Chandalika

  

Chandalika 

           Rabindranath Tagore 

                           'Chandalika' - is the two act play written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1938. I think it is not plain reflection  of the  society of that time  but it is just rising face from where he starts the issues of   Indian caste and its discrimination.

                                Prakriti - The Chandal - The Untouchable  girl is the beautiful Indian  woman. It is just the psychological study of the character how marginalised are treated in the society?  She is suffering  from being the stigma of out caste. Because  superior community - Brahmin society who do not touch anything ritually impure and  they consider Chandal as impure. How far person can tolerate the insult or humiliation in society losing his/her identity?

                                Caste discrimination is the central part of the play which is comprehensible with the title itself 'Chandalika'. It is Psychological revolt  against   Caste suppression which is begun with inner turmoil.  Freedom is the core of the play either it is from caste discrimination or Salvation or 'Nirvan'. Under the influence of the magic spell which is done by Prakriti's mother to Buddhist Monk, it seems like he is under the burden of defeat.  He lost his light and has the lust.

 "I have dragged down to earth , how else could you raise me to your heaven?

" Mother , Mother stop, ! Undo spell now - at once -undo it. What have you done? What have you done? O wicked , wicked dead ! Better have died. What a sight to see! Where is the light and radiance , the shining purity, the heavenly glow? How worn , how faded , has he  come  to my door!" ( Act -2 ,165)

                                Prakriti must pay high price for her misinterpretation of  Monk's words  " Jal Dyo" or " Give me Water". Through love Prakriti transcends socially imposed caste and  identify herself as human being and conscious about her significance.

Mother : Did You tell him that you are a Chandalini?

Prakriti : I told him, Yes. He said it wasn't true. If the black clouds of Sravan are dubbed  Chandal, he said , What of it? It doesn't change their nature, or destroy the virtue of thier water. Don't humiliate yourself, he said; Self humiliation is a sin; worse than self -murder. ( Act- 1 , 147-148) ( Translated by Marjorie Sykes Trnslated Vhandalika New Delhi : Oxford  University Press)

     Ananda conveyed to Prakriti  that........

" Nobody is born impure and nobody needs to undergo social ostracism and discrimination."

                                Having the concept of inferior and being the Chandal from the birth , she never considers herself as woman and human being. It is belief and her suffering of trauma that even touch of her is the pollute outcaste people.  

" Women are split subjects who watch themselves being watched by men."

Because society never treats her as human being and that's why she has sick of emotional insecurity which is got from Ananada by misinterpretation of his words. It is the conflict between marginality and theology. It is the journey of  self ignorance to self knowledge.

                                The question arises why Rabindranath Tagore projects Buddhism is far better than Hinduism ? because  Buddhism has no concept of social inequality.

After that having the self realisation,  Prakriti herself understand and says that..

"If she is really a human being and not a chandalini, she should not degrade a heroic man."