Multiculturalism - Igcollege.org

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedthat multiculturalism ensures that allmembers of a society, regardless of theircaste and religion, have equal opportunity toreach their full potential with dignity andrespect.Regarding Indian society thatdisturbs the peace and solace, are the aspectslike economic marginalization, socialexclusion, deprivation and isolation withreference to some classes. Due to economicmarginalization, some individuals or groupsare totally excluded from the economicopportunities. It generates the adverseatmosphere, in the terms of human rights,deprivation, poverty and isolation. Anandhas shown poverty as one of the reasons ofdesolation and misery. The writers likeMulk Raj Anand has exposed the grimrealities of the social life in India. In theseregard C. J. George (2000 : 19) Comments:To Mulk Raj Anand castism isan age old lie made by thepowerful and wicked in societyto uphold discrimination. Hisprime concern as a social criticis to remove caste system as itdamage social cohesion bygiving certain section of societyan unfair advantage over otherspermanently.However, the dominant culture’ssocial control over power structure remainsconstant in India. The dominant cultureexploits the minority culture and deprivesthem of their social, cultural, economic andpolitical rights by using the notions likepurity and impurity. Mulk Raj Anand andother fiction writers have depicted how thegap between dominant and minority cultureremains a social curse and how does itobstruct the promotion of multiculturalism.Besides castism, economic discrimination,gender discrimination also obstructmulticulturalism, it increases socialrestriction on women. How the conventionalways of life, class, gender discriminationand imposing of patriarchal culture crateproblem is depicted strongly in ArundhatiRoy’s The God of Small Things Roy’sprotest in The God of Small Things springout from her sense of the slave like status ofwomen in free democratic India. Themarginalization of women is not a specificbut a global phenomenon. It differsaccording to regions. Arundhati Roy offers akind of directioin to change the status ofwomen in the Indian society. So the novel isnot only a story of Ipe family, but also of thedisempowered section of Indian society. It isstory of men and women, who have beenneglected as the “margins” of society, andwho have to pay heavy price for the same.Throughout the novel, Ammu is shownconscious not of her sexuality, but of heremotional needs. As a subordinate andmarginalized women, she is even notallowed to persue her studies. Indeed,multiculturalism demands equal opportunityfor all culture, castes, communities andgenders. Human society needs culture thatrespects all other castes, communities andgenders equally. The policies ofmulticulturalism have been violated to someextent. Multiculturalism is a very flexibletheory, that promotes cultural coexistenceand mutual respect to all communities andcastes irrespective of their differences anddistinctiveness. Irrespective of culture,subculture, caste and community, everyindividual has his/her own birthright toenjoy his/her free life. Life is a gift thateveryone gets by God. So respecting of eachother’s culture is respecting of eachindividual. By handling the theme of intercaste love affair, Roy tries to highlight theneed of a casteless and peaceful societywhere everybody’s interest should beprotected and respected for strengthing ofthe principle of democratic multiculturalism.Disrespect of any culture, creates socialunrest. Sometimes the multicultural policyin India gets disturb due tomisunderstanding of caste stigma and socialstructure based on class culture and religion.Although it is so it is our duty asconscious individual and citizens of India torespect the Indian constitution and theprinciple of multiculturalism. So thateveryone could get a space to stand witheach other with equal dignity and to breath464 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1