Miss. R.PRIYADHARSHNI M.A,B.

Ed
Assistant Professor,
Department of English,
Bon Secours Arts and Science College for Women,
Mannargudi.
priyaravi15098@gmail.com
8248820504
SOCIETY: AN ANTAGONIST TO OUTCASTES

ABSTRACT 

The focus of this research is the effect of social evils imposed by society on outcastes. This paper

is going to focus on social evils such as untouchability, discrimination, alienation, and

oppression of people in the name of caste. The research is an in-depth analysis of the role played

by society in the life of Bakha, an untouchable youth who was insulted because he was born

untouchable. His job is to clean latrines and sweep streets. He was considered unclean by other

upper-caste societies for cleaning their dirt. The novel concisely exposes the hypocritical

behaviour of the upper caste people in the hierarchy of the Hindu caste system. This paper brings

out the deplorable plight of untouchables. The kinds of norms imposed on these people disturb

their normality. It also exposes us to the sufferings of the outcastes, their ill-treatment, and what

happens when society imposes a norm over specific castes and forces them to fit into it. In this

play, the norms of society pressurise Bakha and push him with their lack of self-esteem.

Untouchable is a profound tragedy. This paper also underwent Bakha’s own struggle with the

hypocrisies and the prevalent traditions in post-independent India, the prevailing caste system,

and the practise of untouchability. Throughout the novel, Mulk Raj Anand portrays the cruelty of

casteism, untouchability, injustice, humiliation, and degradation faced by outcastes.

Introduction

Mulk Raj Anand, a prolific Indian writer, flourished in his thirties. Anand mainly focused on his

writings about oppressed societies. He gained an international readership and was admired for

his short stories and novels. He raised his voice against social evils such as discrimination,

inequality, hypocrisy, impoverishment, misfortune, and exploitation. His notable works include

Untouchable (1935), Coolie (1936), and Two Leaves and a Bud (1937). In this novel,

“Untouchable,” Anand tries to portray the pre-judicial caste system in pre-independence India

that prevails even today. There are also other social activities that make the human species,

especially the Outcastes, suffer. It is a troublesome situation for them. The hypocrisies of high-

caste people directly or indirectly affect human beings. The outcaste people are ill-treated, and

they are badly wandered to fulfil their basic needs such as food and water. They were alienated

by others in the society.

Untouchability, a villain to Outcastes

In the Outcastes colony, people lived in mud-walled cottages. There were scavengers, sweepers,

washermen, leather workers, grass cutters, and other outcastes. They lived a pathetic life and

depended on someone’s mercy to get their basic needs. Through “Untouchable,” social

exploitation of outcastes is depicted by the character Bakha, a young sweeper. He experienced a

kind of bitterness and cruelty throughout his life. He and his community were considered

unclean because they belonged to the lower caste.

they were ever to draw water from it, the Hindus of the three upper castes would consider

the water polluted.” (Anand,20)

Outcastes depend on the mercy of high castes to satisfy their basic needs. The people of the

upper caste believe that they were polluted by the touch of an undercaste. When Sohini, the sister

of Bakha, went to fetch water from the well, there was already a big crowd of people who were

all waiting for the mercy of upper-caste passersby to fill their pitchers. The ill-fated outcastes’

lives overflowed with misery.

Vicious Society

Bakha is the one who cleans latrines in British barracks. People were used to reprimanding him

because he was born untouchable. On seeing the colourful sweets in the bazaar, Bakha wants to

relish the jelabi. In spite of paying annas, the confectioner threw the sweet as he threw bones for

the dog. The confectioner picks the coin only after washing it. He was curious to taste the jelabi

and accidentally brushes up against a Brahmin Hindu. He begins to shout at him and slap him.

The crowd gathered, and they accused Bakha in abusive terms as

“Why don’t you call, you swine.” (Anand,41)

Bakha told his father about this abusive incident. Lakha, with a forced mixture of anger and

kindness, said, “Didn’t you give a warning of your approach?” “Why weren’t you more careful,

my boy?” This wound Bakha’s soul intensely, and after this incident, he started shouting, “Posh!

Posh! Sweeper coming”.(Anand,45)

We also found some good souls who helped outcastes throughout the play. The characters like

Havildar Charat Singh and Bhagawan Das helped the outcastes, and they treated the people with
due respect. Havildar allowed Bakha into the kitchen. While a lady in the village reprimanded

him for polluting her porch by sitting, She scolded him in an abusive language but was at the

same time polite and humble to the Sadhu ji, who chose a religious attire.

But you, eater of your masters! Why did you sit down on my doorstep, if you had to sit

down at all? You have defiled my religion! (Anand,62)

She threw a bread from the upstairs, and Bakha tried to be a good cricketer, but the thin, paper-

like pancake fell on to the brick pavement of the gully. He picked it up quietly. This kind of ill

treatment of the outcastes is pathetic. He was accumulated with the insults from morning.

Licentiousness of Pundit Kali Nath

Sohini, an untouchable and one of the leading characters in the novel, clearly exposed the

hypocrisy of the caste. The upper caste people who said that they were polluted by the mere

touch of outcastes, but the priest didn’t hesitate to sexually assault the girl. When the attempt is

spoiled, he accuses her and Bakha of polluting the temple. Pundit Kali Nath, who excels in social

strata, violates a fundamental code of our culture. The women of outcastes faced the triple

burden of society, i.e., caste discrimination, sexual violence, and gender discrimination. The case

of Sohini was never taken seriously. It was only her brother’s heart that pulsated. Others in the

crowd were like mere spectators and did nothing after knowing the truth.

 Untouchables: Defile the Temple

The temple stood challengingly before him. They were prohibited to enter the temple. Bakha peeped

inside the temple, but before he is caught, Sohini appears with teary eyes. Bakha inquires with Sohini

about the happenings and knows that she was molested by Pandit Kalinath. The people didn’t react

much to this incident, and they are worried about the Outcastes polluting the temple premises.
“Get off the steps, scavenger! Off with you! "You have defiled our temple!” (Anand,54)
The practise of "untouchability" still exists in our society. A politician abused an SC youth with
casteist slurs for entering temple premises in Salem, Tamil Nadu. Another event that throbs our
heart is that Hindus forbade Dalits from entering the temple in Vengaivayal village, Pudukkottai
district, Tamilnadu. For the past three generations, they have been dominated by the dominant
caste in the village and banned from entering the temple. Dalit people were led by the district
collector, Kavitha Ramu, and DSP Vandita Pandey ordered the temple gates to be opened. In the
same place, the cruelty of inhumane discrimination continues as human faeces were found in
Dalits’ water tanks, and they also practised a double-tumbler system, a practise in which Dalits
were not allowed to use the same tumblers the uppercaste people used. The people there were
conditioned to the conventions of the caste system.
Lakha and Rakha, the father and brother of Bakha, were used to the idle events and ready to
suffer. They never dream of protesting against this social cruelty. They consider it a normal
thing, and upper-caste people conditioned their minds. Bakha had little self-esteem, which puts
him under some sort of mental pressure. They were treated as if they deserved the least amount
of human love and sympathy.
Conclusion
Some people in our society showcase themselves as modernists; they have a sort of subtle
hostility towards certain groups of people. They are sleeper cells that hydrate the system by
adding their caste name after their names. In the end, Bakha listened to the speech of Mahatma,
which condemns the caste system and it enthused him. He overhears the conversation of Iqbal
sarsar, a poet, and Bashir, a lawyer. A lawyer considered Gandhi’s speech to be irrational, and it
is difficult to overturn the long-standing convention. But the poet believes the barbarity of the
caste system should be demolished, and there were no untouchables after the flushing toilets
were introduced.
We couldn’t find any solution to this discrimination in the novel “Untouchable." The same
situation prevails in our society. To sum up, social evils are a hindrance to society. Even with
several laws in place, resolving long-standing societal evil is difficult. Unless communities are
determined to alter their perspective, no one has the solution to these problems. This kind of
social practise and the prejudices prevailing in our society definitely do injustice to the people,
especially the outcastes.
Works Cited
Anand, Mulk Raj. Untouchable : a novel / by Mulk Raj Anand ; with a preface by E.M. Forster
Allen Lane, Penguin Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England 1940
Critical analysis of Untouchability, https://www.anandamtutorials.com/critical-analysis-of-
untouchable-by-mulk-raj-anand/
Wall of Untouchability demolished in Salem,
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2011/aug/14/
wall-of-untouchability-demolished-near-salem-281392.amp