An Ideal Indian Dalit Woman's Depiction in Baburao Bagul's Short Story "Mother".

Abstract:

Author Baburao Bagul is a pioneer of Dalit literature. He is a ‘Vidhrohi’ and ‘revolutionary’ writer and claims that Hindu reformers are opponents of Dalit literature. And some upper caste people are tortured and humiliated Dalit community in general and women in particular. In this short story titled “Mother,” Bagul has depicted and highlighted the miserable and pathetic conditions of Pandu’s ‘Mother’ (unnamed). That she belonged to the Dalit community. She is a married woman. But her husband is suspicious and has doubts that she might be in an illegitimate relationship. And for the same cause, he used to beat physically Pandu’s mother. But she didn’t have any option but to bear his outrage and inhuman treatment as she is helpless. Later her husband was diagnosed with the disease tuberculosis. She is a Dalit Indian woman who is honest and loyal to his husband and other family members. And of course, she has taken all the possible care of him during his sickness. Unfortunately, he couldn’t survive and finally demise. After his demise, she lives alone with her son ‘Pandu’, and ultimately his entire responsibility comes to her shoulder in the absence of Pandu’s father. Then, she couldn’t get any option except earning, and hence she reached the public domain. It is a tragedy that nobody cooperates with her on her bad days. That is why the writer Bagul has raised his voice against injustice done by the upper caste people. At the same time, he exposed discrimination, exploitation, and outrage as common practices in the life of Dalit women. Thus, the writer has criticized some conventional traditions that are deeply rooted in society. Hence, he attempted to explore from this short story of ‘Mother’ that every woman is protected and protested in the eyes of law and it is needed to make either certain or make it amendments to implement the law effectively if something wrong against a woman’s rights and her security. Further, Bagul exposed that there are some anti-elements deep-rooted in society and due to that the life of a woman becomes filled with pain and suffering. The writer is not only making representations of this Dalit woman but also all the women existing in the universe. In the end, the writer says that the Pandu’s mother is not only the victim of the caste system but the entire woman folk. Because the place of an Indian woman is secondary but Dalit women have tolerated injustice by the upper caste people based on ‘caste’ and ‘gender’. In this connection writer, Bagul imparts his bitter experiences about ‘womanhood’ and ‘motherhood’ entitled story of ‘Mother’ and raised some questions that why Dalit women did is badly treated by the upper caste people.  And why did she become the victim of the manmade mentality of the Brahmanical structure of the caste system?