History of Caste Politics by an Angry Young Man: A Study of Vijay Tendulkar’s Kanyadaan
Biswajit Choudhury
ABSTRACT
Vijay Tendulkar’s play Kanyadaan is an open-ended
terrain of explanations and interpretations of the caste politics
implanted by Brahmism colonialism and false religious dogmas. The
re-reading of the play manifests the hegemonic power structure
prevailing in the society. The play shows that Break the Caste
System is a good slogan for politics but very difficult to apply in
social life and family life. This research article discovers Arun as
an oppressed anti-hero who tries to find out the “history from the
below”, a term used by the subaltern historians. Arun throws light
on the fact that dalits were dispossessed of their homes and lands
during the pre-colonial, colonial and postcolonial period. The
re-reading of the play presents the character of Arun as a subaltern
historian who unearths the subjective history of subjugation,
humiliation, deprivation, discrimination and subalternization. Arun
reminds every one of the histories of struggle fought by caste
subalterns down the ages. After looking back with anger, Arun looks
forward with fire and wants to set fire to the whole world. This
article shows that Tendulkar wanted to present Arun as a dalit
intelligentsia in front of his would-be in-laws with no marks of
highly cultured person. Arun does not want to change himself because
he is afraid of losing his identity. Identify crisis or search for
identity is an important theme in postcolonial studies. Arun would
always be the “Other” to the Brahmin or upper caste world. Jyoti as
a true wife stands by Arun to awaken the god slumbering within man.
Through Jyoti’s mouth, Tendulkar propounds that without a
comprehensive realization of humanity, it is difficult to appreciate
the real human self beyond social prejudices. This comprehensive
realization or empathy would be the first step to liberate the caste
subalterns from the thralldom of social stigma
Key words: History, caste, politics, subaltern, dalit, postcolonial.
