Describe how the issue of caste was included in novels in India. By referring to any two novels, discuss the way in which they tried to’make readers think about existing social issues.
Often the issue of caste was spoken about by Indian
novelists. The novel Indulekha by O Chandu Menon was a love story, but interwoven in it was the raging controversy of marriage practices of upper caste Hindu Nambuthiri Brahmins and Nayars, who were usually their tenants.
Potheri Kunjambu in his novel Saraswativijayam strongly attacked the upper caste oppression and caste prejudices. In Premchand’s novel, Rangabhoomi, a visually impaired beggar Surdas from an untouchable caste was the central character. The very act of choosing such a person as the hero of the novel was very significant. It made the lives of most oppressed classes as worthy of literary reflection.
In his famous novel Godan, Premchand showed us how the peasants were reduced to abject poverty and status of landless labourers. By criticising the caste system, novelists helped people work towards a more equitable social system.