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CHAPTER- I

INTRODUCTION

Those who continue to harp on the decline of the novel . . . ought to

consider Rohinton Mistry. He needs no infusion of magic realism to

vivify the real. The real world, through his eyes, is magical. (The

Newyork Times).

Supreme power of observation with a critical mind, deep- seated

empathetic feelings sensible writing skill, sharp political consciousness and

a sense of sardonic humour have remarkably distinguished Rohinton Mistry

from other novelists of international fame. He is unique in blending the

drown- to- earth historical materials with his fictitious creations. His

delineation of political and historical events has rendered cinematographic

effect to his novels. He is so deft in conjuring up realistic mental pictures

through his artistic presentation. His specialized artistic talent is to make the

readers feel the presence of the author throughout his narration.

Mistry is a writer of considerable achievement patiently and with

loving humour; (He) develops a portrait and draws his people with

such care and understanding that their trails become our tragedies.

(WaterBrook 1)

Mistry’s portraits of Indian society are commendably graphical and

humour tickling. He enlivens the past incidents in the reader’s minds and
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brings out lasting impression on them. All the comments of Mistry is pointed

and they rather roll out the stark reality of Indian politics with artistic

overtone. His narrative techniques are varied and he is able to present a

panoramic view of the vast Indian society hardly in a passage. His approach

is invariably a microcosmic one. It lends him the power to encompass the

incomprehensible social phenomena in a brief presentation. Samrat makes a

critical remark on the writings of Mistry:

It’s not only individual lives that Mistry point with such

meticulousness; it’s how he stretches his canvas to embrace the wider

world that makes his work comparable to the contemporary giants of

literature.(Samrat 6)

Another prominent aspect of Mistry’s progressive writing is the power

of accommodativeness. He lures his readers with his mesmerizing writings

and takes them along with him throughout the narration. This aspect of

Mistry have won him volley of appreciations and applauds. Apart from this

his socio political commitment is praise-worthy. Every individual has his

right place in his literary utopia. He has ascertained in many places the

essentiality of upholding the individual self of everyone in the society.

Samrats’ another moving comment on Mistry is;

In Mistry’s hands, the form of the novel itself expands, and it ends up

making us, the reader and the participants on his journey, filled with
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wonder at the beauty and spaciousness of this world. (Samrat

Upadhyas 10)

Mistry’s writings are purposeful. He never takes up his pen

nonchalantly. He always keeps his readers in his mind and consciously

tuning his mind to relate to them the truth that he has discovered through his

long sustained study of the society. One cannot find any vagueness or

shallow thoughts in his writings. Bharathi aptly comments the insightfulness

of Mistry.

Mistry’s novel is an incredible achievement and to large extent it tells

some truths about India, truths that need to be told. (Bharathi 48)

Mistry’s fictitious writings contain the amalgam of themes and literary

components. He is expert in producing spectacular scenes, exciting events,

hair- raising hideous incidents and sourly lewd descriptions. His dialogues

are neither dry nor casual. They rather capture every reader with energizing

thoughts. Adhar David brilliantly capsules the writing skills of Mistry in his

scintillating comment:

Thus, Rohinton Mistry novels are perfect blend of love, intrigues,

begrudges, politics, friendship and lewdness. There is also humour

with lewd jokes, intentions and pretensions. (Adhar 8)

To a great extent, Mistry can be compared to Charles Dickens and

Thomas Hardy. Both champion the cause of the down-trodden and the have

nots. Apart from politics Rohinton Mistry has touched upon Casteism in
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order to rip open the masked face of Indian culture and to delve out its

various darkened aspects and obscured realities. Besides the themes of love,

intrigues, social displacement, exploitation, misappropriation of money and

misuse of authorities, he has dealt with the politicians and dehumanizing

castiesm of the select period of Indian history. The novels that profoundly

deal with the atrocious politicians and dehumanizing Casteism of India are

‘Such a Long Journey’ and ‘A Fine Balance’ respectively. Of the two Mistry’s A

Fine Balance is a socio- political novel set between two unforgettable political

events i.e the year of the declaration of the emergency and the year of Mrs.

Gandhi’s assassination. The undercurrents of Indian politics have ignited the

imaginative faculty of Mistry to produce his inimitable literary works. The

outright misuse of political powers and the dragonishing aspects of Casteism

have got their due exposure in the writings of Mistry.

Mistry has afirst-hand knowledge of emergency and its politics

upheaval India. Being a Parsi he has been directly or indirectly affected by the

declaration of emergency. It is evident that the Parsi being money lenders

have had retrograding effect on their business due to emergency. The scholar

intends to delve deep the artistic process of Mistry’s mind in terms of politics

and Casteism. Mistry looks into every issue of the age penetratingly and

brings to the surface the naked reality. According to him, politics is

gangrenous and its impact on the society is rather pernicious. He has set his

probe on the factors of modern politics and it dehumanizes people in the

social arena. Politics becomes a muddy pool where selfishness, favoritism,

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nepotism, corruption and abominable self-centered motives enter freely. Men

are Prone to corruption hence they need bridling. Politics free from judicial

monitoring will certainly slip into anarchy.

Mankind will never see an end of trouble until….lovers of wisdom

come to hold political power, or the holders of power…becomes lovers

of wisdom. (Plato)

The adverse system other than politics is Casteism. It has been

originated and perpetuated by Aryans, the ancient invaders of India. It is a

cleverly- formed social system to control and exploit a particular section of

people in order to keep the wellbeing of some privileged section of the

people. The nuances and percepts of Casteism and its age-long practices in

India could be found in the work named Manu Smirthi. The laws of Manu

prescribe certain rules and regulations to govern the underprivileged low

caste people of the society.

The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories Brahmins,

Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras. Many believe that the system has been

originated from Brahma, the Hindu God of creation. The four distinct tribal

groups of ancient India are called Varnas. This system has been on practice

ever since the Vedic period. The fourth group known as Dalits were

historically excluded from the major Varna system altogether and are still

ostracized as untouchables.
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The scholar attempts to establish the fact Rohinton Mistry’s perception

and understanding of Hindu scriptures and cast- systems are above board. He

argues forcibly that Casteism is the historical blender that has been artificially

designed to safeguard and backup the so-called privileged section of people

in the society. The ancient Manu laws are the work of a perverted intellect. It

has an arsenic effect even in the contemporary lives of people. It is so

detestable it taints the whole dignity of mankind and disintegrates the well –

structure social order. The ultimate aim of Manu Laws is to relegate the low

caste people and deprive of their rights and reduce them to the baseful

primates in the name of religion and construct an edifice for the upper caste

people. This attitude and philosophy of Manu are resentable and it has paved

way for social injustice and inequality.

This is an evil – bound social machinery employed tactfully to fashion

the world of privileged and wealthy at the expense of the low castes. Ages of

oppression and denial of education have blunted the intellectual growth of

the low-caste. Moreover, they are confined to do the works prescribed to them

by the law. Whoever tries to violate or escape from this Infamous system will

be severely dealt with. Thus one section of the people is treated as servant

bees to serve the others. This system has bred all sorts of evils in the society

such as, social, moral and spiritual exploitations, atrocities, sexual abuses,

brutality, slavery, injustice, knavery etc.

Mistry vehemently condemns this system and its corroding influence

on the society. He satirizes its other form of atrocities as well. Mistry cannot
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restrain himself from attacking such prevailing brutality, in the society in the

name of religion as he is charged with passionate thoughts and progressive

ideals for a better society. V.T. Rajsekar defines Indian caste system as;

A Primitive but ingenious Aryan invention ran is a fantastic institution

if taken seriously as anything other than a technique of oppression.

(V.T.Rajsaker56)

The caste system of India can be studied along with the apartheid

system of South Africa. It’s another form is the class system of European

countries. During the time of emergency both politics and Casteism

conspicuously made an alliance and treacherously ravaged the defenseless

underprivileged Dalits of India. What the blacks meted out in South Africa is

meted out by the Dalits in India.

Mistry’s Approach is very crucial and subtle. He presents the problems

of Casteism in four major stages of Mrs. Gandhi’s era of India. Firstly, the four

prominent characters of A Fine Balance and two vital characters of Such a Long

Journeyare established and their status and roles in the society are defined.

Then he allows these characters to have confrontation with other superior

caste people of India and thereby studies the maladies of the caste system in

India. The theme of Casteism is chiefly studied against the back drop of

emergency. This period very obviously presents the faithful picture of the

high-caste people and their atrocious behaviour in the society.

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Rohinton Mistry’s creation of the fictitious literary work is highly

laudable and worthy. He is girded up with enigmatic talents and

potentialities to captivate many readers of high esteem. Despite his

nationality in Canada he has had his roots in India. He is very much familiar

with Mumbai and its surroundings. He has absorbed the spirit of Indian

culture; its strength and its weaknesses. He has some queer interest for

Mumbai and its way of living.

Realism is his preferred style. He chooses to alter narrative

perspectives and to introduce a multiplicity of perspectives within an overall

omniscient realistic narrative. The humanism of his narration and grandness

of his narrative decorative pictorial design give a universal dimension to his

characters, who therefore become embodiments of a universal human

condition. His novels are concerned with the experience of the Parsi in India.

Then Mistry tries to exploit the immigration issue by creating a humorous

situation in his novels. He has portrayed a vivid picture of Indian family – life

and culture, the Indian Parsi tradition attack political corruption and misuse

of power in Indian. He has brought out the fact that people in India manage

to live in a crucial condition. He points before us the sorry plight of the slum

dwellers, lack of peace, need for privacy, want of basic amenities which are all

part and parcel of the lifestyles of Indian slum dwellers.

Mistry is a master blender of the picaresque and the tragic . . . To say

He captures the textures of India well and creates larger-than-life

characters
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Is to note the least of his achievements. If anything, his success is to

Make life seem so much larger than the characters – a far tougher task

For the novelist . . . Enthralling. (observer)

The power of Mistry's writing style lies in his ability to raise questions

through fiction that foreground the significance of the individual and the

necessity of the spiritual balance that will never be fully last. Mistry's novels

and short stories, thus reveal a richness of language and texture which

resonates with its own communal dialect of the south Asian diaspora.

Rohinton Mistry exposes the traits of his community and national politics of

the post-independent India through his characters with gentle humour and an

eye for the comic in human nature. The language is also a celebration and

experimentation of linguistic hybridity laced with parsi idioms.

Rohinton Mistry‘s works seek to evolve a vision that involves both the

community centered existence of the Parsis and their involvement with the

wider national framework. His novels are concerned with the experience of

the Parsi in India. He re-narrates the history of his community and country as

it has been in the post-independence era. Mistry creates a cast of interrelated

characters whose lives offer different but complimentary visions of lower

caste Indian life in the 1970s.

Politics form an important subtext to the main action of all three

novels of Rohinton Mistry. This preoccupation moves increasingly closer to

contemporary times as Mistry tackles first, in Such a Long Journey, the

Bangladeshi War With Pakistan, Second, Indira Gandhi’s declaration of a

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state of emergency which affects the livelihood of the tailors of A Fine Balance

and finally, in Family Matters, the impact Hindu fundamentalist agitation and

the post-babri masjid riots had on the life of the ordinary Indian. In this novel,

public events have direct repercussions on the life of the ordinary citizen.

Since the wars are a narrative excuse for the exploration of both political

ethics and the problems of individual ethical-moral responsibility, an

explanatory note on the historical events is in order. In Mistry‘s novels, we

can easily find interconnectedness of various themes like theme of

nationalism, alienation, oppression, human-relationship, fear and temptation.

He’sa chronicler and has cleverly interfaced history and fiction to bring

out the socio-political events that took place during Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s state

of emergency, a period of corruption, tyranny, exploitation, oppression,

violence and bloodshed. Emergency was a blow to the already limited

capacities and options of having a better future for the common man. India

became independent in 1947 but an amicable solution in electing a power to

rule was not feasible. Violence erupted between Hindus and Muslims

resulting in the partition of India into India and Pakistan. Hindus and Sikhs

from Pakistan Moved to India while Muslims Moved to Pakistan. Jawaharlal

Nehru became the first elected prime minister of Independent India followed

By Lal Bahadhur Shastri. In 1972, Mrs. Indira Gandhi became the Prime

minister of India through a landslide victory which the socialist party alleged

as complete electoral malpractice. In 1975, the Allahabad high court

announced a landmark verdict that ruled Mrs. Indira Gandhi of electoral

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malpractice which meant she would have to leave the prime minister ship

and also remain out of politics for the next six years.

On 25th June 1975 as per Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s instruction the then

president declared a state of emergency resulting in total chaos and

oppression. Mrs. Indira Gandhi became the unannounced dictator. Arresting

political foes, curbing media freedom as well as introducing the sinister

twenty points programme that included beautification and sterilization

brought out by her so called heir apparent Sanjay Gandhi resulted in

rootlessness and identity crisis.

Political misjudgment of the people resulted in Mrs. Indira Gandhi

calling for general elections in the year 1977. She was defeated. Again in 1984,

Mrs. Indira Gandhi was elected back to Prime Ministership and during this

tenure; she was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards who revenged her

for her grotesque military attack on the Sikh holy shrine, the golden temple in

Amritsar that killed more than 400 Sikhs. Besides the abusive measures

during the emergency, Mrs. Indira Gandhi also increased the use of military

force in the nation and she fostered a culture of nepotism.

In India, the emergency refers to a 21-month period in 1975–77

when prime minister Indira Gandhi uncalled rally had a state of emergency

declared across the country. Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali

Ahmed under article 352(1) of the constitution for internal disturbance, the

emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 march

1977. The order bestowed upon the prime minister the authority to rule by
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decree, allowing elections to be suspended and civil liberties to be curbed. For

much of the emergency, most of Gandhi’s political opponents were

imprisoned and the press was censored. Several other atrocities were reported

from the time, including a forced mass-sterilization campaign spearheaded

by Sanjay Gandhi, the prime minister's son. The emergency is one of the most

controversial periods of independent India’s history.

A Fine Balance book is written by Rohinton Mistry. Set In Mumbai,

India, between 1975 and 1977 during the turmoil of the emergency period, a

period of expanded government power and crackdowns on civil liberties, this

book is about four characters from varied backgrounds Dina Dalal, Ishvar

Darji, His Nephew Omprakash and the young lad Maneck who come

together, develop a bond and depart from each other's lives as dramatically as

they came. Midnight's children is a 1981 novel by Salman Rushdie. It is a

loose allegory for events in India both before and, primarily, after the

independence and portion of India, which took place at midnight on 15th

august, 1947. The protagonist and narrator of the story is Saleem Sinai, a

telepath with a nasal defect, who is born at the exact moment that India

becomes independent. Saleem Sinai's life then parallels the changing fortunes

of the country after independence.

Rohinton mistry enters to writing after reaching Canada and some of

his early works were published in many Canadian magazines. His short-story

collection "Tales from Firozsha Baag" was published in Canada in the year 1987
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and then in U.K as "Swimming lessons and other stories from Firozsha Baag" in

the year 1992. He wrote three novels and many short stories. His novel "Such a

Long Journey" is written with Mumbai as the background. The novel depicts

the story of a bank clerk who, though unwillingly, becomes a part of a fraud

committed by the government. Rohinton mistry bagged the common wealth

writer’s prize for this book. "A Fine Balance", another novel published in the

year 1996 depicts the state of emergency in India and Family matters which

was published in 2002, again has Mumbai as its background. The novel

narrates the story of an elderly Parsi widower who lives in Mumbai with his

step-children. Both his works Such a Long Journey and A Fine Balance were

shortlisted for the Booker prize for fiction and the third one 'Family matters"

was shortlisted for the man booker prize for fiction (renamed version of

booker prize) in 2002. Many of his literary papers are a part of the Clara

Thomas archives.

His family was targeted by security agents because they thought that

he is a Muslim and because of this very reason he cancelled his book tour to

the United States of America in 2002. He was checked by security agents in

every single airport and the humiliation was unbearable to him. Another

controversy related to Rohinton Mistry is that his novel "Such a Long Journey"

was allegedly against the Mumbai University. The shiv sena's student wing

lodged complaint against this book to the vice-chancellor of Mumbai

University and burnt copies of this book at the university gate. The book was
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eventually withdrawn by the Mumbai University owing to the vigorous

protest. His latest work is a story called “The Scream”.

His works:

Tales from Firozsha Baag, 1987 or swimming lessons and other stories from

Firozsha Baag1989 (us version)

Such a long journey, 1991

A fine balance, 1995

Family matters, 2002

The scream, 2006.

Awards:

First prize, hart house literary contest, 1983

First prize, hart house literary contest, 1984

Annual contributors' prize, canadian fiction magazine, 1985

Shortlisted for” booker prize” for fiction, 1991

Governor general's literary award for fiction, 1991

Commonwealth writers prize, 1992

Books in canada first novel award, 1992

Giller prize, 1995

Shortlisted for “booker prize” for fiction, 1996

Commonwealth writers prize, 1996

Shortlisted for Irish times international fiction prize, 1997

James tail black memorial prize, 2002

Kiriyama pacificrim book prize, 2002

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Shortlisted for booker prize for fiction, 2002

Such a Long Journey examines the life of a handful of Parsi Indians in

the turbulent early 1970's. When Britain withdraws from the subcontinent in

1948, two states are created. Muslims form one state, Pakistan. Pakistan's two

parts are separated by its massive southern neighbor, India. In India, Hindus

predominate, although society is officially secular. Parsis are a small, secretive

religious minority. The inhabitants of khodadad building north of Bombay

are all Parsi. The most pious of them is Gustad noble, the novel's protagonist.

He works in a Parsi dominated bank downtown. Gustad intends that his

eldest son, sohrab, who excelled in secondary and college studies, attend the

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and find a career more lucrative and

prestigious than his own. Gustad bears many grudges from the past, which

have limited his possibilities.

Sohrab, an artist at heart, rejects the plan. The hardheaded father and

son clash and turn their backs on each other. Gustad's middle child, a son

named Darius, causes only minor problems. Gustad's 9-year-old daughter,

Roshan, is chronically ill, though. The illness brings Gustad into contact with

a politically active doctor. Gustad's superstitious wife, Dilnavaz, falls under

the sway of an upstairs neighbour who practices both black and white magic.

A parsi mystic advises Gustad's sworn enemy. Another eccentric old parsi

rages out his window at the unfairness of the almighty. A tragic and mentally

deficient young man wanders about, delivering messages and playing. His

mind was destroyed after falling from the neem tree at the center of the
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compound. Although Gustad's war hero best friend, Major Jimmy "Bili boy"

Bilimoria, has vanished from the apartment complex, he writes to Gustad to

ask a favor. Gustad follows his friend's instructions and receives a very large

amount of cash.

Gustad is forced into depositing it gradually into a false Bank account.

Then he is compelled to withdraw it even more rapidly. It is clear Gustad is

dealing with terrorists. Gustad is forced to involve another friend, the cancer-

riddled, lecherous Dinshawji. Dinshawji's hospitalization, death, and funeral

force Gustad to contemplate anew the mysteries of life. Jimmy Bilimoria

reveals the sordid political story behind the money laundering, during a

heartbreaking visit Gustad makes to his friend's prison hospital bedside. The

shadowy lieutenant who serves as intermediary between Jimmy and Gustad

makes clear major Bilimoria's natural death in prison was a murder.

The novel's climax comes when the denizens of an especially depressed

neighbourhood, march to the municipal buildings to demand essential

services. On the way, they pause at the wall outside Gustad's business, which

a street artist has covered with depictions of the gods and holy people of all

the religions of India. The municipality has decreed it will be demolished to

widen the road. In a violent street fight, Tehmul, the tragic cripple into whom

Dilnavaz drew her son's evil demons, dies while trying to catch a brick.

Gustad's lifetime of frustrations and anger melts as he prays over the victim's

body. Sohrab and Gustad embrace. Although the sacred wall is demolished,

so too is the limiting, bleak past.

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In A Fine Balance Begin the book focuses on Dina Shroff, who was

raised by her strict brother after her father died. To avoid her brother’s rages,

Dina spends as much time as possible wandering in parks, libraries and

markets. She discovers a series of concerts, where she meets Rustom Dalal.

The couple fall in love and marry, but on their third wedding anniversary

Rustom is killed in a bicycle accident, leaving Dina alone. Rustom’s aunt

teaches Dina to sew, but her eyesight begins to fail, so she is forced to find

another way to make money. Her friend Zenobia introduces her to Mrs.

gupta, who offers her some tailoring piece work. She hires Ishvar Darji and

his nephew Om Prakash, originally from a small village, to do the work.

Ishvar’s father was of a low Hindu caste, doing dirty leather work, and

he suffered horrendous caste violence. He wanted a better life for his sons and

so sent them to a neighbouring town to learn to be tailors. They became the

apprentices of Muslim tailor Ashraf. But when Ishvar was seventeen, racial

hatred of Muslims reached boiling point and any homes or shops belonging

to Muslims were burnt to the ground. Ishvar and his brother Narayan saved

Ashraf’s shop by claiming it belonged to them, leaving Ashraf forever in their

debt. Narayan returned to the village and set up a successful tailor business

for lower caste people, refusing to serve those of higher caste. He married and

had a son, Om Prakash, and two daughters. His business was very successful

and it gave him enough money to build a proper house. All was going well

until Narayan discovered that the elections were being fixed by Thakur

Dharamsi, a powerful land owner. Narayan confronted Thakur, who had

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him tortured. Not satisfied with just killing Narayan, Thakur decided to

punish his whole family. Narayan’s wife, daughters and parents were tied up

and burnt alive in their home. Omprakesh and Ishvar were the only ones to

escape. Shocked but safe, they continued working in their tailor shop, but

were forced out of business when a ready-made clothing shop opened in the

town. The fourth central character is Maneck. He grew up in a mountain

village, where his father was the proud owner of the local village store and

inventor of a popular drink, Kohlah cola. Maneck was sent to college and

became good friends with the student president, Avinash. Their living

conditions were terrible: the rooms infested with cockroaches and the food

almost inedible. Avinash led an uprising against the conditions and became

involved in politics. When the emergency was declared, Avinash had to go

into hiding, leaving Maneck alone. His mother then arranged for him to move

in with Dina Dalal, bringing the four central characters together.

The four are quite happy for almost a year, but then the emergency

starts to impact their lives. The tailor’s shack is demolished in a government

beautification program, forcing them to live on the streets. The tailors are then

rounded up by the police and sold to a labour camp. After two months they

bribe their way out and persuade Dina to let them move in with her. Ishvar

decides it is time for Om to find a wife, so they return to Ashraf's town. There

they bump into Thakur, who recognizes the pair. He arranges for them to be

rounded up by the family planning Centre. Ashraf is beaten to death and

Ishvar and Om are given compulsory vasectomies. Thakur visits them as they
 19

are recovering from the operation and arranges on a medical pretext to have

Om's testicles removed. Ishvar’s legs become infected and have to be

amputated.

Maneck finishes his college course and returns home. His father’s

business is failing due to cheap imports of commercial soda, and Maneck

decides to leave, taking a job in the Middle East. Dina finds herself all alone.

A beggarmaster who had been protecting her from her landlord's bailiffs is

murdered, leaving her vulnerable; she reluctantly returns to live with her

brother. Eight years later, Maneck returns home for his father’s funeral. Riots

are taking place and Sikhs are being persecuted because the prime minister

was assassinated by one of her Sikh bodyguards. Maneck reads some old

newspapers and discovers that Avinash was found dead by the side of a

railway track and Avinash’s three teenage sisters hanged themselves because

their parents could not afford their wedding dowries. Distraught, Maneck

decides to visit Dina. She explains that Ishvar lost his legs and that the tailors

are now beggars. Horrified, Maneck leaves Dina’s house, pretending not to

recognize the tailors in the street, and heads for the railway station where he

steps in front of a train. The book ends with the tailors having an up-beat

conversation with Dina. Despite their problems they seem to be happy.

Family Matters the book opens with Nariman's accident as a result of

which he is bedridden. He suffers humiliation due to deterioration in his

health and the grudging care (bedpans, sponge baths, etc.) of his two step-

children especially Coomy his step-daughter who has never accepted him or
 20

any of his efforts to be a father. The poor man is entirely at their mercy and

they are uncomfortable with the burden of caring for him. Coomy in a fit of

inspiration born of a desperate desire to not to suffer this burden any longer

creates with Jal's grudging assistance the perfect reason as to why they can no

longer nurse him. In this way, they shift the burden on to their younger sister

Roxana who is married with two young sons. She lives in a tiny apartment

with less than half the space as that of the flat that Coomy and Jal share.

Roxana is fond of her father but her household's resources are

stretched to the limit with the cost of nursing him. Her older son and her

husband resent the instrusion. Her younger son assists her as much as he can.

He and his mother are the only ones who help Nariman keep his humanity.

As Yezad comes to centre stage for the following part of the book, the author

explores the problems faced by an average middle-class family. Financial

problems lure him and Jehangir towards greedy of money.

The sub plot of the book, which involves Yezad hatching a plan to

cheat his employer of a large sum in order to meet his growing expenses by

making up a Shiv Sainik threat. This subplot acts as the turning point in the

main story. The book contains many details of the Parsis' practices, rituals,

intolerances, and the concerns of native Parsis.

In the epilogue, the youngest of all characters, Jehangir, becomes the

narrator, describing the metamorphosis that religion, age, death, and wealth

bring to his family. Coomy is now dead. Roxanna's family now lives with Jal.

A full time nurse has been hired for Nariman and Roxanna feels guilty about
 21

it since her father now has bedsores - a sign of lack of care. Yezad has

undergone a sea change - from an atheist to a fanatic.

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CHAPTER- II

CASTEISM AND BRUTALITY

….This disease, brothers and sisters, is the notion of untouchability,

ravaging us for centuries, denying dignity to our fellow human beings.

This disease must be purged from our society, from our hearts, and

from our minds. No one is untouchable for we are all the children of

the same God. Remember what Gandhiji says, that untouchability

poisons Hinduism as a drop of arsenic poisons milk. (FB, 107)

Mistry is applauded highly for his ceaseless crusade against Casteism

and its hideous influence on Indian society. Its impact on the society is

unthinkably atrocious and unimaginably dehumanizing. It is the root cause

for all kinds of social maladies such as; human ill-treatment, baseful

abusiveness, exploitation, suppression, brutality, etc. It shatters the strong and

powerful frame work of the society and leaves it sapless. It is the system of

self- destruction and anti-social. It ominously defeats all national goals and

clamps down the progress of the country inordinately. It is an age-old

ignomious system whose function is debilitating and gangrenous.

Mistry vehemently opposes this infamous system and wants to evolve

a solution to blot out this from the very face of India. His writings and
 23

speeches are massively charged with anti-Casteism. His sole aim is to make

India a caste free country in the world.

This inglorious system was originated and perpetuated by the so-

called Arians. The Manu Smriti is an ancient Hindu work of law. It

elaborately talks about Castiesm and its practices in the society. It has

treacherously favoured one section of people the priestly community and

undermined lots of underprivileged. It has been imposed upon the people

such as artisans and labours in the name of religion. God said the duty of a

Shudra is to serve the upper Varnas faithfully with devotions and without

grumbling.

In the name of God, the people of low-caste feared the retribution from

is above and obligingly served the upper caste Brahmins without any

grudge. It has been crafty designed to enforce servitude on certain

category of people in the country in order to uphold the welfare of

some privileged intellectuals in the society.(Manu’s code 1-31)

Then he has presented the privileged community to lead the society

and the others to serve them. The Shudras are the lowest caste and they are

destined to serve other caste people as slaves and whose redemption is

impossible. Furthermore the prescriptions and codifications of the social,

Political and spiritual duties of these castes are marked inhuman. It upholds

the policy of mighty is right.

 24

This deliberately made law pervades all the spheres of the social life

and denigrated and degenerated a vast group of innocent people. They are

denied education and forbidden from all kinds of social, political and spiritual

participation in the society. This system is to a great extent worse than

apartheid of South Africa.

A Shudra is unfit of receive education. The upper Varnas should not

impart education or give advice to a Shudra. It is not necessary that the

Shudra should know the laws and hence need not be taught. Violators

will go to the Amita hell. (Manu IV-78-81)

Manu law empowers the Brahmins to inflict all kinds of exploitations

and atrocities on Shudras, he could even conflict his wealth and properties if

necessary.

No Shudra should have property of his own; he should have nothing

of his own. The existence of a wealthy Shudra is bad for the Brahmins.

A Brahman may take possession of the goods of a Shudra. (Manu VIII-

417&X129)

The ancient, inhuman and outrageous practice has made certain

section of people slaves and under privileged. It has made a great

repercussion in the society. As a result the country has lost its moral power

and vitality. This ultimately pushed the country to fall under the yoke of

foreign powers.
 25

The string of Manu’s caste – system is still reigning on the society even

at present; Caste is determined by the birth of a person in a particular family.

Rohinton Mistry highlights the maladies of the so- called low caste men in

India. The so – called low caste men undergo a lot of sufferings in the

society. They are inhuman by ill -treaded by the high caste men. The low caste

men are abused to a great extent. As worse than animals. They are not

allowed to enter the streets and place of worship of the high caste men touch

the belongings of them and draw water from the common well or pond. Even

the mere shadow of them is considered be impure by the high caste men.

They are branded as untouchables. They will be punished severely if they

violate the cast rules. P.S Mary Christian observes this apparently in his work

“untouchabiltity as a social stigma

The discrimination based on Casteism an inhuman treatment; Mistry

shows his consciousness toward the social change. He reveals the

problems faced by marginalized and the downtrodden by the upper

caste and the people in the main stream. Thereby he makes the clear

distinction between the conditions of the haves and have not’s in India.

(Mary, 97)

Rohinton Mistry brings out vividly the atrocities committed against the

Chamaars by the name of caste. He introduces them to the readers: “The

Chamaars skinned the carcass, ate the meat, and tanned the hide, which was

turned into sandals, whips, harnesses, and water skins” (95). The odour of the

skin is too strong and bathing cannot wipe out the bad smell. The writer says,
 26

“The leather- worker’s stink that would not depart even after he had washed

and scrubbed in the all- cleaning river” (95). The family members depend

upon the dead animals for their livelihood. It shows the sad plight of these so-

called low caste men. The irony of the country’s history is that the so-called

perpetuators of the infamous Casteism ultimately became to slaves to the

English and at last sought the help of a low caste man to draft the constitution

of India.

The Indian constitution adopted in 1950 had declared that all Indians

would be equal under the law and no discrimination be made on

grounds of caste, creed or gender A constitution that was drafted

under the leadership of an untouchable, Dr. Ambedkar, who was a

Maher and thus belonged to an even lower caste than the belonged to

an even lower caste than the Charmaar’s tailors in Mistry’s narrative.

(Nilufert, 152)

The novelist presents the punishment given to the low – caste men

through the dialogues between Dukhi Mochi’s father and mother. He says

that the fingers of Bhola are chopped off because of the suspicion of stealing.

his wife responds ironically: Bhola is lucky,” last year chhagan lost his hand

at the wrist for the same reason” (96). He continues in saying that the head of

Buddhu’s wife is shaved and she is made walk nakedly through the square

due to the refusal of her, to go to the field with the Zaminder’s son. These

atrocities reveal the cruel nature of the caste system in the Indian society. The
 27

so- called low caste men are subjected to torture and they suffer a lot due to

this evil practice.

The mother of Ishvar , Roopa has gone to pluck some oranges from the

orchard of a land owner. Unfortunately, at the night time, the watchman

finds her and catches her red- handed. He outrages the modesty of the

women in the night. The watchman who belongs to the high caste ready to

violate the virtue of the low caste women. It shows their duplicity. They

brand them as untouchables but they are ready to exploit their women.

Rohinton Mistry adeptly brings out the atrocious act of the high is caste men

against the innocent low caste women:

The study of the oppression of women proves that the upper caste

people want to maintain the caste discrimination only for their social

status. If they really care about the caste discrimination no Dalit

woman will suffer physical exploitation by the upper caste males.

(JackimD)

The upper caste males are the outright hypocrites. They practice

double standards in the society. They keep the low caste people as

untouchables but they monstrously exploit them and shamelessly ravage their

chastity.

He led her cringing to the cot and ripped open her top three buttons.

She crossed her arms in front. He pulled them down and buried his

mouth in her breasts, laughing softly as she tried to squirm away. I

 28

gave you so many oranges. You won’t even let me taste your sweets

mangoes?

Please let me go

Soon as I have fed you my Bhojpuri brinjal.

Take off your clothes

I beg you let me go

I only have to shout once (FB, 99)

Finally, she yields to the pressure of the watch man, this act shows

how the innocent women suffer at the hands of high caste men. It also reveals

the duplicity and ruthless nature of high caste men. It is pathetic to note that

when Dukhi Mochi comes to know the molestation ; he wept silently ,

venting his shame , anger, humiliation in tears; whished he would die that

night”(FB, 99). He can weep and he cannot do anything against the culprit

who belongs to the high – caste. It is sad plight of the so – called low caste

men in society.

Dukhi Muchi, father of Ishavar and Narayan wants to provide a

dignified life to their sons. He changes the occupation of his sons and sends

them to Ashraf in a nearby town to be trained as tailors. He believes that this

changes in their profession as cobblers to tailors will help them to overcome

the caste discrimination. It is against norms of the caste and that is why the

friends of him fear about this act of Dukhi Mochi. They lament: Dukhi Muchi

has gone mad, with wide open eyes he is bringing destruction upon his
 29

household. And consternation was general throughout the village: someone

had dared to break the timeless chain of caste; retribution was bound to be

swift. (95) But, Dukhi Muchi is resolute in attaining some sort of emancipation

in life. He wants to break the caste barriers. He lacks muzzle power but he has

strong determination to do things in order to achieve vertical mobility in life.

Hence, he throws himself into action very stealthily.

Thematically, the novel articulates the sagacity of the culture which is

very much suppressed. Simultaneously the novel deals with life and

longing of middle class which craves for honour and dignity. In

addition to his, the age old problem of caste and communalism, the

brunt of which has been borne by the down –trodden has been duly

focused. (Gajendra, 76)

Dukhi Muchi has accepted the traditions of the caste system and led

his life in compliance with it. But he is not ready to make his sons undergo the

ordeal of the caste and suffer in their life as tanners. Hence he courageously

sends his sons as apprentices to the tailors shop. By this defiant act, he has

earned the wrath of the high caste men in the village.

Dukhi Mochi and his friends reveal the hypocrisy of the caste Hindus

who start to call them fondly as Hindu brothers and urge them to attack the

Muslims at the time of communal riots. Rohinton Mistry deftly brings out the

fact the Muslims treat the low caste men properly than the caste Hindus. He
 30

reveals this fact with the help of the conversation between Dukhi Mochi and

his friends.

The Zaminders have always treated us like animals. Worse than

animals. But what if it’s true? What if the Mussulmen horde sweeps

down upon our village, like that khaki pants told us? They have never

bothered us before. Why would they do it now? Why should we hurt

them because some outsiders come with stories? The Muslims have

behaved more like our brothers than the bastard Brahmins and

Thakurs. (FB, 123)

This conversation clearly reveals that the double standard adopted by

the Caste Hindus in peace time. They attack and humiliate the low caste men

and at the time of communal tension, they make a fond call to the low caste

men as “Hindus brothers “and instigate them to attack the Muslims. The

Caste Hindus are hypocrites and they wants to enjoy comfort at the expense

of the so called low caste men. Narayan and Ishvar with the help of Asharf

have learnt the art of sewing and flourished in the trade. They become rich by

their hard work in the tailoring profession. Narayan has built a new house in

the village and he has become a rich man than many of the Caste Hindus in

the village. But this is not good news for the men belong to the upper caste

especially, the dominant caste Hindu leader Thakur Dharmasi. Rohinton

Mistry brings out Thakur Dharmasi’s disapproval who always wants

Narayan to do his family profession that is tanning. Rohinton Mistry presents

Thakur Dharmasi’s indifference.

 31

There is a dead cow waiting for you, he horrified Narayan through a

servant. Narayan merely passed on the message to other chamaars,

who were happy to have the carcass. Another time, when a goat

perished in one of the drains o Thakur Dharamasi’s property, he sent

for Narayan to unclog it. Narayan politely sent his reply that he was

grateful for the offer but was no longer in this line of work. (FB 135)

These attempts of Thakur Dharamasi to make Narayan to do his

ancestral profession are turned to be futile. He develops ill will against

Narayan who has become an unelected leader and spokesman for their caste.

Not only Thakur but also other upper caste communities in the village are

keen on inflicting tortures to the low caste. Bharacha rightly remarks;

The upper caste Thakurs and the Pandits in the village oppress his

family and caste associate and as noted earlier, Dukhi finally leaves the

village to ply his trade as a cobbler in the nearby town. Here he is

befriended by Ashraf, a Muslim and is exposed for the first time to the

message of mahatma Gandhi who was fighting a duel battle against

colonialism and Casteism –the external and internal enemies of India

.(Bharacha153)

Narayan relishes at the message but he is in the sorry state as he and

his brothers are unable to enjoy the fruits of such dreams of Mahatma Gandhi.

However, he has a boiling –heart to combat the on sloughs of communal

atrocities.
 32

Though economically less Narayan’s family has become comfortable

still the caste tag and the practices of untouchability persist. Narayan wants to

discard the tag the brings change in the society. His desire to get a dignified

identity is revealed through his conversation with his father Dukhi Muchi.

Rohinton mistry presents: Dukhi sighed again but not with pleasure. How

can you say that? So much has changed. Your life, my life. Your occupation,

from leathers to cloth. And looks at your house.

Those things yes, but what about the more important things?

Government passes new laws, says no more untouchability, yet

everything is the same. The upper caste bastards still treat us worse

than animals? (FB 142)

Dukhi Mochi comforts his sons in saying that it will take some more

time to change the attitude of the high caste men. Narayan retorts more than

twenty years have passed since independence. How much longer? I want to

able to drink from the village well, worship in the temple, and walk where I

like (FB, 143). This speech of Narayan obviously presents his longing for a

dignified identity for him as well as him people. Though he has become

economically rich with the help of his new profession, the society is not ready

to remove his tag as an untouchable. It is great insult to him and he struggles

to remove the tag from him which is not an easy thing for him to do. General

elections bring nightmarish experiences to the low caste people. They have

the right of voting, but they cannot exercise their franchise. For, the upper
 33

caste belligerents simply trample down their basic rights, Bharaucha observes

it vividly:

Even in Dukhi’s village news of the parliamentary elections and social

reforms seeps through. However, the promises of equality and justice

offered and justice offered by the new system is subverted by casteist

politics and things carry on much as before. Naryan however rebels

against the elision of his vote at the elections and this puts him in direct

conflict with the village Thakurs. (Bharaucha 154)

To assert his individually, Narayan tries to vote in the election the

assembly election is held and as usual Thakur Dharamasi and his goondas ask

the low caste men to put their thumb print in the register and go away

without casting their votes. But Narayan asks the ballot paper and wants to

register his vote. He argues against the officers when they have denied the

ballot: “it is our rights as voters” (FB, 145). It shows his renewed spirit for a

dignified identity in the society. But the powerful caste Hindu leader Thakur

Dharamasi reaches the polling station and refuses to give ballots to him. He

asks his assistants to take away Narayan and two others who wanted to

register their votes in the election to his farm.

Rohinton Mistry delineates the brutal handling of these low caste men

they by the oppressive caste Hindu:

Throughout the day, at the intervals, they were flogged as they hung

naked by their ankles from the branches of a banyan tree. Drifting in

 34

and out of consciousness, their screams grew faint…His men urinated

on the three inverted faces, semiconscious, the parched mouths were

grateful for the moisture, licking the trickle with feeble urgency (FB,

146)

It shows the atrocities committed by the men of Thakur Dharmasi

against the innocent low caste men who wanted to register their votes in the

election. Their ordeal does not come to an end with these atrocious deeds.

Further, Rohinton Mistry depicts the chilling deeds of these men.

In the evening, after ballot boxes were taken away, burning coals were

held to the three men’s genitals, than stuffed into their lips and tongues

melted away. They still, silent bodies were taken down from the tree.

When they began to stir, the ropes were transferred from their ankles

they began to their necks, and the three were hanged. The bodies were

displayed in their village square.

(FB, 146)

The low caste man who wants to asserts his individually by polling his

vote in the election is not allowed to carry out his action in the independent

nation and he is brutally killed by the high castes by the powerful force of the

caste Hindus. Thakur Dharmasi is too cruel in his action and he has not

stopped his killing speed. He wants to appease his bloody heart by killing all

the members of Narayan family. Thakur has no fear or any botheration to do

 35

such atrocities as he has money. Political power and moral support from the

other upper caste people.

His man behaves ruthlessly and they attack mercilessly many low caste

men. Rohinton Mistry describes their ugly deeds: The Goondas began

working there a way towards the untouchable quarter. They beat up

individuals at random in the streets stripped of some women, raped others,

burned a few huts” (FB, 156). Even then Thakur Dharmasi is not satisfied and

he urges his men to do more harm against the low caste men. He asks them to

teach an unforgettable lesson to the low caste men. He asks his men: “catch

them all – the parents, wife children “(147) of Narayan’s family. All the

members of Narayan family planning including Dukhi Mochi and Roopa are

brutally killed by Thakur Dharmasi and his men. They destroy the house by

fire. Only Om Prakash and his uncle, Ishvar have escaped from the terrible

assault of Thakur Dharamasi since they gone away at that fateful night.

Dukhi mochi’s attempt to provide a respectful position in life for his

son Narayan turns to be fiasco due to the crushing power of the caste Hindus.

In the process, almost all the members of the family are persecuted

inhumanly. The law enforcing authorities are not ready to prosecute and take

action against the perpetrators of the crime. Instead, they warn Ishavar and

Om Prakash to leave the police station without making fuss.

The sub- inspector was cross with at Ishvar; what kind of rascality is

this? Trying to fill up the F.I.R with lies? You filthy achhoot castes are
 36

always out to make trouble Get out before we charge you with public

mischief! (FB 148).

It shows clearly the indifferences of the law enforcing authorities

towards the low caste men. Justice is denied to them. The police officials are

regularly boasted up by the upper caste big-shorts. Hence, they are

apparently on the ride of the affluent lots. What is destined to the poor and

the underprivileged is to keep mum and endure the pains silently.

After the death of all the members of the family, Om Prakash and

Ishvar have gone to the city and they are working as tailors in the company

run by Dina Dalal, aParsi widow. They think of better future for them in the

city. They lead their life happily for the time being in the hut. But the

emergency is implemented the slum clearance programme is carried out by

the officials. The hut of Ishvar and Om Prakash is destroyed due to it. They

become homeless and they stay in the railway station. Instead providing

shelters to the suffering people, the government makes them suffer by

destroying their shelters. This untold misery of Ishvar and Om Prakash reach

the ears of Dina. She is expressing her sympathy in a great disbelief.

Dina retrieved her fork. I never knew….. I never thought… all those

newspaper stories about upper and lower caste madness, suddenly so

close to me. In my own flat, it’s the first time I actually know the

people. Mygod- such horrible suffering. She shook her head as though

in disbelief. (FB, 340)

 37

Misfortune continues to strike them when the business run by Dina

Dalal is forced to the closure because of the landlord. The tailors return to

their village. In the meantime marriage is arranged for Omprakash .Thakur

Dharamasi visits a family planning center by his newly purchased car. Ishvar

asks Om Prakash to move away from the sight of Thakur Dharmasi who is a

demon for them. But Om Prakash refuses to do so. He goes towards him on

collision course. He chews betel nut, chunam and tobacco and spits at him.

Thakur Dharmasi says softly to him “I know who are you” (FB, 513). Ishvar

warns Om Prakash that they should be careful about this man. We have to

stay out of that demon’s way from now on” (FB, 513). The powerless low

caste men Om Prakash express his anger in spitting near the place where

Thakur Dharmasi is standing. For this mean act, he has to pay a heavy price.

Unfortunately, both Ishvar and Om Prakash are forcibly taken away to

the sterilization camp set up the government. Ishvar pleads for the release of

his nephew Om Prakash who is going to marry soon. He pathetically appeals

to the Doctor: please, Doctoriji, not my nephew, cut me as much as you like,

but forgive my nephew his marriage is being arranged (FB, 524). But the

doctor does the operation of family planning for both the men.

Still, their ordeal is not over. Both of them feel severe pain. Ishvar

becomes terribly upset and says” our family name will die without children, it

is the end of everything is lost” (FB, 524). But there is a ray of hope for them

when somebody tells them that the operation is reversible. Thakur Dharmasi

is the incharge at the sterilization camp and he visits the camp. He thanks the
 38

policemen, family planning workers, doctors, nurses more importantly the

patients for their cooperation in making the camp a success. He stares at Om

Prakash and murmurs some words to the doctor. The doctor asks the nurses

to bring the boy once again on the operation table. He says to them.”

Testicular Tumour…..Thakurji has authorized removal, as a special favour to

the boy “(FB, 526). The doctor removes the testicles of Om Prakash due to the

pressure of Thakur Dharmasi. He had taken the revenge against the low caste

boy who has spayed near him once. It reveals the cruel nature of the high

caste man Thakur Dharmasi and the sad plight of the low caste men.

The tailors Ishvar and Om Prakash aspire to become rich man and lead

a happy life. But the sterilization camp has changed their life; the castration of

Om Prakash is a terrible thing to happen in any body’s life. Ishavar‘s legs

become swollen largely and he suffers from fever. There is no development in

his health. The doctor advises him the removal of his legs. His legs are

amputated due to the operation performed at the sterilization camp. They

become beggars and survive with help of it at the end. Their dreams of better

life are completely shattered by the ruthless force of caste Hindus and

indifferent establishment. Ishvar laments and because the caste ridden society

for his suffering “what kind of life, what kind of country is this, where we

cannot come and go as we please? Is it a sin to visit my native place? To get

my nephew married? (FB 530). The genuine aspiration of Dukhi Mocha,

Roopa, Narayan, Ishvar and Om Prakash to lead dignified life in the world is
 39

shattered by the powerful force of the high caste men. Rohinton Mistry

adeptly out their struggle and its consequences in an elaborate manner.

One day, Dukhi’s sons, Ishvar and Narayan. Drawn by the lure of

learning enter into the village classrooms. There they are thrashed by the

school master. The entire family has to bear the burden of this unknowing

subversion. The caste – system and the act of atrocity on his sons is justified

by the chit- Paven Brahmin in the following words.

They pollute the place. They touched instruments of learning. They

defied slates and chalks, which upper- caste children would touch .you

are lucky there wasn’t holy book like the Bhagvad Gita in that

cupboard, no sacred texts. Or the punishment would have been more

final (FB 113)

It is the worst form of atrocity. Brahmins, the priestly community,

talks of high values and ideals, often resorts to such inhuman deeds. Their

preaching to the society is a blighted one as they do not know the value of

humanity. The so-called president’s priests’ unleashed violence and cruelties

on the under-privileged people of the society to show their dark aspects of

life. Mistry makes pungent criticism on these bloody hypocrites.

Most of the upper caste men are highly educated and they know the

nuances of politics and social conditions. They want to maintain their

supremacy over the low caste people. For ages they have exploited them a

built their homes on their plights. The upper caste people are very on their
 40

plights. The upper caste people very keen in observing the political changes in

the country and forge them for their use. They have mastered the art of sub

duty low caste and making them does all their works for poor wages. They

never allow them to flourish their lives.

The unbearable atrocities sometimes force the low caste to vindictive action

against the oppressors once Om Prakash contemptibly, says, “I will gather a

small army of Chamaars , provide them with weapons, then march to the

landlords houses(FB,149)

Om and Ishvar reach the city by sea at the time of a political turmoil,

i.e., when internal emergency is declared. Mistry steers his narrative

in the desired direction by presenting more than one versions of the

same event. For example, for common man the emergency is nothing

but “one more government Tamasha (FB, 5)

For people enjoying influence and holding some crucial posts in the

government” everything is upside down. Black can be made white,

day turned into night. With the right influence and a little cash,

sending people to jail is very easy. There is even a new law called

MISA to simplify the whole procedure. (FB, 295).

On a wide canvass of epic proportion, in the novel A Fine Balance, the

portrayal of women in their marginalized roles commands the reader’s

attention. In fact, the conflict in the novel revolves around Dina Dalal. Twice

marginalized as a women and a Parsi. Through a study of her character, we

 41

get to know the place of women and a Parsi culture, and in her struggle we

see a woman’s fight for her rightful place in the world at large. In living a life

of her choice, she has to wage alone battle for her personal as well economic

independence. Here is a small, subdued voice but heard strong to free herself

of the shackles of male supremacy. Her life shows women in general and

Parsi that women in particular have a long way to go to proclaim themselves

independent. Dina struggle to defend her fragile independence from an

autocratic brother as well to protect herself from a rapacious landlord. Here is

alife symbolic of woman’s rebellion within particularly taboos.

Despite the constitutional guarantee for equality and special

protection, in every walk of life and at every stage of life, women suffer

discrimination, exploitation or violence. The doctrine of equality, which is the

foundation of social justice, enshrined in article 14 of the constitution is a

galaxy of concepts of equality before law and equal protection of law. The

primary imperative of article 14 is equal opportunity to all. Article 15(1)

prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, sex, and place of

birth or any of them. The right to life and personal liberty is the most

fundamental of all the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution.

This takes within its sweep every opportunity necessary to develop one’s

personality and potentiality to the mere right possible in the exits stage of our

civilization.

Being the basis of all the rights, the rights to life is effectively provided

under article 21 for of the constitution. It has become ‘a sanctuary human

 42

value’ and therefore has been right rightly termed as the fundamental of

fundamental rights. The right to personal liberty postulates the creation of a

climate wherein there is no suppression of the human spirit, wherein there is

no denial of opportunity for the full growth of human personality, wherein

the head is held high and there is no servility of the human mind or

enslavement of human body. In a society where definitions, politics and rules

are male- oriented, the need is to understand women and her rightful place in

the society.

Widowed atthe age of 24, Dina Dalal is alonely figure in the novel,

estranged from her parental family and condemned to a monotonous

existence. Her life has been a cyclic pattern which begins at her brother’s

house and after a brief spell of the independence and happiness, ends with

her accepting the emotional subjugation of patriarchy, Nusswan, her brother

symbolizes. She assumes that control guarantees economic success which

means independence from Nusswen. In order to avoid sufferings from her

brother’s rule again, she draws on the model of her brother’s rule in her

dealings with Om, Ishvar and Maneck. Maneck slowly makes friends with

Om and takes their sides and disapproves of Dina’s treatment of the tailors,

especially when she displays her class consciousness. The Parsi Dina at first

regards the Hindu tailors Om and Ishvar as dirty in disciplined and

responsible, liars as alcoholics and promiscuous. Central over the tailors is not

only for economic independence but it is something deeply ingrained into her
 43

personality of the difference between class and ethnicities as determined by

her culture that developed in her a fear for others. She reminds Maneck:

There is a difference, and you cannot pretend there isn’t their

community, their background”. (FB, 293)

Facing a life of misfortunes with dignity, refusing to give into

debilitating memories, the female protagonist Dina leads life finely balanced

between hope and despair.

In contrast, the life of the minor women characters belongings to pre –

independent India in the novel is very pathetic. Rohinton Mistry presents a

very realistic and dehumanizing portrayal of various forms of torture that the

women of lower castes are subjected to in spite of any number of rights that

free India sanctioned to women. Despite new laws of untouchability passed

by the government, nothing has changed. Exploitation of the low castes by

uppers castes continues unabated. The human history bears witness to the

occurrencesof violence against women on account, of sex discrimination. Of

all the violence against women, rape is one of the most violent, rapes as a

violation with violence, of the private person of women, is an outrage by all

canons.

The narrative here highlights another perspective of Indian reality, i.e.,

gender discrimination and asserts that every aspect of Indian society is

gendered, conferring specific advantages to men and disadvantages to

women. Women are relegated to a subordinate status in family and society.

 44

They are expected to be dutiful daughters, loving mothers, submissive

daughters-in-law and faithful obedient wives. After marriage, women become

the property of their husbands, and if daughters are born,are ordered to

discretely get rid of the newborn who gets strangled, poisoned or starved to

death. When a son was born to Radha and Narayan, sweets were distributed.

When shaker’s mother was born, her drunken father slashed off her nose in

his rage, disappointed with the mother for giving birth to a daughter instead

of a son. Avinash’s three sisters were aware of their father’s sad plight at not

being able to afford dowries for them. In order to spare their parents the

shame of three unmarried daughters, they commit suicide by hanging from a

ceiling fan. This is an indictment of the vicious norms of the society which

reduces women to a commodity rather than recognizing her as an

individually.

All these acts highlight the injustices done to women, interrogative the

marginalization of women in the male- dominated society and prove that

inequality between the sexes is caused by the cultural construct of gender.

Dina’s life stands as an example of gender disadvantage. In the village too the

women are seen totally at the mercy of the upper caste landlords and their

servants who exploit them sexually or even immolate without and questions

being asked. Whether one sees the village Roopa or Radha who raped or

burnt or Dina Dalal, whose every is made to break her spirit, the story is one

of gender oppression by a sexiest male society. The recognition of women

must be evident at every stage of the transitional process so that women can
 45

rebuild their lives with confidence, and that their human right abuse has been

addressed to with the necessary respect and appropriate protection.

 46

CHAPTER -III

POLITICAL UPHEAVALS AND DOWN SLIDING SOCIETY

Politicians toil a lot to establish themselves to create the space of their

own in politics and they are mad after fame, money and power. They

exercise power to show off themselves.(Jackim D, 264)

Politicians and their uncertain behaviours are quite analogous to wind

and its phenomenal changes. Politicians in the early stage of their political

career carry out their political duties and observe certain social obligations as

gentle as a comforting breeze. But, during the course of their political journey

they assume various monstrous roles and storm down many innocent lives

without an iota of pity or remorse. The glimpse of world political history

asserts no politicians are evil free. India, the largest democratic country in the

world, is of no exception. She has been breeding many uncouth and heartless

politicians ever since her covetous independence. The limitless political

power blind folds their conscience and make them behave like haughty steeds

in the battlefield. They self- complacently toil for their own good at the cost of

the public interest. Politicians without moral scruples can be termed as

leeches sucking the saps and essence of living organisms.

 47

Mistry very subtly presents the whole political climate of the period of

emergency, the cold – hearted attitude of many political agents, heart –

freezing Corruptions, blood- curdling atrocities in his two much

sought novels. A Fine Balance and Such a Long Journey. Bharathi points

out very clearly the wolfish attitude of politicians in India “It is a

nation torn by internal dissensions. Here, power hungry politicians

control the strings of administration like puppeteer. (Bharathi C, 63).

Down- graded politicians are opportunists and frauds. They could

very easily turn any convenient to meet their personal ends. In India many

persons are this kind. They usurp in all the administrative sectors and siphon

out money for their personal benefit any official professing straight

forwardness is shuttled from one place to another. Other meekly accepts the

role of puppets and dances to their tunes and keeps their positions secured.

There second rate politicians only enervate the humble people and heap all

filths upon them.

Every time there are election , they talk of passing the same ones

passed twenty years age… for politicians , passing laws is like passing

water… ,it all ends down the drain (FB, 143).

Mistry makes it clear that politicians seldom keep their promises. They

lavishly spatter out all kinds of false promises to allure the voters. But, rarely

such promises are fulfilled. No scheme is translated into reality without

corruption for instance one hundred crore worth project for the rural
 48

development may give the least benefit hardly forty crore worth to the rural

lots.

Politicians promise many things in order to woo the voters during

elections. These promises are forgotten conveniently after the elections.

This continues to be the fate on Indian politics. (Jockim D 265)

During election campaigns the degraded politicians announce all kinds

of imaginary welfare schemes, projects and, freebies. Such politicians would

make charismatic speeches highlighting their lives of self- denial,

renunciations and self- lessons. The poor country subject to their rhetoric

awe- inspiring orations and believe them undisputedly. But, once the party is

on power, it fact fully quenches the down- trodden voters with cheap-

schemes and in significant freebies and steadily keep their pockets filled. The

uninformed, innocent people keep on visiting their houses for their various

political and social needs and beg them for redressed not knowing their own

rights and various legislative provisions. Soon they forget about the

promises made by these so called politicians and throw themselves in the

grind of daily routine.

In A Fine Balance Mistry snaps out the democratic jugglery of India. The

promise of equality and justice spelled out during election campaigns are

very conveniently thrown into dust bin. The Casteism politics usurp in and

devastate everything from the very face of the society. The fraudulent

politicians crafting sneak into the governmental machinery and dragon sing
 49

trample down the marginalized poor and under the privileged in the society.

The rare states men after independence despise the monstrous political

development in India and remain silent. In another occasion Mistry records

the very obvious and outrageous manipulation of elections in rural India and

brings out to the lime light how the oppressed and the poor are cast aside and

their constitutional rights are snaffled indecently.

On election Day the eligible voters in the village lined up outside the

polling station. As usual, Thakur Dharamasi took change of the voting

process…. The election officer was presented with gifts…. The doors

opened and the voters filed through …. The clerk at the desk….

Marked each extended finger with indelible black ink, to prevent

cheating….. They placed their thumb prints on the register to say they

had voted, and departed. Then the blank ballots were filled in by the

landlord’s men. The election officer returned at closing time to

supervise the removal of ballot boxes to the counting station, and to

testify that voting had proceeded in a fair and democratic manner (FB,

143-144).

In one such state assembly election Narayan (Om Prakash’s father)

makes a strong protest against the prevailing system of voting lands him

indirect conflict with the village Thakurs After the election the Thakurs root

out the whole family with their Goondas. The only surviving members of the

family are Ashver and Om. Hearing the news of the brutality, Om, Ishvar and

Ashraf call at the police station of file a complaint for F.I.R. Knowing well
 50

about the perpetuators of the crime, the police official turns against Om

Prakash and his party and threaten to clamp the down. He declares out

rightly the charges are false and fabricated against the popular public

personality with an enraged face he shouts at them.

What kind of rascality is this? Trying to fill up The F.I.R with lies? You

filthy achhoot castes are always out to make trouble! Get out before we

charge you with public mischief! (FB, 148).

There is rottenness found everywhere in India in terms of politics.

Most of the leaders are corrupt and heartless. They bent on personal

aggrandizement. Party workers are many times treated a chess-man and their

individualities are maimed severely. In many countries, politics is taken as

well – organized business or share market.

During elections, unlettered people are exploited and their valuable

franchises are cars by fake voters. Signatures are obtained by the officials and

they are turned away by force or other tactics. Many occasions the official’s

hands are greased and bulk – ballots are posted in favour of certain parties.

“Emergency is the major historical event focused in a fine balance

novel.

Though few novels like Rusdie’s midnight’s children (1981) and

Narayantara sahagal’s Rich like us (1985) have dealt with the issue of

emergency, it is in this novel that the true and clear picture of the

situation persisted during emergency is presented” (Swathi, 149).

 51

The emergency in India denotes the 21- month’s period between June

25, 1957 and March 21, 1977, and suspension of elections and civil liberties it

is one of the most controversial periods in the history of independent India.

Prime minister (IG) addresses, you can trust your government to fulfill

the task. Your part in this is very simple: to support the government,

support the emergency. The need of the hour is discipline- discipline in

every aspect of life, if we are to reinvigorate the nation. Shun all

superstitious; don’t believe in horoscopes and holy men, only in

yourself and in hard work. Avoid rumours and loose talk if you love

your country. Do your duty above all else..! This, my brothers and

sisters, is my appeal to you! Jai hind. (FB, P-266)

P.M. Indira Gandhi address to the nation is quite appealing and

mesmerizing. It has been very carefully drafted to obscure the oppositions

and to bag unconditional support from the people. The charismatic speeches

of the P.M. have very little influence on the people. The ulterior motive of the

P.M. has been made public by the political critics and faithful statesmen.

Stories of atrocities, political manipulation Goondaism, and outright

corruption in all fields spread far and wide. The common lots lose their hope

on the government and highly disillusioned. People count more on deeds

than on exuberant talks.

The second- rate political agents take possession of the governmental

machinery and unleash ruthless atrocities on the people. The political

 52

opportunists and exersionusts make broad day- light looting everywhere.

Millions of slum dwellers lose their homes and come to streets. Many lose

their lives pathetically at the streets without any dignity. A lot of the people

are forced to beg for their livelihood. The tailors are thrown to the mercy of

foul weathers in the open places. They keep their belongings in a trunk and

wander from one place to another. Dina is greatly moved by their flight. She

shows much pity on them. But, she could not offer any favour freely due to

the restrictions of her community. The landlords being treacherous, she has to

comply with these or she would be put into task.

With the emergency, everything is upside-down. Black can be made

white, day turned into night with the right influence and a little cash,

sending people to jails very easy. There’s even a new law called MISA

to simplify the whole procedure. What MISA? Maintenance of …..

Something, and security….. Something. I ‘m not sure (FB, 299).

Mistry tactfully portrays the victimization of four major characters,

Dina Dalal, Ishvar, Om Prakash and Maneck Kohlah, at the time of

emergency. B. Indira observes:

Emergency, a defense of an insecure leader, disturbs the coherence of

routine of the average lives of Ishvar Darjee and his youthful nephew

Om Prakash Darjee and their employer Dina Dalal, a middle aged

widow and her paying guest Maneck kohlah. Dina and Maneck are

only the indirect victims of emergency as their lives are dependent on

the lives of the tailors, Ishavar and Om. All of them aware of
 53

something stifling their lives though they cannot link it to the existing

political scenario of the country. Their struggle for survival, as far as

they are concerned, doesn’t have a political angle to it. They all believe

that the oft- heard word emergency is a sort of a game played by the

power Centre and it would not really affect the ordinary people like

them. Hence each in his way tries to connect the pervading discomfort

and insecurity to their problems of the here and how. Very soon when

their simplest dreams get thwarted they are forced into realizing the

mayhem created by the emergency (Jayadipsish67).

Every personal aggrandizement or self-complement act casts an

adverse effect on the society. The so called upper-ladder politicians take every

means to secure and safe-guard their own positions and authorities. Every

dishonest and selfish measure brings out have on the lives of the single and

common people of unpromising villages. The worst suffers are Ishvar, Om

Prakash and Dina Dalal. They are quite unaware of the political upheavals

take place in the country. Their dreams of safe and secured likes Mistry’s sole.

Objective is to reveal how a wrong measure taken in the centre affects the

very common people of creamy layer of the society.

A Fine Balance is a microcosm of life in general and political

disturbance, which he keenly perceived around him when he was in

India. He portrays the bleak realities and horrifying implications of the

anarchy and exploitation that could go on in the name of discipline,

beautification and progress in a democratic country. (Jayadipish, 70)

 54

Mistry presents the paradigm of the whole political casicative and the

petty business of ill-natured statesmen on A Fine Balance. His political

observations are profound and highly critical. His knowledge of Indian

emergency and MISA are indisputable. He is mercy much conscious of the

political developments in the period of emergency and the deliberately made

crisis.

Mistry’s association with majority of opposition political leads and

shrewd press reasons have vided his horizon of political under standings. His

attack is chiefly on the misappropriation of political power corruption, money

laundering, excersionism etc.

The next treacherous agents to perpetuate political atrocities are the

police. They invent strange stories to quash various political crimes and

debaucheries. A Dalit political activist is taken to the police custody

unlawfully. He is killed during investigation. But the police fabricated a fine

story that he is killed in the railway accident. It is so regrettable that the police

force is used to accomplish all kinds of political Misappropriation this causes

many innocent commanders to lose their lives, properties and many families

have been disintegrated.

The police claimed it was a railway accident, but the parents spoke of

wounds they have seen on their son’s body at the morgue. According

to the reports, the injuries consistent with other confirmed incidents of

torture (FB, 584).

 55

Indeed there are solid evidences for police tortures and man-handling.

In spite of all blood-warm evidences, no probe has been administered. The

noble hands of instance and righteous are crippled and mutilated beyond

recognition. Modern political environment does not allow the poor people to

make their own space to live and they are denied justice too. When the people

are taken to compulsory family planning, camp seeing this one person

laments

For the poor there is no justice, ever! We had next to nothing, now it’s

less than nothing! What is our crime, where are we to go? (FB 295).

The post emergency period has unveiled a harsh reality to Indira

Gandhi. She is in a sorry state to realize that she has lost the utmost

confidence of the people. The opposition leaders and the virulent statesmen of

the boundary have joined to topple the govt Mrs. Indira. There have been

innumerable hardhats and agitations against congress regime and its

atrocities. Any govt that comes to power other than the congress would

certainly probe the ruthless atrocities unleashed during emergency.

The period after the post emergency elections that the Prime Minister

lost to the opposition coalition. There were articles about abuses during

the Emergency, testimony of torture victims, outrage over countless

deaths in police custody. Editorials that had been silenced during her

regime called for a special commission to investigate the wrong doings

and punish the guilty. (FB, 593)

 56

To achieve the target of the sterilization camps the politicians

announce all kinds of false promises. Fanciful new projects and schemes have

been announced for the well fare of the poor and down-trodden. But the

reality is that these announcements will be aired only to cajole people not to

upright them. Rohinton very sharply criticize the government abominable

polities.

That’s a very long time, sahab. That means you left before the

emergency ended. Before the elections of course for ordinary people,

nothing has changed. Government still keeps breaking poor people’s

homes and Jhopadpattis. In village, they say they will dig wells only if

so many sterilizations are done. They tall farmers they will get fertilizer

only after Nussbandhi is performed. (FB, 581)

Seeing Thakur with his reckless men and goondas, Om Prakash wants

to average the death of his family members. Om Prakash’s present condition

is not so sound and promising but his painful post under the wicked hands of

Thakur forces him to raise his hands against the heartless villain. What the

scholar wants to suggest here is that violence would breed violence only.

Victory follows there who keep humbleness and patience as their shield.

Ashraf took Om’s hand. ‘My child, that demon is too powerful. Since

the emergency began, his reach has extended from his own village to

all the way here. He is a big man now in the congress party; they say

he will become a minister in the next elections- if the government ever

 57

decides to have elections. Nowadays, he wants to look respectable,

avoids any Goonda- giri. When he wants to threaten someone, he

doesn’t send his own men, he just tells the police. They pick up the

poor fellow, give him a beating, and then release him.(FB, 520)

The politicians are vested with strange powers. They can up light one

and subdue the other. They always keep the police by their ride and employ

them whenever necessary. They would also oblige to them for peltry benefits

and favors.

Whoever opposes the leading politicians would either lose their lives

or maimed beyond recognition. Mistry cites the case of Avinash. Political

activist with against emergency. That is all, in a short span of time he is

narrative in a sardonic here.

Avinash ‘s local activism extends into agitations against the national

emergency, ultimately leading to his suspicious death: he is found on a

railway track with burns on many shameful parts of his body (FB, 499)

Mistry presents Manecke as a student of decent behavior and flameless

understanding. The shrewdly contracts Maneck with Avinash so that the

latter’s character can be studied very clearly. Maneck gives a timely warning

to Avinash.

That the present day development in the politics is unpalatable. He

remarks politics as a filthy gutter and it is advisable to keep oneself away

from it. Avinash is unable to understand the valuable hidden meaner in it. He
 58

simply ignores the constructive suggestion of his friend and finally meets

with a horrible death. Maneck’s disregard for politics develops into a

frustration at Avinash’s involvement in local and national agitate on and

Maneck wonders why his friends insists on interfering. This difference goes

further: Maneck “wishes that the principal would ban the bloody student

union because of the emergency. Then there would be nothing to distract his

friend.

Family planning programme is another political fool conveniently used

by the political agents or notorious politicians to get rid of some of their

enemies. Here the victims are the poor and the low caste people who are left

defenseless in the streets.

During the emergency, the family planning program me is used to

eliminate the enemies of the establishment. It is a clear from the way

Om is first sterilized and then called again at the behest of Dharmasi.

Only to be castrated under the pretexts of a free operation save his life.

(FB, 537).

Which is not only pathetic but inhuman and becoming of a doctor as

Om is a bachelor and his marriage is about to be solemnized. His uncle

Ishvar’s entreaties to the authorities to spare Om remain unheeded.

The hospitals follow standing orders to put down the cause of any

death during emergency as accidental. As such, Ashraf Chacha’s death at the

market square by ever beating at the hands of the police is described as

 59

accidental. The new rules of emergency make it obligatory for every offer to

encourage people to get sterilized to complete his quota otherwise, there will

be no promotion. Thus family planning program me is pressed into services

to eliminate one’s enemies by confusing sterilization with castration.

Thakur Dharmasi comes to the picture in a new avatar. He achieves

respectability as a political leader during emergency on account of organizing

many sterilization camps. He uses his position to see that Om Prakash

(already sterilized) is castrated. On the other side Ishvar’s legs get amputated

because of gangrene. The emergency turns the tailors into the beggar’s.

Asharafs death at the market square in police attack is described accidental

because all the hospitals follow standing orders to put down the cause of any

death during emergency as accidental. K. Rata Sheila Mani rightly comments:

…cruel misuse of power indicates the beginnings of the trend of

criminalization of politics. Naturally, the novel raises many question of

political correctness, as it shows that forces of privilege combine to

suppress the lower caste, the rural and the urban poor for self

again.(Sheila Mani, 207)

Remember when her happy was prime minister and he made her

president of congress party? At once she began encouraging the

demands for a separate Maharashtra. How much bloodshed, how

much rioting she caused in the bank we through our innings were over

that goodness broke the window, even the thick glass of the main
 60

entrance. They were shouting “Parsi crow eaters we’ll show you who is

the boss. (SLJ, 39)

Om, Ishvar, Dina, Maneck characters are aware of something stifling

their lives through they cannot link it to the existing political scenario of the

country. Their struggle for survival, as far they are concerned does not have a

political angle to it. They all believe that the often heard word emergency is a

sort of a game played by the power Centre and it would not really affect the

ordinary people like them. Hence each in his way tries the pervading

discomfortand insecurity to then problem of the here and now. Very soon

when their simplest dreams get thwarted they are forced into realizing the

mayhem created by the emergency.

The Indian society is decaying from top downwards. Every atrocity

known to have been committed during a template for a stank and unsparing

portrait of that time in India. In their plan to make the city beautiful, the

government deployed officials in the guise of safety inspectors to check the

colony .the poor people were tricked into believing that there would be

improvement in their houses. As they came out, all the bulldozers went in

and the illegal shacks were removed making the occupants homeless. Ration

cards are available only at real addresses as a Jhodpadpatti is no address

under law. However, vasectomy is an alternative. Again, during the

emergency, the family planning program me is used to eliminate the enemies

of the establishment.
 61

The young Parsi generation that is more skeptical then its old

counterparts in questions the validity of the actions of various political

parties , and is extremely vociferous in voicing its angst against vicious

corruption and mal –practices prevalent in the society , which either remain

beyond the comprehension of the old generation in such a long journey.

every political party unleashed flag- emblazoned lorries to crisscross

the city with banners that were paradigms of ingenuity: weaving

together support for the party and support for the soldiers, while the

fundraisers shouted themselves hoarse through megaphones,

exhorting people to be as selfless as the Jawans who were reddening

the Himalayan snow with their precious blood to defend Bharat Mata

(FB, 10).

Mistry being a parsi he is well aware of the political stunt that has

taken place in Nehru’s family political. Feroze Gandhi, the husband of Indira

Gandhi is a straight word statesman. He does not like to book in the glory of

his father-in-law. He is very quick to expose the folker and evils ever hatched

by his father in law. Hence, Nehru makes veiled hints then and to discard the

worthless feroze who pores a great threat to the congress regime in India.

Mistry planning delineates as same in his works. A Fine Balance.

His feud with his son-in-law, the thorn in his political side, was well

known. Nehru never forgave Feroze Gandhi for exposing scandals in

the government; he no longer had any use for defenders of the

 62

downtrodden and champions of the poor, roles he had himself once

played with gusto and tremendous success. His one over whelming

obsession now was, how to ensure that this darling daughter Indira,

the only one, he claimed, who loved him truly , who had even

abandoned her worthless husband in order to be with her father- how

to ensure that she would become prime minister after him. This

monomaniacal fixation occupied his days and nights, which the

treachery of chou en- lai had blighted forever, darkened permanently,

unlike the blacked-out cities, which returned to light after the conflict

ended and people uncovered their doors and windows. (SLJ, 11)

There a lot of Parsi grievances against Indira regime. For long Parsi

have been in the money business and have flourished greatly. This gigantic

growth of the community attracted the attention of the so called congress

govt. sooner or later these Parsi ways prove their vigor in politics. There is the

assumption Mrs. Indira Gandhi. So, the nationalized all the banks and they by

has crippled the growth of the Parsi community.

What days those were year, what fun we used to have. Parsees were

the kings of banking in those days. Such respect we used to get. Now

the whole atmosphere only has been spoiled, ever since that Indira

nationalized the banks. (SLJ, 31)

The regime of Mrs. Indira could be formed debauchery, artfulness,

rowdism, corruption, downright treachery and outrageousness. A shrewd

 63

individual can very well unravel the darkened other side of many reportedly

renowned so-called politicians. Their nobilities are only in appearance but not

in action. Retaliation and victimization have become the part of Indian

politics. Some are direct victims and have lost their precious live in the

meaningless power tussle in the politics.

Gustad, Mistry’s Parsi hero is one of the indirect victims of Indian

politics. Mistry’s handling of Gustad’s character is very crucial, through him

only he studies the political upheavals and the determination of the society.

Gustad is like a magical pier glass in the hands of Mistry and on which he

sees the whole world of politics and arbitrarily studies the various aspects of

its influence on the society.

Mistry studies Indian politics critically rather carefully in terms of

upheavals and downfall However, he takes this opportunity to satirize

politics in general and also exposes its abominable filths, dirt’s and rotten

elements. To a great extent, this novel is a Gandhi. The very significant

political event that took place during the tenure of her political life is that

India waged war on Pakistan to deliver Bangladesh from its grinding hands.

In one hand, it is like a crusade. But, the cause and the treachery behind the

war and its impact on the people of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are

politically incomprehensible. However Mistry has unraveled many of the so a

obscured hidden facts of the politically motivated Indo-Pakistan war.

 64

Indeed, Mistry very carefully points out the dark world in terms of

politics, its corruption, knavery, tyranny, moral turpitude and greed. The

society has been depicted as completely deprived of resilience and the sight of

stinking human condition and rampant corruption and blitzing. Mistry

focuses on ethnic, linguistic, cultural and religious diversity society.

Commenting on the wide spread corruption all over, he points out that “Like

everything else about the government, foreign exchange regulations involved

convoluted rules and tortuous procedures”(114). Criticizing the rule of

contemporary government of congress party for all the corruption spread

everywhere at every step of the country. He has described the rule of the time

so disappointing, and political power and corruption come in for sharp

criticism and military dictatorship, if you want to get rid of these congress

party crooks. Forget democracy for a few years, not meant for a starving

country” (SLJ.64). He says that the ugliness, filth and miserable conditions of

the city are just epitome of what happens at the center. He tells all people

involved in government are greedy treachery, dishonest, fraunt and the entire

situation will only be changing when the government will be removed.

….Our beloved country is a patient with gangrene at an advance stage.

Dressing the wound or sprinkling rose water over it to hide the stink of

rotting tissue is useless. Fine words and promises will not cure the

patient. The decaying part must be excised. You see, the municipal

corruption is merely the bad smell, which will disappear as soon as the

gangrenous government at the Centre is removed (SLJ 313)

 65

The loyalty to his own community can also be traced in such a long

journey when Rohinton Mistry condemns the contemporary government and

then famous the Nagarwala incident which has taken place during internal

emergency. In the national level and so this case was one more disgrace for

the whole Parsis community. This case was sternly outraged by the Parsis

community as the Nagarwala incident that involved a Parsi, jolted the self –

image of the community. RohintonMistry, belonging to the same community,

exposes his anguish and strong reaction at this incident by laying bare the

corrupt practice at the highest level of the political milieu.

In fact Such a Long Journey is believed to be based on that incident of

Mr. Nagarwala. Rohinton Mistry has tried to unveil the secret of corrupt

system of political supremacy by portraying the fictionalized version of Mr.

Billimoria in the novel was trapped by the highest authorities of the centre

who got him arrested on the charge of misappropriating sixty lakhs rupees

from a nationalized bank by imitating the voice of the Prime Minister. It can

be noted that “Jimmy is none other than the fictional counterpart of

Nagarwala who was arrested and exterminated during India Gandhi’s

regime” (Selvam 52). This incident was a political scandal of the time and it

shocked the whole Parsis community. Through the enactment of this case,

Rohinton Mistry has given a political statement in this novel. The Parsi was

badly perturbed and had been completely shocked:

The Nagarwala incident, because it involved a Parsi, jolted the self-

image of the community no less. Having long ago lost their literature to
 66

the vandalism of Alexander the Accursed, and their dance, music, art,

poetry and even their language to the process of adapting to a new

home in India the Parsis have developed a particularized culture called

from a mixture of ancient myth and legend overlaid by a life sustaining

sense of recent achievement. Gratified to have earned an honourable

place in the country of their adoption through their contribution to

every field of endeavor and proved of having retained a strong ethical

tradition the Parsi were deeply anguished by the ambivalent role

Nagarwala had played in the sordid story (Dodiya 72).

Mistry wants to regain the lost image of the Parsi community and at

the same time he is determined to unveil the fraudulent activities of many

supposed political sages in Indian political scurries.

Assuming that Mr. Bilimoria has the talent of voice impersonation, is it

routine for our national bank to hand over vast sums of money if the

Prime Minister Telephone? How high up does one have to be in the

government or the congress party to be able to make such a call? And

was the chief cashier so familiar with Mrs. Gandhi’s voice that

accepted the instructions without any verification what so ever? If yes,

does that mean that Mrs. Gandhi has done this sort of thing

frequently? (SLJ, 195).

The expose of the political corruption at the national level in his

narration present or indicates the ethnic or identical representation of Parsi

 67

community. Through the description of their incident, Mistry shows the

margin of a community in minority. Showing the fundamentalism and lack of

political and social dominance, the art of narrative he displays the clear idea

of the Parsis’ condition in the margin.

Mistry has presented graphically all kinds of political debaucheries

perpetuated during the region of Mrs. Indira’s period. People are highly

disillusioned and they want to over throw the government. The sole problem

of congress party is that its high-level party words men are capitalist,

Zamindars, cut-threating second-state political. They support the party

intensively and very carefully they enjoy the political power and exploit the

weak, down-trodden and the unlettered countrymen. The atrocities of the

cheap village politicians have gone beyond limit. As a result, many long for a

charge. Mistry echoes these ideas vividly.

I was just thinking about jimmy uncle and your friends talking politics.

He always used to say,” only two choices: communism or military

dictatorship, if you want to get rid of these congress party crooks.

Forget democracy for a few years, not meant for a starving country

(SLJ, 68)

There is a repercussion on the society during Mrs. Indira’s regime. It is

not to be wiped out so early. People have invariably developed against the

political leaders, even ministers and prime minister. There is an indelible

 68

sincere in the minds of the people. They no longer bear the organized day-

robbery of the congress party.

This period can be alluded to dynasty of Ibrahim Lodi. People hated

Ibrahim Lodi like anything and invited Babar to invade Indira. Such historical

situation has been recoiled back. People a save for political charge. Mistry

vehemently pronounces their ideas through his prominent characters.

Whole day and night i sat in my flat. Dina nothing…just thinking. What

hope for the country? With such crooked leaders? Whole days and night….

I sat thinking of all the peoples i had come across in my life…men in the

army, good men. And my Ghulam mohammed. Khodadad building… the

families living there. You and Dilniavaz, the children, the ambitions you

have for them. And those bastards, those ministers and politicians, those

ugly buffaloes and pigs…. Getting fatter and fatter, sucking our blood…’

Jimmy trembled, choking with vehemence. (SLJ, P-279)

Political consciousness form an important subtext to the main action of

the novel ‘such a long journey’ there are two ways to read politics which

affect the consciousness of main protagonist and other characters of the novel.

Narrative is set against the back drop of Bangladesh – Pakistan wars of the

1970. The story of Gustad noble and his family is interwoven with events

which are imbricate with national political scene.

Gustad noble, the central protagonist reflects on the community’s

precarious status. He says,

 69

…what kind of life was Sohrab going to look forward? No future for

minorities, with all these fascist Shiv Sena politics and Marathi

language nonsense (SLJ, 10)

Ministry denounces the corrupt politics of Indira Gandhi’s government

through Bilimoria’s tragic tale and the detailing of a country’s political

corruption. According to him (Bilimoria) Indira Gandhi was indulged in all

types of political corruption. Bilimoria reveals the way the “Research and

Analysis Wing” (RAW) was hijacked for her personal use.

 70

CHAPTER- IV

NOVELSTIC ASPECTS AND CRAFTSMANSHIP

Indicative of Mistry style is a subtle, but increasingly sophisticated and

insistent, temporal weaving of past and present, enabling an

exploration of characters and their motivations, and of the intricate

tangle of cause and effect which directs events on both personal and

national levels. Likewise, symbols are never static in Mistry’s writing.

(Luhramann 3)

Mistry’s writing style is very unique and exquisitely shaped to befit his

subject matter. He is employing different kinds of structural fabrication

throughout his narration. The narration generally begins with the texture of

common place words and phrases and assume a complex lexical structure

with sophisticated words and phraseology. This complexity of sentence

structure gives a clear indication that the subject or incident dealt in the very

passage is extraordinarily complicated and tough. Most of his early novels are

set in the Indian background and thereby he has used in many occasions the

very striking familiar India words to bring out a providential effect.

To a great extent, he provides an epic touch to his novels, for Instance,

A Fine Balance. It runs more than six hundred pages with many scenes that

have been structured in mock epic style exhibiting ironic undertones. He

 71

introduces a huge number of characters and many of them disappear without

any significant roles. In a clear sense they help the growth of the prominent

characters of the novel. Mistry is greatly known for his picturesque

description. He is adept in giving very subtle expressions with apt words.

One cannot so easily categorize the use of his diction as they cover all walks

of life.

Mistry’s narration exclusively encompasses all the aspects of the Indian

society without losing any significant nuance. He is very keen in portraying

the underprivileged people of the rural India. In a broad sense, he has shown

himself as a champion of the cause of the poor and downtrodden. Kumar

very aptly makes his commend on the works of Mistry.

Mistry’s narrative, a blend of history and fabulation, examines the

Indian society from the perspective of an ethnic community. Mistry

places his protagonist in a marginalized community in Bombay in the

tradition of postcolonial literature. (Kumar 76)

Mistry’s works have invariable received varied responses from critics

and analysts. Expression like ‘realism’,‘ neo realism’, ‘psychological realism’

and ‘tragic realism’ have often been applied to his works. But, an inquisitive

probing reveals that the application of all these terms are not possible.

Whenever a writer was language, he seizes on some features of reality which

are crucial to his purpose and disregards others.

 72

In this chapter the scholar sincerely attempts to study various literary

characteristics of Mistry’s the stylistic analysis of Rohinton Mistry’s novel ‘A

Fine Balance’ and Such a Long Journey with the aptly to uncover certain

ideological dimensions in it the researcher examines thoroughly in order to

see whether Mistry’s narratives are ideologically tempered or not.

Language provides classification of phenomena and of people’s

experience and thus plays a vital role in the reality of social and political

structure of the society. Language is itself not only a part of experience but

also intimately involved in the manure in which the social construct is

shaped. Hence, the language very particularly the dialectics used in the

village suburban or urban area must be used so as to achieve the absolutely

effective expression of each character.

Kya karta hai? Chalo, jao, too startled at being addressed in Hindi,

Ruby sat there gaping grandfather turned to Nusswan, doesn’t she

understand? What language does your ayah speak? (FB, 28)

It is no obvious that the narrative technique used in “A Fine Balance” is

a very plane third person Omniscient narration. To a great extent, it is an out

mold style that has been once used by literary stalwarts like harry James, Jane

Austen, Michal Carroll, Billy Jenkins, Cynthia Rylant etc.

Mistry has a sound reason for employing this style as it provides an

unlimiting scope that of delay with at the characters and incidents in the

Maneck that author cashes to do. This style enables an author to play with
 73

literary components irony, fun, pun, hyperboles, deflation, and witty

Sarcasm.

In this respect, Sometimes Mistry too undermines his protagonist and

thrusts his own views on them strongly. He exercises absolute control over all

the characters and events of the novel. In many occasions the author describes

the inner feelings, thoughts, mental process, reservation of the mind etc. This

style generally helps the authors to great humorous and ironical situations

very easily.

At the hospital there was a long delay. Nosey was left on the floor in a

corrider crowded with destitute awaiting treatment. The antiseptic

odor of phenol from the stone tiles penetrated faintly through the

human fetor. Beggar master did his best to motivate the people in

charge, and spoke to a kind-looking doctor. His white cost was torn at

Beggar master asked him to please hurry and attend his mother; he

would make it worth his while. The doctor said in a gently voice not to

worry, everyone would be looked after. Then he rushed away with his

hand in the torn pocket. (FB, 450)

In this novel the text as such, basically the descriptive part other than

the character’s conversations or their thought’s stand out for its start factually

and linearity of time. The text is for a give list fall the events and various

descriptions. It does not probe at all the intentions or the mental makeup of

the characters. We are left to make out whatever of their psychological

 74

makeup from their conversation or actions. In other words the text in non-

intrusive.

Next important artistic craftsmanship of Mistry is the art of

characterization. From he takes an almost care in introducing his characters.

For instance, he has introduced his protagonist of Such a Long Journey in the

background of the down. Here scene secures multiple importance. The

protagonist ‘Gustad Noble’ in introduced on the very first line of the scene. It

is the openly scene of the Novel. The scene of action is early morning,

probably down, with soothing becomes of run rays streaming down to the

earth. And there is a natural orchestra conducted by warbling fowls.

The first light of morning barely illuminated the sky as Gustad noble

faced eastward to offer his orisons to Ahura Mazda. The hour was

approaching six, and up in the compound’s solitary tree the sparrows

began to call. Gustad listened to their chirping every morning while

reciting his kusti prayers. There was something reassuring about it.

Always the sparrows were first; the cawing of crows came later. (SLJ,

01)

This opening scene is as significant as it establishes the unique

character of Gustad. He wants to have the both of the early caught of the sun.

There is a ‘solitary free’. It symbolically suggests that Gustad may be a family

man, an official but he is a solitary man, a self-alienated man is the society.

Here, the author brings out the confluence of Nature’s worship to god and a
 75

devotee’s worship. Sparrows chirp to praise the lord while Gustad recites his

kusti prayer to the lord.

Then there comes the cawing of the crows symbolizing that every

mundane works to begin after worship the almighty maker. In the third

paragraph itself Mistry graphically depicts the features of Gustad.

Gustad Noble eased his prayer cap slightly, away from the wide

forehead with its numerous lines, until it settled comfortably on his

grey-white hair. The black velvet of the cap contrasted starkly with his

cinereous sideburns. But his thick, groomed moustache was just as

black and velvety. Tall and broad shouldered, Gustad was the sickness

was being discussed (SLJ 1).

Mistry lends a sharp description of Gustad’s features. The liner found

on the forehead of Gustad denote the sagacity of Gustad. The grey- white

hair conveys that he is an experienced aged man with remarkable wisdoms

the ‘ groomed moustache ‘ proclaims the fact that the protagonist is so sincere

in maintain his corporal frame further suggesting that his sincerity could be

extorted to his official routines too. This stature is furthered described as ‘

broad- shouldered ‘ and ‘tall’, he is a towering personality, broad- shouldered

and robust, endowed with sound health that induces every among his nears

and dears. What the scholar attempts to relate here is that Mistry’s

introduction of his protagonist in the opening scene wins him due

appreciations at the same times his fact in characterization has also been
 76

proved. In this scene Mistry is able to present the physical nature, spiritual

mold and the social position of his protagonist Gustad Noble.

The opening scene and the character introduction of A Fine Balance is

highly captivating and moving. In the novel Such a Long Journey he has used

the morning atmosphere as well. But the only difference is that the scene of

former is set in a running train. It strikes a transitional effect. It depicts the

populace and overcrowding perilous cities of India. The author has used

morning hours and sparrow in both of the novels.

The morning express bloated with passengers slowed to a crawl, and

then lurched forward suddenly, as thought to resume full speed. The

train’s brief deception jolted its riders. The bulge of humans hanging

out of the doorway distended perilously, like a soap bubble at its limit.

Inside the compartment Maneck Kohlah held on to the overhead

railing, propped up securely within the crush. He felt someone’s elbow

knock his textbook from his hand. In the seats nearby, a thin young

fellow knock his textbook from his hand. In the seats nearby, a thin

young fellow was catapulted into the arms of the opposite him.

Maneck’s textbooks fell upon them. (FB, 3)

In the opening scene itself he has introduced the three prominent

characters of the novel. Unlike such a long time, he has portrayed them in a

slip- shod manner. However, Ishvar Darji is presented as not a stout man
 77

contrastingly Om Prakash in skinny. The real impetuousness of the novel

occurs in the near middle.

Ishvar Darji was not a stout man; it was the contrast with Om

Prakash’s skinny limbs that gave rise to their little jokes about his size.

The wisecracks originated sometimes with one and sometimes the

other. When they had their evening meal, Ishvar would be sure to

spoon out a larger portion onto his nephew’s enamel plate; at a

roadside dhaba, he would wait till Om Prakash went for water , or to

the latrine, then swiftly scoop some of his own food onto the other

leaf.(FB, 3)

Other than characterization, the narrative technique used by Mistry is

amazing. He has borrowed materials from history and has forged them

discreetly to suit to his purpose. Its effect may remind one of allegory. But, in

reality, it is not allegory; a real story on a political event of ‘Nagarwala’ is

presented with certain artistic changes.

The plot, which involves a series of easy coincidences and culminates

with Gustad’s meeting with Billimoria in the prison hospital, is used as a

narrative like to advance the various episodes in the life of Gustad Noble.

While Tejal describes the novel as the “first-fact based fiction in the Indian

tradition” (140), a closed examination of the number of interruption in the

narrative suggests an intrusive urge Mistry’s part to deliberately weave into

the story certain historical ‘facts’ such that the novel becomes a platform for
 78

the expression of betrayed hope and loss of faith at the national level. Issues

that that pervaded Indian politics in the 70s; The nationalist rhetoric that was

a result of the Indo-Pakistan conflict; the turbulent politics of Indira Gandhi,

the ascendancy of Sanjay Gandhi, The corruption of the congress and strong

emotional Anti-Nehruism seep intervals, often suppressing the reader’s

aesthetic response and resulting in a forced literature.

Historically, the early 1970s also witnessed the growth of the Shiv Sena

with its ethnic demand for a Maratha Raj angrily dismissed by Gustad as

“Maharashtra for Maharashtra’s nonsense” (73). Gustad sees the threat to his

minority community as analogous to the situation of the black American:

What kinds of life was Sohrab going to look forward to? No future for

minorities, with all these fascist Shiv Sena politics and Marathi

language nonsense. It was going to be like the black people in America

twice as good as the white man to get half as much. (SLJ, 55)

Gustad’s sense of crisis is aggravated by Sohrab’s act of defiance in

refusing to join the IIT, leading to anger and bitterness and a breach in the

relationship between son and the father “who had made the success of his

son’s life the purpose of his own” (55). Admission to the coveted Indian

Institute of Technology has for long been to the West. (The dismissal of the IIT

as a mere “technical college” by a Canadian critic (Eder 3) is a reminder of the

need for a greater ‘cultural inwardness’ in the consideration of any creative

 79

writing across boundless). Gustad equates Sohrab’s betrayal with the loss of a

dream, of an escape route from the present:

The dream of IIT took shape, and then took hold of their imagination.

And the Indian Institute of Technology became the Promised Land. It

was EI dorado and Shangri-la, it was Atlantis and Camelot, it was

Xanadu and Oz. It was the home of the Holy Grail. And all things

would be given and all things would be possible and all things would

come to pass for the who journeyed there and emerged with the sacred

chalice. (SLJ 66-67)

The position of the Parsi minority is also made more vulnerable by

Indira Gandhi’s nationalization of all banks at one stroke thus toppling the

Parsi hold over banking. Dinshawji reminds Gustad of the past: Parsis were

the kings of banking in those days. Such respect we used to get. Now the

whole atmosphere only has been spoiled. Ever since that Indira nationalized

the banks (38). Dinshawji also voices his fear over the loss of familiar names

under pressure of the Shiv Sena. To Gustad’s questions “What’s a name?” He

counter-asserts that renaming is an infliction of linguistic violence to social

identity, the erasure of familiar names connected with the colonial past is seen

as an erasure of a personal-historical connectedness:

Names are so important. I grew up on Lamington Road. But it has

disappeared; in its place is Dadasaheb Bhadkhamkar Marg. My school

was on Carnac Road. Now suddenly it’s on Lokmanya Tilak

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Marg……So what happens to the life I have lived? Will I get a second

chance to live it all again, with these new names? Tell me what

happens to my life. Rubbed out, just like that? Tell me! (SLJ 74)

Counterpoised to the indignity and struggle of the present are

memories of the security and cultural dignity of the past. Governing Gustad’s

emotions of loneliness, fear, insecurity and skepticism is an all pervading

scene of loss of what the past had symbolized. A repetition of image

associated with the past builds up a pattern within the narrative which

embodies, as Dave Williams suggests, “a sort of ethnic of presence, an ethnic

nostalgia for origins” (SLJ, 218), reminding us of the condition of the émigré

writer himself, “Always begins after the loss is complete, the remembering”

(SLJ 210). Some of the most evocative passages in the novel are those of acts of

remembrance that mourns the loss of a social pattern of life associated with

childhood and his grandparents making the connection between the past and

tradition inseparable, and pitting the past value system of ‘us’ against that of

the ‘them’ in the present. Gustad, at moments of crisis and confusion “In a life

where nothing seems right any more” (6) retreats to his grandfather’s black

ebony desk. The few remaining place of his grandfather’s furniture are to

Gustad, legacies of an age gone by: “The place stood like parentheses around

his entire life, the sentinels of his sanity” (SLJ, 6).

Rushdie explains that while emigrant writers haunted by some sense

of loss are compelled to look back, it is imperative to remember, in Rushdie’s

own words; that our physical alienation from India inevitably means that we
 81

will not be capable of reclaiming precisely the thing that was lost Such a Long

Journey, that we will, in short, create fictions, not actual cities or villages, but

invisible ones, imaginary homelands, India’s of the mind.

What predominates in Mistry’s “imaginary” landscape of novel are

images of decay and defeat, the coagulated blood, bones and flies of Crawford

Market, the “den of scoundrels” (20), the stench-filled, pan-stained steamy

area of the House of Cages (156), “fungi, clammy” home of Miss Kutpitia,

locked up for thirty five years, the grotesque description of broken bodies in

the clinic of the bone setter (30). Anything that is clean is an exception and

appears only in association with the past. The overall impression is

scatological and one of nausea in public life and the novel lacks imagery of

hope, progress, growth or regeneration, the vinca’s endurance (125) ends

when the plant is hacked (205), and the only act of co-copulation is the

“sordid and smelly” encounter of the mentally-stunted Tehmul with Roshan’s

blue-eyed, fair skinned doll. As Anjana Desai points out, there are no births,

no marriages and nothing fertile in the text (137). Nothing rejuvenates. The

flashes, finches and squirrels that Darius attempts to keep as pets all succumb

to illness (24), Sohrab’s entomological project comes to a nauseating end (65),

Miss Kutpitia’s black-magic spell involves the burning of a live lizard (285),

and Dinshawji, with his permanently stinking breath emanating from his

Chronically carious mouth is ultimately admitted to the Parsi General

Hospital with his insides rotting away. The cumulative effect of the network

of depressive details is a bleak vision of an injured India. And rampant moral

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corruption, in terms of “the pus of putrefaction” and “gangrene at an

advanced stage” (313).

The Morcha organized by Dr. Paymaster and peer boy against the

municipality, regarded as a “microcosmic manifestation of the greed,

dishonesty, and moral turpitude that flourished at the country’s center” (313),

is the closest to social action that the novel produces. The proletarian uprising

of artisans and workmen wearing their work clothes, marching with their

work implements and workmen wearing their work clothes, marching with

their work implements and armed with handcarts loaded with slime and filth

proceed on their demonstration until they come to the “sacred wall of

miracles” (SLJ, 326) where they pause to pay obeisance to their various gods

and goddesses. The 6 feet high and 300 feet long black wall is an important

symbol throughout the novel. It acts as a border, a social partition sheltering

the residents of Khodadad Building from non-Parsi eyes, and protecting them

from the “threat of otherness itself”. Irritated by passersby who use the wall

as a public urinal, Gustad strikes upon the “brilliant” idea of inviting a

(nameless) commercial pavement artist to paint the urine soaked wall “made

copious by malodorous deposited by outsiders” (156) and therefore marked

by the outdoor of counter-territoriality.

The artist (with a BA in words religions, and specialty in comparative

studies!) produces an extensive mural of the gods of India. Any attempt to

interpret the wall as an ecumenical symbol that reflects the idea of an India

based on multiplicity and pluralism must keep in mind that Gustad’s original
 83

intention was to maintain the divisive function of the wall, and was not based

on any secular intention. The idea of the picture within a pictures is analogous

to the idea of cultures within cultures , reflecting the multifaceted aspects of

India’s confusing socio-religious cultural make up- the artist however retains

a “bit” of the original wall as a reminder of the authentic reality. The wall

only temporarily creates a communal experience. The confrontation between

the Morcha members and the municipal workers results in further violence,

and the tragic death of Tehmul caught in the cross-fighting. Gustad realizes

that “the collapse of the wall would wreck the past and the future” (329) and

would inevitably speed up the process of dismantling the boundaries’ around

the Parsi’s world.

In the act of carrying the body of the dead Man child. Tehmul,

Gustad rediscovers a certain strength within himself (the earlier rescue of

Sohrab from a road accident, which had caused him to fracture his hip, had

also been heroic in its own right). Gustad rediscovers the emotional strength

to cry. The catharsis that he undergoes (“Tears began to well in his closed

eyes. His voice was soft and steady, and his hand steady and light upon

Tehmul’s head, as the tears ran down his cheeks…. As much for Tehmul as

for Jimmy. And for Dinshawji, for papa and mamma, for Grandpa and

Grandma, all who had had to wait for so long…. 337) results in a movement

away from the memory of grandfather, a ‘letting-go’, to the reconciliation

with Sohrab.
 84

The Journey quest motif is a recurrent one in third world immigrant

fiction, wherein the journey metaphorically entails the transition from one

state of inner experience to another (Kirpal 71). There are no significant literal

journeys in the novel apart from the journey uphill for Dinshawji’s funeral,

followed by Gustad’s train journey to Delhi to see the ailing Major Billimoria.

Dinshawji ‘s death bring to Gustad’s realization the true heroism of Dinshawji

who had maintained a mask of outward boisterousness in spite of the pain of

cancer, as well as the imperative need for a philosophical acceptance of the

finality of life. Seated in the train Gustad wonders “Would the long journey

for Dinshawji too. But certainly worth it” (260). Gustad returns back to

Bombay with a sense of absolution and forgiveness. What the reader

witnesses is a certain inward journey traveled by Gustad Noble towards an

awareness of a distance that will ultimately have to be covered –that long

journey of life –to be endured with stoic resilience. In the end of the book is

the beginning of the real journey, of a consciousness that the search is without

end and entails countless such journeys.

The novel explores a troublesome decade beginning with 1975 and

concluding with an epilogue in 1984. Rohinton Mistry has taken only those

facts into account, which can be helpful in portraying the gloomy and glaring

saga of the country during emergency. Thematically, the novel articulates the

sagacity of the cultures which are very much suppressed. Simultaneously the

novel deals with the life and longing of the middle class which craves for

honour and dignity. In addition to his, the age –old problem of caste and
 85

communalism, the brunt which has been borne by the down trodden, has

been duly focused. Om and Ishvar, Shankar and Rajaram by their flamboyant

knit and knot the texture of the novel. Mistry perceives India as metropolitan,

sophisticated noisy and angry.

Mistry tact and artistic mettle are found expressed in the description of

urban and semi-urban parts of the society.

Market day was noisier than usual because the Family Planning Centre

was promoting its sterilization camp from a booth in the square, its

loudspeakers at full blast. Banners were strung across the road,

exhorting participation in the Nussbandhi Mela. The usual

paraphernalia of the fairground- balloons, flowers, soap bubbles,

coloured lights, and snacks were employed to lure the townsfolk and

visiting villagers. (FB, 524)

Dina shroff seems to be a kernel of the novel who is destined to redeem

the lot of the denied and destitute. Om and Ishvar, the two tailors, who, all

the time, roam in Bombay to locate the whereabouts a Dina. Dina initiates her

relationship by giving them the work of tailoring. Maneck Kohlah becomes a

paying guest in the house of Dina. Now, the major part of the novel is replete

with the life and longing in the house, in the city, in India, the novelist

critically comments of the role and responsibility of Indian bureaucracy and

the socio- political compulsions of the country. Dina, a kind and kindred lady,

offers meal regularly of Shankar, beggars and others. Despite all the odds and
 86

obscurities, the tailors do not lose the saucy sense of humour and accept life

as a token of comedy. The motto and mission in life is to enjoy the love and

laughter. Tomorrow is beyond the clutch of the human hand and that may be

quite late.

Among the drudgery of life, Mistry leads his prominent characters to

an easeful humorous situation like an interlude in a drama.

While they ate, the tailors described the police action against ticketless

travel. The gift of dinner softened the accusing tone Om had planned

to use; he told it like a traveller’s adventure instead. Rajaram clapped a

dramatic hand to his forehead.’ What foolishness on my part- I

completely forget to warn you. You see, it’s been months and months

since a raid; he slapped his forehead again. ‘Some people travel all

their lives without buying a single ticket. And you two get caught on

the first day. Even with tickets,’ he chuckled. (FB, 181)

The novel examines the plight and pity of the poor in its graphic details

in a postmodernist fashion. Surprisingly enough even the minute detail does

no escape the eagle’s eyes of the master craftsman, and he too does not pass a

didactic note on the sad lot of mankind. The novelist has employed the wit

and humour as a literary device so that the heart- rendering scenario of the

emergency may be brought into light especially for the poor like Om and

Ishvar. Like blazes, Rohinton Mistry makes ‘A Fine Balance’ superbly a human

comedy. All the accidents and the events have been skill fully narrated to
 87

focus the characters, of the two tailors and their life-styles. As a matter of fact,

the good and the great find a prominence in the life of Dina whose life is

committed to the cause of the humanity. The novelist, critically scrutinizes the

characters who have their own status and stature where they work and live

but there characters are trying their best even outside their home. In the

schema of the novel structural pattern of different societies has been perused.

Mistry characteristically delineates the life-styles of the Chamaars,

One morning, when Ishvar and Narayan were hidden behind the

bushes, the students were brought into the front yard to practice a dance for

the harvest festival. The sky was cloudless, and snatches of song could be

heard from the fields in the distance. The laboures’ melodies contained the

agony of their aching backs, of their skin sizzling under the sun. Ishvar and

Narayan listened for their father’s voice, but could not separate the strands in

the chorus.

A Fine Balance in fact, offers a sound satiric touch and tune at young

Indians who desert Dina for her oven doom. Dina appears as an embodiment

of purity and innocence. To Dina, this is eroticism not sainthood which is

reflected by the loveable eyes of Maneck kohlah and her two tailors, Om and

Ishavar, who symbolically connote the one meaning i.e. God. Rohinton Mistry

being a Parsi, has closely studies the culture and customs, traditions and life

styles of Parsi community this community is basically known for its silent

suffering selfless service readers to the nation. Parsis are the most urban shed

community always opting English medium schools for its children. This is
 88

tantalizing novel for it swift, wisdom and narratology. The novelist has used

cleverness with the fine amalgamations of fun. Stylistically the novels

bristling with mimicking overstatements, exaggeration, pun and paradox

which are not merely fascinating but captivating the reader’s charm and

choice. The character sketch is transparent, lucid and is excellently evoked by

the tone and tenor if Ishvar, Om Dina, and Maneck and by their cutting

comments, which highlight the incident.

Mistry presents an ironic situation in which both Narayan and Ishvar

attempt to explore the most forbidden world of Brahmins. The scene has been

formed advantously with melodramatic situation and finally ends evoke a

tragic- comedy.

Now Narayan, his fingers shaking with excitement, chalked a short

white line and displayed it proudly. They grew more adventurous,

departing from straight lines, covering the slates with loops and curves

and scrawl of all shapes and sizes, stopping only to admire, marveling

at the ease with which create, then erase with a sweep of the hand and

re-create at will. And the chalk dust on their palms and fingers set

them to giggling too it could make thick funny lines on the forehead

just like the caste marks of the Brahmins. They returned to the

cupboard to examine the rest of its contents, unrolling alphabet charts

and opening picture books. Lost in the forbidden world, they did not

notice that the dancing in the yard had ended, nor did they hear the
 89

teacher sneak up behind. He grabbed them by their ears and charged

them outside. (FB, 110)

The novel dramatically exposes the artistic brilliance executed in the

novel to generate comic pleasure and profit. To Mistry, exaggeration is

considered to be a specific comic tool away from reason and argument. Mistry

strategically was a typical from of ambiguous speech full of mirth and

merriment. Like Raja Rao’s Kanthapura, Mistry, A Fine Balance presents the

new edition of the Sthalpurana by his token and augmented by Indianisms

and words incorporated from other Indian language; the novel develops a

distinct character and identity of its Owen. In their works the English

language is interiorized and integrated with gesture, thought and feeling.

Only an Indian could have written as he has. But the sensibility that the

hinglish of Rohinton Mistry symbolizes may nevertheless by convey instantly,

it does not have to be translated. Indianness is a whole, manifest and palpable

in the wit, humor, speech and rhythm of life lived in Mistry’s fictive cosmos.

Theoretically, studying and analyzing the socio cultural and socio political

situation there seems little likelihood of ejecting English without national self-

harm.

In the realm of linguistic choice Rohinton Mistry is considered to be

mischievous with the reader. Though he deals with the emergency and the

oppression but his language is quite soothing and sonorous. It is

fundamentally a socio linguistic import of the pluricentricity of English by

examining aspects of bilingual creativity in English from the respective within

 90

anon-native tradition of the linguistic realization. Mistry’s experimental use of

such a language serves two purposes. English is a symbol of linguistic

imperialism while hinglish is an attempt to get it free from the shackles of

linguistic slavery. English is regarded as a union of Indian culture and

western language. A Fine Balance comprehensively raises and resolves the

linguistic code in a justifiable manner. Through his linguistic Rohinton Mistry

crystallizes this fact that novel have become a bright book of life. A close

textual analysis reveals that this localization trend in English has become the

most potent weapon to exploit the creative urge and stamina. This novel also

approves the impact of the media regarding the coinage of the words and

organization of the sentences. In the creative exploitation of the theme and

thought, the right choice of language plays a key role, which enhances the

readability and suitability of the novel.

Indo- American writers have been handling the English language with

variable competence. A few of them may have produced stylistically horrid

works which are not linguistically execrable but most of the writers have also

been magnificently impressive creations. A part from so many qualities a

creative work needs to have, its potency to capture the imagination of the

reader is of utmost importance. The most pertinent question is whether a

book is readable.

Rohinton Mistry has used so many clichés but not in tradition form.

Knowing that he cannot rest upon its laurels, he has rejuvenated these worn

out expressions to fashion a new phrase and to create a bright new line. In
 91

fact, A Fine Balance is a criticism of contemporary life and literature. The

summing up of the novel is excellent and nowhere the reader comes to realize

whether it is the beginning or the end. Sometimes the surprise emanates from

the linguistic mode of thought used by the characters that have dramatic

overtones and undertones.

Fictional world is characterized by a sense of crisis of identity, nostalgic

memories and a sense of alienation. He marks a definite departure from the

general run of Indian English novelist in many ways. His novels concern

more of human problems than issues arising out of regional loyalties. His

character steps out of themselves and question not only the atmosphere

which impinges on their consciousness but their own self-indulgent attitude

keeping them away from facing the truth. His criticism of the political, the

civilized and the mean world is not guided by a sentimental extolling of

Indian philosophy and value of life by a genuine faith in the reliability of the

primitive value of sensuousness, passion and action. Rohiston Mistry’s texts

are at the macro level splendid celebration of Indian English while at the

micro level they faithfully capture the rhythms of the Parsi Gujarati idiom.

Unlike earlier Indian English writers, Mistry does not use Indian English to

merely create a comic effect. He uses it consistently and naturally and thereby

conveys its present status as one of the several Indian languages with its own

distinctive phonetic and syntactic feature-a part of the phenomenon of global

“Englishes”.
 92

Indeed, Such a Long Journey demonstrates manipulative nature of

language, and how truth and reality can often be very different from what it

appears. Even Mistry has beautifully used various named to produce an

element of interest in his fiction. Like former Prime Minister of India Mrs.

Indira Gandhi has never been addressed with her name in the entire novel

such a long journey, she has always been addressed as the Prime Minister.

Mistry has used native terminology so the Indian readers can correlate with

his fiction as well as to create a sense of satisfaction. In the words of Charu

Chandra:-

While exposing the political corruption at the national level through

third person narrative of newspaper reporting is Mistry’s typical mode

of resistance, it is more pungent when he attacks bloody minded super

power like USA for their international domination. (Charu 2)

He is magical in depicting situations with realism and down-to-earth

worldliness. Mistry has a knack for paining the insignificant into significant,

giving adequate word visuals for gestures, facial expressions and nuances of

behavior making the depiction vivid and effective as in case of the violinist

Daisy, the way she plays her violin the description is beautiful. In the novel A

Fine Balance Mistry gives a pictures of unity of human despite of various

odds. Thus, he has weaved into the narrative of the novels a popular concept

of unity in diversity. Mistry has lent significance to his narration on the theme

of Hindu-Muslim riots, Beautification of the city as done during Indira

Gandhi’s ruling as well as the atrocities done on lower caste people. The novel
 93

express concerns of the people and their anxieties at the dehumanization and

degradation of human values. In his narrative technique Mistry has narrated

different modes of writing adopting a translucent and simple style.

He has recreated the past into meaningful symbols of contemporary

situation and future possibilities. Rohinton Mistry, has given a wonderful

literary treatment to the theme by putting the narrative in a contemporary

framework blending into it autobiographical elements. Mistry in the novel

has minimized elaboration, but dramatized the nuances behind the facts. The

dialogue are simple, natural and yet lively and functional. He has made use of

vernacular words; the list is long, which appear unavoidable for explaining a

point. Mistry is a writer of human ethos, life and passion and his theme, style

and treatment of the plot establishes his identity as a written of parsi life in

India. There is pure Indianness in his writings.

Mistry in his novel brings out poignant scenes in which reality is

served and presented to its zenith. Rohinton Mistry mixes Hindi words in his

narration to reinforce the narrative. Urdu-Hindi-Gujarati words have been

used, but not out of place. However they add a rate treatment to the narrative.

The Vernacular words used in Mistry’s words are:

Kutchoomber,dhansak,seth,murgi,goaswalla,chhee-chhee!, sabaash, sabaash,

sapaat,sav-ganthia, fikko-fuchuk, basmati, Morcha, goondas, yaar, goondas,

Kusti, dustoorji, yaar, chowki, gilly gilly gilly!’ gilly gilly gillly!’ Kavi kamala,

Basmati, goaswalla,.
 94

CHAPTER- V

SUMMATION

The dissertation critically examines the status of Rohinton Mistry in

first chapter. He is an Indian born- Canadian writer in the field of English

novel. It also makes its further probe a very clearly on the work of Mistry

whose themes are generally related to politics and Casteism. His account of

the Parsi community in India is life as he has long lasting experience and

attachment with the community and he is also one of its members. Mistry’s

fictional writings contain amalgam of themes and literary components.

Rohinton Mistry’s novels are the perfect blend of love, intrigue, Politics

and friendship. A part from politics, he has touched upon castesim in order to

rip open naked face of Indian culture and delve out its various darkened

aspects and obscured realities.

In chapter two, Mistry is applauded highly for his ceaseless crusade

against Casteism and hideous influence on Indian society. Its impact on the

society is unthinkably atrocious and unimaginably dehumanizing. Mistry

brings out vividly the atrocities inflicted on the Chammars by the name of the

caste in his novels. Such a long Journey and A Fine Balance are suffered in the

form caste system. In Such a Long Journey the main protagonist Gustad noble

is middle class person and he suffered under the domination by upper caste
 95

people. A Fine Balance Dukhi, Om , Ishvar, Manacks are suffered by upper

caste people and their atrocities are very violent in the form of politics.

The upper caste males are the outright hypocrites. They practices

double stand the society. They treat the low caste people as untouchables but

they monstrously exploit them and shamelessly ravage their chastity

Thematically the novels articulate the sage city of the cultures which

are much suppressed. Simultaneously the novel deals with life and

longing of middle class which craves for honour and dignity. In

addition to his, the brunt of which problems been by the down-

trodden has been duly focused.

(Gajendra, 76)

Mistry delineates the brutal handling of these low castes men they by

the oppressive caste Hindus. He presents a very realistic and dehumanizing

portrayal of various forms of tortures that the women of lower castes are

subjected in spite of any number of right that free India sanctioned to women.

The narrative here high lights another perspective of Indian reality, i,e; gender

, discrimination and asserts that every aspects of Indian society is gendered.

In chapter three, political upheavals and down sliding society, Mistry

very subtly presents the whole political climate of the period of emergency.

The cold- hearted attitude of many political agent, heart- freezing corruptions,

and bloodcurdling atrocities in his too much sought novels A Fine Balance and

Such a Long Journey. Mistry has highlighted Mrs. Gandhi misrule or rather the
 96

atrocious rule in India. The novels such a long journey and A Fine Balance are

portraits the political and Casteism. In particularly the political regime of Mrs.

Gandhi, daughter of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Such a Long Journey is political

bases of novel and Mrs. Gandhi has got from her father at the time of indo –

china war quite enough for her to deal with any international problems.

Such a Long Journey Mistry’s has rightly pointed out how Mrs. Gandhi

has drained money from government funds and used for her personal

purpose through faithful government servants who worked in RAW Mistry

being a Parsi he is well aware of the political stunt that has taken place in

Nehru family political . The regime of Mrs. Indira could be formed

debauchery, artfulness, rowdism, corruption downright treachery and

outrageousness. Gustad character is very crucial, through him only he studies

the political upheavals and the determination of the society.

Political consciousness’s form an important subtext to the main action

of the novel such a long Journey ‘there are two ways to real politics with effect

the consciousness of main protagonist and other characters of the novel.

Narrative is set against the back drop of Bangladesh- Pakistan wars of the

1970. The story of Gustad noble and his family is interwoven with events

which are intricate with national political scene.

Mistry denounces the corrupt politics of Indira Gandhi’s government

through Billimoria’s tragic tale and the detailing of a country’s political

corruption according to him (Bilimoria) Indira Gandhi was indulged in all

 97

type of political corruption. Billimoria reveals the way the research and

analysis wing (RAW) was hijacked for her personal use.

A Fine Balance Mistry drop snaps out the democratic jugglery of India.

The promise of equality and justice spelled out during election campaigns are

very conveniently thrown into dustbin. The Casteism politics usurp in and

devastate everything from the very face of the Mistry tactfully portrays the

victimization of four major characters, Dina Dalal, Ishvar, Om and Maneck, at

the time of emergency. He presents the paradigm of the whole political

casications and the petty business of ill –natured statesman on A Fine Balance.

His political observations are profound and highly critical. His mercy much

consciousness of the political of emergency and the deliberately make crisis.

Every personal aggrandizement or self-compliment act casts an

adverse effect on the society. The so called upper-ladder politicians take every

means to secure and safe-guard their own positions and authorities. Every

dishonest and selfish measure brings out have on the lives of the single and

common people of unpromising villages. The worst suffers are Ishvar, Om

Prakash and Dina Dalal. They are quite unaware of the political upheavals

take place in the country. Their dreams of safe and secured likes Mistry’s sole.

Objective is to reveal how a wrong measure taken in the centre affects the

very common people of seamy layer of the society.

A fine balance is a microcosm of life in general and political

disturbance, which he keenly perceived around him when he was in

India. He portrays the bleak realities and horrifying implications of the

 98

anarchy and exploitation that could go on in the name of discipline,

beautification and progress in a democratic country. (Jayadipish, 70)

The next treacherous agents to perpetuate political atrocities are the

police. They invent strange stories to quash various political crimes and

debaucheries. A Dalit political activist is taken to the police custody

unlawfully. There is killed during investigation. But the police fabricated a

fine story that he is killed in the railway accident. It is so regrettable that the

police force is used to accomplish all kinds of political Misapprobation this

causes many innocent commanders to lose their lives, properties and many

families have been disintegrated.

The police claimed it was a railway accident, but the parents spoke of

wounds they have seen on their son’s body at the morgue. According

to the reports, the injuries were the injuries were consistent with other

confirmed incidents of torture. (FB 584).

Om, Ishvar, Dina, Maneck characters are aware of something

stifling their lives through they cannot link it to the existing political scenario

of the country. Their struggle for survival, as far they are concerned does not

have a political angle to it. They all believe that the often heard word

emergency is a sort of a game played by the power Centre and it would not

really affect the ordinary people like them. Hence each in his way tries the

pervading discomfort and insecurity to then problem of the here and now.
 99

Very soon when their simplest dreams get thwarted they are forced into

realizing the mayhem created by the emergency.

In chapter fourth, Novelistic Aspects and Craftsmanship, Mistry’s

narration is an interesting instance of personalization history. His writing

style is very unique and exquesitively shaped to be fit his subject matter.

There is a different kind of structural fabrication trough out his narration. The

Narration generally begins with the facture of common place words and

phrases and assumes a complex lexical structure with sophisticated words

and phraseology. This complexity of sentence structure gives a clean

indication that the sub mental or incident dealt in the very passage is

extraordinarily completed and tough.

Mistry narration exclusively encompass all the aspects of the Indian

society without losing any significant nuance. He is very keen in portraying

the underprivileged people of the rural India. In a broad sense, he has shown

himself as a champion of the cause of the poor and down trodden. Kumar

very aptly makes his commend on the works of misty.

Mistry’s narrative, a blend of history and tabulation, examines the

Indian society from the perspective of an ethnic community. Mistry

places his protagonist in a marginalized community in Bombay in the

tradition of postcolonial literature. (Kumar, 76)

Mistry’s the stylistic analyses Of Rohinton Mistry’s novel ‘A Fine

Balance’ and Such a Long Journey in the aptly to uncover certain ideological
 100

dimensions in it the researcher examines thoroughly in order to see whether

Mistry’s narratives are ideologically tempered or not. Language is itself not

only a part of experience but also intimately involved in the manure in which

the social construct is shaped. Hence, the language very particularly the

dialectics used in the village suburban or urban area must be used so as to

achieve the absolutely effective expression of each character. The narrative

technique used in A Fine Balance is a very plane third person Omniscient

narration. To a great extent, it is an out mold style that has been once used by

literary stalwarts like Hurry James, Jane Austen, Michal Carroll, Billy Jenkins,

Cynthia Rylant etc.

The important artistic craftsmanship of Mistry is the art of

characterization. He takes an atomist care in introducing has characters. For

instance, he has introduced his protagonist of ‘Such a Long Journey ‘in the

background of the down. The scene secures multiple importances. The

protagonist ‘Gustad Noble’ introducing on the very first line of the scene. It is

the openly scene of the Novel. The scene of action is early morning, probably

down, with soothing becomes of run rays streaming down to the earth. And

then is a natural orchestra conducted by warbling fowls.

The opening scene and the character introduction of A Fine Balance are

highly captivating and moving. In Such a Long Journey he has used the

morning atmosphere as well. But the only difference is that the scene of

former is set train. It strikes a transitional effect. It depicts the populate and

overcrowding perilous cities of India. The author has used morning hours
 101

and sparrow in both of the novels. Mistry in his novel brings out poignant

scenes in which reality is served and presented to its zenith. Rohinton Mistry

mixes Hindi words in his narration to reinforce the narrative. Urdu-Hindi-

Gujarati words have been used, but not out of place. However they add a rate

treatment to the narrative.

The novels are dramatically exposes the artistic brilliance executed in

the novel to generate comic pleasure and profit. To Mistry, exaggeration is

considered to be a specific comic tool away from reason and argument.

 102

WORKS SITED

Primary sources

Mistry, Rohinton. Such a Long Journey; Faber and Faber Ltd.,(

Bloomsbury House), London, 2006 Print.

---. A Find Balance: Faber and Faber, Bloomsbury House, London, 2006,

Print.

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Bharucha, Nilufer .E. Rohinton Mistry: Ethnic Enclosures and

Transcultural Spaces. Jaipur: Rawat Publications print. 2003. 229.

Batra, Jagdish. “Rohinton Mistry’s Such a Long Journey: a sociological

study. “The commonwealth Review 15.2 (2004) 100-109.Print

Belliappa, C. “Histry Revisited: Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance. “The

Quest 24.1 (Jun 2010): 60-60. Print

Bharathi, c. “Indian Socity Politics: an analysis of Rohinton Mistry’s A

Fine Balance. “The Literary Criterion 46.2 (2011): 26-49.’American College

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 103

Christina, P. S. Mary. “Untochability as a Social Stigma in Rohinton

Mistry’s A Fine Balance. Print

Devi,Maya J.. “The Politics and Poetics of Ecology: a reading of

Rohinton Mistry’s Such a Long Journey. “Indian Jounal of Postcolonial

Literatures 11.2 (Dec 2011): 86-98.Print

Dodiya, Jaydipsinh. Perspectives on the Novels of Rohinston Mistry.

New Delhi: Sarup and Sones, 2006. Xi,105.Print

George, K. V. “such a Long Journey-Gustad Noble’s Dark Journey of

Life. “Indian Journal of Post-Colonial Literatures 10 (Jan-Jun 2008): 93-

101.Print

Jockim, D.. “Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance as a Political Satire.

“American College Journal of English Language and Literature 2 (Mar 2013):

262-275.Print

Kapadia, Novy. Parsi Fiction Vol .2. New Delhi: Prestige Books,

2001.270.Print

Kumar, Gajenra. Indian English Literature: A New Perspective. New

Delhi: Sarup and Sons, 2001. 172. Print

Kumar, V. L. V. N. Narendra Parsee Novel. New Delhi: Prestige

books, 2002. 167. Print

 104

Myles, Anita. “Thematic Concerns in Rohinton Mistry’s Such a Long

Journey”, Recent Indian Fiction. R. S. Pathak(Ed.) New Delhi: Prestige Books,

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Nawale, Arvind M..Indian Writing in English: Speculations and

Observations. New Delhi: Authors press, 2011. Xvii, 249. Print.

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Balance. Contemporary Vibes 7.28 (Jul-Sep 2012): 16-18.Print.

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Untouchable. “The Commonwealth Review 16.1: 61-67.Print

Sign, Priyambda. Vikas Jaoolkar, Experimentation of the Language in

the Novels of Rohinton Mistry, Research on humanities and social science,

ISSN 2222-1719, Vol.3, No. 8,2013. Print.

Singh, Rajwant. “Ideological Positioning and the Language of a

Fictional Text: a stylistic analysis of Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance.

“Journal of English Literature and Language 5.1 (Jun 2011): 153-164.Print

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Siroha, Sunita and Usha Rani. “Socia-Political Concerns in Mulk Raj

Anand’s Untouchable and Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance: a Comparative

Study.” The Vedic Path 86.1 and 2(Jan-Mar-Apr-June 2012): 101-116.Print

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Journal of Indian Writing in English 25.1 and 2 (Jan-Jul 1997): 107-112.Print

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Web sources

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