Untouchable - By Indian Gem Author Mulk Raj Anand

Photo credits: Navjot Malhotra

The title, "Untouchable" is a revised titled from earlier one "Bakha." The intentional non usage of the definite article 'the', provides the touch of an ultimate symbolical catch to the name. Untouchable, a powerful novel, can be regarded as quintessential Anand since it projects most of his characteristic concerns and fundamental issues of life. The main theme of the novel is untouchability as a problem in Hindu society.

Untouchable, as also some other early writings of Anand, cannot be fully appreciated unless studied in relation to the movement of the nineteen-thirties in Western Europe.

Anand stayed in London for over two decades, from 1924 to 1945; he was therefore

deeply influenced by the Progressive Movement in literature that flourished in the

Thirties. In London, Anand came under numerous literary, political and social

influences and it is in them that the sources of his synthesis of Marxist and humanist thought can be seen.

The peculiar conditions during the early decades of the century in Europe and

elsewhere put a great pressure on the writers to sympathize with the social cause.

The complacency following the First World War, based on the erroneous belief that 

the League of Nations was going to preserve peace and security, was suddenly

exploded, leaving a feeling of loss and disenchantment. There was complete erosion of human values.

The novel Untouchable projects this idea by depicting the sufferings of Bakha. People have no sympathy for Bakha. It is only 'Mohammadan tongawala' who shows sympathy towards him and saves the situation. He wonders why the Sahibs and Muslims don‟t mind touching them. The cruel and orthodox nature of the Hindus depicts that these are the probable reasons for conversion of a large number of low caste Hindus to Christianity. Another incident of humiliation is when Bakha goes to temple to sweep courtyard. Driven by his curiosity to know more about the caged snake god, he mounts the temple steps leading to the holy place inside the temple. He hears a loud cry, ‘polluted, polluted, polluted!’.

The crowd takes up the call of the priest, thinking that the presence of the untouchable has defiled the holy place. Bakha discovers that the priest is only trying to camouflage his indecency to Bakha's sister, Sohini. Sohini tells him altogether a different story. Mulk Raj Anand’s novel portrays Indian social problems realistically. The priest not only tries to molest Bakha‟s sister but also attracted the sympathy of the crowd by accusing her and her brother of having polluted him and the premises of temple. Bakha feels completely helpless and much troubled at heart. At a moment he feels a wild desire to retaliate when the thought of the pandit Kalinath's action comes to him but realising his helplessness, he wishes that his sister were not beautiful. The third humiliation of Bakha is heart rending. Mulk Raj Anand’s novel portrays Indian social problems realistically.  When he goes to the silversmith colony to collect food for the family a housewife becomes furious when she sees Bakha on the threshold of the house and scolds him, ‘perish and die’ as he has defiled her house. Bakha begs for apology and asks for some food that is thrown at him as if to a street dog. The way Bakha collects his chapatti thrown by a women who belongs to upper caste Hindu society is heart-shaking. Bakha returns home with only two chapattis and is in dilemma whether to explain the situation to his father or slid it under the rug.

His father accuses and calls him good for nothing scoundrel. He is hoping that his younger son Rakha might bring something good to eat from military barracks. He now takes a flashback of degrading incidents that spoilt his day. When his younger brother comes home with some food, they all start eating from the same basket. Suddenly Bakha stops eating when something sticky touches his hand and his mind feels uneasy that it might be mixed up with somebody saliva. He tells a lie to his father that he had been invited for the marriage ceremony of Ram Charan's sister whom he once desired to marry. But Gulabo, Ram Charan's mother thought it below their dignity as they belonged to washermen caste and considered themselves superior to Bakha even among the outcastes. 

The great catastrophe of touching occurs in the morning and poisons his whole day as the novel is based on one day’s action. Trauma and humiliation seems ceaseless and endless for Bakha who represent outcaste Hindus subjected to untold miseries. Mulk Raj Anand’s novel portrays Indian social problems realistically.  Bakha meets Havildar Charat Singh who is a broad minded person who not only offers him tea but also presents him the hockey stick. Bakha is filled with deep gratitude for Charat Singh for his kindness and leaves the barrack in a happy mood.

On the way, Bakha meets the military Babu’s two sons who want to play hockey. In a match the younger son gets hurt as a stone from Bakha’s friend, Ram Charan’s hand hit him badly on the head. Bakha gathers him in his strong arms and rushes to his home. Bakha expects that his mother would appreciate him for this kind and humanitarian act but he is surprised to see the manner in which she reciprocates his good deed. Instead of thanking him, she accuses him of defiling her house by coming there. Bakha is dejected and dismayed. He hands over the child and retreats. Bakha's protest against caste exploitation cannot bring any revolution to eradicate this social problem. He is an individual. He does not have favour of his own community.

UntouchabIe was written over a long weekend in 1930. He started

writing the first draft of the novel, then called 'Bakha.' A little later, he came across a

poignant story about a sweeper-boy Uka, & written with utmost simplicity by

Mahatama Gandhi in Young India. Anand wrote to the Mahatma and was allowed to

meet him in three months' time. In April 1929, he went to see Gandhiji in the

Sabarmati Ashram in the boiling heat of Gujarat. He showed Gandhiji the novel he had written.

Gandhiji was opposed to the writing of a novel depicting the love-affair of a boy and

girl. Anand explained to him that it was about Bakha, a sweeper-boy, an untouchable.

Gandhiji suggested that he should write a straightforward pamphlet about Harijans.

Anand defended himself by saying that he wanted to tell the story just as Gandhiji

had narrated his story about the sweeper Uka. Anand was allowed to stay in the

Ashram provided he promised not to drink, not to think of his English girlfriend and

clean latrines once a week. The three-month stay in the ashram rejuvenated Anand. The austerities that he practised there awakened his conscience and converted him to a life of sincerity, simplicity and truth.

The novel Untouchable tells the storey of a single day in the life of Bakha, a

child who works as a sweeper. A scavenger or sweeper was not just a

"outcaste" in Hindu culture at the time, but also debased and demeaned.

Bulashah is the setting for the storey. The "ramparts of human and animal trash

that lay on the boundaries of this little colony, and ugliness, poverty, and

The novel Untouchable tells the storey of a single day in the life of Bakha, a

child who works as a sweeper. A scavenger or sweeper was not just a

"outcaste" in Hindu culture at the time, but also debased and demeaned.

Bulashah is the setting for the storey. The "ramparts of human and animal trash

that lay on the boundaries of this little colony, and ugliness, poverty, and

The novel Untouchable tells the storey of a single day in the life of Bakha, a

child who works as a sweeper. A scavenger or sweeper was not just a

"outcaste" in Hindu culture at the time, but also debased and demeaned.

Bulashah is the setting for the storey. The "ramparts of human and animal trash

that lay on the boundaries of this little colony, and ugliness, poverty, and

About the Author:

Mulk Raj Anand (12 December, 1905 – 28 September, 2004)

Mulk Raj Anand enjoys the reputation of being a pioneer novelist because of a corpus of creative fiction of sufficient bulk and quality. He is a prolific writer and is

continuing to write and publish at the age of ninety-six. Besides novels and short
stories, he has written a number of books on art, paintings and literature.

References:

1) Untouchable - Mulk Raj Anand

2) English Literature Notes, IGNOU, INDIA.

3) Personal opinion about the story.