Discussion Topic
The contemporary relevance of the novel Untouchable
Summary:
Untouchable remains relevant today as the caste system and the plight of Untouchables, or Dalits, persist in parts of India and the sub-continent. Despite the abolition of "untouchability" in 1950 and efforts toward social equity, discrimination and prejudice against Dalits continue, especially in rural areas. The novel's depiction of Bakha's suffering as an outcast highlights ongoing social issues.
Is the novel Untouchable still relevant today?
The caste system in India is perhaps the world's oldest social hierarchy. It is a system of stratification in which a person's occupation and social status are determined by birth. The term "untouchables" or "Dalits" or " the oppressed" refers to individuals who belong to the lowest social order. Dalits have suffered centuries of abuse, discrimination, prejudice, and violence. The "hidden apartheid" is also practiced in other parts of the sub-continent like Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Untouchable, published in the 1930s, reflects a social milieu that gives prominence to the caste system. The novel depicts the anguish of Bakha, a sweeper boy, who belongs to the category of social outcasts.
In 1950, the Constitution of India abolished the concept of "untouchability." The government has developed policies directed towards social equity. Democracy has empowered the depressed classes, spearheaded a cultural revolution, and broadened society's outlook.
Although untouchability has...
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vanished in urban India, it continues to have a conspicuous presence in more rural areas.
References
I would say that the work is relevant today, given how Prime Minister Manmohan Singh endorsed the 2004 release of the commemorative edition. The idea of ostracizing members of a community because they reach out to others is quite relevant on several levels. Given the globalized reality into which India is a significant player, the vestiges of the caste system and the tradition bound prejudice that might be present has to be eliminated. Anand's work speaks to this. At the same time, I think that the personal experience of how the author's aunt was shunned from her Hindu community simply for having dinner with a Muslim is something that speaks quite loudly to this. I think that this is relevant in the modern setting as there is a great deal of fear in the world today of "the other." Anand's work speaks to a world where accepting this dialectical reality has to be part of its configuration in order to find some level of happiness and success.