CHAPTER THREE Code Switching in the Selected Fictional Works 3.1 Preliminaries In the beginning of the chapter an attempt is made to discuss categorically selected examples of code switching in the novel 'Untouchable' written by Mulk Raj Anand, the great novelist of the first generation of the writers writing in English. In view of the fact that the theme of the novel is untouchability and exploitation, it becomes an interesting study if one analyses the linguistic aspect of code switching. Then, the chapter focuses on the novel 'Kanthapura' written by Raja Rao, the renowned Indian novelist writing in English. The highly marked examples of code switching are examined, studied and evaluated against the backdrop of the Indian social reality. The cultural reality is taken into account while analyzing the categorically selected examples segregated from the novel. Similarly, the most important and highly relevant examples of code switching extracted from 'Poona Company' written by Farrukh Dhondy, and 'Starry Nights' written by Shobha De are considered for discussion, observation and comments. Since the Indian writers deal with the contemporary issues, their creative writing is bound to be affected by the use of code mixing and code switching strategies resulting in authenticity. Ashok Thorat has made a revolutionary attempt to analyse the Indian reference terms in his recently published book 'Five Great Indian Novles: A Discourse Analysis'(2000.) For example, 1) Names or 130 titles and honorific suffix : Shadhuji, Inspector Sahib, Pariji etc. 2) Kinship terms : brother, sister, mother etc. 3) Miscellaneous : Comer- House Moorty. 4) Address / Reference terms: vey, oye etc. 5) Greetings: Tum udas. Salaam Sahib. 6) Blessings / Complimenting: Take piti, God will be kind to you, God will make you prosperous etc. The analysis of code-switching and code-mixing in fiction is different than the day to day conversation and communication. Thorat (2000) says: "/« discourse analysis of a novel, or a play, one has to be a little more careful than in the analysis of real life spoken discourse because the novelist or the playwright constantly makes certain changes to adjust his point of view in the context of his work as a whole and in sense falsifies real life language. It is true that, fictional conversation, like verbal exchanges in society, is a mode of context-bound interaction. Both fictional and extra fictional dialogues observe certain constitutive and regulative rules; but fictional conversation is selective, in fact it has to be so, in the observance of these rules. The novelistic dialogue presents what is every much a 'pure' model of social interaction, and the dialogue bears very little resemblance to what actually happens in every day linguistic transactions. Fictional dialogue differs systematically from any real life equivalent. The two differ in terms of syntactic orderliness, informational intensity, illocutionary purity, and floor apportionments. " (P.22-23) 131 3.2 Code Switching in 'Untouchable' The novel, 'Untouchable' deals with caste system in India. The character of Bakha, in Anand's 'Untouchable', is drawn from the lowest caste in Indian society. He is a sweeper boy who is assigned the work of cleaning the human filth. Despite his discouraging place in life, he operates at a variety of levels. He, during the course of the eventfiil day, comments on the status quo of caste system in India. He is well aware of his position at the rock bottom of Indian society. Bakha is to question issues well above his scavenging life, such as caste discrimination, poverty and the role of the colonizer. Mulk Raj Anand examines the fundamental issues such as society's revulsion at untouchablility and some local innate societal sympathy for Bakha's plight. Bakha is a young, attractive man. But he is an outcast in a system that is now only unhurriedly changing and was then as cruel and devastating as that of apartheid. The fact is that in the 1930s for Gandhiji Harijans or Untouchables were a symbol of change in Indian society. The novelist deploys a technique of mimicry to criticize Indian society in the 1930s with the help of linguistic experiment of code switching and code mixing. It is important here to discuss the plight of the untouchables in India in the light of historical facts. The original caste system, Varna, of India came about when the Aryan-speaking nomadic groups migrated from the north to India about 1500 B.C. The Aryan priests divided society into a caste system of four parts. Between 200 B.C. and 100 A.D., the Manu Smriti, or Law of Manu, was written. The Aryan priest- law-makers created in it four hereditary divisions of society, putting their own priestly class at the head of this caste system with 132 the title of earthly gods, or Brahmans (priests and teachers). Second in ranlc were the Kshatriyas (rulers and warriors). Then there were the Vaishyas (merchants and traders). The fourth was the Sudras (workers and peasants) bom to be servants to the other three. The four groups are from divine origin and emerged from a portion of the Creator symbolically appropriate to its activities. Brahmans sprang from the mouth of God, Kshatriyas from His arms, Viaishyas from His thighs, and Shudras from His feet. Far lower than the Sudras and out of the social order are the Harijans or Untouchables. They did all the dirty work. Untouchables in India are downgraded to the subhuman beings and are offered lowest odd jobs like scavenging, cleaning the public places and streets. They live in constant fear of being publicly humiliated by the upper caste Hindus. It is noticed that if an untouchable simply walks through upper-caste vicinity, it is a serious offense. The historical records show that untouchables were not allowed to drink water from the public wells. They were not allowed to eat food in the company of so called upper caste people. They were forbidden to enter the home of a Brahmin. They must not glance at or allow their shadows to fall on the Brahmin. All these acts would pollute the 'pure' Brahmin. An untouchable is not only untouchable but also unseeable, unapproachable, unshadowable and even unthinkable. The social status of India's Untouchables has changed littled since ancient times. It has been observed that Caste Hindus do not allow Untouchables to wear shoes, ride bicycles, use umbrellas or hold their heads up while walking in the street. Untouchables in urban India live 133 in squalid slums and work in unliygienic conditions. On the other hand, in rural India, the untouchables are exploited as landless laborers. They live under constant trepidation, terror and intimidation. As evidence of this, several cases from 1991 can be cited: On June 23, 1991, fourteen untouchables were slaughtered in the eastern state of Bihar. On August 10, 1991, six untouchables were shot to death in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. On August 16, 1991, an Untouchable woman was stripped in public and savagely beaten in the southern state of Andra Pradesh. On September 6, 1991, in the western state of Maharastra, an Untouchable police officer was killed for entering a Hindu temple. Official Indian figures on violent crimes by Caste Hindus against untouchables have averaged more than 10,000 cases per year, with the figures continuing to rise. The Indian government listed 14,269 cases of atrocities by caste Hindus against Untouchables in 1989 alone. However, Indian human rights workers report that a large number of atrocities against Untouchables, including beatings, gang rapes, arson and murders, are never recorded. Even when charges are formally filed, justice for untouchables is rarely dispensed. Although based on religious principles, practiced for some 1,500 years, the system persists today for economic as much as religious reasons. Since they are considered polluted from birth, untouchables carry out jobs that are traditionally considered "dirty" or extremely menial, and for very little pay. In modem India, they are called Dalits. One million Dalits work as manual scavengers, cleaning latrines and sewers by hand and clearing away dead animals. Millions more are agricultural workers trapped in an inescapable cycle of extreme poverty, illiteracy and maltreatment. 134 Untouchability has been under constant flux. It remained a continuous process of Indian culture, from era to era. In the post independence era, the plight of the millions of untouchables is gradually changing for better or worse. It is due to the literacy movement, many people from the untouchable castes now called 'Dalits' have understood the importance of education. The efforts made by Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur, Mahatma Phule, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi yielded some fruits. Today, the so-called untouchables have realized that they have fundamental rights accorded to them by Indian Constitution. However, the discriminatory treatment given to them remains the same but in different form. Recently, a Dalit family was burnt alive by the caste Hindus in Maharashtra. When the natural calamity Tsunami struck and destroyed south India the untouchables were cared by refugee camps separately in separate places, outsides the tents. There was the sad news, "Tsunami can't wash away the caste system." It is true that caste system is still prevalent in many more places in India. It is also true that, few educated people are free from the humiliation of high cast Hindus. Taking the review of the plight of the underprivileged and the segregated low caste people in India, certain welfare laws were made in the constitution of India. The scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and the nomadic tribes are given protection by enacting laws such as Atrocity Act and PCR Act. There is fifty per cent reservation for the students from these categories as far as education and job entry is concerned.