Article_-_the_God_of_Small_Things

When the tragic news, of a young British child dying when visiting her distant family in Ayemenem, Kerala, reached London I took the first possible flight to investigate the story. When arriving in Ayemenem I discovered a much deeper story, a much more interesting one. At first a love story between two people may not seem so exciting. But when this relationship broke all laws and all foundations of the Indian society, a beautiful and tragic new world opened in front of me. Something that no one outside their culture will ever really understand, something so different from our own standards and morals. I arrived here a few days ago with my mind set on the story of the young girl who drowned in the river here in Ayemenem. When living amongst the Indians I realized how different their lives were compared to ours. It was fascinating to just watch them, watch the children play or the old man playing the tabla. Sitting there wondering about the death of the child – not yet knowing how closely related it was to the story that could be my breakthrough. I could clearly see that the people of Ayemenem was upset about something – slowly I realized that it wasn’t about the story I had thought it was. The caste system in India is probably well known to everyone. But do we really understand it at the individual and at the personal level' Yes, the story I discovered here in Ayemenem is a love story. But it is so much more interesting than that. What happens when a Paravan has a love affair with a higher-class woman' The Paravan was accused of molesting the women. He was blamed and almost beaten to death. And all this just because of whom he was – an Untouchable. In the caste system, the Paravans are seen as “polluted”, they are not worthy to touch anything that the touchables touched. The Paravans could not change their position in the society – they were who they were born to be. It is said that being a Paravan was the punishment for having been bad in a former life. The Paravan, whose name was Velutha, was also held responsible for the murder of the British girl, which turned out to be completely wrong when I investigated the matter. When further in, in my investigation I started hearing rumors that said that the women had run into the Police station claiming that the Paravan was innocent. That it had been a love affair. I actually believe the women since why would she claim this if it wasn’t true, what could she have gained on it' Nothing! The woman’s family took this whole incident very seriously. Especially the woman’s aunt. She went, by herself, to the police to tell them of how a Paravan was abusing their niece. She had gotten this information from the Paravans dad the police report said. Obviously the Paravans are well aware of their position in India since he was ready to tell on his own son. Though, my reliable sources here in Ayemenem tell me that the aunt knew about the love affair and locked the women in her room to prevent them from meeting. The secret and forbidden, intersexual relationship between this man and woman caused a big stir in the Ayemenem community. We can never really understand the thoughts and opinions of the people living here – both touchables and untouchables. I can’t understand why Velutha had this tragic destiny only because he was a Paravan. Still people, such as the police, truly believe that it was Velutha who had caused this mess. And they clearly never listened to the woman when she confessed of having an affair with an Untouchable. Now I have been living in Kerala for just about a month – I couldn’t leave without learning more about the culture. It is very clear to me now that cultural clashes in Ayemenem can cause minor conflicts or major trouble and violence – such as the night when Velutha was brutally beaten. Something like this, two people from two different classes being together, would never have mattered as much in England. In India it is a sin worth dying for.