The politics of dominance: Revisiting a Hindi classic on India’s freedom movement

By Bharat Dogra 

Bhagwati Charan Verma (1903–81) achieved enduring fame for his philosophical novel Chitralekha, which is still widely read and was twice made into popular films. The latter version starred Meena Kumari and Ashok Kumar and featured some memorable songs written by Sahir Ludhianvi. However, here I would like to discuss a less-remembered book by this author because of the abiding—in fact, increasing—relevance of some important issues it raises. I am referring to the novel Tedhe-Medhe Raaste (roughly translated as The Curved Paths of Life).

The plot of this novel, set around 1930, is highly dramatic and full of ironic situations. A feudal chief of an estate in central India, Pandit Ramnath, is a firm supporter of colonial British rule and an opponent of the freedom movement. He strongly believes that it is foolish to try to dislodge the world’s most powerful imperial power and that, in any case, feudal interests such as his own are best protected under colonial rule. This attitude is equally strongly reflected in his personal life, where he seeks to dominate all his relationships. On the one hand, he can be quite ruthless towards his opponents; on the other, he seeks to dominate even his closest social relationships, including those with family members. Thus, even when he is being kind and affectionate towards his family in his own way, he cannot escape the attitude of dominance that pervades and guides his life.

However, in a highly ironic twist, all three of his sons join different liberation movements. One joins the Congress-led freedom movement, another joins the revolutionary movement, and the third joins the international communist movement. This creates a fascinating situation in which the reader is eager to know what will happen next. Will his love for his sons lead him to a new understanding of the wider socio-political situation, or will his strong sense of dominance make it impossible for him to acquire such an understanding? I am not going to give away the absorbing plot, but suffice it to say that the novel brings out, in a very gripping way, how the strong urge for dominance can be destructive and ultimately self-destructive.

While this is most effectively brought out through the experiences of the central character, Ramnath, the theme extends to other parts of the story as well. As Ramnath’s three sons follow different paths, there are several situations in which Congress members and communist activists engage in heated discussions. One aspect the novel emphasizes is that these intense discussions, which sometimes involve very strong, caustic, and even insulting remarks, are characterized more by a desire to dominate the other side than by a spirit of learning from each other or seeking a better understanding of each other’s views.

The third brother, who is involved in the revolutionary movement, faces a different constraint: the need for complete secrecy. For him and his companions, discussion is possible only within a small group or with oneself, which can be deeply inhibiting.

In the absence of genuine democratic discussion and the self-correction that can emerge from it, even those who have made courageous decisions to fulfil wider social responsibilities and make great personal sacrifices may be unable to achieve truly significant aims. When circumstances become difficult, they may sometimes be seized by self-doubt, and at other times the situation may turn tragic.

Relationships of dominance repeatedly come back to haunt not only the feudal supporters of colonial rule; they also continue to trouble those engaged in liberation movements.

I feel that the increasing social relevance of this novel is most prominently revealed in this context, although, of course, the novel deserves appreciation for its many-sided literary achievements. The only shortcoming I could identify in this regard is that greater attention could have been given to developing the women characters and exploring their strong feelings. They often suffer the most from relationships of dominance without even being able to articulate what they feel. If their voices were heard more often and more carefully, many more opportunities for self-correction might become available.

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The writer is Honorary Convener of the Campaign to Save Earth Now. His books on the freedom movement include When the Two Streams Met in English and Hindi, as well as several inspirational booklets. His website is bharatdogra.in, and he is associated with Bharat Dogra | Save Earth Campaign