NARENDRA JADHAV’S OUTCASTE: A MEMOIR- A STORY OF THE METAMORPHOSIS OF DALITS

NARENDRA JADHAV’S  OUTCASTE: A MEMOIR-  A STORY OF THE METAMORPHOSIS OF DALITS

            The new category of writing ‘Dalit literature’ has established itself as a new literary movement in several regions in India in the last four decades. Arjun dangle offers a definition of Dalit literature: “Dalit literature is one which acquaints people with the caste system and untouchability in India, its appalling nature and its system of exploitation. In other words, Dalit is not a caste but a realization and is related to the experiences, joys and sorrows, and struggles of those in the lowest stratum of society. It matures with a sociological point of view and is related to the principles of negativity, rebellion and loyalty to science, thus finally ending as revolutionary.”¹

The literal meaning of the word dalit - is one who has been trampled under feet or who has been oppressed, exploited, insulted, humiliated and thrown outside the pale of civic society, i.e., turned into an untouchable, riff-raff of the society. All those who are born in the Dalit community will not be considered dalits; we have to stress the category of ‘Dalit’ as a historical construction. Dalit writing is revolutionary in its aims; the destruction of the caste system and the establishment of equality in the social and political spheres. Dalit critics and writers have raised a number of critical questions about Indian literature and Indian literary history. Alok Mukherjee, a literary theorist and a human rights activist, aptly sumps up the significance of Dalit writing, “Indian literary history and theory as well as the teaching of Indian literatures are spectacularly silent about Dalit literature. Yet, dalit cultural and critical productions make a significant critical intervention in the thinking and writing about Indian society, history, culture and literature.”² He identifies two of the important functions of Dalit writing. Firstly, Dalit writing attempts to deconstruct ‘the dominant, castiest constructions of India identity’ and secondly’ it constructs a distinct Dalit identity.’ Dalit writing presents a dalit centric view of life and constructs Dalit identity in relation to Colonial identity and Indian identity.

            The onset of globalization in India enabled dalits to raise the issue of discrimination based on caste in international forums. Dalit activists and intellectuals made out a case for recognition of caste-based discrimination in India as being similar to racial discrimination in the west, in the world conference against Racism on 31^st August to 7^th September 2001 at Durban, South Africa. The debates on caste and dalit rights at the global level gave a new dimension to the struggle against caste with the emergence of non-governmental organizations and Dalit Diaspora as representatives of Dalits in IndiaThe new visibility of Dalits and the debate on caste in the global arena created a new interest in Dalits and their literature. Narendra Jadhav says, “There is widespread interest in Dalit writing now, all over the world. The upsurge is not because it is politically correct but because people want to know more about the underprivileged sections, about the lives of these whom they knew so little. I was amazed at the range of questions about the caste system that were raised during my public interactions in different parts of France.”³

            Narendra Jadhav’s Outcaste explores the world Jadhav lived and struggled in through the eyes of his family. It is narrated from the perspective of his father, mother, himself and his teenaged daughter. It traces the journey of Damu, the author’s father, from a small village, Ozar in Maharashtra to Mumbai. Written in the form of a memoir, the novel bears testimony to the success of a Dalit family in the course of a single generation. It is a story of the metamorphosis of Dalits in the context of the social movement led by Ambedkar. Arjun Dangle suggests that “In Dalit autobiographies we see varying facets of the Dalit movement; the struggle for survival; the emotional universe of  Dalits life; the man-woman relationship; the experiencing of humiliation and atrocities; at times, abject submission, at other times, rebellion.”⁴ Dalit autobiographies subscribe to the elements of Post-modernism. Post-modernism promulgates self reflexive nature of the protagonists. The protagonists in the post modern novels suffer from schizo analysis. Dalit autobiographies succinctly projects post- modern propositions. The protagonists in dalit autobiographies exhibit self reflexive, self introspective and schizo analytical traits. The protagonism exhibited by the dalit protagonists carries the self reflexive traits justifying the post modern literary and critical tenets. Jadhav’s Outcaste presents Damu’s self-reflexive, schizo analytical perspectives at the backdrop of strong exploitation. It offers the evolution of three generations of the protagonist’s family. His successful transcendence of national boundaries to become the universal citizen is framed in an inspiring way. Thanks to his grit, hard work and courage, his children and grandchildren fulfil his aspirations, armed with little besides education and determination. It's a story about dreams coming true - the kind that audiences all over the world find irresistible. Jadhav, says, "The book is in two levels - it's the story of a family on the one hand; it's also about the social metamorphosis that has taken place over the past 80 years”⁵.

The novel is a dramatic piece of writing that forces us to acknowledge the inhumanity and injustice of a social order that treats humans worse than animals. It is an expanded version of Narendra Jadhav’s best-selling Marathi novel Amcha Baap Aan Amhi, meaning ‘Our Father and Us’ written in 1993. Damu was not born a leader, nor did he ever become one. But he had one exception—he chose to rebel against the prevailing caste system and create his own destiny. An intelligent man, with no formal education, he worked hard to be allowed to live with dignity. In his Author’s note, Jadhav describes Damu as, “Damu was not a leader…but he refused to define himself by circumstances and aimed at shaping his own destiny.” or, “Damu had no formal education …yet he steered his children to educational heights and inculcated in them the spirit of excellence.”, or “ Damu was not a guru…but he taught his children to believe in themselves and retain human dignity.”, or “Damu was often humbled. Yet he maintained, goats are special offerings, not lions” or “Damu was an ordinary man, they said …..but he did an extraordinary thing; he stood up against the tyranny of the caste system”⁶.

Damu is one of the few assertive, independent Dalit characters in Indian writing in English. In the opening pages of Outcaste, we see Damu doing his yeskar duties (village duties to Mahars) in his native village, Ozar. We see Damu running in front of the Mamledar, senior revenue official, announcing his arrival. Later, Damu was asked to guard the dead body of a woman found floating in the well. He was not allowed to go home to inform his wife and also to have his food. He was abused, insulted and forced to stay near the well the entire night. The next morning Fauzdar (a police officer) arrived and asked Damu to get into the well to draw the corpse out. Damu refused to do so under the pretext that he was not supposed to touch the dead body of an upper caste woman.   The author declares: "The caste system is so deeply ingrained that change can, at best, be cosmetic. The caste system was disposed by God and not by mortals. It has such a powerful sanction behind it that no laws, no reform movements, and no revolutions will ever change it completely."⁷  Damu was beaten up by the Fauzdar for refusing to obey his orders. He was stubborn and determined. He speaks out, “…Inspite of these inhuman traditions, I am not going to abide by such traditions. I am a man of dignity and I will not go from house to house begging for Baluta.  What are all of you going to do? Kill me?”⁸.

Change, however, does take place, little though it may seem. He decides to leave his village that very night. He runs away along with his wife Sonu to Mumbai, “Together, they started walking towards freedom”⁹. In mumbai Damu struggled hard, Jadhav narrates, to survive through the Great depression in the 1930s. He worked in the Railways, the Port Trust and some textile mills to earn his living in Mumbai. Inspired by Ambedkar’s call for Dalit emancipation, Damu participated in Dalit movement. He had actively involved in the Nasik Temple Entry Movement in 1930, in Mahad Satyagraha in 1927, in the Buddhist conversion movement in 1956, Ambedkar’s funeral procession and other activities of the Dalits. He inculcated in his children an ambition to succeed in life through education and hard work. Damu refused to be cowed down by all the odds in his life. He had always declared himself as the master of his own will. He is presented as a self- made man in many ways. The character of Jadhav is again that of an assertive, self-made Dalit in the text. He inherited the philosophy of his father that a human being is a master of his own will. He asserts, “If others look down on me in their belief that my caste is low. It is their problem, not mine. I certainly don’t need to torment myself over it. I pity them, for they are the victims of their own obsolete prejudices”¹⁰.  Dalit identity gave Damu’s family confidence and pride to reject their ascribed status as low caste Mahars. The making of this modern identity as Dalits is possible because of two historical processes. One is the journey of Damu from his village to the urban space, Mumbai, and the other is the Dalit movement led by Ambedkar.  Damu’s granddaughter feels that, “Now I think, I know who I am. I am Apoorva, not tied down by race, religion, or caste”¹¹. Throughout the narration runs the clarion coined by Dr Ambedkar, which unites all Dalits, "Educate, Unite and Agitate". Damu sees this slogan as his personal mission and, though illiterate himself, he educates his children to the best of his abilities. He even tries to educate his wife Sonu, something that was unheard of in those times. Fortunately, the children all fulfill his aspirations and rise to high positions in their chosen careers, a great triumph for a man who has devoted his life to bettering their prospects.

Babasaheb Ambedkar’s teachings have a profound effect on Damu and Sonu and they realise that they are beginning to develop a sense of self—“Truly, we sensed a change in the way we carried ourselves. We proudly proclaimed ourselves Dalits, with our chin up, and we looked everyone in the eye. We began to lose our former servility, associated with being born in low caste”¹². The simplicity of the narrative brings out the pathos in the story. Damu is shown in this novel as a man of strong character with forward-looking approach and progressive views. He instills a greater degree of confidence in his wife. He wins his wife on his side when he explains the purpose of living and meaning of life. He in short makes a scholar out of his life. He in short makes a scholar out of his wife. Finally, his wife Sonu understands him and joins him in every stage of upheaval and conflict. Despite the romantic relation that exists between them, the martial life has been relation based on mutual trust, love and sacrifice.  The tenderness with which Damu treats his wife is unusual for the times and extremely touching. Asked about the qualities she liked most in her husband, Sonu makes a telling comment on the poor expectations of women in her generation—"He never drank, never abused me. Best of all, he never raised his hand to me."¹³ The book ends with the realisation that further change is required. The world has to stop treating Dalits as different. It is up to the present generation to carry the torch lit by the tears and blood of their ancestors.         In this Memoir, the author examines the issues, which are so deep and penetrating in a manner, which is poignant. From one angle, it is an attack on the social structure of Hindu society. If this novel is studied in another angle, it is a call made to unite all the oppressed and humiliated people to empower themselves by devoting themselves to education and finally to stand as one nation of brotherhood to fight against tyranny, subjugation, slavery, oppression and those who perpetuate and sponsor the notion of birth defined elitism which is not only irrational and illogical but also ridiculous.

REFERENCES:

1. Arjun Dangle, Ed. Poisoned Bread: Translations from Modern Marathi Dalit Literature, Hyderabad, Orient Longman, 1992, p.265.
2. Alok Mukherjee, “Reading Sharan Kumar Limbale’s Towards an Aesthetic of Dalit Literature: From Erasure to Assertion” in Sharan Kumar Limbale, Towards an  Aesthetic of Dalit Literature. Trans. From the Marathi by Alok Mukherjee, Hyderabad: Orient Longman, 2004, p.1.
3. S. Anand, Touchable Tales: Publishing and Reading Dalit Literature, Pondicherry, Navayana, 2003, p.31.
4. Arjun Dangle, Ed. Poisoned Bread: Translations from Modern Marathi Dalit Literature, Hyderabad, Orient Longman, 1992, p.xiv.
5. S.Anand, Touchable Tales: Publishing and Reading Dalit Literature, Pondicherry, Navayana, 2003, p.32.
6. Narendra Jadhav , Outcaste: A Memoir, New Delhi, Viking,2003,pp.xi-xii.
7. Ibid, p,24.        
8. Ibid, p.10.
9. Ibid, p.26.