Ganesh Khaniya
“Sukeko thangra ra chhoriko bhar hunna bhaneko sunnubhayena?: Did you not hear dried-out wooden support and daughter both share the same fate-nobody can rely upon them” burst out Soma in rage and indignation in the beginning section of the novel Thangra. Thangra literally denotes a wooden-slender and delicate-support erected to help spread stems of vegetables/fruit plants. From early on to till the end, this novel employs Thangra as a strong metaphor.
This is a saga of a family wherein reside Sushanta and his wife Numa along with their two daughters, Saya and Soma. The couple represents two cultures characterized by two different castes: Dalit and Rai and regions: Baitadi, far western and Khotang, eastern Nepal. Sushanta and Numa are directly or indirectly being piqued, ridiculed and humiliated for not having a son upon whom the traditional society gives the highest preference and in the want of whom the family lineage is deemed to cease.
Despite being an educated man with many books to his credit, Sushanta too receives ill-treatment at times because of his so-called lowly caste. He’s equally burdened by his father, Bir Bahadur Sundas’ insistence that he get married again only to beget a son-a linking thread to his family lineage. His father, over the telephone, tells Numa, his daughter-in-law, “Before my death, I wish to have an heir (son) to my family. So let your husband get released out of your grip of love. Allow him to get married once again.” Discourse on the property rights to be transferred to the daughter(s) and responsibilities to be entrusted to them are vehemently put forth.
The very brunt of caste and gender is even more heavily borne by the daughters. These two prominent themes make center-stage in the novel. Among these two siblings, Soma is a fiery character who goes against every humiliation and discrimination hurled upon her-be it pointing towards her caste or gender. Saya on the other hand is a pliant character who succumbs to the societal norms. New narrative is set up in this novel in giving more strength and voice to the rebellion engendered by Soma. It glaringly reminds me of the alternative narrative created by Bernandine Evaristo in her novel, “Blonde Roots” and Paul Beaty in his novel “Sellout”. Both of these fictions reverse the prevailing white supremacist narrative, thus creating black empire thereby where whites are rendered as slaves to their black masters.
In this novel Thangra, Numa’s younger sister, Devi promises herself as a dynamic character and seems the influencer and propeller in shaping the fighting spirit of Soma. Saya, sensitive character pursuing fine arts as her passion feels neglected and cornered by her fiancé, Ramesh and this hastens her to commit suicide. This tragic twist however adds more fire upon Soma who pushes the boundary to hammer against the stereotypes of the society. Soma’s opinion towards marriage itself speaks volume about her unlike thought and possible action. Volleying back to her auntie, Devi; she retorts: “There is no guarantee that I will get settled with a single marriage in my life. If fails, it may take place multiple times.”
Late marriage, living together, burgeoning rate of divorce, and multiple affairs are posing threat to the very institution of marriage. Son preference was the domineering trend earlier. Lately, modern and city couples have happily stayed settled despite having daughters alone. There is a noticeable trend of having no child after marriage too. Writer/political leader Aahuti, some months ago, had aired his opinion as to the dwindling faith upon marriage. He depicted this institution as an emblem of hierarchy on top of which remains men and thus it is a license to perpetrate violence and crime against women. As debates keep ringing, marriage institution is gonna face serious challenge and may be at jeopardy in near future.
Dalits are on the receiving end of caste-based discrimination. For decades, writings-literary or otherwise-have brought this issue at the forefront of discourse. Not only the dalit artists, writers and activities; non-dalits are also compassionately and unanimously projecting this issue demanding humanistic treatment towards them. Of late, art world has witnessed a substantial presence and empathetic treatment of Dalit issue. Apart from advocacy and awareness programs, performance arts are also delving deeper into this social scourge: Ghimire Yubaraj-acted and directed play Bimokshya and the lately staged Damini Bhir did the impactful intervention against the untouchability issue.
“In the sunset of dissolution, everything is illuminated by nostalgia”, utters the late novelist Milan Kundera in his book, “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”. Indeed, memory keeps on getting hooked to the story throughout this novel. Soma often recollects the intimate moment she had spent with his Sir while being with other guys- be it Bhukke from the squatters’ settlement or Deepak whom she met elsewhere. Numa, during the trek to her birth place, keeps remembering Sushant who has been to his home, Baiatadi. This nostalgia seems to serve as a therapeutic effect to many characters concerned.
Use of imagery stands tall amid different literary devices in use. Visual images are replete throughout the novel. Trekking, gathering of friends, gossiping, inter alia, add more currency in this regard. An instance: “Numa started brewing the liqour placing the utensil onto the fireplace, and uttered something inaudibly squinting her eyes as she was troubled by the smoldering smoke”. Locally-brewed liquor, local dishes like Kinema, wachipa on one hand and rituals with the reference of Mangkhim and Mundhum as well as some other belief systems and scriptures on the other make the deliberation vibrant enough in this novel, promising the very diversity of Nepali writing. Colloquialism is another strength of this novel. Local dialects used by the characters based on their belonging adds potent in the vibrancy and veracity of the story. Dialects of Baitadi and Majh Kirant have made the text more convincing and colorful. The extensive research works undertaken by the author in course of writing this novel is laudatory.
There are, of course, some flipsides in this novel that come across while reading it closely. During the trekking to Halesi temple and adjoining hilly areas, the description sounds like a plain and placid reportage lacking the very literariness what a fictional connoisseur expects. From the beginning, chapters are divided with Sushanta, Numa, Saya and Soma in regular succession. What is nonsensical at all is the story telling doesn’t present these characters as narrator. Instead, there prevails a third person narration throughout. Thus, this division doesn’t serve any purpose except easing up the readership with constant pop up of these four characters.
Acclaimed writer, Salman Rushdie has this to say regarding creative stuffs: “A poem can’t stop a bullet. A novel can’t defuse a bomb. But we are not helpless. We can sing the truth and name the liars.” Pragati Rai’s Thangra too serves as a powerful literary arsenal which has deftly exposed the malpractices of the society and unmasks the wrongdoers simultaneously.
Name of the book: Thangra
Author: Pragati Rai
Genre: Fiction
Name of the Publisher: Phoenix Books
Month/Year of Publication: Asoj, 2079 B.S.
Price: NRs. 475.00
