What is the role of the spy in Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard?

The spy is a very interesting character to examine in this excellent novel. Primarily, he is a figure who is used for great comic value, as his obsession with finding out the secret to Kulfi's feasts drives him, ironically, to become one of the centre dishes, as he positions himself directly above her boiling cauldron with the intention of gaining a sample from it to test, only to fall into it himself when the branch snaps.

However, whilst he is a figure of fun, at the same time, there is an obvious parallel between the spy and Sampath. Note how this is established in the following quotation:

He hated his job as a teacher in the public school, hated the boys who drew unflattering portraits of him in their notebooks and pulled faces behind his back. Often he gave them exercises to do and escaped to the staff room, where he sat staring out of the window and smoking cigarettes.

The spy, just like Sampath had been, is trapped in a job that he hates and that he wants to escape. The difference between Sampath and the spy is that the spy wants to escape this through gaining glory thanks to his discovery of what is really going on with Sampath. Uncovering some deception or fraud, the spy hopes, will gain him the success and recognition that he deserves. It is this ardent zeal for discovery and for success that drives the spy to his rather unfortunate culinary demise. The importance of the spy therefore lies in his presentation as another character who is extremely dissatisfied with his life, but who takes a very different route to try and escape this dissatisfaction.

What makes the spy an entertaining character in Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard?

The spy has set out to expose Sampath Chawla as a complete charlatan, the kind that he believes holds back the Indian people from becoming truly enlightened. An intellectual with a firm commitment to using reason to drive out superstition in all its forms, the spy is a man with a mission, a man committed to ridding India of self-declared holy men like Sampath.

All very admirable, one might think. And there's certainly no doubt that Sampath is indeed a charlatan. This is a man practically crying out to be exposed as a fraud. The problem, however, is that the spy is so full of his own importance that it's difficult to have much sympathy with him, even though we can still sympathize with his noble cause.

The spy's complete lack of self-awareness provides much of the humor in the story. Though only a humble teacher from the provinces, the spy acts like he's James Bond as he goes about his business sniffing around for the merest hint of fraud.

This huge gap between the spy's elevated self-perception and what he's actually like is very humorous, and Desai exploits it for all it's worth. This man, who hates his job, is disrespected by his pupils, leads a sad, empty life, and entertains fantasies of his becoming a public intellectual on TV.

But there's no chance whatsoever of his ever achieving such an exalted position in life. In holding on to such ludicrous fantasies, the spy is committing fraud on himself, somewhat ironic when you consider that his role as an investigator consists of rooting out fraud.