Abstract:
The paper looks at the South African Indian theatre’s prominent play Working Class hero written by Kessie Govender. The play is unique in theme and techniques too. It also explores how various historical and political movements like apartheid, Soweto uprising, Land Act etc. affects the lives of then contemporary society and lives of people. Two important racial groups of South African Society – Blacks and Indians – and their complex relations are explored in the paper. The hatred between these two races is always the question of research for many. Somehow the present play and the paper try to answer this debatable question.
Key Words: South African Indian Theatre – Kessie Govender – Apartheid – Soweto uprising – Land Act – Racial discrimination – Social hierarchy – Ideology vs. Reality – History – Politics – Society - Zulu
Working Class Hero is one of the masterpieces of South African Indian Theatre written by a prominent and pioneering voice of South African Indian Theatre, Kessie Govender. His journey of creative writing is thankful to his participation in religious tableaus as Saivite devotee and later his association with his cousin Ronnie Govender and other scholars at Shah Theatre. He founded Stable Theatre at Durban which is probably the first independent non-White theatre in South Africa to encourage young theater artists. He has penned many plays. To name some of them, Alternative Action, Black Skies, The Decision, God Made Mosquitoes Too, Herstory, The Shack, Stable Expense, Underground etc. However, from all these, only one play Working Class Hero is available in print. Along with plays he has also penned many poems which also focus “the racist sociopolitical culture of apartheid South Africa” (409 Bose). Kessie Govender belongs to the third generation of indentured laborer at South Africa. The journey of indentured labourer started in 1860 that have been arrived in South Africa to work in sugar cane fields.
The playwright provides the historical background of the play in the beginning noting, “Period-1976. About three months before the Soweto uprising” (411). It is very important to understand the particular historical time pointed in the play. This was the crucial time South Africans have almost exhausted with the unfair treatment of ‘apartheid’ imposed by the White rule. Apartheid is a political gesture to segregate the society on bases of races; it has deeply affected the psyche of peoples too. Apartheid is a word which nearly means ‘apartness’. As it is described in “South African History Online”, “Apartheid was the ideology supported by the National Party (NP) government and was introduced in South Africa in 1948. Apartheid called for the separate development of the different racial groups in South Africa. On paper it appeared to call for equal development and freedom of cultural expression, but the way it was implemented made this impossible. Apartheid made laws forced the different racial groups to live separately and develop separately, and grossly unequally too. It tried to stop all inter-marriage and social integration between racial groups”. Another historical reference is “Soweto uprising” which is one of the protest against apartheid movement. The playwright has aptly chosen the point of the time which discloses the adverse effects of apartheid the society has undergone.
Due to the apartheid rule the society was divided into three clear hierarchies: First the category of Whites who considered themselves superior than other classes of the society. Moreover, being rulers they have the highest advantages. Second category includes Indians and the coloureds that are skilled laborers and having better place in society than the Blacks. And the third and the most pathetic category include poor Blacks who almost seem in inhuman condition. The play shows how this hierarchy has deeply affected social system as well the psychology of the people. The play is even noteworthy because of dramatist’s treatment to the theme. The play is written purely in unbiased manner. Being Indian, Kessie Govender has not tried to hide anything which goes against Indians to show the actual picture.
The play has mainly four characters, protagonist Frank (Black laborer), three Indians Jits (a labourer), Shiva (Artisan bricklayer) and Anand (University law student and Siva’s brother), and the momentary look of the White Inspector Grievenstien. The playwright provides uniqueness to the play by showing Black character as the hero of the play. Working Class hero is a play about Indian people’s socio-political role in apartheid resulting in hierarchy based society. The play presents three different dimensions with three different points of views. One is presented by African Black Frank, who has been shown as the victim of racism. Second dimension is presented by South African Indian artisan and laborer Siva and Jits, who plays their vicious role as racists in the dejected situation of apartheid. Third dimension is presented by Siva’s brother Anand who oscillates between his university ideologies and reality.
The play has knitted many threads of political associations. The journey of Indians in South Africa generally has been described as Indian arrived as indenture in 1860, gradually they became part of the rainbow nation South Africa, they took part in freedom struggle of South Africa assisting Blacks and then they settled and lived together with them. Then the question comes, was the journey that much smooth? Many historical encounters between Blacks and Indians especially the Durban Riots 1949, Inanda Riots 1985 and very recent riots of 2015 makes us to think if they are having fair relations then what are the reasons behind these riots? Is there any difference between political claim of unity and everyday existence? These are some of the issues the play asks and partially responds to them. Many historical documents state about the role of Indians in the formation of free South Africa. One of the scholars and historians O’Malley mentions in his book Shades of Difference about the crucial role of prominent South African Indian leaders, Mac Maharaj, Dr. Yusuf Dado, Dr. Monty Naicker, Debi Singh etc for native freedom struggle as well their fight against discrimination. The question rises that if Indians have supported natives wholeheartedly then what is the reason for their hatred towards Indians? Why the history witnesses bloodshed among these two groups? This play might have the answer for all these questions. Apart from all political facts there lies altogether different reality on ground level. The play depicts reality very beautifully and realistically in unprejudiced manner. At the same time one cannot generalize the Indian community because there are the exceptional people who have not been the part of this dirty politics. The play Looking for Muruga by South African Indian writer Kribben Pillay very well deals with the issue of such exceptional people.
The play has “building Site” (411) as a performing area. The stage- as a construction site- is open for audiences as they enters because the playwright has not used any traditional set design for the play. Even conventional chairs are not arranged and the spectators are converted into intruders to break the fourth wall of theatre. The play starts with the appearance of Frank - a Black unskilled laborer- who is moving bricks. In between “he walks to an already packed stack of bricks, on top of which is a partly eaten unsliced half loaf of brown bread and chipped mug of tea”(412) which he eats hurriedly. The opening scene itself raises the question that why only one laborer present at working site “early morning” (412), where are his supervisors? It shows that being Black he is supposed to start work early and others have liberty in that. His way of eating also indicates that he would have not got proper time to have the food.
Next enters Jits at the working site. Jits is a South African Indian and works as a Bricklayer’s charge hand. The way he appears reveals his ease and least-bothering attitude. He is not harsh as Siva or not reformer as Anand. He is representative of common South African Indian of prevailing time. One can easily make out the rude behaviour of Jits towards Frank. Even though Frank has started his work early at six, he does not get any praise. He is supposed to follow each and every word of his “Bass”(boss) (412). Bringing cigarette, coke etc. is extra work for him for which he has not been paid a single buck. On the contrary his boss scolds him like beast, “You bloody shit. You got cement in your ears what?” (412).
As the play moves further, the audiences witness many harsh realities about Frank’s life. Frank’s personal life is also ruined due to the adverse effect of apartheid. The Apartheid regime has fixed Blacks in most pitiable condition. There are so many rules and regulations imposed upon them. One of such Act is the 1936 Land Act. “The 1936 Land Act had set aside what remained of traditional African land (about 13 percent of South Africa), and subdivided that land into homelands … According to the grand plan, as each homeland eventually became independent, its citizens would lose their South African citizenship. The “independent” homeland states would have their own institutions of governance, but in reality they were simply labor reservoirs for White South Africa. Africans would have citizenship in their own Bantustan, as the homelands were derogatorily nicknamed, and get temporary residence permits to work in all White South Africa. Wives and children and adults who did not have permits to work in White South Africa remained in the Bantustan.” (94 Malley). Due to the newly created homelands called “Bantustan” many Blacks like Frank have lost their connection with family. The apartheid law does not allow Frank to keep his family with him at his working place which is far away from his homeland and Blacks are not allowed to enter at any of such White reserved places without ‘dompass’. In the play Jits and Shiva often takes disadvantage of this issue and threatens Frank again and again. It is much pity for the Blacks that they have been departed from their basic rights even at their own land. If caught, they would be punished and put behind the bars. Frank, despite working like animal for the entire day cannot save money for his family. He has to depend on Jit and Siva for loan. So he is dependent economically, socially and politically. There are many questions regarding the survival of Blacks in the society.
Britisher’s ‘Divide and Rule’ policy is very much apparent here. Policymakers have designed the social structure in such a vicious way so that Blacks are put in very much merciless condition. The inter-relationship of the two communities has been complex. The Indians have become part of the vicious cycle of exploitation. Being rulers Whites have all the privileges; they exploit Indians, coloureds and Blacks in many ways. Being superior to Blacks, Indians and Coloureds also have started exploiting Blacks. Whatever the fair picture the political history presented, in reality day-to-day life of Blacks was in very much deprived condition. The relation between Indian merchants and Blacks is very much visible in the play. In the play Frank refers to the three such merchants: a meat-seller, a baker and a canteen owner. Frank describes:
I’m going there by the butcher, Ow, hey Jits, I don’t know why he give the bass’s dog, lot, lot ama bones, goto that time I say that it is for me, he give it me leetle bit amabones, no inyama nothing. (413)
That time I go to buy bread, I give him five rands. What he do? First he give me the bread, then he talk a little bit, then he give me the loose change everything first. The amacents everything. Then what he do? He starts talking some more. Leliya amaIndia uyazi ukukuhluma. Ukukuhluma, ukukhuluma, ukukhuluma, wonke ma nonsense, about the muntu children, fighting and burning it the schools everything. Ow meena I’m listening and listening. After little bit time he turn around like he got some work there, that side, there by the back. And he start to packing amabuscuits and lemonade everything. Ow meena I’m thinking about all the things he was telling me, I’m taking my bread everything and I’m walking outside. (414)
Ow you know that amaIndian. They seeing I’m munto, they serving me last. (417)
These three experiences of Frank where butcher decides the quality of meat on the basis of whom it belongs, baker very cunningly cheats in giving the change and canteen owner costs him more for the things and even serves at last. These instances very well depicts injustice, biased and cunning ways of cheating Frank as he is Black. At the same time the fact is that these three merchants are none other than ‘amaIndia’ (414) - Indians. Indians have started imitating Whites for exploiting Blacks. The question arises why Whites have built the invisible wall between these two communities?
As the play moves further one comes across two more characters Siva and Anand. Siva is an artisan bricklayer working on the same building site. He is very egoistic and rude kind of person who is quite conscious of his being superior than Black. His behaviour with Frank is very rude and inhuman. Being head to Frank he treats him as a slave. He addresses him as “bastard” (416), whenever Frank wants to share something Siva shouts, “Why don’t you shut your bloody mouth man?” (420). He feels that Black people should not be treated nicely otherwise “they sit on your bloody head.” (424). Siva strongly believes in colourbar. Siva is very hypocrite because he can change his mindset according to his needs. He can use Black girls for his fun but he does not allow any Blacks to get involved to any Indian girls. Siva is racist who hates Blacks on such extent that he threatens Frank:
I see you with an Indian girl on the road; I’ll knock you down, call the police and say it was an accident. (421)
I’ll take your photo and I’ll show it to my dog, and I’ll say, (demonstrates) Hey Rover, you see this kapri face anywhere near the house, you bite him. Now, you still want to come and stay in my house? (441)
Shiva’s younger brother Anand is a very crucial character of the play. He is a law student at university. Education has changed his ideology and he is not like Jits and Siva. He has soft corner for Frank. Nilesh Bose writes in the forward of the play about Anand, “He represents striking portion of the Indian diaspora – educated, liberal, and out of touch with the people who struggle with work, race and class on a daily basis as a means of survival. Both with his brother Siva and with the supervisor Jits, Anand speaks from an academic place of objectivity. Unlike Jits, his politics of race didn’t emerge from life in the radicalized system but rather from an academic understanding of it.” (371) He feels very bad when Siva and Jits treat Frank very rudely. He is against the racism. He does understand that imitating Whites in exploitation is not the way to come out of the problems and advises to treat Frank and other Blacks with proper dignity. He is bold enough to refer his own brother as “your kind of dirt…” (432). And even clearly present his views saying, “You can’t compare one wrong with another and think that your wrong is better. There is no justification for treating any human being like… like they are nothing.”(424)
He makes satire at Jits and Siva’s behaviour. He says that somehow Indians are also the nearer part of Black community and not of White community. He very satirically says, “The fact that you were born in a hospital for Blacks only is politics” (424). He is against the vicious White policy of separating Black and coloured-Indian community on the bases of primary rights.
Frank very much knows the injustice towards him but he does not have any solution. At many instances Anand tries to convince him that now the situation is changing but Frank does not agree. At many instances one can find the negativity of Frank about Indians. Frank is very clear about his hatred for Indians:
Why I must liking the amaIndia? What he doing nice by me? You tell me. You working by the kitchen, the Indian missus making you like a dog. I’m knowing it was working it in the kitchen too. They makin you sleep in the bathroom, the toilet. They give it your food in the paper. You think my girlfriends, they not telling me…… The Muntus mus doing all the work,….. Goto that time Muntu want to sheeting, they mus go to the bushes Small one chilren for the Muntus, they bring it from the farm and they making it them like a dog, Wonka icolor bar that. Why I mus liking it amaIndia and the amaColored. They is the same like the Mulunga. They all. (431)
All these examples can prove that even after many decades of Indian settlement in South Africa the conflict between Blacks and Indians is very much apparent. Even new educated generation of Indians fails to change the situation. The seeds of hatred for Indians are very deeply rooted in their conscious of the natives. Blacks know that Indians are not responsible all their miseries but at the same time they are also aware of Indian discrimination. Such discriminations have played a very vital role in shaping the mindset of Blacks for Indian community. The harsh reality is peeping from the Frank’s confession which is representation of Black confession. Blacks have to get exploited on two levels. For them Indians are same as Whites. These utterances of Frank deserve very important position in the play as they represent Black mentality towards Indian and also give reasons behind it.
Act Two of the play comes with the curiosity that whether Anand will succeed to change mentality of Frank towards Indians or not? The second act is important as it builds a special kind of relation between Frank and Anand. Frank starts taking interest in Anand’s ideas. Anand tries sincerely to speak with Frank and also tries to listen to him. He tries to protect Frank whenever Siva and Jits try to insult him. Only because of that Frank also openheartedly shares his problems and he feels that being a lawyer Anand can save him from cops. Anand thinks about the future of Indians in South Africa when it will be free. Sometimes he becomes the mouth piece of dramatist who wants to establish harmony between two communities. Again and again he tries to make aware of the unfair policies of Whites. As Anand tells,
What do you expect? A red carpet? You must not forget if you sow cabbages, you don’t expect carrots to grow. (436)
Being Indian also Anand justifies the riots of 1949 thus:
Nobody is denying that it did happen, but don’t blame only the African for it. We seem to be conveniently forgetting what it was like before the ’49 riots. The African only gave vent to his frustration. (434)
As the play moves further, one come to know about the lazy nature of Siva who imposes his work of bricklaying to Frank. Frank also knows that “You not knowing the muntus is not supposed to be laying the amabricks” (427). Though Frank is good at this work he is not allowed to do that legally. Frank is doing almost four time more work than he has been paid. Siva in his laziness and also at the edge of threatening assigns Frank the work of bricklaying. This must be the usual routine of work but the whole scenario turns wrong with the entry of White inspector. His questions to Frank “What are you doing with a trowel in your hand.” (444) and “Where is your dompass?” (444), fumbles him. In front of Inspector Siva denies of assigning the work of bricklaying to Frank. Very smartly Siva takes the aid of law and says, “Definitely. I know the law. I know that according to the job reservations act, Africans are not allowed to do skilled work.” (445).
Siva’s wrong confession fetches Frank in more fix. He is getting into more and more puddle. Against the complexities of law he becomes feeble. Frank has still his last ray of hope from Anand as he is the witness of whole incident. The ideas and sympathy of Anand has built the new world of hope in Frank’s mind. On the basis of that hope he requests Inspector to ask Anand for the truth. When Inspector asks Anand: “Did that bricklayer ask this boy to lay bricks?” Anand helplessly looks from Siva to Jits and both avoid his eyes. He finally answers: “No he did not.” (446)
Anand’s answer is very surprising and shocking. It collapses all the hopes of Frank and fair ideologies heard from Anand. Why Anand behaves unfairly? Is it because “Blood is thicker than water?” (446) or this may be his first practical experience at dealing with the complex situation in South Africa. The constant repetitions of Jits’s and Siva’s utterance, “You can’t bring your university ideas here and think they will work” (425) dramatically turns true here. Frank is obviously dejected as he had some hope in Anand to come out of the situation of the Blacks. All things get shattered for Frank. Frank once again accepts the situation, may be with double hatred for Indians. The play ends at the point where it started.
The title of the play Working Class Hero is very satirical. Throughout the play Anand is depicted in such a way that along with Frank, readers also feels that he will prove himself. At the end everything gets changed and the ideology of “Hero” gets shattered. On the contrary Frank wins the heart of reader and becomes the real “Hero” fighting his own battle. Working Class Hero is a classic play which very finely depicts the complex relationship and altogether new perspective of South African Indian Diaspora. Kessie Govender succeeds in evaluating Indian racism and political scenario of the time.
Meanings of Zulu words in the article
Ama= Prefix used generally used before plural noun
Inyama = Meat
Leliya= That one
Muntu = A person(Zulu)
Mulunga = Stranger, White person
Uyazi = You know
Ukukhluma = Endless talk
Ukukhuluma = To speak
Wonke=All
Works Cited: