Name : Makwana Vijay K.
Course name : M.A English
Semester : 1
Roll no : 46
Enrolment no : 2069108420180035
Email : vijaykm7777@gmail.com
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Batch year : 2017-18
Submitted to : department of English Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji
Paper no : 4 "Indian Writing In English- Pre Indepandence"
Topic : Write a critical note on 'Ganghi - an invisible hero' in Kanthapura?
Introduction :
Raja Rao (8 November 1908 – 8 July 2006) was an Indian writer of English-language novels and short stories, whose works are deeply rooted in Metaphysics. The Serpent and the Rope (1960), a semi-autobiographical novel recounting a search for spiritual truth in Europe and India, established him as one of the finest Indian prose stylists and won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1964. For the entire body of his work, Rao was awarded the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1988. Rao's wide-ranging body of work, spanning a number of genres, is seen as a varied and significant contribution to Indian English literature.
His Famous Works :
Kanthapura (1938)
The Serpent and the rope (1960)
On the Ganga Chat (1989)
The Great Indian Way : A life of Mahatma Gandhi (1998)
The Chess master (1988)
Gandhi - an invisible hero of Kanthapura :
Kanthapura is the first novel of Raja Rao written in 1938 A.D. It describes the period in which the struggle against foreign government was dominating the political scenario in India.At that time Non-Cooperation Movement was in vogue. Congress under the leadership of Gandhi was leading the movement.
Raja Rao supported the ideas of Gandhi thus Kanthapura as a political novel is totally influenced by the principles of Gandhi. In the beginning of the novel, we come to know about the structure of village.We find that the village of Kanthapura is caste-ridden village and the quarters of people are separated on the basis of casteism.
The casteism is so prevalent in Kanthapura that if a Brahmin visits a Pariah’s house, he has to go to Kashi for purification.Moorthy, the protagonist of the novel, who is a Brahmin, gives up his studies after being influenced by the Gandhian Philosophy by going through different pamphlets and newspapers.
Hence we don’t see Gandhi in actual but his ideology and principles in the novel and Moorthy is the avatar of Gandhi.Moorthy after adopting the Gandhian Ideology gives up his studies in the city and returns back to his village. He gives up foreign clothes and goods and wears hand-woven Khaddar.He encourages the people of his village to use native things and become independent of foreign goods.
In order to encourage the concept of ‘Swaraj’ or ‘home rule’ he visits each house and distributes free Charkhas so that every person of his village may become a part of the struggle.He explains the Gandhian principles and encourages them to follow the same. Like Gandhi, Moorthy believes in non-violence. He asks people to make their struggle non-violent. They should love their enemies even if the later may hate them or even act violently.
Moorthy asks the people to speak the truth and remain loyal to Congress. He proves his words when after being sentenced jail, he refuses to release on bail. He tells the lawyer that if he held the weapon of truth firmly no power on earth will be able to harm him. In spite of the threats of ex-communication from Batta, he takes active part in the struggle against untouchability and visits a Pariah’s house where he is treated as God.But this should also be noted that he feels extreme discomfort and fife there and on returning back, he takes a religious bath for purification.
He accept untouchability in spite of his struggle against it. Gandhi believed that women help is crucial for the struggle, hence he tried to get the support of women as well.
Similarly, Moorthy seeks the help of Kanchamma, a rich educated widow of his village. Kanchamma fully supports Moorthy as well as Gandhian Ideology. When Moorthy is behind the bars, she establishes Women’s Volunteer Corps. The women after being influenced by her words, take active part in the struggle. They are molested, raped and even beaten but they don’tloose hope.
Hence it is the Gandhian Ideology which makes the plot of the novel to develop and not Gandhi himself. As Gandhi influences the politics at national level, Moorthy becomes the Gandhi of Kanthapura and does the same things. Kanthapura is a mini-nation with a Gandhi of itself i.e. Moorthy.
The theme of kanthapura may be summed up as `Gandhi and our village ‘ but the style of narration makes the books more a Gandhi purana than a piece of mere fiction Gandhi is the invisible God moorthy. is the visible avatar.
The reigu of the rodnmen is asuric rule and it is reristed by the devdas the satyagrahis . the charucters sharply divide into two camps.the rulers cand their supporters on the one hand and the satyagrahis cand their sympathizers on the other. There are various other divisions too
Orthodoxy is pitted against reform exploitation against sufferance the planter against the coolies and the corrupt official against the self –respecting villagers but there lines grow hazu when the main issue between the bureaucracy and the satuagrahis is joined for now most peppie are on one or the othere side of the burricader it is 1930 Gandhi marcher with his select band of followers to the salt pans at Dandi to break the salt laws suddenly the entire country is engayed in passive resistance of `alien’authority.
Raja Rao has but the story into mouth of a grandmother although the feminine touches and mannerisms, the seemingly effortless rotation of the fongue the meandering sentences and paragaphs are characteristic of the narrator there is nevertheless consummate `art’ in all this riot of artlessness there is carefully `selection’ behind the apparent abundance details and there Is an adroit polarization in the plot less grandmother’s tale moorthy is Gandhi ‘s man the statyaegrahis the leader of the nov –violent movement in kanthapura there is at the other extrecne is the symbol of appression the soulless bureauracy made visiby repulsive but the villagers are unafraid.
What is a policaeman before a Gandhi’s man tell me does a boar stand before a clephant?
There is than bhatta the symbol of usury and false orth doxy and low cunning .there is range gowda the symbol of sense and stolidity, a sort of Sardar patel to moorthy the village mahatma the river –himavarthy is herseif a presence and the goddess kenahamma of the hill is a presence too the protectress of the people the guardian of kanthapura. And beyond the hill is the Arabian sea. And for beyond it the land from which the red men have com in kanthapura there is a brahimin street a potters quarter a pariah quarte how absurdly true of the typical indian village just beyond the village lies the skeffinglon coffee estate the symbol of the impact of industrialization on the traditional community life at kanthapura.
In but a few pages of nervous description life in the coffee estate is vivified in anands two leaves and a bud are here just glanced at in hurry ,suggesting mush in title as impossible nightmare. The people of kanthapure wear tell –tale nick names. Waterfall venkamma nouse Akamai temple rangappa coffee planter Ramayana, patwari Nanjudia gold brangie somanna , cardamom field Ramachandra and there is of course corner –horuse moorthy who goes through life as ``A noble cow ,quiet generous serene deference and Brahmanism a very prince……’’ Already ,when the story begins ,Gandhi is a legendary figure to the villages and hair kaftans jayarmacher jumbles with splendid unconcern traditional mythology and contemporaneous politics.
Gandhi is save himself in human shape he is engaged in slaying the serpent of foreign rule kaliya. Bhajans and Harikirthans mix religion and politics freely and often purposefully ,the reading of a discipline as the revernt reading of the Gita and hand spinning is elevated into a daily ritual like puja.
The walls of orthodoxy are suddenly breached. Revolutionspirits of the Gandhi an revolution at kanthapura are Rangamma range gouda and the girly Radha. In the end it truly becomes a mass movement the villages comprising men and professions and the laborers of the coffee Estate readily meeting the onslaught of the bureaucracy.
= class structure
[1] Untouchability
[2] Structure of the village
[3] Superstitions among people
[4] Exploitation due to class
[5] Caste and creed
[6] Class discrimination.
[7] Society and discrimination.
We see all the structure in deeply
[1]Untouchability :
Kanthapura has narrow structure. In the village have people of many castes. They lived peacefully. In this village upper class people otherwise they were casted out from that particular. If a person goes to pariah’s house. He would have to take bath and go kasha for purification purpose.
[2] Structure of the village :
In the village house were the symbols of status. There were less government servants in this village those who were there got respect. There was the house of past master He lived in two storied building polarity had glass paned windows Besides there, this village has pariah quarter. ``A potter’s weaver’s and sudra quarter and Brahmin”
[3] Superstitions among people :
In this village people are religious minded. They lack education they believe in superstitions. People accepted Hinduism. When a policemen `Khan’ comes to the village for their welfare it was very difficult for him to get a room to live their lives were surrounded of many superstitions.
[4] Exploitation due to class :
The condition of the village was such that upper class exploited the lower class people. The whole description of working laborers is touching. Remaining hungry of half hungry poorly nourished they had to work very hard.
[5] Caste and creed :
The small village symbolically depicts the country’s condition ,during the time of freedom struggle ,people of all castes unanimously united themselves to fight against the country’s enemy.
Educated people were influenced by Gandhi and became his followers they cast away the social norms of caste.
[6] Class discrimination :
Wealthy people ruled the village Bhatt who cams in village with nothing became prosperous. He himself married teenage girl. He got dowry too. when moorthy goes to pariah’s house for some work, people started back biting and the never reached his mother. His mother old marimba worries a lot she tells her some not is break social norms.
[7] Society and discrimination :
When moorthy visited pariahs family,he was well treated but villagers started speated but villagers to be out caste. People especially orthodox women were against him.
Raja Rao kanthapara has reconstructions of his own village harihalli or Hariharapara is the miniature of India. This book gives us social political religious and mythical scenario of 1930 s kanthapura deals with the condition of india village during the struggle for independence.
In “ kanthapura’’ tales within tales are found like cabbage peels tales froms mythoiogy becomes pust of their life that frequenty leaves their conversation with them.morthy and seen becomes rama and brother laxman need a sita to make the picture complete.
According to a critic “there are no exact points of correspondence in those analogies but them leave an immediate impact on the illierater indian villagers and explain to them the political situation of indi
Work cites :
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Rao#/issues
https://www.articlesjar.com/gandhian-ideology-kanthapura/
file:///sdcard/UCDownloads/Ashadodiya's%20assignment%20Analysis%20of%20Kanthapura.mht
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