-Brian Mendonca
 |
| Map of Telangana |
 |
| Cover of 'Untouchable Spring' |
Untouchable Spring (2005) by Kalyana Rao reads more like a memoir than a novel. It is noteworthy because it exceeds conventions both in form and content. In terms of form, the text uses an elliptical style which goes backwards and forwards at the same time. This can be exasperating, particularly when we are talking about seven generations. In terms of content the novel seeks to rewrite history by presenting no less than an alternative epic enshrined in eighteen chapters - like the eighteen parvas of the Mahabharata.* Here is a walk-through of the novel of the events as they unfold in the eighteen chapters.
1. Siva's curse
The novel opens with the figure of Ruth, 'Ruth sits all by herself all day. Since Reuben's death, she has been sitting alone for many years.' (pg. 1) Reuben - Ruth's husband -was the hospital's pastor. Reuben's grandfather's grandfather told him the fable of Kamadhenu. (pg. 3) In the fable Jambavanta and Chennaiah are cursed by Siva for having dared to eat a defiled morsel of Kamadhenu. 'In Kaliyuga, Jambavanta's children become madigas. Chennaiah's children become malas.' (4) The chapter is framed by the shriek of the yennela pitta ['moonlight bird] - a mythical bird who is present at key moments in the novel. It also recalls Yennala Dinni where Yellana and the others come from.
2. The Yerra Gollalu
Yellana is Reuben's grandfather. Yellana sang songs and danced. His name was kept by his father's sister Boodevi. (6) In Yennala Dinni the touchable and the untouchable are separated by a horizontal line. (7) The bond between brother and sister is emphasized in the relationship between Yerrenkadu and his sister Boodevi. (8) 'Lingalu, the mother [of Yellana] left him with Boodevi. Boodevi did not conceive. She thought the nephew was her own son.' (10) Yellana used to sit on Boodevi's lap and listen to all the songs the women sang. (10)
The yerra gollalu are a travelling troupe. 'They would put up street plays for ten to fifteen days in a row.' (11) The performance area and the manner of performance is described. (11) The placement of the various castes in the audience is described. 'Karanams and kapus would sit close to the performers. Behind them, people from the washermen, barber and porter castes would sit. The malas would sit on the mala mound. The madigas would sit on the madiga mound.' (11) Since the lower castes are unable to see clearly, the child Yellana 'felt like going towards the tents in which the yerra gollalu lived outside the ooru.' (12) When he is discovered by the higher castes he is thrashed. As he runs, he crosses the stream. He does not know what is on the other side. (13)
3. Yellanna reaches Pallela Dinni
Ruth thinks about Yellana and others 'who run with their lives in their hands.' (14) Why did the incident happen? 'The yerra gollalu . . . would not practise untouchability with Yellana.' (15) Manu is held responsible for laying down the principles of the caste system. (15) For which act is Yellana paying the price? Yellana thinks about the dry fish in the pot which Boodevi had kept for him. (16) He reaches Pakkela Dinni where the Ganga Jatara is taking place. (17) He is struck by the power of the untouchables as they dance the urumulu nrityam of the malas. Urumula Naganna notices Yellana and sees him as an incarnation of Siva. (21)
4. Naganna
Urumulu Naganna is trained by Urumulu Chandrappa to play the drum. Reminiscing about Naganna and Yellanna, Ruth realizes that 'that untouchable body housed a wonderful living art.' (23) Naganna also hails from Yennala Dinni like Yellanna. 'Naganna's childhood was spent among the palm trees, on the fields and in the shade of the tumma groves of Yennalla Dinni.' (26) 'A mala or madiga could not live in Yennalla Dinni without doing bonded labour. . . Malas and madigas had no land at all.' (26) They were all supervised by the elder karanam. He kills the brahmin from Kolla Dinni who makes his daughter pregnant. He also kills his own daughter.
Yennalla Dinni is ravaged by a cyclonic storm. The stream breaches its banks, The people move towards safety. Naganna's father Narigadu leads them. 'They have stepped on to the mound the upper castes had till then prohibited.' (33) For this, Narigadu is killed in the forest when he goes to look for sticks. Naganna and his mother are taken to Dharmaram by Chandrappa. It is his birthplace. (38) Naganna gets married to Ramulu. His mother dies happily. Chandrappa dies. Ramulu dies in childbirth. The child is stillborn. Seeing Yellanna brings back all the childhood memories to Naganna. They decide to go to Yennela Dinni. (41)
5. Caste and art
'When they reached the outskirts of Yennela Dinni, Naganna stopped and looked. The village of his childhood. . . When he left he had gone with his mother. When he came back, he came as companion to Yellana. That day he tied his childhood in a bundle and left. Today he was coming back carrying pain and loneliness. They crossed the stream.' (43)
Ruth reflects: 'Many artists were buried in the depths of the past. There are no records that history has made a note of them in its pages. In this country caste is more important than art. . . As for those of certain castes, not just being not weighed, they have not even been allowed near the scale.' (41)
6. Boodevi
Boodevi grieves at the disappearance of her nephew Yellanna. Her husband Yenkatanarsu beats her for admonishing the pedda mala. Yerrenkadu is disgusted with himself for being a coward. (46) 'When all the men are cowardly, my child spoke. Not just my child, I, too am speaking . . . kill me too,' says Lingalu. (46) Pittodu stands up for Lingalu. (47) He invokes Narigadu and his ghost. (48) Ten years since the death of Narigadu. His ghost is described and how it lays siege to the karanam's house. (49) Subbireddy is killed by the karanam when he asks him for the accounts. (53) Mataiah - Narigadu's brother - kills the elder karanam with his axe. (54) The incident is witnessed by Rangayi, Subbireddy's wife. (54) Meanwhile, 'Ramanujam's religion had entrenched itself among the malas and the madigas.' . . Ramanujam's religion said there was no caste discrimination.' (57) Yellanna returns home to Boodevi, with Naganna. (59)
7. Naganna's homecoming
'He was searching for his childhood friends. . . He kept staring at Yellana's father, Yerrenkadu. No use. Was difficult to recognize younger people.' (59) The floods are recalled. Naganna meets Chinarangadu. He recalls how when they were children Chinarangadu would threaten to take his mother away. (62) His mother would laugh. 'Yennela Dinni's malas were very ordinary people. They were people groping for light.' (62)
8. The negation of the outcastes
A commentary of how caste, untouchability, criminal acts, looting continued irrespective of religious persuasions. 'Those who said everything was in the Vedas began seeing everything in the white men's feet.' (63) The outcastes are not credited with stirring the roots of Telugu drama. Yellana's acting and dance had no value in European frames. (64)
Reuben retells the incident of Krishna asking his mother Yashoda for milk. He says, instead of milk or butter there would be dried fish in the houses of the malas and madigas of Yennala Dinni. Yasodattha would not have the leisure to wait for Krishna to sing daintily. She would be more likely be cutting weeds in someone else's field. 'She would curse her birth . . . She would beat the child . . . She would hide him in here hungry stomach. Asking him to search for grains of food if only he could find them.' (65)
Boodevi arranges Yellana's marriage to Subhadra, the daughter of Pittodu and Chinnammi. 'Yerrenkadu had no confidence that Pittodu would give his daughter to Yellana who danced and went from place to place.' (67) Pittodu reasons, 'Let him go around so long as he returned home.' (70) The newly-weds live with Boodevi.
9. Performance
'Subhadra did not come in the way of his dancing and singing.' (70) Sivaiah is born to Naganna and Subhadra. Yellana learns various dramatic forms from Naganna and Chandrappa. He and his troupe learn to perform the Chenchulakshmi from Naganna. Yellana plays the role of Narasimhaswami. As the audience gets into the discussion about the bride price the play proceeds with the spontaneous responses. (77) Performing the plays becomes a means of resistance. The upper castes issue a warning that if a performance of Atelladu takes place in Dibbalamitta 'both the palles would be reduced to ashes.' (80)
10. Struggle
The karanam's deceit in land dealings is exposed. Naganna leads the outcasts to cut trees so as to have some land for themselves. 'Not just the head of Sambuka or the thumb of Eklyavya. The examples of Dalit history did not stop with them . . . struggle is not an ideal for the malas and the madigas. It is a necessity.' (87)
Yellana decides not to perform in Dibbalmitta. As they return to Yennala Dinni Naganna passes on after singing his songs for the last time. (91) 'At every corner it was confrontation that remained as history. . . Turmoil, agitation, revolt. That turmoil is art. That agitation is song. That revolt is dance.' (94) Shaken by Naganna's death Yellana sings of Narigadu, of the flood. Yellana sings about the heroic tales of the outcastes. He leaves Yennala Dinni on his new mission.
11. The potter
Yellana sings of the life of the malas. He is called mala bairagi [ascetic]. He stays in Guntur a while. In every song he weaves Subhadra. (96) C.P. Brown who worked for the Telegu language from 1825-55 discovered the writings of the 17th century Telugu poet Vemana. (97) Yellana's songs are on the lips of the people in Nellore district. (98) Groups in fields sing his songs. The potter Pedakoteswarudu writes dvipadas - couplets in Telugu written by non-brahmins. He asks Yellana to sing his songs. (101) Riled by this the upper castes kill Pedakoteswarudu. (104) Yellana lights his pyre. (105)
'The tomb of potter Pedakoteswarudu became a meeting place for ordinary people. . . If such a meeting of upper castes took place, it would turn into a holy shrine. . . [Here] there is a beautiful scene combining dance, word, and song. That's all.' (106)
12. Subhadra
Yellana moves 'from village to village.' (106) Subhadra waits for him. Sivaiah grows up in Yennala Dinni. Yerrankadu dies 'yearning to see his son.' (107) The weavers lose their livelihood, 'The looms had stopped moving and the thread started moving only on the wheel.' (107) Yenkatanarsu plants gogu plants to cope with the situation. In this manner there are sixty-four arts. (108) 'How wonderfully the folklorist has said that art is only for the masses. . . What is hidden in people's lives is not small insignificant art. . . What wonderful artists are Poladu who skins the hide of a buffalo skilfully with ease, Pittodu who carves wood, and Yenkatanarsu who makes the thread dance in myriad ways.' (109)
'There was no drinking water for the malas and madigas.' (112) They depended on the upper castes to deign to give them some water out of pity from the only drinking water well. At midnight the malas change the course of the water in the canal. Atchireddy was enraged. He sent people to attack the malas who did the deed. (115) Pittodu and Poladu are bleeding. Subhadra diverts the water in the canal to the amazement of everyone else. (117) Washerwoman Venkayi breastfeeds Subhadra when she was a child. (119) Subhadra is seen as a goddess. Yellana sings to Subhadra beginning each couplet with 'Listen Subhadra.' (121-2) The coolies sing the song. Subhadra hears it and asks the coolies where they heard it. Subhadra meets Sasirekha.
13. Drought
Drought hits Southern India. Cholera and diarrhoea are rife. (129) Pits are being dug for the dead. (131) People try to get work at the Buckingham canal. (132) 'No Lord Krishna was on their side. There was no Kurukshetra that would take place because five villages were refused. All that they had was caste. The caste outside the four castes. A castaway caste.' (131) Yellana staggers into Yennala Dinni uttering Subhadra's name. He is seen by his son Sivaiah who takes him to Subhadra. Subhadra caresses Yellana. They both die in each others arms. (134) Sivaiah and Sasirekha limp on to begin a new life.
14. Christianity makes inroads
Sivaiah converts to Christianity. He is introduced to Martin of the American Baptist Mission called Lone Star. (145) ' The Baptist mission took up digging a four-mile long canal for the malas and madigas near Rajupalem near Ongole.' (147) Sivaiah muses on the bloody elimination of the younger karanam, like the elder karanam was axed and his ashes thrown in the Penna. 'Was a fistful of ashes any value to the Penna?' (152) 'Martin's original name was Chinnodu.' (153) As they prepare for Christmas, Martin is killed. (176) Pages from Reuben's diary. (177)
15. Social reformers
Ruth reminisces about Reuben and Yellana. 'How many people would know Yennela Dinni the way Yennalla knew it. . . How many times did Ruth draw the picture of the chukkala muggukara in her heart? But was she able to capture the image of Subhadra in front of her eyes? . . . Folk culture has such maleness. Has such femaleness. . . Beauty, expression, and weaving are the adornments that have stuck on to the folk so very naturally.' (185) Ruth and Reuben build a house in Yennela Dinni. (187) Ruth's second child, Rosy, gets married to Vandanam. (191)
A discussion about Gandhiji's concept of Harijan. (194-95) 'In 1924, there was a Vaikom satyagraha for the temple entry of the untouchable castes. Periyar [1879-1973] took part in it.' (200) Phule [1827-1890] is recalled for his struggle to abolish casteism in Maharashtra. (201) Reuben and Ruth set out to meet Gandhiji at Bitragunta. (201)
16. Avalapadu
'The term Communist had never been far away from Ruth. . . She saw Communists, Spoke to them,' (206) Penchili and mala elders are awed by the gun the policeman left behind. (220) False charges are made by Venkata Choudhary against the malas. (222) The malas are accused of snatching the gun of the police. (222) Police force enters Avalapadu. (222)
Sendri has labour pains. 'Sendri was screaming sporadically. . . All the women surrounded Sendri like a screen. . . The women . . . swarmed around Sendri like a hut. The police were hitting them on their hands and legs. But that human hut formed around her did not crumble. Did not disperse. . . They did not hear the swear words by the police. In all that ghastliness, an earsplitting cry . . . a baby boy's shriek. The first scream of an untouchable.' (226)
'The blood that flowed . . . too has caste. But there was a uniqueness to the blood that flowed in Avalapadu. That was the blood of the malas of Avalapadu. The blood of the Communists of the malapalli of Avalapadu. (227) 'In Telangana, every palle was a military camp. Palle filled with police. Armed Madras Police. Armed Malabar Police, Armed Maharashtra Police. . . Licensed authority to kill people. It was then that killing people in "encounters" began.' (228-29) The end of the Telangana Armed Struggle was followed by the general elections of 1952. (229)
17. The revolutionary
The meaning of 'Naxite.' (230) Immanuel, Rueben and Ruth's son, opts to be a 'naxite.' He returns dead to the house. 'How the thousands of people swarming around Immanuel looked at him! At Sreekakulam Immanuel. At Comrade Immanuel. At her child.' (243) 'What did Immanuel do? . . . He did what every revolutionary did on this earth. . . He strung the bow and aimed it at the shameful torture, horrible exploitation and cut-throat culture.' (244)
18. The dream
----------------------------
*See Translator's note at the end of the novel. All citations from Untouchable Spring by Kalyana Rao. Translated from the Telugu Antarani Vasantam by Alladi Uma and M Sridhar. Telangana: OBS, 2000. For another blogpost on the novel see Antarani Vasantam. Updated 16/11/22.
Comments