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Global International Research Thoughts October-December 2015

ResearchPaperEnglish

GANDHIANAPPROACHINRAJARAOsNOVEL
KANTHAPURA:AREVIEW

ABSTRACT UGCNET(English),Sector3
Reena Rohtak(Haryana).INDIA

ThefactisthatRajaRaodoesnot
introduceGandhiverydirectlyto Introduction:RajaRaoisawellknownIndianliteraryartist.Mostofthe
usinthenovelKanthapura. scholarsassumethefactthatthesubjectmatterandcharactersofhisnovels
Actually,themaincharacterof
Moorthyinthisnovelbelongstoa
are taken from ancient Indian culture and ideals. That is why; he uses
Brahmincommunitywho mythologicalreferencestocleartheidealsofIndiancultureandphilosophy,
discoveredahalfburiedlinga particularlyduringthetimeoffreedommovement.RajaRaocallshisnovel
fromthevillagelandandinstalled Kanthapura a SthalaPuran. He has felt Gandhian aspects in this novel
itwhereatemplewasbuilt.All and the central myth of Kanthapura has been analyzed through the
ceremonieswerecelebrated
mythicalanalogyofLordRamaandMahatmaGandhi.Someofintellectuals
withinthetemplepremisesand
HariKathaswaspracticedinthe assume the truth that Kanthapura is supposed to be wellknown as
village.AllofusknowthatHari Gandhianidealswhofoughtthebattleoffreedommovementforalongtime
KathasarethestoriesaboutHari intheearlydecadesof20thcenturyinIndiaanditsdifferentplacesknownas
(God)accordingtoHinduism.One central places of freedom movement and wellequipped with freedom
HariKathamaninthevillagewas fighters following the ideals of Gandhian approach of the life. Here it is
Jayaramchar,whonarratedHari
KathabasedonGandhiandhis
noteworthy that what attracts the most of the readers of novel are greatly
ideasduringthefreedom attributed to Gandhian philosophy and they accepted the fact that Gandhi
movement.Furthermore,the wasanavtarinhisowntimeoffreedommovement.Therefore,mostofthe
novelgetsanactionwhen peoplewerehistruefollowersandtheybelievedinnonviolenceandtruth.
Moorthyleftforthecitywherehe Furthermore,thethemeofnovelisseentobeGandhiPuranathana
gotfamiliarwithGandhian
philosophy.Hetrulyfollowed
pieceoffiction.KanthapuraisundeniablyaveritablegrammarofGandhian
Gandhianphilosophicalideasin myth, which, incidentally, is a poetic translation of reality of Gandhian
letterandspirit.Heworehome approachinlifebasedontheprinciplesoftruthandnonviolence(Ahinsa).
spunKhaddai(Cottonclothes) Meanwhile, here it may be observed Gandhis impact on the freedom
anddiscardedforeignmade movement. Most of the people nad philosophers assume the fact Gandhi
clothesandfoughtagainst
appeared again and again to destroy sin and reestablish religion on a firm
untouchability.Afterthedeathof
hismother,Moorthystartedtolive footing.RajaRaopresentsMoorthyastheavtarofGandhi.Hesays:Moorty
withaneducatedwidow is our Gandhi. He is the saint of the village. Since he conveys the
Rangammawhowasatrue villagers,withtheideaofGandhi,whomthevillagersconsideredtobean
followerofGandhiandshetook avtarofGod.MoortyisasmallavtarofGandhi.1
partinIndiasfreedommovement. It also reminds us one of the wellknown schloka of The Gita in
Thus,thepresentpaperhighlights
theGandhianapproachinthis
whichLordKrishnaexuciatestheobjectivesofhisincarnationasfollows:
novelasrevealedthroughthe Whenever any great calamity occurred in the world, or the
charactersofMoorthyand wickedness of any of its inhabitants proved on unbearable nuisance to
Rangammaandsomeothers theGod,Vishnu,aspreserverhadtolayasidehisinvisibility,cometothe
charactersnarratedinthenovel earth in some form, generally human, and, when his work was done, he
Kanthapura.
returnedagainandagaintotheskies.2
Thus, Raja Rao reveals the fact that the modern avtar of
KEYWORDS:
Gandhism,Community,Linga,
Kanthapura in Mahatma Gandhi. Nonviolence, selfreliance, simplicity,
HariKatha,Khaddar,Freedom moralvalues,resistanceandperseverancewerehisweaponsduringfreedom
Movement,Ideals,Widow, movement in India. He had a great impact on Indian masses who were
Untouchability. fighting for freedom. Furthermore, Raja Rao has tried to show the total

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Global International Research Thoughts October-December 2015

impactofMahatmaGandhiandhisphilosophicalapproachtoemergethenationalconsciousnessandawakeningin
the novel Kanthapura. National freedom movement got a momentum under his leadership. C. Paul Varghese
writes: The impact of Gandhis free India movement and his philosophy of nonviolence and equality of all
peopleinKanthapurahavetheeffectofadynamicreligion.3
ThenovelKanthapurabeginsitscourseofactionwhenMoorthyleavesforthecitywherehegotfamiliar
withGandhianPhilosophy throughpamphlets andotherliteratures. HefollowedGandhianidealsandfoughtfor
untouchability which turned the village priest, a Brahmin, against him who complained to the Swami who was a
supporterofforeignruleandMoorthywasexcommunicated.Tohearthis,hismotherpassedaway.ButMoorthy
did not leave the path of Gandhian preaches. He created am awareness among the coolies of the coffee estate.
However, Moorthy was tortured by Bade Khan, a Police Officer, a NonHindu of Kanthapura. But the pariah
cooliesstoodwithMoorthyandhesucceededinfollowingGandhiannonviolenceprinciple.Healsocontinuedto
fight against injustice and social inequality and became a staunchest ally of Gandhi. Taking the responsibility of
violent actions happened at the coffee estate, Moorthy went on a three days long fasting and following the
Gandhiansteps,heformedaunitofthecongresscommitteeinKanthapura4
NowMoorthywastheleadersofthevillage.Sunsequently,BritishGovernmentaccusedhimofprovoking
violenceandtodisturbpeaceofthearea.Thatiswhy,Moorthywasarrestedbythepolice.Hewellwishersand
followerstriedtosethimfreeonbail,butherefused.Hewaspunishedforthreemonthsjail.Whenhewasinjail
thewomanofKanthapuravillagetookthechargeoffreedommovementandtheyformedavolunteergroupunder
the leadership of Rangamama. This group vowed to follow the tracking of Gandhi during Freedom Movement.
Thenaftertheimprisonmentofthreemonths,Moorthycameoutasstrongashewasearlier.Afterhisreleasefrom
thejail,HestartedDandiMarch.ButthepolicearrestedallSatyagrahisandasenseofbrutalitywasshownby
the police officials. The police added atrocities against women and the life in Kanthapura became miserable and
violent.5But,thestoryofKanthapuraisalsonarratedinflashbackbyAchakka,awisewomaninthevillage.She
likeherfemaleaudienceshassurvivedtheturbulenceofsocialandpoliticalchangewhichwasinducedbyGandhis
passive resistance against the British government. The narrator has drawn some contemporary figures such as
Gandhiwhoservedtoturnfactandprovidedthemotiveforpoliticalstruggle.Like,Gandhi,ayounganddedicated
Brahmin named Moorthy is inspired by Gandhi and his approach towards human life. As the national movement
gainedstrength,itproducedmanyGandhiinthetown.Moorthy, RangmmaandRatnaweresuchcharacterswho
followedGandhianapproachoflife.RangeGowda, thevillageheadmandescribes Moortyas: HeisourGandhi.
ThestateofMysorehasaMaharajabutthatMaharajahasanotherMaharajawhoisinLondon,andthat,one
hasanotheroneinheavenandsoeverydayhashisownMahatma,andthisMoorthywhohasbeencaughtin
ourkneesplayingasachildisnowgrownupandgreatasourMahatma.6
Actually,theseedsofGandhismweresownintheheartsofthevillagersfromtheverybeginningthrough
HariKatha by Jayaramchar. Furthermore, the virtue of fearlessness as an important principle of Gandhian
Philosophy was heroically displayed by Moorthy, the central character of the novel Kanthapura. His followers
bravely faced all tortures given by the Britishers. But they did not leave the path of nonviolence. Moorthy had
fastedforthreedays.Heremainedfirmlikearock.InthetrueGandhianspirit,hesaytohimself:Ishallloveeven
myenemies.TheMahatmaGandhisaysthatweshouldlovetoevenourenemies.7
Conclusion: To conclude the discussion, we can trace out that the novel Kanthapura is a Gandhipuran of
freedom movement. Moorthy is the central character of this novel, which followed the path of nonviolence and
truth.Hefacedmanyproblemsinlife,buthedidnotleavethepathofGandhism.AsatruefollowerofGandhi,he
dideverythingforthewelfareofthevillagers.Hewaschargedforhisworkandsenttoprisonforthreemonths.
But when he came out like a Satyagrahis, he followed the path of nonviolence. That is why; the novel
KanthapurahasbeendescribedasGandhiPuran.Moorthywastheheroofthisoftheendeavorto upliftthe
untouchablesintheHindusocietyatthattime.However,hewassupportedbyhisfollowersoneveryoccasion,but
hehimselftouchedtheheartsofthevillagersandbecametheirGandhioffreedommovement.AtoneplaceRaja
Rao writes thathewill bringusSwarajandweshall behappy.Therefore, Moorthy taughtagainstinjusticelike
Gandhi.HefollowedtheGandhianapproachoflifeandbecometherealheroofthisnovel.
REFERENCES :
http://www.enotes.com/topics/Kanthapura.
W.J.Wikins,HinduMythology,RupaPublications,Calcutta,1978,P.121.
C.Paul,Verghese,ProblemofIndianCreativeWriterinEnglish,SomaiyaPublication,Bombay,1971,P.145.
http://psmoreadings.blogspot.in/2013/03/summaryofnovelKanthapurabyrajarao.html.
Ibid
RajaRao,Kanthapura,OrientPaperback,Delhi,1971,P.109.
Ibid,P.92.

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