The Global Journal of Literary Studies I December 2016 I Volume II, Issue IV ISSN : 2395 4817 The Global Journal of Literary Studies I December 2016 I Vol. II, Issue IV I ISSN : 2395 4817 Social Exclusion of Dukhi: A critical study of the short story ‘Sadgati’ (DELIVERANCE) by Prem Chand Sameer N. Solanki Assistant Professor AS & H Department SVIT, Vasad Anand, Gujarat, INDIA. Abstract We all are aware of the socio-economic exclusion of subaltern community. This paper attempts to explore the ways of caste driven socio-economical exclusion which challenge their lives. At the same time, the ideology of caste is hegemonic in the Indian society and they face different forms of social exclusions. Thus, they are caught in between social and economic exclusion. This paper traces a dalit struggling for in the midst of the reactionary ideology of caste through the character of Dukhi-Chammar both in the short story and the short film. This paper depicts how Dukhi-the tanner lost his life by the socio economical exclusion of his category. The following paper is based on social exclusion of the character Dukhi of Prem Chand’s great short story ‘Sadgati’ as well as of Readers of Satyajit Ray’s filmic adaptation of this story for Doordarshan in 1981. It is said to have been the first tele-film produced by Doordarshan, with Om Puri, Smita Patil and Mohan Agashe in lead roles. Keywords : Exclusion, Dalit, Subaltern, Hegemonic, Tanner The Global Journal of Literary Studies I December 2016 I Volume II, Issue IV ISSN : 2395 4817 INTRODUCTION: The terms like ‘dalit’ or ‘harijan’ or ‘chammar’ mean not only deprived or outcast or untouchables, but it also signifies the status to which a definite part of the individuals have been reduced through methodical sacred process and they are forced to be alive in that orthodox dark corner. They are pariah and poor, because they, according to the creators of this traditional arrangement, were not fit to be included in the fourfold graded caste formation of our social caste order. On the basis of this grade, they were made to tolerate the tremendous kind of violence in the form of tyranny for so many decays, which made them almost lose their humanity and finally they reached the condition of being a 'no-one'. The term “Social Exclusion” widely employs in the field of thinkers and strategy planners all over the world to identify the errors for the development of the mistreated individuals. It is very difficult to find out the cause of social exclusion of such people as it varies from person to person; society to society; culture to culture and country to country. The Geography and the history of that particular region can also influence the social exclusion. Such social exclusion also paves the way to various issues like increase in rate of poverty, health, and others. Universally, one can mainly find social exclusion of the person in terms of the identity of gender, caste, religion, ethnicity, colour, race, nationality, and others. In simple words one can define social exclusion as a restriction of social rights and opportunities which is only applicable for the upper caste of the people and a day dream for the lower caste. Subsequently it denies the involvement of such outcaste people in basic political, economic and social functioning of the society. Such situation plays the role of catalyst for poverty and deprivation among them. The paper wants to discuss about the Dalits of India through the character of Dukhi in this given frame work of social exclusion. Social exclusion of Dukhi in ‘Sadgati’ by Prem Chand: In the eye opening story 'Sadgati' Premchand personifies the dilemma of untouchables through the character of Dukhi. Before going to meet Pandit, Dukhi, a tanner by profession, gathers pure and pious things to offer as a feast to him so that he can fix an auspicious date for the marriage of his daughter. Dukhi Chamar was sweeping the door front, and his wife, Jhuria, was plastering the floor with cow dung. After they were done with their everyday jobs, the Chamarin said, ‘Go now and speak to Pandit Baba, in case he should go somewhere else.’ Still Dukhi was worried about the seating arrangement for Pandit. Dukhi said, ‘Yes, I’m going, but think where we should seat him.’ As he is already aware of the nature of the Pandit and he is feared that if there is any mistake done by him then he would have to face The Global Journal of Literary Studies I December 2016 I Volume II, Issue IV ISSN : 2395 4817 the anger of Pandit in form of curse. But somehow Jhuria arranged as she said, ‘We’ll borrow a cot from someone. Get it from the Thakurs.’ But this makes Dukhi hyper as he said that ‘Sometimes you say things that make my blood boil. How can we? They don’t lend us even fire for lighting, and you expect them to lend us a cot! If I ask for water at the house of Kaisthas, I won’t get it. No question of getting a cot. It’s not like our cow-dung cakes, straw and wood; which anyone one can come and pinch. You better wash your own cot. Being summer, it’ll dry up before he comes.’ After these lines confirms how the chamar family lives with such exclusion which is as horrible as the hell. He is not ready to offer Pandit as he thinks ‘Why’d he sit on our cot? Don’t you know how strict he is in his observances?’ At last Dukhi agrees to make a fresh seating made of natural material which would acceptable to the Pandit as well as make a leaf-plate from Mahua leaves:’all big people eat in those plates. These are clean and taintless. Give me the stick; I’ll get some leaves from the tree.’ Dukhi then started making plates out of natural Mahuva leaves but still a question goes around in his mind about what to offer and how much to the Ghasiram the pandit. With this dilemma he orders his wife to bring such groceries which they can offer to the pandit. But he also make one thing very clear to Jhuria that she must not touch anyone of these things which she is going to bring from the market. Jhuria wanted to put all the offerings into Thali which is the best way to offer something to such a holy person. But again Dukhi reminds her that from which caste and category they belong and advised her to drop her idea of putting all stuffs in thali instead of putting all in plate made of Mahuva leaves as he is afraid of the pandit that he will refuse to take offerings and throw thali away in anger. As he says ‘Don’t be mad. We shall lose the offerings and the thali too. Baba will throw away the thali. He gets wild in no time. When angry, he doesn’t spare even Panditayan. He thrashed his son so badly that he still has a broken hand. Put the offerings on a leaf-plate. And, don’t you touch anything.’ Still Dukhi did not want to take any risk as he told his wife to take someone not belonged their caste;’ Take the Gond’s daughter with you and buy the offerings from the grocer. They should be plentiful. One seer flour, half a seer rice, a quarter of lentils, ghee, salt, turmeric. And put a four-anna coin in one corner of the leaf-plate. And if the Gond’s daughter is not around, request Bhujin. You don’t touch anything, or all will be lost.’ This shows the very ugly side of a society which treats the socially out casted in very weird way. Dukhi who is coming from a very very low class going to offer such above said offerings to the pandit as per the custom set by the so called upper class society. For the upper class people these offering may cost very nominal but for the person like Dukhi it costs as valuable as things for which his family requires a month. Dukhi is going to spend all his saving after buying these stuffs but he has no other options as he cannot go and invite the pandit without any offerings. With all these he also planned to take some grass The Global Journal of Literary Studies I December 2016 I Volume II, Issue IV ISSN : 2395 4817 for the cow of Pandit as he cannot go to invite him empty handed. Repeating all instruction to Jhuria once again, ‘Dukhi picked up his stick and a big bundle of grass, and started on his way to Panditji’s. How could he go empty-handed? But he had nothing else for a gift. If Baba saw him empty-handed, he would drive him away from a distance. When the Pandit comes back from the sacred place to his house he sees Dukhi sitting there with a bundle of grass a feast according to him. The sight of the poor dalit makes Pandit annoyed, he intones, "what brings you here today, little Dukhi?" Such implication shows how the figure of dalit is so irritating for the upper caste people as they cannot even tolerate the glimpse of their faces. Here the reader comes to know about the social exclusion of such people who belong to this category of caste. A category which is based on the caste system for humans but whosoever lies in this category can never be treated as humans but animals.