainly say that if that moment had not have

216
happened, the protagonists wouldn’t have been able to attain the purpose
they craved for. If that moment wouldn’t have occurred they would have
never known the reality and would have lived in illusion. That moment
which is hardly a matter of few seconds changes the life of his characters
forever. Bhattacharya wonderfully creates that moment in the lives of all
his prime characters. For Kajoli, revelation of Devata’s hunger strike, For
Kalo, Lekha’s decision of marrying Motichand, For Jayadev’s mother,
Mohini’s pregnancy, and many more such moments in the life of his
characters became the turning points and changed their life overnight.
This is a striking quality of his novels. He quite logically leads the story
to that moment and then lets his characters take over the situation from
there. We all need to make difficult choices in life. It is important for us
to judiciously make the right choices at the opportune moment which will
help us in fulfilling the purpose of our life. This seems to be the central
message Bhabani Bhattacharya tries to convey through these life
changing moments through his novels.

Bhattacharya’s novels are a reflection of the social, economic and

the political system but he doesn’t restrict himself to that alone. His
novels have a psychological aspect as well. He beautifully reflects the
psyche of his characters according to changing situations. Seth
Samsundar’s mind games in Goddess Named Gold are artistically and
quite hilariously portrayed in the novel. Bhattacharya immaculately
presents the conflict in human mind. We often put ourselves in situation
being faced by the characters while reading the novel. The writer has
created several realistic situations in which he has shown the psyche of
his characters and has put forward the conflict of their mind. These
conflicting situations often arise when an individual succumbs to the
frailties of human mind and Bhattacharya has given wonderful depiction

217
of such situations, He has beautifully shown the conflicting mind of
Rahoul, Jaydev, Satyajit, Kajoli, Yoganand, Mohini and Suruchi, through
instances that bring forth the deep understanding Bhabani Bhattacharya
has of human psyche It takes a real strength of character to overcome
these conflicts and choose the right path which all his characters seem to
possess abundantly.

Along with the conflict of human mind the writer has also shown
the conflict and friction among various practices, societies, people,
philosophies and values. All his novels hold some or the other conflict
and present friction between the opposites. He Who Rides a Tiger shows
the conflict between the highborn and the lowborn and discusses the
friction between them at great lengths. Music for Mohini shows the
discomfort and conflict between tradition and modernity. So Many
Hungers shows the conflict of class. Goddess Named Gold shows the
conflict between the selfish and the selfless. Shadow from Ladakh and
Music for Mohini show the conflict between traditional way of living and
modernization and progress. A Dream in Hawaii presents the friction
between East and West. This diversity of conflicting situations in
Bhattacharya’s novels shows his profound understanding of divergent
viewpoints. He presents both sides of the coin to the readers in an
impartial manner and allows them to develop their interpretations based
on the facts presented in his novels. Thus it would not be wrong to call
Bhabani Bhattacharya a novelist for the thinking minds.

Need for reconciliation is the innermost desire of Bhattacharya

which he has reflected through his novels. He feels that the entire world
has common needs and desires, only their ways of fulfilling them is
different. This aspect of his writing shows his efforts to bridge the gap
between opposite beliefs, ideas and values. All his novels suggest the
218
need for amalgamation of values and the synthesis of opposite beliefs in
order to create a fine balance between man and society. His novels
wholeheartedly suggest bridging the gap between the high and low caste,
rich and the poor, traditional way of living and novelty, Eastern and
Western values, tradition and modernity. If we look at it in today’s
context, we can see that the emotional gap among people and different
generations is mainly due to the lack of understanding for the opposite
belief. He has presented the disagreement between opposite beliefs and
has advocated the need for harmonizing these beliefs and values. Most
problems in the society arise when people hold on to their belief and are
not ready to change with the changing demand of the modern times. What
is especially disheartening is to see people making wrong interpretations
of the Holy Scriptures for their own selfish interests. It is very easy to
invoke people’s passion in the name of religion and that is what the petty
politicians and leaders thrive on. What is required is to have an open
mind for various thoughts and the maturity to deal with conflicting beliefs
which he seems to profess in his novels.

Bhabani Bhattacharya’s concern for the society is evident in his

writing. He has touched every aspect of society, be it economic, social or
political. His novels present the hard-hitting realities of the society and
expose the hollowness of the worn-out customs and age-old superstitions.
His novels not only give a fair account of the social and economic issues
but also suggest ways and means for eradication of social evils and
economic problems. He has discussed social evils like casteism, dowry,
child marriage, prostitution, superstitions and so on. Through characters
like Jayadev, Sohanlal, Harendra, Meera, Devata, B-10, Lekha, Satyajit
and others, Bhattacharya puts forth his views for the betterment of
society. He wants a society free of superstitions, discrepancy, hatred,

219
economic disparity and worn-out practices and sincerely hopes to create
an ideal atmosphere.
Bhattacharya’s novels possess the depth of treatment of theme and
treatment of characters. His grasp on both of them is equally good. He
portrays each of his characters with utmost care and caution and places
him perfectly in the story. The wide variety of characters in his novels
shows his vast exposure to the various facets of society. His novels
portray an entire array of society comprising of all kinds of characters.
His characters are good, bad, humble, arrogant, courageous, meek,
intellectual, confused, confident, timid, selfish and selfless. He gives a
different shade to all his characters. He often shows people of opposite
ideas and temperaments under the same roof and brilliantly develops the
relationship between them. The characters like Seth and Laxmi, Rahoul
and Samarendra Basu; Walt and Stella, Jayadev and his mother, Harendra
and his father are quite opposite in ideas yet they never seem to be
antagonistic to each other.

His optimism is reflected in his positive characters. His

protagonists are all good souls, honest and selfless people who think
about others before them. Even when he narrates the most gruesome
incidents he shows a ray of hope conveying that all is not wrong with the
world. His characters are people of substance and they possess a never
dying spirit. No matter how bad the situation is, their spirits keep them
upright in their struggle and help them come out of their misery with
flying colors.

Though Bhattacharya believes in the Gandhian view yet he seems

to disagree with his idea of asceticism. As per Bhattacharya there needs
to be a perfect balance between the ideals that one follows and needs one
should fulfill to enjoy his life. One can attain fulfillment by blending the
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ideal and the real, by accepting what we are and by working towards what
we want to be.

Other than the harsh realities and the moral teachings present in
Bhattacharya’s novels, the relationships in his novels keep bringing in an
air of freshness. Though these relationships do not form the central theme
yet if observed carefully they are striking colors edifying the beauty of
Bhattacharya’s characters. The relationships of his characters may look
restrained from outside but it holds abundant love beneath. The
relationship of Mohini and Jayadev, Chandralekha and Kalo, Meera and
Grandpa, Yoganand and Devyani, Suruchi and Satyajit are based on
mutual love, respect and belief. Kajoli’s marital association with Kishore
comes as a breath of fresh air in the novel. Their romance, though short
lived, shows the beautiful relation between a man and his wife. The
reunion of Suruchi and Satyajit makes us really happy and we sincerely
wish for their contented life with each other while reading the novel. This
is the power of Bhattacharya’s writing which makes the reader so deeply
involved in the lives of his characters.

The realistic importance of his novels is unquestionable. His novels

do not belong to an age. It is very easy for us to relate to the social
conditions in which his characters are living because we are living in a
similar society. Things have perhaps changed in some parts of the country
but the entire country is not lucky enough to witness such improvement.
The poor condition of the peasants portrayed by Bhattacharya can be
witnessed in Vidarbha, Maharashtra where the unfortunate peasants
commit suicide every year due to poverty. The exploitation of the poor by
the rich is equally seen everywhere in India. The unequal development in
our society is a major concern even today which often leads to clashes
and problems like Naxalite violence.
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 Bhattacharya’s novels can be put in the category of bipartite
novels. They continue to deal with the social and economic theme
simultaneously. His novels are mainly a reflection of social and economic
issues of contemporary period and he treats both of them with equal ease.
His novels depict man in relation to social and economic realities of
contemporary life. Bhattacharya’s keen observation has given him a deep
insight of the conditions of India which haven’t changed even now. The
economic disparity in our country is not hard to witness. There is a group
of people that can afford to dine at five star hotels everyday and another
that has to toil day and night or has to beg even for a single meal. A
section of people that travels in Ac compartments of trains and when they
see outside to enjoy the beauty of nature, all they see are slums and
people defecating in open because of a dearth of even the most basic
facilities. People are ready to donate millions in the name of religion and
faith but continue to ignore the miseries of fellow living beings. Their life
itself has no meaning. Bhattacharya’s empathy for the poor forced him to
write about their miserable situation in a country that is so biased for its
people. Bhattacharya has also reflected the economic condition of India
through the perspective of West in his novel A Dream in Hawaii. His
desperate urge to set the problems right is reflected strongly in his novels.
The social theme in his novels is also an outcome of his deep sense of
observation of transition in India after independence. There were some,
for whom the worn-out customs and orthodox ideas were valuable, so it
was difficult to think of their reformation. There was a group of people
that was trying hard to reform the old practice and the other that was
trying equally hard to preserve them. India being a land of rich cultural
heritage is rich in diversity as well. India is not only a land of different
cultures but also a land of different people having different shades of life.
I personally feel that we Indians are always in a phase of transition.

222
Today we are adapting Western values with utmost charm and at the
same time we are not able to give upon ours. It becomes difficult for us to
blend them perfectly in order to restore tranquility in our lives.
Bhattacharya has also depicted this conflict inhuman and at the same time
advocated the need to balance the opposites. He believes in respecting the
old and welcoming the new.

Bhattacharya’s technique of writing reflects his love for India. His

profound understanding of Indian culture and Indian people has provided
him wonderful power of expression. Though his genius is essentially
rooted in Indian soil, yet he has also made an access to the hearts of
people all over the world through his writing. He has equally attempted to
express Indian sensibility in Indian English and for that he has taken help
of Hindi words and expressions in their local form like, Lo!, swami, yogi,
guru, kamar, pundit, guru, moksha, nirvana, and even local words like
sari, beti, halwai, taveez and cuisines like jalebi, puri. The result is an
insightful depiction of Indian culture, Indian social system and Indian
way of leading life in his fictional work. To some extent, English
influence is also visible in his novels like A Dream in Hawaii .

To conclude I can say that Bhattacharya’s novels present multiple

shades of life. He is a writer of multidimensional vision who has taken
every walk of life into consideration. His characters are powerful
representatives of social and economic facts of life, though sometimes the
heroes are also seen with frailties and the villains do not seem absolutely
villainous. Such variety of characters, depth of emotions, sensitivity of
portrayal, and identification of his characters with common man are some
of that traits that carve a special place for Bhattacharya in the map of
Indian English Fiction.

223
BIBILIOGRAPHY

223
224
 BIBILIOGRAPHY

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