Social Exclusion and Exploitation in Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable: A Subaltern Study

Abstract

Untouchable is Mulk Raj Anand's first novel which brought him immense popularity and prestige. This novel shows the realistic picture of society through 18 year old boy, Bakha. He is the central character who suffers because of his lower caste. Anand is concerned with the curse of untouchability in pre-colonial period. The novel exposes how an untouchable boy is condemned to live a hellish life in so-called civilized society. Anand argues that the practice of untouchability is totally the matter of pretentious religiosity and exploitation. The novel describes a single day in the life of Bakha; belonging to the scavenger caste, commonly known as Bhangi in many Indian languages. There is sense of subordination among the privileged people. Even for water, the basic necessity of human existence, the sweepers have to depend on the mercy of the upper caste Hindus. Almost every page of the novel is drenched in Bakha’s unseen tears who patienty endures the most humiliating and depressing days of his life in this story. In their whole life the Bhang’s are forced to live in discrimination and hatred. This research attempt to reveal the social exclusion and exploitation from subaltern perspectives.