When we generally begin to read a book based on the Indian freedom
struggle, particularly on the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi, we expect something
different from all the others in the genre. And each book has something new to offer.
Kanthapura does not disappoint readers in this regard.
Most of us have grown up listening to stories from our mothers and
grandmothers. The USP of Kanthapura is the similar feeling it gives us, when we
turn the pages.
Narrative
One must get used to the narrative, which is like no other I have
read before. An old woman, reciting a long story in her classic village gossip
style is not something that one may expect to gel with the story of an independence
struggle. And Raja Rao has managed to pull off exactly that, with finesse.
"We have neither punctuation nor the
treacherous “ats” and “ons” to bother us—we tell one interminable tale. Episode
follows episode, and when our thoughts stop our breath stops, and we move on to
another thought. This was and still is the ordinary style of our story-telling.
I have tried to follow it myself in this story".
The most unique thing about the narrative is the stream-of-consciousness style which is
juxtaposed into a classic legend oratory 'sthala-puraana', which brings
the cultural and historical essence of Indian villages to life. Further, it is refreshing to read a novel set in South India, rural Karnataka to be precise. The nuances of the Kannada language, the people and the cultural essence have been captured effectively by Raja Rao.
Each line has so many repeated phrases that one may either get
annoyed by them or may get pulled into the lines so completely that they enrich the
feel of the story. At times when the protagonist-narrator Achakka tells us
about people, we agree that what she reveals to us is relevant enough, and what she
leaves out is irrelevant. When she tells us about tense episodes in the
struggle, we hold our breath as she nonchalantly narrates instances of violence, death
and disaster. Her unending sentences fire and feed the excitement of the moment and fuel the rush of feeling during
the episodes.
Characters
As for the characters, one needs immense memory to remember the
peripheral ones. Moorthy, as the pioneer of the freedom struggle in the
fictional village Kanthapura of course, stays throughout the book and is the
actual protagonist, so to speak. His Gandhian ideas and his steadfast
commitment to his principles are noteworthy. It is interesting when at one
time, he fights his Brahmin conscience to enter a Pariah home and accept milk
from a pariah woman. This is just one instance how Rao’s characters are real,
and behave like real people do.
But what really captures the readers’ attention are the epithets
that Achakka gives most of them. The one that caught my attention at once was
Waterfall Venkamma, the vocal critic who tries to minimize the pollution of the
castes.
Pock-mark Siddha, Beadle Thimmiah, Postmaster Suryanarayana, corner house Moorthy, Four-beamed-house Chandrashekarayya, Postman Surappa, Alur Purnayya, Temple Rangappa, Front-house Suranna, Advocate Seenappa, etc are some others. The way the humor of the epithets complement the information about the character is exemplary.
The character of the wealthy Bhatta who manipulates the villagers
shows the shrewdness of Indians who take advantage of their own ilk by
colluding with the conquerors. Even the absent characters like Swami who oppose
Moorthy have powerful roles to play, as they showcase the regionalized, obscure processes of colonial rule. Moorthy's mother Narasamma’s character is heart-wrenching towards the end when she dies a
miserable death.
Irrespective of whether they play a vital or passing role in the
story, Achakka’s unique narrative brings them to life in a raw, vital and
engrossing way. Bhatta and Waterfall Venkamma provide the opposing antagonism
to Moorthy’s initiatives.
Themes
Apart from the Gandhian principles that are predominant in the
story, we see the effect of the same on other related themes such as the caste
system and colonialism. This leads to the theme of change, that erodes the
strong elements of religious superstition related to the myths of the land. One such
example is how Moorthy finding a lingam in Achakka’s backyard leads to building
a temple for Lord Shiva, who is a more universally worshipped deity than the Kanthapura Goddess, who is known as Kenchamma. This is despite the strong legend of Kenchamma who has
slayed a demon over the scarlet-coloured hill which is believed to be stained
by his blood till date.
The other themes are the social structures that are gradually
eroded too. Achakka, the staunch Brahmin ends up being part of a movement that
includes all the other castes, including pariahs too. The irony is powerful in
many instances too. One among them is how Ratna the young widow is not only a
rebel, which is surprising in itself, but also a character who grows from being
ostracized by the women to becoming their leader towards the climax.
Symbolism
The Skeffington coffee estate and Boranna’s Toddy farm are symbolic
of the colonial mastery and oppression of the poor by the British.
Ratna symbolizes the ostracisation of women in society and also the
empowerment of equality that Gandhi provided them with. Narsamma’s
opposition to her son’s activities symbolize the power of the caste
system within the fabric of rural Indian society.
Storyline
There is no fixed story-line as such, because the meandering
narration moves ahead with key events related to the freedom struggle. The book
grows on the reader and the breathless pace keeps us hooked. The best scenes
are those related to the women actually resisting the police, especially the
ones in which they are taken away, beaten up and abandoned in a distant forest.
How good leadership makes them build their resilience, garner their united
strength and march miles across the landscape to return to their village makes
for a thrilling read. It is heartening
to read about simple women who rise in rebellion against colonial rule, are
crushed and yet return like phoenixes to reclaim their goals.
The scenes where a baby is born prematurely amidst a raging fire in
the vicinity, where they are escaping from violent attackers would make a
thrilling scene if filmed in a movie. Also, the way the women support each
other, when locked in the temple is outstanding. The irony of a pariah girl
rescuing the ladies is not lost on the reader.
The best line in the book that gave me goosebumps:
‘And when the beds were laid and the eyelids wanted to shut, we
said, ‘Let them shut,’ for we knew that our men were not far and their eyelids
did not shut.’
It is gripping when the women run helter-skelter to escape the
police and realize that the menfolk who had disappeared overnight, were
actually hidden in the lantana growth in the nearby backyard.
Rating
Kanthapura is a unique read, that deserves a rating of 4.7 out of
5. The feminists of today would love the powerful evolutional characterization
of the women, narrated by a woman of ample grit, intelligence and substance.
And to have been penned by a male author gives it more weightage for sure.
Follow me for more reviews of the books I read. Your comments on my
work are welcome too. Until next time, Happy reading!
