Views from the Top of a Mile Stone that reads "Cochin 23": What Windows of the Plymouth block!

Election time is the best time for any citizen in this country. Suddenly you are turned to a celebrity and leaders come to your home to beg for votes. Your voice is heard out loud and media follows you around asking for opinions and suggestions. Politicians swarm around like flies. They patiently ask you about your life and problems. They promise to solve it all, a promise that can put major therapists to shame. Every five years we feel a heavy jewel studded crown on our head. You witness dramas and debates, photos of politicians wiping the tears (or nose) of  poor naked kids and hugging old people, flex boards, a tear jerk here, a hand shake there... After all the commotion, leaders disperse to various directions from Kanyakumari to Delhi leaving you light headed (pun intended). What are we left with? Empty promises and problems that took a break for one week gleaming right back at you. Some of us cope up with this sudden withdrawal of power by taking it out on Indian Cricket Team; some others fall into the clutches of insanity. When many of my classmates asked me about my term paper topic, I said that I was doing an analysis on the role of Muralidharan in The God of Small Things; many of them replied "Who is that?" No one remembers him much, may be because Roy entrapped us into other heart wrenching stories running parallel in that work. Was his character meant to sit only on top of that mile stone? Is Roy trying to tell us readers something extra? He could be ignored when we analyse the major plot. But what does Roy's detailed description, spread in two pages about this character suggests?  Is he "the other" perspective; one that is different from what the readers get from inside scenes of the Plymouth?

About Arundathi Roy:

"Suzanna Arundathi Roy (born 24 November 1961) is an Indian author who is best known for the 1998 Man Booker Prize for Fiction-winning novel The God of Small Things (1997), which became the biggest-selling book by a non expatriate Indian author. She is also known as a political activist involved in human rights and environmental causes. She is the daughter of Mary Roy, an Indian educator and women's rights activist, known for winning a lawsuit in 1986, against the inheritance legislation of her Keralite Syrian Christian community in the Supreme Court." (Wikipedia)

About The God of Small Things:

"The God of Small Things (1997) is the debut novel of Indian writer Arundathi Roy. It is a story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the "Love Laws" that lay down "who should be loved, and how. And how much." The book is a description of how the small things in life affect people's behaviour and their lives. The book won the Booker Prize in 1997." (Wikipedia)

       We meet Muralidharan in the chapter titled "Pappachi's Moth". He merely appears from pages 62 to 64. But Roy's description suggests that he is more than a level cross lunatic. It's Estha that notices him. Muralidharan is shown to be in his birthday suit, sitting "perfectly balanced" on a milestone that reads "COCHIN 23" (62). Even his balls and penis point to that information. The usage of the words "perfectly balanced"(62) is quite peculiar, the image resembling the scales of Lady Justice.  His balanced position could suggest his ignorance of the imbalance in the society or his inability to realise it. Clearly he is imbalanced in his head, yet he maintains a confidence sitting on top of that milestone like a king. Some random information from Facebook suggests that ties are created in such a shape to point to the penis. It's funny how Muralidharan's penis point to information.

"Muralidharan was naked except for the tall plastic bag that somebody had fitted onto his head like a transparent chef's cap through which the view of the landscape continued- dimmed, chef shaped, but uninterrupted. He couldn't remove his cap even if he had wanted to because he had no arms." (63)

       Let us for a moment put together Muralidharan and the general population side by side. For the ease of analysis, the population is limited to the people of Kerala. People are stripped naked (their wallets) by government that changes every five years. They trick us by replacing our jewel crown with the cheap plastic bag. The crown that should have reflected the wealth of this nation is replaced by something that distorts the image of the country. To survive, politicians take care to keep this "view" "uninterrupted". We have no choice but to keep the "Chef's Hat" on, since the rulers have disabled us. Our hands are chopped of; hence we can't push the "hat" even if we wanted to. Ink that marks the act of voting creates the illusion of a hand along with it. Thus Lady Justice holding the balanced scale also becomes an illusion. Devoid of any power, we perch on top of something immediately available to prevent from sinking into the pits of misery.

       Author says that Muralidharan's arms got blasted off in Singapore back in 1942, after he ran away from home to join the Indian National Army. The very movement that intended to bring independence to India gifted a major disability and independence from reality to its follower. He lost his Grade I Freedom Fighter identity card that secured him a free first class railway travel for life. Roy says he lost his mind along with it. Usually Indian trains and railway platforms are "unofficial" homes of beggars, lunatics and the homeless but Muralidharan was even denied of that "right". He was a free bird but not in a good sense.

       "Muralidharan had no home, no doors to lock, but he had his old keys tied carefully around his waist. In a shining bunch" (63). The key image is the second point that relates this character to Indian politics. The keys give Muralidharan the confidence to sit care free. This is the only thing that he can grab on to, when in doubt; like a treasurer that keeps on checking his keys to the wealth he guards. Muralidharan doesn't know what these keys open. The keys are similar to those empty promises the leaders give us. We have kept it in our heart, we occasionally remind ourselves and the world that it still exists but it turns out to be a dead end. Our only sense of hope is those keys. It is what that prevents the democracy descending into a chaos.

   "His mind was full of cupboards, cluttered with secret pleasures. An alarm clock. A red car with a musical horn. A red mug for the bathroom. A wife with a diamond. A briefcase with important papers. A coming home from the office. An I'm sorry Colonel Sabhapathy, but I'm afraid I've said my say. And crisp banana chips for children." (63)

       This is the dream of any ordinary citizen (Male). A mind full of hopes, secrets and pleasures; one sane enough that enables you to dream yet snap back into reality. We wish for a daily routine to make ourselves believe we are going in the right track in life. We love how we can snooze an alarm clock. We wish for a good car and a good bathroom. Note, house we can adjust, but a good bathroom equals to heaven! A man wish for a life (generally!) with a beautiful wife adorned with jewellery (suggesting wealth) and a bunch of beautiful kids. Who wouldn't want to be an "important person" in society that carries around a briefcase full of confidential papers and states opinion to a Colonel? Note: Children in Kerala and banana crisps have some invisible connection. Happy kids waiting to receive the crisps, father bought for them suggests the "normal happy" life. It's strange to note why an INA follower is obsessed in getting a red car and a red mug; a colour, only communists are obsessed with. This is where Muralidharan represents people of Kerala. Communism is a major part in their lives. Knowingly or unknowingly elements of politics seep into their lives. Kids walk around wearing Che Guevara T shirts and Congress men may prefer to drink black tea and eat Parippuvada (favourite snack of Communists).

"He watched the trains come and go. He counted his keys.

He watched governments rise and fall. He counted his keys.

He watched cloudy children at car windows with yearning marshmallow noses.

The homeless, the helpless, the sick, the small and lost, all filed past his window. Still he counted keys.

He never was sure which cupboard he might have to open, or when. He sat on the burning milestone with his matted hair and eyes like windows, and was glad to be able to look away sometimes. To have his keys to count and countercheck. "(63)

       The trains come and go like governments. He stands there like an eternal witness. He witnesses the rise and fall of leaders. Such events don't disturb him. He holds on to his keys, as if it is the tree branch that saves him drowning. This image is similar to the one presented in Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem The Brook: "For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever" (Poem Hunter).  There is even a Malayalam saying "Onam vannalum, unni pirannalum, koranu kumbilil thanne kanji." (Even if Onam Festival comes around, even if a child is born in the family, koran[ a poor person of lower class] still gets only kanji[ rice porridge ;something only poor people eat] to eat. Muralidharan creates a window within himself unlike the peripheral part of the Plymouth. He observes everything; welcomes every sight. People sitting inside the car try to shut out maximum images as possible. Only Estha and Rahel (may be due to their innocence) welcome the strange sights from outside. Elders are cynical, disgusted, afraid or irritated by the world outside. Muralidharan sits on the milestone behind his "window" seeing every sight but not getting directly affected by it. He also has the privilege to look away. No one forces him to keep the attention like what the comrade did to Baby Kochamma. He has no idea what future has in store for him. Maybe in the judgement day one of his keys would open the heaven's gate! Till then he would check and counter check his keys.

       Muralidharan is surrounded by numbers. 23 kilometres, 1942 incident, number of keys, number of vehicles, trains, number of people in the protest march and years and years of Kerala History. He counts in Malayalam, speaking words with clarity. His education level is in contrast to his appearance.

"Estha noticed that the hair on his head was curly grey, the hair in his windy, armless armpits was wispy black, and the hair in his crotch was black and springy. One man with three kinds of hair. Estha wondered how that could be. He tried to think of whom to ask." (64)

       Clearly he is dirty. Apparently "high literacy" can't clean you or your life up. His hair is only grey; hair at other parts remains closer to the colour black. Only one undergoing great stress and tension would turn grey. Muralidharan had all the time in this world to spend it the way he wants. Though we consider hair to a part of our body, his insanity has turned his hair to assume its own identity. It's versatile: grey, black, curly, wispy and springy. Hair sprouts at three major points. One on his head that has gone insane; one in his "armless armpits" and in crotch (one part that doesn't show any damage at first sight).

       Why Muralidharan reminds one of Kerala politics? Because it's full of contradictions. You get stupid remarks from some politicians though most of the people there are too literate. You get a Communist Party who opened an amusement "infotainment" park. You get a Congress Party that forgot ideals of Gandhi and Nehru. You get minor parties that focus on getting donations rather that public welfare. Caste Communities interfere in politics and Religious leaders decide who the future rulers will be.

       The only difference between Kerala Society and image of Muralidharan is the lack of social rules to govern him. No one can show caste or class discrimination against him. There is no point in it because he cannot wrap his head around it. This is where insanity becomes bliss. You can love whatever or whomever you want. You won't feel any judgement from others. No one would hurt you, let alone touch you, probably due to disgust. The maximum limit is someone throwing stones at you. But these days people are too busy even to do that. Nothing limits your freedom. Muralidharan fails to realise the discomfort his disability is causing him. He has no insecurities. What if Muralidharan is the sane one? Just like the famous dialogue of Spock in Star Trek "In an insane society, the sane man must appear insane." (IMDb). We certainly can't go naked like Muralidharan but we also can't hide inside a Plymouth. May be we will sit here and start counting stars. Now where is my crown?

CITATIONS

·         "Arundathi Roy". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 20 April 2015. Web. 1 May 2015.

·         "The God of Small Things". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 23 April 2015. Web. 1 May 2015.

·         Roy, Arundathi. The God of Small Things. New Delhi: Penguin, 1997. Print.

·         Tennyson, Alfred Lord. "The Brook Poem." Poemhunter.com. 19 Mar. 2005. Web. 01 May 2015. <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-brook-2/>.

·         "Spock Character Quotes - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). 17 Mar. 2011.Web. 01 May 2015. < http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0001439/quotes>.