Ahimsa

The novel introduces the concept of ahimsa early in the story, and at that point Anjali doesn’t quite understand it. She sees political activity as something that other families become involved with, but this starts to change when Ma announces that she’s joining the freedom fight. Anjali’s parents don’t necessarily struggle in the same way that Anjali does; they “always knew one of us would be going to join the freedom fight” (35), but even they don’t quite understand what it will mean for their family. As Anjali learns more about ahimsa, she teaches them how to persevere, making this novel a dual story about both Anjali and her parents, especially her mother, within the freedom movement.

As a work of historical fiction, the novel provides context about Gandhi’s nonviolence movement, introducing this theme when Anjali’s parents reveal that Ma will be joining. However, Anjali’s thought that “she would be just like her classmate Anasuya, always wondering where her father was and if he was all right” (32), reveals how so often men, rather than women, went to fight for freedom. This gendered dynamic undoubtedly makes Anjali initially feel even more disconnected from the cause because she isn’t aware of female role models involved in Gandhi’s movement. This changes when her mother goes, and Anjali learns more about the female role models in her father’s life and eventually becomes part of his list too.

At first, Anjali and Ma see the movement as relatively straightforward: They make and wear khadi, they go to meetings, and they help the Dalits. The stakes seem relatively low in the beginning. However, at various points, Anjali must contend with how others come to view her and her mother. A central moment in this struggle occurs when she and her mother clean the outhouse for the first time. Anjali is “not sure if she was more embarrassed by what she was almost spotted doing, or by how quickly she gave up the job of pushing her own waste to Mohan” (135). When she realizes that she feels worse for him, she undergoes a major transformation by not only taking the cart back from him but also by then announcing to her neighbor that they were “[j]ust coming back from the field. We cleaned our toilet” (139). When Anjali commits to something, she’s unwilling to compromise and shows her support to all those around her, a skill that proves useful when her parents begin to doubt their mission.

Ma’s arrest is likewise a central moment. Anjali feels despondent and alone, especially since Irfaan is upset with her and with Hindus in general. However, she doesn’t let this fear stop her from encouraging others to believe in the movement. For example, Anjali rallies her mother each time she starts to doubt herself, reminding her, “You are as brave and as strong as the Rani of Jhansi […] You did the right thing, Ma. And the British will not win” (218).

The novel’s climax comes during Keshavji’s funeral procession, which challenges Anjali to not only put her social standing at risk, as she did in working to integrate her school, but also to put her life at risk. When the procession turns violent toward Captain Brent, it isn’t an adult who stands up to remind Keshavji’s followers to remain peaceful; it’s Anjali and then Irfaan, who are children. This is far cry from Anjali’s decision to paint a “Q” on Captain Brent’s office at the start of the novel; instead, she’s protecting him because she believes that ahimsa (nonviolence) is the only way forward.

When Ma initially joins the freedom movement, she has the best intentions to help those society refers to as “Untouchables.” She recognizes the surface-level injustice of having a caste deemed so low that they could contaminate those around them by their very presence but doesn’t initially consider their preferences. However, by immersing herself in the Dalit community, she and Anjali both come to recognize their privilege while also advocating for Dalits.

Like most people around her, Anjali initially takes Dalits for granted. She doesn’t like it when Chachaji yells at Mohan, but she does little to stop him. However, when Ma picks up the broom, Anjali’s reaction is to say, “You’re getting so dirty. You’re going to look like them” (71). Her statement illustrates how Anjali feels separate from the “Untouchable” caste, revealing her prejudice. Her privilege is ingrained in her as “tales passed down generation to generation for a societal purpose” (72). When Anjali comes to accept her mother’s action is the first part of her journey to standing in solidarity with Dalits.

However, Ma’s decision to use “Harijan” at first because it’s the term that Gandhi uses shows an unawareness of what the Dalits themselves want. Mohan himself told Anjali, “Your Gandhi is wrong. Calling us children of God is talking down to us. It’s insulting. And it solves nothing” (101). Mohan explicitly gives Anjali pause, and she shows her openness to change in questioning whether Harijan is the correct term and thereby questioning both her mother and Gandhi.

In fact, Ma lets her privilege make her not actually listening to those who are trying to help at several moments. The first is when she tells Mohan that he no longer needs to clean their toilet. While on the surface this is a good endeavor, Ma both removes his source of income and assumes that everyone else will follow suit so that Mohan no longer needs to do a job perceived as lowly. When he reminds of her of this, Ma must reckon with her privilege, admitting, “I guess sometimes we get carried away and don’t think things through” (133). However, by starting to listen to Mohan and the needs of the other children in the basti, Ma and Anjali are better able to advocate for them. They use their privilege to stand up to those who treat Dalits poorly without taking away the Dalits’ voices, and they recognize that change requires support, as when they rally to provide uniforms, books, and meals for those who will attend the school so that they can feel that they’re just like the other students. Anjali’s advocacy is clearly effective in that she convinces her other classmates to come to the school.