Caste and Untouchability, An Age-long Corona Disease of Social Distancing: A Critical Study of Mohan Parmar's One-act Play Bahishkar(2002)
Abstract:
Recently, the outbreak of the Coronavirus has raised worldwide concern for public health policy, business practices, social engagement, and personal behavior. This pandemic also demands social distancing which is largely premised on the physical distancing, to slow down the effect of the rapidly spread coronavirus. But this social distancing is also effecting the social and economical condition of society. Due to this pandemic, people of all around the world face all kinds of difficulties but the condition is worse for socially untouchable and economically marginal people. As it has been difficult for them to earn their living and to meet their daily needs, this pandemic deprives them of more from every aspect of life. The world has already faced the challenge to manage the rapid spread of the coronavirus, the prevailing social and economic inequalities make it harder to deal with it moreover it also gives rise to systematic casteism. As this is not a new phenomenon that socially and economically backward people face deprivation socially, economically and security regarding health and other policies, they have always been subjected to the violence and exclusion. This social distancing has always been prevalent in Indian society in the name of untouchability which is intricately connected to the caste system. On one hand, this pandemic offers an opportunity to restore the ancient practices of India that demands strict hygiene activities and traditional ways of treat the disease, it also practices the untouchability on the name of social distancing. The purpose of this study is to do a critical analysis of how marginalized people are excluded from society on the name of caste practices in earlier times and now how these practices are strengthened by the outbreak of the coronavirus. By doing a critical study of the one-act play Bahishkar by Mohan Parmar, this paper tries to examine the various forms of social discrimination in Indian society that always make marginalized people scapegoats. It also tries to see the possibility that through this outbreak of corona, society may exercise healthy discrimination rather than socially prejudicial.
Keywords: COVID-19, Social Distancing, Caste, Untouchability, Resistance.
Introduction:
The paper aims to do a critical analysis of Mohan Parmar's one-act play, Bahishkar(2002), and to examine it in the present context of the corona pandemic. By doing a critical study of the one-act play, this paper tries to examine social discrimination and social distancing that are being exercised on the name of the caste system and untouchability which is historically entrenched in various forms in society. Even today when the whole world is fighting against corona, this phenomenon continues to be a reality in India. World Health Organization also says that "social distancing can never be seen in isolation in India as to its casteist history"(Ratan). As Dalits are considered as 'impure' or 'polluted' due to their traditional occupations, it also causes discrimination against them (qtd in Judge 147) and this discrimination continues to be the upper-caste practice of absolute ostracisation of the untouchables. Therefore, this paper aims to examine how upper-caste people treat Dalit people solely based on their occupation and their behavior is changed when they need the help of making themselves and their places, "pure" and "clean". Moreover, it also tries to see how certain jobs like drain-cleaning, sanitation, scavenging which has minimal social values not only give them low social status but also put them into risks of COVID-19.
Corona Virus and Social Distancing:
In the days since the whole world has discussed the importance of social distancing in slowing down the spread of the coronavirus, some voices identifying social distancing with the caste practices. India has a history of oppressive notions of 'purity' and 'pollution' which resulted in the practice of untouchability. In one of his blogs, S. Harikrishnan writes that Ambika JK, a social media user equating,
social distancing with untouchability: sanitization with unapproachability quarantine with a ritual of pollution observed for a certain period after events such as death. She argued that unapproachability, untouchability and the law of pollution were "scientific" and that they promoted purity and hygiene for the benefit of society as a whole(Harikrishanan)
This shows that there are sections that attempt to find the scientific explanations for the caste system and practices. They try to project that the untouchable people deserve lower social status due to irrational definitions of hygiene. Moreover, this expression "social distance" itself has two meanings. The second meaning is " the avoidance of close contact with other people during the outbreak of a contagious disease to minimize the exposure and reduce the risk of infection" and the first meaning of the expression, however, comes from sociology, not medicine is that to the "degree of acceptance or rejection of social interaction between individuals and especially those belonging to different social groups(such as those based on race, ethnicity, class or gender)(Samrat)
In Indian society, the word "social distancing" is easily misinterpreted to mean distancing based on social differences. Many revolutionary attempts have been made to diminishing social distance between races, ethnicities, genders, classes, castes, and genders. Such attempt was made by the constitution of India who abolished untouchability in Article 17, Untouchability (offense) Act, 1955 that "Untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden" and that " the enforcement of any disability arising out of 'untouchability' shall be an offense in accordance with the law"(qtd in Bhartiya 236) Even World Health Organization has suggested that social distancing be replaced with "physical distance, social unity". (WHO) Despite the revolutionary changes of the past century, inequalities of race, caste, and gender are still very much around.
Caste and Untouchability:
The innumerable ideas like pollution, purity, social unite of jatis, varnas, and dharmas are rooted in Hinduism and this creates a very complex institution of the caste system. And untouchability is an integral part of this caste system which has been practicing since ancient times. "The caste system maintains its hold over the prevailing social structure and is manifest, both covertly and overtly in several realms of social intercourse"(qtd in Leonard 255). Due to this social system, people are divided into social groups where their rights are fixed by birth and hereditary. Moreover, these rights are hierarchical and unequal among different social groups in which people from upper strata enjoy their most rights with the least duties whereas the lower caste people have to do most duties with no rights(Shah 13). In this context, the Brahminical system believes that
Those born into families not recognized within the major caste categories would be 'untouchable' and could never come into contact with the caste Hindus, lest the dominant groups be physically and spiritually defiled. Far from being a remnant of the past, caste discrimination continues in both its traditional, rural forms of physical and occupational segregation and economic exploitation, in access to land and to criminal justice, in marriage and dining and in access to the new employment opportunities provided by India's information technology boom. (qtd in Sharma 67)
As per the above statement, it could be said that the whole discourse of the caste system is built on the very idea to maintain the sanctity of upper caste people and by doing that, the upper caste people can hold the superior position. To remain holy and pure, upper-caste people keep a distance from lower caste people and consider whatever lower caste people do, is unholy and impure whether it is food, lifestyle, and occupation.
Among all these, traditional occupation is one of the central features of the caste system. The occupations which are ascribed to the Dalit people, are generally considered 'impure' or 'polluted' and hence degraded. Generally, Dalit people work as manual scavengers, sweepers, cleaners of human waste and latrines, dispose of dead animals, and discard human dead bodies. By doing this type of 'unclean' jobs, Dalits are considered to be 'polluted' or 'impure'. In the book Untouchability in Rural India, it is also written that
The 'impurity' of the task and the low status of those who perform it are mutually
reinforcing characteristics; in the circular logic of untouchability, the tasks are
'impure' because they are performed by Dalits and Dalits are impure because they
perform these tasks(qtd in Shah 106)
But, it is also evident that upper caste people who consider Dalit as an 'impure' or 'polluted', they use Dalit people as per their convenience. The whole paradigm of purity and pollution is being ignored by upper caste people when certain tasks have to be performed that they are not in a position to do. This hypocrisy is apparent in the selected text where some members of the upper caste community change their behavior or keep a good terms with Dalit people for certain period of time until their works complete.
Critical Analysis of Bahishkar as an 'Unclean Occupation':
Mohan Parmar with his one-act play Bahishkar tries to depict the undeniable role of lower caste people. With the leading character of the play, Monghi, the playwright significantly shows that one cannot ignore the presence of Dalit people just by saying that they are 'impure' or 'polluted'. Due to those sweepers, cleaners, and scavengers that all the public as well as private places like roads, latrines, society areas, etc remain clean. And the one who talks about hygiene all the time is unable to do this type of works which Dalit people are doing. This is evident in today's time where the whole world is fighting against the corona pandemic, it is sweepers and cleaners who work diligently to maintain the hygiene. Moreover, through this one-act play, the playwright also shows that instead of appreciating what Dalit people are doing, they always try to bully them on the name of their caste and ascribed occupation.
Bahishkar is one-act play that presents day to day life- activities or incidents of women's lives in the city and also satires the whole system of society. Monghi is the central character of the play who is a sweeper in Greenpark society and the one who never denies helping others in their works. In that society, the two couples named- Kanaklata/Rashmikant and Hasumati/Praveenchandra live. With the character of Kanaklata who is cynic, greedy and quarrelsome, the playwright shows the ungrateful behavior of upper caste people. Kanaklata humbly allows Monghi in her home whenever the latrine is overflowing. And as soon as the task is completed, she behaves rudely with Monghi. When Monghi takes permission to go back to work, Kanaklata immediately says, " Yes, yes. Go and stand outside the door. I just come there." (133 my trans). Moreover, she offers Monghi only two rupees for her work and to show her concern for Monghi, she says "No one does this type of work in free. Look sister, I always pay money to the one who works." (133 my trans) And the very next moment, she takes it back when Monghi humbly denies to take it as Monghi thinks this is too trivial as per her work. Monghi talks to herself, "oh damn it, you just give two rupees for this work! What should I do with that two rupees."(133 my trans). This kind of behavior shows that the Dalit people who put their health at risk, clean your toilets and other unhygienic areas, instead of getting a reward for their work, they get nothing or less than their works. In today's time also "when they are bonded laborers, most Dalits negotiate some wages in cash or in-kind, although these tend to be low and sometimes humiliating."(Shah 109) Moreover, after doing such types of works, they are seen as filthy and polluted. It reminds one of the reports which was submitted in 1955 by the first Backward Classes Commission which was appointed in 1953 under the Chairmanship of Kaka Kalelkar. It described the condition of sweepers and scavengers as sub-human. The Commission stated after visiting the Dalit quarters and studying their situation that
The term "sub-human" can alone appropriately describe their condition. The
Bhangis cleanse our latrines and help maintain some measure of health and
sanitation. Without Bhangis, the whole population would have to face the
ravage of epidemics(qtd in Srivastava 37)
It shows that it is not just their living conditions and their lifestyle that the Dalit people are generally considered as sub-human but the caste factor also plays a major role in it. In contemporary time also, it is caste-based jobs such as scavenging, drain-cleaning, their subsequent minimal social values, inadequate remunerations leading to unhygienic slum-based lifestyle which makes Dalit and tribal communities tormented not just by their caste identities and its repercussions but also by the fatal risks of COVID-19(Ratan). Therefore, it is not that the Dalit people are willingly living in filthiest of surroundings but it is their occupations that force them to live in such a condition.
Moreover, it is due to their caste that the Dalit people have to suffer at the hands of the upper-caste people without any fault from their side. People from lower caste communities are generally seen with skeptical eyes. Monghi also becomes a victim of this as Kanaklata doubts that she has relation with her husband and for that reason, she fights with Monghi. Kanaklata abuses Monghi in the name of caste and says, "it is worthless to talk to lower cast people. They sit on our head once we keep good terms with them."(140 my trans) Moreover, she talks badly about Monghi's character when Monghi hits back to her. Kanaklata says, " Shut up you whore! Don't you feel ashamed of winking at the man!" (141 my trans). In this context, Arundhati Roy in her novel, The God of Small Things and in her essays also refers that "Caste hierarchy justifies abuses of power, particularly the victimization of Dalit and tribal peoples."(qtd in Strehle 128). Therefore, Kanaklata comes to the conclusion that Monghi is the one who has made bad gestures towards her husband though she saw her husband peeking at Monghi.
Furthermore, it is not just that Monghi has to bear the verbal abuses from the Kanaklata only, Kanaklata's husband, Rashmikant also harasses her by giving sidelong glances. "When Monghi is sweeping the road with the big broom, she is arriving in front of Kanaklata's house where her husband, Rashmikant is reading newspaper inside his compound. He is peeking at her all the time lustfully and Monghi is watching all his bad gestures while sweeping." (139 my trans) The above behavior of both upper-caste man and woman shows that no matter how humble and loyal Dalit women are, they have to face the humiliation on the name of caste. In this context, Paswan and Jaideva point out that "A Dalit woman is not the only female, but 'belongs to the lower caste [...] and also to an economically lower class', and so is 'thrice alienated'. In other words, many Dalit women 'are victims of caste, class, and gender" (qtd in Ovichegan 118). Both Kanaklata and her husband think that as Monghi belongs to the lower caste community, she is sexually available and has loose moral character. It is because of this reason that Kanaklata accuses her verbally and her husband gazes her lustfully. As Charu Gupta writes in Writing Sex and Sexuality: Archives of Colonial North India:
The upper-caste Hindu male world also often perceived the Dalit woman's body
as flagrantly sexual, distinct from the emerging ideology of chastity of the high
caste woman...The Dalit female body was both at the same time- repulsive and
desirable, untouchable and available, reproductive and productive. (qtd in Misrahi-
Barak 102)
This shows that Dalit women face the paradox as they are considered as polluted and untouchable and still exploited and harassed by upper-caste men. But, there is not always the case that Dalit women surrender themselves to such kind of exploitation and bear the abuses or humiliation without any fault from their side. Monghi in response to this humiliation boycotts Kanaklata's house and stops to sweep the ground nearby her house and also to take left-over foods from her. Monghi says, " I am going now... and from onwards neither I will sweep the ground in front of your house nor even spits at your home!"(141 my trans) Ghanshyam Shah in this context writes in his book that "many Dalit women do not submit to discrimination; they act against it".(Shah 130) And due to Monghi's boycott, later on the rubbish dump is created near Kanaklata's house and that becomes the reason for her insult during the time of new year. She says to herself that "This Monghi has wrecked my reputation into pieces. If I knew that the whore did something like that, I would never taken her name." (150 my trans) But, Kanaklata has no other option except to make up with Monghi. Therefore, she calls Monghi on the day of the new year to make up with Monghi. But here, some important question arises at the end that does Kanaklata ever make up with Monghi if there is another sweeper in society? Does she ever talk to Monghi if other members of the society also boycott her for her bad behavior with Kanaklata? Is it ever possible in Indian society that the works of laborers, cleaners, sweepers, scavengers truly appreciated without any stigma of caste related to them?
Conclusion:
On one hand, this one-act play shows the inescapable place of Dalit people in society, and on the other hand, it raises the question that despite the existence of alternative technologies, this practice continues in many parts of the country. Though in the present time of the corona pandemic, this practice of Dalit people acquires new strength due to the growing importance of sanitation and cleanliness, some serious attention needs to give to their basic requirements and try to find out the solution of their problems. Moreover, this COVID-19 virus shows the important role of Dalit people in maintaining sanitation, it is more crucial to address their growing deprivation in social, political, and economic life.
Work-cited:
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Meghana Dalwaniya, Ph.D. Scholar, Comparative Literature and Translation Studies School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, Central University of Gujarat, meghanadalwaniya90@gmail.com