Kolkata, City of Joy and The Untouchable

Dear Pouring Rain,

Hope you are well! Once again I’m here on the keyboard. Clouds are hovering on Kolkata’s indigo sky, stretched over my head. You must be surprised that how could I see the indigo, when there are dark clouds. Yes..! I can..! Actually, I can perceive. My sixth sense is sharp enough. It’s like water permeating through soil, I guess. Well, leave it, we’ll talk about the sixth sense sometime later. You must be planning to touch the earth, now. It’s need of the hour. In fact, all are waiting for you here.

It’s now 7th month, since I’m in Kolkata, the so called "City of Joy". By the way, Dominique Lapierre’s City of Joy is not a reality, I must say. It’s an illusion only and we all are happy. Actually we are habituated to sing on the tune of praise and we don’t have enough courage to accept the truth, the criticism. When someone comes forward with the truth, we just show him the gate. You must be aware about the controversy, the than Prime Minister of India, Late Mr. Rajeev Gandhi once named kolkata as a dying city. We people made a lot of hue and cry. Mr. Gandhi was true, but it’s not possible for us to digest the criticism.

Well, dear friend, now let’s talk about City of Joy written by Mr. Lapierre. In fact this book is a failed attempt to understand Indian society. Its story concerns a French priest living in Kolkata. Paul Lambert, who is trying to help and understand life in a slum, called Anand Nagar (City of Joy). Among its various protagonists is the rickshaw puller, Hasari Pal who becomes a central figure in the novel later. Despite the poverty and injustice, the inhabitants of Anand Nagar display an inscrutable acceptance and celebration of life — an attitude that humbles fate and dignifies life. But still something is lacking.

Now I’m coming to “Untouchable”. Look, I’m trying to compare “The City of Joy” with Mulk Raj Anand’s “Untouchable”. Mr. Anand was a master story teller. He crafted the plot very well and the story moves smoothly. Bakha is an untouchable, a member of the lowest caste in India. The action of book occupies one day in Bakha’s life. A likeable, strangely graceful, thwarted young sweeper, accidentally he touches a caste Hindu. This catastrophe and its repercussions poison all the happens subsequently, even such pleasant episodes as a hockey match, a country walk and a wedding.

In this sensitive portrayal of an individual, Mulk Raj Anand displays his penetrating thought and humane attitude in understanding the grim realities of one of the aspects of the social life in India. Even E.M. Foster once said about Untouchable “It’s an excellent work and I’m delighted to read it. I hope it’ll be favorably received.”

Apparently, “Untouchable” could only have been written by an Indian and by an Indian who observed from the outside. No European, however sympathetic, could have created the character of Bakha, because he would not have known enough about his troubles. At the same time no untouchable could have written the book, because he would have been involved in indignation and self-pity.

Dear Pouring Rain, now coming to the point. Lapierre’s novel lacks this type of reality. It’s said, truth is far bitter. How could Dominique Lapierre judge Kolkata, as the City of Joy? Dear friend, I remember the quote of a senior journalist and writer Madhuker Upadhyay. “Someone who doesn’t know Sanskrit and Urdu, can’t understand the India, in a better way. He’ll never ever understand the sentiment of the nation. When you go through the both novels, you’ll find Mr. Upadhyay right.

Once again…once again I’m going to fell into debate. The problem is, I don’t want to be a part of any debate. I want to be a witness only. It’s called SAKSHI BHAW in Hindi. I just simply want to let you know about the happenings around me. Well, dear friend, it’s too late and I need to work for my Roji-Roti. Once again, I would like to say.. I miss you. Come soon and drench me. Waiting for you.

Regards!
The Desert.