A Kaleidoscopic Presentation of Dalit Life in Joseph Macwan’s Vyathana Vitak
Life sketch is a short prose narrative or one can say an account of some aspect of the life of a person. It is not a tale but a detailed description of the person and also analytic in nature. The genre of life sketch evolved in the English literature after the 16th century. Joseph Addison and Richard Steele were the pioneer writers who popularized the form the most. They created characters such as Mr. Spectator, Sir Roger de Coverley, Captain Sentry, and Sir Andrew Freeport, representatives of various levels of English society, who comment on London manners and morals. In Gujarati literature also the form of life sketch became popular in the 19th and 20th century. To name a few who have nurtured this literary form very well are – Swami Anand, Kishansinh Chavda, Jayanti Dalal, Mansukhlal Zaveri, Jhaverchand Meghani, Chunilal Madiya, Umashankar Joshi, Ishwar Petlikar, Aniruddh Brahmbhatt, Joseph Macwan and Chandrakant Sheth.
Vyathana Vitak is the most notable collection of life sketches of Joseph Macwan. There are 19 life sketches. The life sketches talk about the humans from their childhood to death. Macwan has presented the life of his school friends, neighborhood friends, kind women who have given him love and warmth of mother, women who have turned their lives as hell, men who have killed their tender childhood in these life sketches. The writer has presented the complex life of these characters minutely. The sketches also present that Dalit society and its problems in the simplest way. The collection is a social document of the Dalit world which makes it an invaluable ornament of the Gujarati literature.
In the preface “Aayakhano Aalekh” of Vyathana Vitak Dilip Ranpura rightly mentions, “Joseph Macwan is the eye witness of all the sad stories, while reading I would not just believe but also felt that these are not just stories but Vedic verses for the man to live lives by the man.”
The writer hasn't taken help of wild imagination to present sad lives of the characters. He has used the Charotari dialect in which the characters speak. He has observed their lives very closely and thus one can say that he has not only observed but also experienced the pain and agony of these characters. Thus, the life sketches present the lives as they are lived without any additions. The man in Vyathana Vitak is naked and thus very close to the truth. Therefore, the writer also rightly mentions, “how am I depicted in my literary creations.”
In these life sketches one can see the detailed depiction of the village and its traditions. The writer has lived in this world and has been part of the social structure. For him the social world is of the prime importance as it governs all the facets of life. Therefore we can see that all the characters succumbed to the social customs and traditions. He doesn't criticize or gratify society but presents as it is. Thus, his protagonists are not loud but silent and present their lives silently.
There are 19 life sketches but in my paper I will talk about only three life sketches. In the first life sketch “Hati Tyare Mare Tran Tran Maa Hati” (Once I Have Three Mothers) writer presented the life of his three mothers. In this life sketch the writer talked about his father who is a teacher and a highly reputed man in the society. He was very cruel to his mother. He beat his ill mother who suffered from tuberculosis and never tried to take care of her. His mother also bore all the beatings without any complaint. When his mother was hospitalized in the civil hospital his father developed an affair with another woman. When she was discharged from the hospital she came to know about the affair of her husband. She could not bear the trauma of the affair and died soon. His grandmother warned his father not to marry the woman who was responsible for the death of his mother. But his father did not move a budge from his decision to marry the woman. The grandmother also died in the shock on the day when his father had fixed his marriage. Though his father had lost his mother he gets ready to remarry just after half an hour of the burial of his grandmother. Thus, the writer had exposed the mean and the self-centric character of his father.
When his mother – Heera – was ill, his uncle and aunt took care of her and her children. When his mother was hospitalized she wrote a letter to his brother-in-law and pleaded with him to take care of his children and house. She reminded in the letter, “If the hen has given eggs then keep them properly, take care of the farms and also give castor oil in tea to her children to keep them healthy.” Thus, she was not worried about her children but also for household activities. After the death of his mother his aunt and Ladubhabhi took care of him.
His uncle was a strong man. He worked very hard in the farms. He and his wife were also very close to the writer’s mother. When the writer’s mother was on the deathbed she handed over her children to them and pleaded with them to take care of them as their father did not look after them properly. His uncle had to cut his one leg because of an incurable infection in the knee. Once his father was beating the writer very badly his uncle tried to save his nephew and lost his balance and fell on the floor. His truncated leg was badly injured once again and he died soon. His aunt became a widow at the age of 25 only. She decided not to remarry as she was pregnant. But she succumbed to societal pressure and left the writer’s home with a heavy heart. Thus, the writer has lost mother’s love once again.
Ladubhabhi was the wife of their servant Maniya. She was tall and good looking. She was a very good natured person also. She was always helpful to everyone. Ladubhabhi helped a lot the writer to come out of the trauma of his mother's death. Heta was Ladubhabhi’s daughter. She was very beautiful. She had been married in her childhood and now as per the norms of the society she must be sent to her in-laws house. She helped her mother in household activities as well as labour work in tobacco farms. Ladubhabhi had never left her daughter alone as she was very beautiful. One day she had to go away. She ordered Heta not to go to the tobacco farm for any kind of labour work but the wife of the Mukadam (Headman) forcefully took her to the tobacco farm. She was raped on this day and conceived a baby. Her marriage was broken and her father had to pay a fine of 150 rupees to her in-laws. In order to pay the fine she was married to a father of four children very soon. Ladubhabhi could not bear such a terrible fate for her daughter and committed suicide the night after Heta’s second marriage. Ladubhabhi loved the writer as her son. The writer also wanted to select her as his mother if choice is given between his real mother and Ladubhabhi. Thus, the writer’s thirst for mother’s love was never fulfilled.
“Hazel Padamani” is one of the best life sketches of Vyathana Vitak. Hazel is the wife of Ruda Hazam. Ruda Hazam is a tall, dark and handsome man married to Hazel who was an extremely beautiful and very good singer. She sang marriage songs and funeral songs equally well. Every male of the village was eager to have a relationship with Hazel. They tried every possible way to get close to Hazel but failed miserably. Hazel was absolutely loyal to her husband Rudo. The only unhappiness in her marriage life was that they didn't have any child for the last ten years. Her husband considered her singing of the funeral songs for their barrenness but she didn't agree with him. But at last she had to succumb to the order of the Panch (assembly of arbitrators usually consisting of five persons) and stopped singing the funeral songs.
Her friend Ratan took her to the doctor to cure her problem of barrenness. The doctor was amazed when he saw beautiful Hazel. The doctor advised her to examine her blood and urine. He took her blood immediately and told her to come with a urine sample on the next day. As Ratan was busy on the farm Hazel had to go alone to submit the urine sample. Hazel considered the doctor very kind as he examines the patients’ urine sample also. After submitting the urine sample the compounder told her to come at two o’clock in the afternoon to collect the report. Hazel went to the hospital hurriedly in the afternoon to know about her problem. The reports were normal. The doctor won her confidence and didn’t take fees also. He ordered her to come the next morning for further examination. She was highly impressed by the doctor’s kind behavior. She talked about everything with Ratan in the night. Next day she went with Ratan to the hospital for further body check up. The doctor examined her thoroughly and gave her some medicines and told her to come in the afternoon on Saturday. During these check-ups her shyness was also melted for the doctor. She thought for how many days Ratan had to take leave for her check up, therefore she went alone on Saturday to the hospital. The doctor told Hazel that there is no problem in her reports. He has also shown her reports to the doctor of the city. There might be a problem with your husband and that is why you are not able to conceive the child. Hazel could not understand what to do. The doctor took her into the room for further examination and raped her. She could not bear the insult and she considered herself responsible for her fall. She left her home to get rid of the burden of the rape and never returned.
Patakkaka is the pet name of Khushalkaka. Patakkaka lived alone in the village. In his youth he worked in Rajasthan as a caretaker of camels. Thus, he had good knowledge of camels. The life sketch opens with an incident of a little ruckus between the Turis (a community which plays trumpet) and Patakkaka. The turis came to the village to play their Bhavai (farcical dramatic show) . They inquired with some young boys, “who will feed them on the first day of their arrival in the village?” A young boy suggested the name of Patakkaka. Turis were unaware that Khusalkaka annoyed very badly when someone called him Patakkaka. Therefore the turis shouted loudly the name, “Patakkaka, O Patakkaka '' in the Vas (Residing area of the Dalits). Hearing his name Khushalkaka was very angry and started beating the turis with a stick. turis could not bear the beating and ran away quickly from the site.
Though Patakkaka was an angry man, he was a skillful weaver of the weather shade. He earned his livelihood by weaving the weather shades. He hardly talked with anyone and always kept himself away from women. In his old age he left the work of weaving and started taking care of farms. Once he brought three old left alone camels with him. He started taking care of the camels but the camels died one after another. It is generally said when the camel dies its face is towards Marwad. Therefore, the children inquired, “Kaka, is its face towards Marwad?” Patakkaka replied, “No, it’s towards me, beta”. After this incident he was not seen for a month then the news came that Patakkaka is lying under the banyan tree. Some young boys brought him to his house. He was trembling with fever. The missionary teacher gave him a tablet of fever. one person made some Rab (gruel)but he couldn't drink more than two three sips. Few young men stayed with him on that night but he couldn't live longer and died on the same night.
All the children and young men who are always eager to tease him had joined the funeral procession when his dead body was taken to the graveyard. Everyone brought a flower to keep in his grave. Patakkaka had also given 80 rupees to the teacher to feed the children of the vas. Thus, one could easily see the kind-hearted side of Patakkaka.
We can certainly say that the characters presented in the Vyathana Vitak are true to life. The writer has tried to present life as he has observed and made their sketches and presented in their own language. He not only entered in the life of the character but also so in the psyche of the character. Joseph Macwan has the talent to convert others' experience into self experience and thus while reading the sketches the reader will feel that not only the character suffers or enjoys but also the writer is having the same feelings and emotions. As far as his female sketches are concerned he has mentioned in the Preface to Ram na Rakhopa, “I love to have shelter of women to feed my hunger of love for my mother.” Thus, the hunger of mother’s love takes him closer to the females and that is the only reason he presents all the complex forms of females quite easily and genuinely. His mother, Heta, Ladu, Hazel, Shamli, and Ruthbhabhi are examples of this.
Chunilal Madia, Pannalal Patel,Ishwar Petlikar and Jhaverchand Meghani have captured the rural locale and its intricacies very well and Joseph Macwan has also achieved this milestone. He enjoys the village folk and represents their agony. For him literature is not a tool to earn money but it’s a voice which represents the voice of exploitation, suffering and poverty. His life experiences are quite deep and vivid and he perfectly captures them on the paper. He never tries to present anyone's life miraculously but uses their experience and language as the only tool and for me that is only reason for Joseph Macwan’s success. I would certainly say that Vyathana Vitak is the most precious ornament of Joseph Macwan in the spectrum of Gujarati literature.
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