Published more than 60 years ago, "Chomana Dudi" is a classical work in modern Kannada literature which deals with the life of the untouchables and the problems they face. Karanth, a highly respected writer in the Kannada language belongs to a small village in the western ghats, the hilly area separating the main land in Karnataka from the Arabian sea on the west coast. The people - and their life - of this ghat section form the background of all the novels of Karanth. The life depicted in Karanth's novels is mainly a very rural life, very far from the lives led in cities like Bangalore. The only connection to the outside world is the bus which comes to some of the villages, once in a while. Otherwise people are mostly unaffected and uninfluenced by what goes on in the rest of the world. Most of them earn their living directly off the land, some directly tilling it, some merely by the fact that they own lots of it. Whatever their caste, whichever the group they belong to, each and every caste and group has its own rules to follow, its own dharma, code of conduct which defines their life. Each person knows the role he has to play; each one knows his place in the society. The entire life is spent in making sure that this role is properly played, that the rules are strictly adhered to. This preoccupation with the role "rules" play in the life of simple folk, coats the characters of Karanth with a sense of timelessness. It is a sort of "men may come and may go, the life in these parts of the world goes on for ever, - without any alteration!" But, it does not mean that the characters depicted by Karanth have no ambitions, no fears, no pains, no pleasures. Instead, the people one meets in Karanth's novels are very true to life, some magnanimous, human and kind; some very narrow-minded and scared of doing anything wrong, adhering very strictly to the rules laid down by their forefathers; some so poor that all they own is the rag they wear, some so filthy rich that they do not even know how rich, and so on. In other words these are the people whom you would meet everywhere.
In "Chomana Dudi" Karanth writes the ambitions of Choma who has one burning wish in his life - to till a piece of land. Choma is an untouchable. Even among the untouchables he is from the group Mari, the lowest among the four groups of untouch-ables. His hut is on the outside of the small village, almost where the forest begins, away from every other house.
The little novel revolves round this wish of Choma, how it is thwarted by the rules of the upper caste Hindus, and how he attempts even to convert to Christianity to fulfil his ambition. As we get to know him, Choma is about fifty-fife years old. He has four sons - Chaniya and Guruva who are around twenty years old, a daughter Belli and two younger sons, Neela and Kalla, aged eight and six years. Choma's wife died five years ago.
As the novel starts, it is late at night. The villagers of Bhoganahalli are returning from a fair in the neighbouring village. They are all tired after the day long fun, and are quietly walking through the thick forest. Sankappayya, one of the rich landowners of Bhoganahalli is walking at the front of the group. Suddenly, he is scared out of his wits, stops and listens to this strange sound coming from, sound which seems to come from every direction, as it gets reflected from all the surrounding hills. Soon Sankappayya recognises the sound; it is the sound of the drum (Dudi) which Choma is playing. He smiles to himself and saying, "God knows, in which star this Choma is born! For him day and night are the same, He either drinks or plays his drums!"
Choma belongs to Sankappayya's family. That means without his master's permission neither he nor anyone of his family can work for somebody else. It also means that his master is re-sponsible for Choma's well being. Even if he himself is suffering from losses in his ventures, he has to look after Choma and his family. Karanth makes here a very important statement, that a good master is responsible for the well-being of his servants.
Choma had also gone with his family to the fare. But he had no money to spend at the fair. After all he had borrowed six days of payment in advance from his master last week, be-cause he had guests. When the money was over, his guests were also gone. Nothing was left in the hut. Choma did meet Sankappayya at the fare. He bent deep down and bowed to his master, he tried his best to smile at him, but Sankappayya did not understand that Choma would like to have some money. By evening Choma's family was too hungry to stay on at the fair and returned home. The elder children understood why their father wanted to return and did not complain. The younger ones cried and got two slaps from him. At home Choma took his drum out and started beating on it, to forget his worries. That is the sound which the latecomers heard.
How do Choma and his family earn their living? The two younger children are really not of great use. They are often bothered by malaria. So they spend their time in bed. Belli has to look after the house and her family. She goes early in the morning to the forest and collects grass. If she manages to get a big bundle and brings it and drops it in the front of Sankappayya's house, her main work for the day is done. Guruva and Chaniva also go to the forest (it belongs to the government and so cutting grass is really forbidden) or to the surrounding hills to collect grass to feed the cattle belonging to Sankappayya. And Choma?,He does not have anything in particular to do. He must appear whenever his master calls, "Oh, Choma!'' and do what he is told. When everyone works like this from morning till evening, they get two measures (about half a kilo) of rice and five measures of husked rice. By pounding this husked rice Belli manages to extract two more measures of rice. So the family of six have to survive with this kilo of rice they earn daily. It is not a kilo really. Because Choma pays for his toddy from this daily earnings. He has to have his portion of toddy everyday. Choma firmly believes that the day he does not drink toddy, he will die. Even then Choma is proud of himself that unlike many others in the village he does not owe money to anybody. Who would ever dare to give a loan to him, knowing fully well that it will never be returned!
Choma has one burning ambition; to call himself a farmer, to farm a piece of land. There is only one hindrance in realising this ambition. So far no one from his caste has ever been a farmer. But Choma still dreams of the day when he will plough his land. That is why, he is looking after two calves for the past three years. Of course, he did not ever have money to buy cattle. These two calves got lost in the forest and he found them. Because nobody ever came to claim them, he just kept them. Now the calves have grown up and are ready to pull a plough. Already Choma has had a visitor who wanted to buy the oxen for hundred rupees. Hundred rupees is a huge sum for Choma. But he cannot part from his oxen, because he cannot bury his dream.
Today Choma decides to go to his master Sankappayya and ask him for a little piece of land for rent. He had never talked about his wish to anybody, so far, not even to his chil-dren. Anyway, none of his children, except Belli, would say anything in answer. Today Choma opens his heart to Belli. Belli says, "Don't go and talk like this in front of our master. If you do that you will only loose your honour." Choma is angry with Belli. He starts crying. Belli has seen him cry only once, when her mother died. feeling helpless, she brings Choma's drum and starts beating on it. Choma pulls it out of her hand and sits beating savagely the drum. Belli is quietened. After all, she thinks, her father does understand how senseless it is to have such a dream.
Choma is playing, as if he is in a trance. Suddenly some body is standing in front of him. The newcomer asks, "Are you not Choma?" Choma springs up and says, humbly, "Yes, Sir!" "Do you think that our master has given you those twenty rupees as a gift?" Choma does not understand any word. Slowly it dawns on him that the man in front of him is the manager of a coffee estate where he had gone now and then to work. The year when his wife died, Choma had borrowed five rupees from the owner of the estate. He had totally forgotten about it. Now after a couple of years, with all the interest added to it, the loan has exploded to a huge sum of twenty rupees! The manager tells him that he will return in two days, at that time either he should be paid the money back or Choma should go with him to work at the coffee estate. Choma is aghast.
Soon his master Sankappayya's voice is heard calling "Choma." Choma gets up and goes to do the work he is given. When Choma returns that afternoon, after finishing all the work, he finds Sankappayya sitting, relaxing, in front of the house. Choma too sits down. Sankappayya is in a good mood. He throws a few beetle leaves and a piece of tobacco towards Choma. Choma is supremely happy. Sankappayya asks Choma what is he planning with his oxen, whether he would like to sell them, as his own oxen are too old to pull a plough. Choma does not give a straight answer. That evening even after all the servants are paid that day's due, Sankappayya is aware that Choma is still sitting there. After much asking, Choma comes out with his request: " Master, so many are tilling your land. If you had given a piece of land to this Choma, he would sing your name every day!" Sankappayya is wonder-struck. Untouchable, as a farmer! He had never heard of this! Still, he thinks, "I have so much un-tilled land. Why not give Choma a piece?" But Sankappayya never does anything without asking his mother. He goes inside to ask her. Choma's happiness knows no bounds. He feels at last he will plough a piece of his own land.
After a while, Sankappayya comes out and says, "Choma, our forefathers never gave land to people of your caste. I cannot do that now." Such a statement cannot be argued about. Sankappayya's mother is cursing from inside, "Look at these untouchables! They are becoming uncontrollable!" Choma slowly gets up and moves away, and goes to the toddy shop.
That night Choma is miserable. By morning he has high fever. The manager of the coffee estate comes and demands his twenty rupees back. Choma, who had decided to go with him to work on the estate, can hardly get up. Chaniya and Guruva, who had gone to the forest looking for fodder, return. Choma agrees with the manager that these two sons of his go with him, and work as long as it is necessary to pay back the loan.
Slowly Choma recovers and goes to work. A few days later Choma again expresses his wish. Sankappayya, feeling sorry for him, tells him, "Choma, give me a couple of days to think it over." Even this time Sankappayya's mother does not agree. She is an old, conservative lady. She cannot accept such a radically new idea, like an untouchable farming land. She knows that, nobody in the village will accept that idea, not even the higher class untouchables.
Sankappayya argues, cajoles and pleads with the old lady for Choma's cause. But his mother had only one answer to him: "Do not do what no- body has so far done. If you do this, you will get a bad name." Sankappayya thinks deep and agrees with his mother. He calls Choma and explains to him why his wish cannot be fulfilled. Tears flow from Choma's eyes. Sankappayya tries to console him, saying, "Choma, we should stretch our legs only according to the length of our bed. If farming land is not written in your karma, how can tears help?"
A few days later, Choma has to bring a letter from Sankappayya to a person in the next village. That man is a Christian, a farmer. Choma asks him whether in his village there is land available to farm. He gets the answer, "The church owns lots of land. Talk to the priest. You will certainly be given what you want." Choma goes in search of the priest. Again he is full of hopes. He firmly believes that unlike the Hindus, this Christian priest will fulfil his ambition. Because, this priest in fact touches even the untouchables of the village! The priest is very en-thusiastic after listening to Choma's story. He says, "Choma our church owns very good land. But we cannot give the land to non- Christians. Why don't you convert to our religion? You can pick and choose the land you want to farm." Choma is boiling mad. Without another word, he returns to his hut, pulls hid Dudi out, and beats on it savagely. Till his frustration is sounded out.
The rainy season starts. Choma has to bring his pair of oxen to Sankappayya's fields, and till the land. That day Choma is very depressed. In the evening, Belli sits down next to him and tries to find out the reason for his unhappiness. Slowly, the story of Choma's visit to the church's priest comes out. Belli is smart. She knows that a black dog can never become a white one. She says, "Father, we should not dream beyond our station. To be a farmer, one should be born as a brahmin, or a banta or a gowda. When we are born as untouch-ables, how can we want to be farmers? After all it is not any mistake of our master not to give you land. If he gives you land, what will the villagers say about it? Won't the people of our own caste be angry with us? You any way till and work on the land. What is so great about becoming a farmer?" Choma has no answer.
The work on the coffee estate is very difficult. To forget the misery, Chaniva and Guruva start visiting the toddy shop. Guruva also starts a friendship with Mari. The girl Mari's real name is Mary. Because nobody here is familiar with the name Mary, she is called Mari. Mari is an Indian name. So Guruva is not aware that his Mari is a christian girl. After many months, all the workers on the coffee estate get ten days of leave. Guruva elopes with Mari. Chaniya returns home alone. Choma is aghast at what as happened, that his beloved Guruva has married a Christian girl. Chaniya fails ill. Belli goes to the priest of the untouchables to ask what to do. The priest says that cure is possible when the spirit of Panjurli is satisfied with a sacrifice of a hen, a pig, and by arranging for a feast. Belli vows to do for all that and returns home to see that her brother is dead. Eight days pass. The rainy season starts. Sankappayya calls for Choma and tells him, "Choma, bring your oxen tomorrow. We have to till the land." That night Choma plays his Dudi as if he is mad. Finally he throws the drum away. He has only one thought - "Tomorrow, 1 have to take my oxen to till someone else's land!" He goes to the cow pen, stays there for a long time, talking to his oxen. In the morning Belli finds Choma sleeping under the mango tree. When she goes to get the oxen out, she sees that their front legs are broken. Belli does not understand what has happened. When she comes out she sees a big wooden stock next to her father.
Choma starts misbehaving. He does not do any work properly. He even talks back to Sankappayya, a thing he has never done so far. Finally he is ordered never again to come to work. When Belli hears of this she runs to her master's house, cries and begs him to forget and forgive her father. Sankappayya, who is kind hearted, tells Belli that it is okay with him whether Choma does any work or not; he shall get his daily wages.
Belli cannot believe her luck. She tells everyone that Sankappayya is like their god. From then on, Belli decides, she and her younger brother will do all the work at Sankappayya house. She thinks that Choma would be doing a great favour to everybody when he spends all his time with his drum and does not bother himself about anything else.
Next morning, the manager of the coffee estate comes visiting. He complains that Guruva and Cheniya did not pay back the loan, and that the loan has now grown now to twenty-five rupees. Belli decides to take one of her younger brothers and go with him to work on the coffee estate. She wants to get rid of the loan once and for all.
At the coffee estate in no time Belli is misused by the manager. She also does not resist. It was after all the first time she was getting involved in sexual fantasy. The manager rewards her with a few rupees, a saree and so on. Soon the owner of the estate wants her. She earns five rupees that night. But the experience is too much for Belli. She pours all her money in front of the manager and begs him to let her return to her village without anybody's knowledge. The manager, who knows that his wife will be returning soon from her parent's house, agrees. Choma's loan is repaid. Choma is happy that his daughter has come back home. He is proud of her that she has worked so hard and paid his loan back. He does not know how she had to work. Today it is again the day of fair in the neighbouring village. Choma, Belli and the boys go to the fair. From a distance Belli sees the manager of the coffee estate. She returns home alone, in a hurry. At the fair, Choma meets a young man whom he finds to be very suitable as a hus-band for Belli. But he finds out that the young man is already married...
Soon, it is the time of the rainy season again. Choma is now sixty years old. His dream is still fresh in his heart. Choma feels that he has to realise the dream during this rainy season; what guarantee does he have that he will still be living next year7 He decides to approach his master Sankappayya again. The answer he gets is, "Choma, I am not ready to do any- thing which others may not approve of. As long as my mother is alive, I cannot satisfy your wish."
Next day Choma takes his two sons to bathe in the river. They select a spot down the river, far away from the place where some higher caste Hindus were bathing. Choma massages his sons with sesame oil and goes to gather some leaves with which to remove the oil. Kala and Neela get into the water and start swimming. Neela gets too tired and starts drowning. Kala's screams attract the people around. Choma is far away. A brahmin youth tries to jump in water. He is held back by others - after all is not the boy an untouchable? The youth hesitates. Choma arrives and starts screaming for help. Neela drowns. The brahmin boy now jumps into water to rescue him. But it is too late. All he can get out is the body of Neela. The brahmin fellow looks ashamed and goes away.
That day Choma understands the burden one has to bear as an untouchable. These days Choma does not do anything. He just sits lost in his thoughts. He thinks often of Guruva. He is not any more angry that Guruva married a Christian girl. Choma thinks, "Why can't I become like him? When my own god rejects me, why don't 1 go and accept the god of the Christian priest. If only I was not an untouchable, my son Neela would not have drowned." He discusses the matter with Belli. Belli also agrees.
Next morning Chorna decides to go to Guruva's village, tell him of their plans to become Christians, and to invite him home. After Choma leaves the hut, Belli has a visitor - the man-ager again. As there is nobody in the hut, they enter the hut together. Choma walks fast. On the way he comes to the temple of Panjurli spirit. Choma never ever goes anywhere without entering this temple and bowing to Panjurli's idol. Choma enters the temple and kneels down. Suddenly he stops. After all, he is on his way to become a Christian, should he still bow to Panjurl? He is not sure.
Choma feels as if the spirit of Panjurli is standing in front of him. It says, "Choma, after be-lieving in me all these days, now few days before you die, do you want to forsake me and run behind the Christian priest?" Choma is shaken up. He knows that it is wrong to forsake the god whom all his forefathers have worshipped. He tells himself, after all Christians also die, they also have problems and burdens in life. He is sure that if he now forsakes this spirit, it will haunt him all through his life. He decides that he will not get converted, that he will face life as it comes.
When Choma returns, the hut is open. He enters and finds Belli with the manager. Choma is shocked for a few seconds. Then he throws the stock he is carrying at the manager. It hits him on his leg. The manager runs away. Choma throws Belli out and closes the hut. That afternoon Choma gets his oxen out, tills Sankappayya's fields, takes the oxen to the river, rubs and cleans them. In the evening he goes away with the oxen. Choma returns alone late at night. Belli is still sitting outside of the hut. Choma pulls out his Dudi and starts beating on it. He has never played it so savagely as to night. He plays and plays and plays, as if he is hypnotised. Suddenly the sound stops. Belli gets scared and rushes into the hut. Choma is sitting holding his drum. His arm is lifted as if he is ready for the next beat. Choma is no more.
Thus Karanth's little novel, "Chomana Dudi" is a precursor of today's celebrated novels like Rohinton Mistry's "A Fine Balance". In a review of "A Fine Balance" published on 12 March 1998 in the Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Urs Schoettli, wrote that such people would say, if they find their voice, "For them we are less than animals." Writers like Karanth tried, nearly 70 years ago, to fight for this unfortunate section of the society, to make others become aware of their animal like existence in which human beings were not even allowed to dream. "Chomana Dudi" moves the heart of the reader, despite - or specially because of - its very simple style of writing. Obviously no acrobatics and no exuberance of language is necessary to tell a touching story. The poignancy of the story and the involvement of the writer with his subject are sufficient.
Copyright:
Chandra
Holm / 2000
| Home | More Reviews | Contributuions/Feedback |