subject: Dr. Rakesh Ravi's Evaluation of Kamala Markandaya's 'Nectar in a Sieve' as a Novel of Rural India [print this page] Kamala presents a true picture of rural and urban India in a number of her novels. The poor suffer from irony of fate. They work so hard but live from hand to mouth. Their fields depend on nature that so often grows merciless and ruins their hard labour and bright dreams. Nature ruins on account of the excess of rain in which the fields are flooded and crop is rotten. Sometimes, there is want of rains in which their fields grow nothing. They starve. Villages are devoid of medical aid. People die in want of medical treatment. Money-lenders exploit uneducated villagers of simple nature. Growing industrialization provides employment to some villagers. But prices rise with the arrival of town men. On account of them many women and girls become corrupt. Kamala does not ignore big cities. In her novels she presents a true picture of urban India too. When villagers go to big cities in search of livelihood they suffer bitterly.
Picture of India in Her NovelsKamala is a popular novelist who presents picture of India in the great novels by her. Nectar in a Sieve was published in 1954. It deals with the ill-fate of a poor widow Rukmani. Her great struggle with uncertain destiny exalts her character on the one hand and bring to light miseries of Indian farmers on the other. The novel presents a true picture of rural and urban India. Some Inner Fury was published in 1956. The novel is narrated by a lady, Mira, a modern sophisticated westernised lady. The novel exposes the eternal clash between East and West on the one hand and the clash between passion and patriotism on the other. It accounts for a love story too. The novel develops in the background of national movement for freedom. A Silence of Desire, published in 1960, deals with spiritual realities. It exposes a clash between the traditional and the modern values in the family. Dandekar is a clerk and has no faith in religious rites. When his wife Sarojini visits a Swami, Dandekar suspects her character. The happiness their life is lost in it. Possession (1963) introduces a minor character, Anasua. With Lady Caroline, she visits a village. Caroline likes the art of a boy named Valmiki and asks him to come with her and become an expert artist. When he becomes a popular artist in London, Caroline wishes to marry him but he loves Caroline's maid. Now Caroline conspires against him. A Handful of Rice (1966) exposes ill effect of large scale industry on rural economy. The hero, Ravi joins the underworld. His coming back to gentle life and going back to criminal activities is the story of the novel. He starves and with others attacks go downs for a handful of rice. The Coffer Dams was published in 1969. Clinton makes the dam for Indians. His wife, Helen looks after starving tribal. Two Virgins (1973) shows the impact of blind modernism on rural life. Lalitha and Saroja are two sisters in teen age. Lalitha, being modern decides to elope with a film-maker. When she returns she is pregnant and tries to commit suicide. Saroja inspires her to live. But Lalitha fails in living in a traditional society and leaves it for a big city.
Picture of Rural India in 'Nectar in a Sieve'Kamala presents a true picture of rural and urban India in Nectar in a Sieve. Nathan, a poor farmer suffers from irony of fate. Nathan and Rukmani work so hard but live from hand to mouth. They have no artificial means of farming and their fields depend on nature. So often, Nature grows merciless and ruins their hard labour and breaks bright dreams. Having worked hard, they hope for a bumper crop but nature ruins all. On account of the excess of rain the weep seeing how their fields are flooded and crop is rotten. Sometimes, there suffering is caused by want of rains in which their fields grow nothing. They starve and weep seeing their children hungry. Villages are devoid of medical aid. People die in want of medical treatment. It is Rukmani's great fortune than Dr. Kenny helps her from time to time. He builds a hospital in which her son works as an assistant to Dr. Kenny. Money-lenders exploit uneducated villagers of simple nature. Kamala shows how shop-keepers too act as money-lenders. They increase prices of things. They become ready to buy old things of the needy poor at a thrown away price. Rukmani too has to sell her old clothes to the shopkeeper. Growing industrialization is seen when a tannery is opened in the village. It provides employment to some villagers. Rukmani's sons too work there yet the owners do not pay proper wages. When worker demand for justice, the masters grow cruel and dismiss these workers. They blame Rukmani's son for stealing and kill him. Industrialization of the village proves an evil in other ways also. Prices rise and the life of the poor becomes hard. On account of rich out-siders many women and girls become corrupt. Rukmani's daughter Ira is left by her husband under the charge of being barren. She lives at her mother's. She grows corrupt and earns money to run the family. Later on, she gives birth to a child. Kamala does not ignore big cities. In this novel she presents a true picture of urban India. Having sold their land to the tannery, when Nathan and Rukmani go to the city in search of livelihood they suffer bitterly. Nathan and Rukmani have to break stones in old age just to earn living.
Problems in Rural IndiaKamala presents a critical evaluation of problems present in rural India. People of rural India suffer on account of evils like: false display of money; imperfect planning of funds; want of education; exploitation and corruption. Ill financial planning of Rukmani's parents leads to Rukmani's marriage with a poor farmer Nathan who lives in a poor hut of mud. Rukmani adjusts in miserable circumstances caused by poverty. The novelist introduces two problems: want of family planning and evil of industrialization. The novel throws light on uncertain destiny of Indian farmers. They depend on nature. The novelist raises problems caused by barrenness of a woman and want of proper medical treatment. She admires social work by Dr. Kenny who builds a hospital. The novelist has a mind to project the true picture of whole India. It includes urban India too. Rukmani and Nathan take decision of leaving the village for the city in which their son lives. In the big city, they succeed in finding out his address but discover that the son has run away leaving alone his wife and child. The wife does not recognize them and does not ask them to live with her. Rukmani and Nathan break stones. Because of hard labour, Nathan dies. Rukmani has to come back her village. In this way her whole life is spent in a hard struggle against povery as well as her bad luck.
Dr. Rakesh Ravi's Evaluation of Kamala Markandaya's 'Nectar in a Sieve' as a Novel of Rural India
