FEMINISM AND SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION OF INDIAN SOCIETY BY ROHINTON MISTRY’S, “A FINE BALANCE”

 

A. Yogaraj ¹, Dr. M. Kavitha ²

 

¹ Ph.D., Research Scholar in English, Department of English, Park's College (Autonomous), Tiruppur, India

² Research Supervisor, Department of English, Park’s College (Autonomous), Tiruppur, India

 

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1.    Perspective of Postcolonial Literature

Postcolonial writing is the writing by people from the earlier period settled countries. Postcolonial writing repeatedly speaks to the troubles and outcome of the withdrawing of a country, particularly inquiry concerning to the political and cultural autonomy of previously dominated group and ideas such as racialism and colonialism.

Mistry is one of the post colonial writer. Postcolonial novel writers accord with the habitual colonial discussion, either by modifying or by undermining it or both. Postcolonial fictional theory inspect colonial and postcolonial writing, specially focused upon the societal communication among the early settlers with occupied to formed as well as created the writing. Bharucha and Mistry (2003).

Rohinton Mistry was born on 3^rd July 1952 in the metropolitan city of Bombay, who is belong from Parsi family. He received a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Bombay. He emigrated to Canada with his wife “Freny Elavia” in 1975. Later, he received the BA in English and Philosophy degree on the University of Toronto, Canada. His prominent works are, “Such a long journey (1991)”, “A fine balance (1995)”, “Family Matters (2002)” and the short story, “Tales from Firozsha Baag (1987). He got many rewards such as Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 2012. His first three novels were listing to the Booker Prize. Each of his works focused on the outlook of Parsis in India and shows the concept of family life, poverty, discrimination, privileges, survival, caste, and bribery of Indian society. Chakravorty (2014).

Mistry gives the utmost value of the protagonist dina dalal. She is a widow and belongs from parsi community of this novel. He wants to visualized her struggle for everyday life against the men dominance in this parsi community such as Nusswan, Omprakash Darji, and Ibrahim etc., Through this story, he illustrate how the protagonist can enhance her future life in this society? Dina is always makes fight to defend herself from her childhood onwards against evils of the society as well as against the men dominant power then to get for the women’s least level of privileges like unique identity, personal sovereign, financial stability and women has to wrongly abuse by the society and family members.

 

2. Feministic Approach

The novelist is illustrate the feeling of dominance of parsis over other Indian communities which is mentioned later by Bharucha, “Nusswan says, Do you know how fortunate you are in our community? Among the unenlightened widow’s are thrown away like garbage. If you were a Hindu in the old days you would have to be a good little sati and leap onto your husband’s funeral pyre, be roasted with him”. (CI:63-64). Parsi community had a unique identity and quality for itself compare than other Indian communities. Because, India is a multicultural country. In this society, people belongs from different social and cultural perspectives like diverse of religion, community, lifestyle, economical settings. India is one of the male dominant society. There are always men is a dominant one in their family. On the other hand, women always depends with the other family members of their lifetime under her father, husband and son. This is the curse of our indian society and it is refused to their equal priority, freedom, survive, honour and rights. Feminism is never encouraged by anyone, it is always constrained under the different creed of like parsi, hindu, muslim, sikhs, buddhism etc., But, parsi society have some moderate compare to other community group in India. Especially, for grant their women’s education, standalone endure, liberty of thinking, abort from sexual abuse, fairness, economical progress, control over home and society, decision making, lead the children’s future and study, self confident and self defense etc., The writer point up some of the chief characteristics such as nusswan shroff, omprakash darji, and ibrahim. These three characters completely decline to give the honour and rights in the name of feminism. Nusswan is more dominant attitude. He always restrict the freedom and individual privileges to his younger sister dina shroff. He treat her like a slave. While, most of the odd jobs like cleaning home, cleaning eating plates of the family members, cooking, washing and every household works were assigned to her in his home. So, men’s dominant atrocity and behaviour should hamper and damage the ordinary women’s intellectual ability and spoil her potential life similar to school study, liberty, self-conscious and honour. Dodiya (1998).

Later on, nusswan get an idea to stop her school study due to loss of her father Dr. shroff. she had not proved and enhanced her progress of score for every examination. He almost observe and assess each and every trials of dina, like her dressing sense with modern hairstyle for the support of her friend zenobia. On the other hand, nusswan was never measured or encouraged women’s standalone empowerment and unique identity.

On dina’s childhood, nusswan had react in quite a similar manner.

“I don’t want another word from you… take a bath first you polluted creature! Wash off these hair clippings before you spread them around the house and bring misfortune upon us!” (AFB:28).

The writer express his notions with conscience on behalf of the protagonist dina dalal and other women key players like ruby, zenobia, radha and mrs. Gupta had take great effort to stay alive with their family life and social life in this society. So, there is no any privileges or opportunities will be allowed to women’s empowerment to live and lead their future life with the unique identity and fight against the corruption, sexual abuse, physical strength, sexual violation, illiterate, poverty, economical instability, rights etc., So, through this, researcher can find out, these are the things should considered under the social discrimination against the Indian penal code system in India especially for women. Dodiya (2004).

 

3. Social Inequality

Community discrimination is also one of the key tension in India. In Hindu religious society, there is huge amount of disparity between hindu subsets, other than Sikhs, Muslim, Christian and Parsi community group. Here, caste issues is one of the major causes of all type of hindu religious ceremonies of family occasions and social movements are exaggerated such as the birthday celebration, wedding anniversary, house renovation, death condolences, festival celebration, spiritual gathering and public elections etc.,

Caste issue is one of the foremost crisis in parsi community. Nowadays also the same problem will continue. Ishvar and narayan with their father dukhi mochi and omprakash darji belongs from chammar caste and those were considered as untouchables, while they walking on the street, drinking tea at the bakery, restrict to join the celebrations of upper caste people, abort to attend the local temple festivals etc., Because, they are helpless. Due to searching the job, they came to town and staying on the dina’s flat and working as a sewing tailors. In their village, caste discrimination has found and make problem between the upper and lower caste peoples social and cultural ceremonies. Most of the chammar caste peoples are very poor than people belongs from the upper caste, as they are economically very strong. As the writer’s viewpoint, these things are harshly disturb the typical human being. (AFB:135). Kapadia (2001).

At the time of emergency period in India. The writer, shows the societies worst financial crisis and imbalance of poor economical conditions of ordinary tailors like omprakash darji, ishvar darji and their boss mrs. dina dalal. That’s why, maneck’s mind was completely wounded and he finally decide to suicide. He was studying for refrigeration and air conditioning course at the college. But the end of maneck’s life was mostly saddest one.

And one more crucial character in this novel is Ibrahim. He is the landlord of the building in the town. For that, dina have pending rental amount to pay to Ibrahim for three months. Also, dina was run her clothing business from the flat without the knowledge of the landlord, that is the another problem. So, the landlord was not given any respect to dina, as a woman and using some filthy words to argue and make fights against her.

“Cheeks flushing, she raced to the door. What kind of nonsense is this? Tell your landlord his harassment won’t work!” (AFB:90-91)

So, the writer can focus is, this kind of violations against women is considered to disrespect of the feminism in parsi community.

Also, the poverty, that is the key crisis in this society and it’s brutally involve and collapse for their financial stability whose belongs from lower and middle class.

“O babu, ek paisa day-ray!’ he sang, shaking a tin can between his bandaged

Palms. ‘O babu! Hai babu! Aray babu, ek paisa day-ray!”

“That’s one of the worst I’ve seen since coming to the city’, said Ishvar and the others agreed. Omprakash paused to drop a coin in the tin”. (AFB:7).

The above sound explores the poverty situation in India. This is the voice whenever we hear in our society. At the beginning of the novel maneck kohlah, omprakash darji and ishvar were listen the situation. Generally, it is shows the poverty level of the different communities in India. And how the people in India have more struggling to sustain their life?. In India poor become poor, and wealthy become wealthy. This is the ethics of Indian social setup. (RMF:93). Kapadia (2001).

On the writer’s perception, in 1975, is the major setback of India. As the whole nation was brutally affected by the emergency period was declared. Most of the poor and marginalized peoples are cruelly affected and they lose their basic financial strength and their rights. Through this emergency period, another dilemma is, 'Sterilization of the Masses' and the continuation of a controversial law is MISA in that on the same period. Due to this act, lower caste men and women existence are crushed by the police personnel and it should considered is completely opposed to the elementary civil rights. Also upper caste men have violated and sexual harassment against lower caste women. (AFB:246-247). Toronto (1995).

Meanwhile, the whole story of the novel explore about the lives of Dina Dalal, Maneck Kohlah, Dukhi Mochi, Ishvar and Omprakash Darji all stands evidences to this fact. They are helpless alongside the situation of life. They, feel incapable against the fortune. Dina Dalal tries her best to stay independent, but has no manage over existing situation. Ultimately, continuous death of her family member like her father, mother and her husband. But still she quiet tries to grip her head high. At last, when her eyesight crash and the tailors don’t return back and finally she is enforced over look for haven in her brother’s home. Mathur (2001).

 

4. Conclusion

So, in this paper, the researcher can state social issues like the financial inconsistency, community resist, class disparity, discrimination, poverty and sexual violation. A Fine Balance which is clearly emphasize the conflict who belongs to the lower caste and also considered for the financial instability between lower and middle class people. Mistry’s protagonist dina dalal is a typical representative of both lower class and middle class people. So, through this novel, the novelist brings out the major imbalance of parsi community struggle to survive under the Indian social constitution. Wadhawan (2014).

 

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

None. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None.

 

REFERENCES

Bharucha, N.E., and Mistry, R. (2003). Ethnic Enclosures and Transcultural Spaces. Jaipur : Rawat Publications, 120.

Chakravorty, S. (2014). Critical Insights Into The Novel of Rohinton Mistry. New Delhi : Discovery Publishing House Pvt., Ltd.

Dodiya, J. (1998). The Fiction of Rohinton Mistry : Critical Studies. Prestige Books.

Dodiya, J. (2004).  The Novels of Rohinton Mistry :  Critical Studies, Sarup and Sons.

Kapadia, N. (2001). Parsi Fiction. 2 Vol. New Delhi : Prestige.

Mathur, O.P. (2001). The Emergency in Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance. Littcrit, 27, 1-2, 66-74.

Mistry, R. (1996). A Fine Balance. London : Faber and Faber.

Toronto, (1995). A Fine Balance, McCelland and Stewart Inc. The First International Vintage Edition : New York, 1996.

Wadhawan, V. (2014). Parsi Community and the Challenges of Modernity : A Reading of Rohinton Mistry’s Fiction. Delhi : Prestige Books International, 93.  

Kapadia, N. (2001). Zoroastrian Community and its Future, Parsi Fiction Vol. I.