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| Rajaji with Mahatma Gandhi |
In “Jasmine flowers” the writer shows in a philosophical way how one’s present actions have impact on our next birth. Mukundan was saved by pariah boys from the attacking monkeys when Mukundan tried to hold the baby monkey in his hands. Mukundan’s widowed mother became furious at Mari for entering the kitchen with wounded Mukundan. She threw a log of wood injuring Mari’s leg. Mari’s mother, Kuppayee, attributed all her troubles to her son’s sinful act of entering a Brahmin’s house. Mari’s father became addicted to drinking and used to beat Kuppayee. As there was a severe drought, Kuppayye along with her family went to Srilanka as laborers to work in a tea plantation.
Meanwhile Mukundan and his mother caught cholera. His mother passed away. Mari with his mother and brother earned enough money and decided to return to their native village after an interval of fifteen years. Mari married a girl when he was in Ceylon. He wanted to work as a bullock cart driver. So, he spent all his savings to buy a bullock cart and a pair of bullocks. But unfortunately, one of his bullocks died. He pawned his cart and bought another bull. Due to an epidemic his new bull also died. His brother quarreled with him and went to Ceylon without informing him.
Mari’s wife, Poovayee, a smart and diligent girl, used to go to jungle to collect wood and grass and sell them. As there was a severe drought most of the people deserted Velampatti. The people who were left out were permitted to take water from the flowing channel to fields by Kutti Koundan. Mari’s wife was caught one night while she was drawing water directly from Kutty Koundan’s well at night. She was kicked and severely beaten. She was taken to the Government hospital. Mukundan, Mari’s childhood friend, was working there as a doctor. Mari’s wife had to stay there for one month to recover. Mukundan used to feel the perfume of jasmine flowers whenever he came near Poovayee. This reminded of his mother who used to offer jasmine flowers to deities. ” I do not know why whenever I go near this woman I cannot help thinking of my mother.”
“He thought that his mother was reborn in that woman. He dreamt that his mother
entered the pariah house and was severely beaten. He woke up and thought that
that as his mother ill-treated Mari’s family, she had to take birth as Poovai
to suffer for her sins. As a penance for his mother’s sinful act, Mukundan
decided to take care of the poor family of Mari and ask them to stay with him.
From that time Mukundan became a paraiah to the people of that place. But his
mind found peace.
In “Jagadisa
Sastri’s Dream” the writer gave a clear description of the miseries and
hardships faced by pariahs (named as Chandalas) the marginalized and
ill-treated people in caste-ridden Indian society during his time. Mahatma
Gandhi fought against this curse of untouchability. Jagadisa Sastri went to
Rangoon as a cook to work for a barrister called Subbayar. Soon he gave up
cooking and conducted religious ceremonies. He also earned wealth by lending
money. Sastri was an orthodox brahmin and believed that God created only four
castes and pariahas a or chandalas born out of intercaste marriages and should
be treated as untouchables.
At the age of fifty-two he returned to his native place, Tiruvudaimarudur. He decided to buy some land, adopt a son and live in peace. When he went to Kumbakonam, he met Nageshwarayyar, a diamond merchant who came with his three daughters to attend the twelve-yearly bathing festival. Considering his wealth, Nageshwarayyar offered his third daughter in marriage to Jagadisa Sastri on the condition that Sastri should clear off his debts he had owed to the insurance company. After conducting the marriage of his daughter in Tirupati, Nageshwarayyar went to Calcutta on some urgent work and did not turn up. Sastri went to Rangoon with his young wife. Within two years he was blessed with a son. After a few years his wife ran away with jewelry and cash.
Sastri brought up his son and worked as a priest for a few select friends. His son, Ramachandran, got degree from university. Sastri and his son returned to Madras where his cousin, Sitaramayyar, was staying. Sastri was willing to marry his son with Sitaramayyar’s daughter on the condition that his cousin should bear the expenses for sending him to England to study I.C.S. As the girl was only thirteen years old, they made an agreement in writing.
Sastri went back to Rangoon but could not stay
alone. On doctor’s advice he decided to return to India. On his way back to India
on steamer, he saw his wife. She asked him to meet her and gave him her
address. When Sastri went there, she revealed that her father was neither a Brahmin
nor a diamond merchant. Her father worked as a barber in a shaving salon and
kept a poor widow as his mistress. Sastri’s wife was born to her. She further
added that her father was involved in some criminal conspiracy and was
imprisoned in Lahore jail for seven years. Sastri’s wife after running away
from Rangoon Joined a film studio and earned a lot of money. She admitted that
she had committed a great sin and advised Sastri to go to the Ganges and rid
himself of the sin of marrying her.
Sastri was shocked when he thought about his son’s status in the society. To escape from his sinful act, he set out for Banares. He was very much tired and fell into deep sleep. In his dream he saw his appeared like a paraiah boy. he along with his son was driven out by Sitaramaayyar and his wife. He was chased away in his own village. They were thrown out by the bus conductor when someone revealed their identity. In another dream he requested Sitarammayya to employ his son at least as a clerk. Sitaramayyar refused his son to take as a clerk on the ground that he would not allow an untouchable to work in his office. Sitarammayyar’s wife demanded Sastri to return the amount they had spent for his son’s studies. In another scene Sastri requested the head of a Mutt to convert his son into a brahmin. But it was flatly rejected by the swami. When Sastri and his son entered a hotel, someone cried that the boy was a chandala. The server snatched the rice cakes and drove them away.
Sastri dreamt that he had approached Rao Bahadur Narasimhachariar, member of Delhi Assembly, to take his son as his clerk. But he flatly refused his request. Then he asked him in vain whether he could convert him into a Sudra. Sastri in a desperate mood cried, “Will no one burn Shastras into ashes?” His son became a porter to earn some money at the railway station. Someone shouted that he was a pariah boy. Ramachandran was driven out from the station. Sastri and his son found no place for shelter. They could not find any place to eat food or drink water. When they tried to drink water unnoticed from the well, they were chased away by the local people. At last, they tried to take shelter in a temple The priest shouted,” A chandala has entered the house of God.” A huge crowd attacked them.
Sastri woke from his fearful dream when the ticket collector came and patted
him saying,” wake up, grandfather, what are you crying for? Ticket,
please.” Sastri sat up shivering and thought as if the train was saying
“pariah, pariah” as it ran. Meanwhile in the village people thought that Sastri
had gone to Benares to become a sanyasi. Some thought that he had drowned
himself in the Ganges. Ramachandran
returned from England and was appointed as assistant collector of Kurnool. Ramachandran
and Sitaramayyar never knew about Ramachandran’s original caste. They waited
for Sastri’s return for some time. Later the marriage between Ramachandran and
Sitaramayyar’s daughter took place in Mylapore as per the agreement made by Sastri.
Sastri never returned from Benares as he was afraid that his wife’s caste might
become known, and he would have to face humiliation. Thus, this story shows Sastri’s
obsession and his psychological fears about his caste and social prestige. The
irony lies in the fact that Sastri who was proud of his caste married a woman
of low birth without his knowledge and his own son was a pariah as per his understanding.
In “Sabesan’s Coffee” the writer shows how lack of trust, mutual understanding and professional jealousy leads to break up between the employer and the employee, and ultimately leads to enormous loss and collapse in their profession. Sabesan started his coffee trade in Madras. Though Subbu Kutti was his clerk, Sabesan treated him as a partner. Subbu Kutti's mother told him a secret process of grinding which gave coffee a special flavor. He used to mix a substance secretly in coffee mixture to enrich its flavor and taste. Subbu Kutti kept this as his trade secret. His mother asked Subbu Kutti not to reveal this secret even to Sabesan. Sabesan’s coffee gained much popularity, and he was considered as one of the merchant princes and as a member of several merchants’ chambers.
People tried to cause a rift between Sabesan and Subbu. They spread rumors that Subbu was trying to start his own coffee business. Sabesan became suspicious and behaved with his clerk in a very rigid and jealous manner. Subbu Kutti was not granted leave even when he was sick. Subbu Kutti resigned his job. Viswanath, the banker, joined Subbu Kutti to start a new business with a new brand as “Natesan’s Coffee”. Sabesan’s business began to fail after six months.
Sabesan filed a suit against Subbu complaining that Subbu copied the label, shape and name of his product and this affected his business. After one year, Sabesan won the case. He got orders for the attachment of and sale of Subbu’s firm. Suddenly Sabesan died of heart attack that same night. Subbu changed the figure of on the label of coffee packet from Nataraja to Krishna dancing on the Kalinga snake so that all the objections from the court would be removed. Somehow Subbu’s trade secret leaked out. It was only mixing of soap-nut powder in the coffee mixture. People got stomach complaints after drinking Sabesan’s and Natesan’s coffee. Thus, both brands ceased to please the public and lost their popularity. This story shows that lack of understanding and professional jealousy disrupts trade relations and human relations as well.
1st September, 2024 Somaseshu Gutala
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