Novel Role of Women, Use of Myth and Symbolism & Gandhian Ideology in Kanthapura by Raja Rao
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Role of Women
Introduction
The woman in India and other patriarchal countries symbolises weakness. She is supposed to live a miserable and dependent life. Our culture has neither given her the right to remain free and independent not to act on her own.
She is considered to be a creature to be commanded. She is transfigured into a cultural sign rather than a material being. In Indian sub-continent, before the 20th century, female emancipation was strictly forbidden.
Educating a girl was considered to be a sin. Her only duty was to deal with the affairs of her home and remain dependent on her husband.
But with the emergence of western education, the society underwent various changes and gradually the views on the women also changed. Towards the end of the 19th century, various social reformers and philosophers tried to uplift the women and give her freedom.
Various movements like Widow-remarriage, Prohibition of Child Marriage, Prohibition of Dowry System etc. were introduced to the society that helped in the betterment of women up to some extent.
Women Play Leading Role
In Kanthapura novel, we find that woman plays a leading role. They play an active role than men. Thus. the woman is an inseparable part of the novel.
His choice of the old woman, Achakka, as the narrator shows that he wants the novel to be described from the perspective of the female. This is very rare where history is looked at from the woman point of view as opposed to analytical power-the male view.
Mythical Story of Kenchamma
As the novel begins, we learn about the mythical story of Kenchamma, the female deity, who came from heaven to fight against a demon who was spreading violence in Kanthapura.
In the fierce battle, Kenchamma comes as victorious and the demon is defeated and killed. The blood of the demon makes one side of the hill red. Kenchamma after killing the demon lives with the people of Kanthapura.
Achakka, the narrator tells that the deity has always helped the people of Kanthapura whenever they face the problem. Thus the deity, who is a female, is the symbol of power and might.
Women as Satyagrahis
In the novel, the woman takes a significant role as Satyagrahis. When Moorthy, the protagonist, comes back from the city as a Gandhian man, he goes to women of his village and distributes free Charkhas among them telling that foreign goods have made India poor and hence they (women) can play an important part in the struggle by spinning and using homemade things.
Moorthy like Gandhi knows the importance of women in struggle and hence makes Rangamma, a rich and educated widow, a member of Congress committee saying, “We need a woman for the committee for the Congress is for weak and lowly.”
Rangamma
The women like Moorthy very much, hence follow his advice. Rangamma, plays an important role in the village, being well educated, she reads newspapers regularly.
She is influenced by Gandhian Philosophy and becomes a source of knowledge and inspiration for the women of the village.
In order to get the support of women, she tells the stories of historical figures like Laxmi Bai and Sarojini Naidu, thus encouraging them to take an active part in the struggle.
Struggle of Women
When Moorthy is arrested along with a number of men, the women of Kanthapura continue the struggle. They are molested, tortured, raped and even beaten, but they do not lose hope and bearing all the violence they resist the foreign rule.
After the death of the teller of Hari-Katha, Rachna, a widow becomes the new teller and Rangamma elaborates them. Raja Rao making a female as the narrator challenges the orthodox views that only males should take part in the religious affairs of state.
Thus Raja Rao throws light on the importance of women in the society. He explores through the novel that women can also take part in the affairs of state as well as of religion. Kanthapura is thus a novel criticising orthodoxy of Indian Culture and patriarchy as well.
Use of Myth and Symbolism
Myth in India
The myth is an inseparable part of the culture of any country. India is essentially a culturally rich country. Every village of India has its own story of origin though it may or may not be true. Myth form an important part of every human particularly of those who are away from scientific knowledge.
Raja Rao in his novel Kanthapura had made myth one of the primary factors that continue the novel. In spite of being residing and educating in foreign, he shows his faith in mythology.
Sthala-Purana
The plot of the story is laid in an imaginary village which is surrounded by other imaginary villages. In this novel, Raja Rao makes the narrative in the form of Sthala-Purana and an old lady is the narrator of the story.
Raja Rao’s Kanthapura is based on the patterns of Ramayana. The way in which Ramayana is narrated by Sage Valmiki, Achakka is the narrator and commentator. She compares Gandhi with Rama, India with Sita.
Gandhi and Rama
Gandhi’s going to England is compared to Rama’s exile and Indians are consulted with Bharatha. Like Ayodya, Kanthapura is a caste-ridden village which is away from the modem ways of living.
As Sita is captured and tortured by Ravana, in the same way, India is captured and looted by Red-men. Like Rama’s rescue of Sita, Gandhi also struggles to free India from the British. In Ramayana, Rama waged war against Ravana. Similarly, in Kanthapura, Gandhi wages war against the British.
One way between Rama and Ravana leads to a number of deaths. Similarly when the people of Kanthapura wage war against the British, a number of them are wounded, jailed, tortured and killed mercilessly.
As Rama liberates Sita from Ravana, Gandhi liberates India from British and brings Swaraj. Hence in a sense, the novelist had described the same old mythical story of Ramayana in a new way. Although the characters are changed yet the story is the same.
Achakka Narrates Story
Moreover, as the novel begins, Achakka tells the ‘sisters’ about the story of Kanchamma, the local deity of Kanthapura. There was a time when a demon spread violence in the country. He made men as his food and women as his wives.
Kenchamma came from heaven to free the country from the demon. As a result, a war broke out between Kenchamma and the demon in which Kenchamma came as victorious and the demon was defeated and killed. That is why one side of the hill of Kanthapura is red (with the blood of demon).
After killing the demon, Kenchamma started living with the common people of Kanthapura and helped in their problems. Achakka tells that the deity helps the people of Kanthapura in their problems even today.
This shows that how the people believed in the mythical story of Kenchamma and would pray her whenever they would face any problem.
Casteism in Kanthapura
Casteism is also prevalent in Kanthapura. Moorthy, the protagonist of the novel goes against the caste system by visiting a Pariah’s house. But he feels extreme discomfort there.
He gets fife and thinks that all the Gods have become angry with him. After going back to the home he takes a religious bath in order to perform purification.
Thus even Moorthy who wants war against untouchability practices casteism. This shows the blind faith of people in the mythical concept of casteism.
Moorthy and Gandhi
In Kanthapura, we also come across various comparisons between Moorthy and Gandhi. The people of Kanthapura give the status of God to Gandhi after learning about his life and acts.
Moorthy is considered to be an avatar of Gandhi and this of God. The people find spirituality in Gandhi as well as in Moorthy and blindly accepts their advice.
Hence in spite of being a political novel, Kanthapura is filled with myths and blind faiths and such myths and blind faith are prevalent in all the underdeveloped villages of India.
Gandhian Ideology
A Political Novel
Kanthapura is the first novel of Raja Rao written in 1938 A.D. It describes the period in which the struggle against the foreign government was dominating the political scenario in India. At that time the Non-Cooperation Movement was in vogue.
Congress under the leadership of Gandhi was leading the movement. Raja Rao supported the ideas of Gandhi thus Kanthapura as a political novel is totally influenced by the principles of Gandhi. At the beginning of the novel, we come to know about the structure of the village.
Cast-ridden Village
We find that the village of Kanthapura is a caste-ridden village and the quarters of people are separated on the basis of casteism. The casteism is so prevalent in Kanthapura that if a Brahmin visits a Pariah’s house, he has to go to Kashi for purification.
Moorthy, the protagonist of the novel, who is a Brahmin, gives up his studies after being influenced by the Gandhian Philosophy by going through different pamphlets and newspapers. Hence we don’t see Gandhi in actual but his ideology and principles in the novel and Moorthy is the avatar of Gandhi.
Moorthy Adopts Gandhian Ideology
Moorthy after adopting the Gandhian Ideology gives up his studies in the city and returns back to his village. He gives up foreign clothes and goods and wears hand-woven Khaddar. He encourages the people of his village to use native things and become independent of foreign goods.
In order to encourage the concept of ‘Swaraj’ or ‘home rule,’ he visits each house and distributes free Charkhas so that every person of his village may become a part of the struggle. He explains the Gandhian principles and encourages them to follow the same.
Belief in Non-violence
Like Gandhi, Moorthy believes in non-violence. He asks people to make their struggle non-violent. They should love their enemies even if the later may hate them or even act violently. Moorthy asks the people to speak the truth and remains loyal to Congress.
He proves his words when after being sentenced to jail, he refuses to release on bail. He tells the lawyer that if he held the weapon of truth firmly no power on earth will be able to harm him.
In spite of the threats of ex-communication from Batta, he takes an active part in the struggle against untouchability and visits a Pariah’s house where he is treated as God.
But this should also be noted that he feels extreme discomfort and fife there and on returning back, he takes a religious bath for purification. Thus in real, he accepts untouchability in spite of his struggle against it.
Kanchamma
Gandhi believed that women help is crucial for the struggle, hence he tried to get the support of women as well. Similarly, Moorthy seeks the help of Kanchamma, a rich educated widow of his village. Kanchamma fully supports Moorthy as well as Gandhian Ideology.
When Moorthy is behind the bars, she establishes the Women’s Volunteer Corps. The women after being influenced by her words, take an active part in the struggle. They are molested, raped and even beaten but they don’t lose hope.
Hence it is the Gandhian Ideology which makes the plot of the novel to develop and not Gandhi himself. As Gandhi influences politics at the national level, Moorthy becomes the Gandhi of Kanthapura and does the same things. Thus Kanthapura is a mini-nation with a Gandhi of itself i.e. Moorthy.
