Naipaul’s novel The suffrage of Elvira unfolds the election
scenario in a newly independent place. In the very beginning we see
Harbans, a contractor cum politician and a candidate for Elvira who is going to the place for campaigning
misses causing accident to two women in the denomination of Witnesses and a black bitch. He wants to meet Baksh and
Chittaranjan, two influential people in Elvira.
The novel shows the political antics played by various people on the eve of
elections and we can find that things have not changed even now.
Baksh is a leader of Muslims and
head of family of seven sons and his elder son is called Foam , short for
Foreman. He is a social man and assumes a bit of airs when Harbans approaches
him for help in elections.
Elections revolve around creating
vote banks. Baksh and his son Foam pressurize Harbans to rent a van and loud
speaker and Foam is the driver . he wants to outdoor Lorkhoor, another young
man. Foam suggests Harbans to approach Chittaranjan, the goldsmith to garner votes of Hindus and Spaniards of Cordoba
to whom Chittaranjan lent money.
Foam encourages Harbans to be more free and tells him of conflict
between Chittaranjan and Ramlogan over trees in their compounds which give
flowers or fruits to the neighbour. The bargain expected on the part of
Chittaranjan is to get his daughter Nelly
married to the son of Harbans who is now in need of help to win
elections . Harbans and Foam also witness the quarrel between Ramlogan and
Chittaranjan and the gloom of the former and brashness of the both . Chittaranjan
promises majority votes and victory to
Harbans who is not entirely happy for getting less majority than expected. Harbans
also promised rum for supporters mustered by Ramlogan in the wake of victory. So, all
the modern evils of suffrage are present even in the fledgling democracy of
Trinidad. Another candidate in the fray is a preacher supported by his fellow
blockmen and Lorkhoor, the rival of Foam is now
the campaign manager of Preacher whereas Foam is working in the same capacity
for Harbans. The contest has been also
between Foam and Lorkhoor, supported by teacher Francis who surpassed the former in debating and getting a job of
advertising for the cinema from the
loudspeaker Van. Foam wanted more to humiliate his rival and teacher than
working for the win of Harbans in the elections.
Harbans is worried over the votes
slipping from his fingers due to the opposition of the Spanish people in
Cordoba and also rues the rising expenditure. But Dhaniram, Chittaranjan and
Baksh pretend offense and convince him regarding need for spending for
campaign. Mrs. Baksh is afraid of preacher’s curse and laments the elections.
Foam and his younger brother Herbert bring a puppy home and the latter is found
out and singled out for punishment by Mrs. Baksh who makes them promise on the
holy book.
The novelist brings out the drama of elections and how it impacts people
, their machinations, expectations and unintended consequences. The ironical
smile appears on the lips of the reader when he reads the following passage;
“A tiny, rickety puppy, mangy,
starved; a loose, ribby bundle on the ground. It made no noise. It tried to
lift itself up. It only collapsed again , without complaint ,without shame. “ (57)
The two women who call
themselves Witnesses move
around and preach against voting . this troubles both the factions of Harbans and Preacher and their campaign
managers Foam and Lorkhoor. They also have to contend with superstitious
beliefs regarding dog and play tricks to
overcome their opponents. Slowly all are drawn into this eddy of
elections.
Mahdeo
who supports Harbans is preparing a list of the sick and the dying in the
Negroes to pas on information and wooing their votes in the name of helping the
needy. He gets a rebuff from Mr. Cuffy . Baksh goes around telling about the
story of big dog turning small by morning.
Chittaranjan goes to the husband of
Rampiari and blackmails him reminding his need for borrowing money from Chittaranjan. Teacher Francis refers
to Peace before the arrival of Suffrage to Elvira and Nelly corners him for his anti-democratic
hinting that her father might pull her off tuition with him. Foam leaves the
dog ‘Tiger’ with Nelly and Chittaranjan
takes exception to story of dog spread by Baksh around the town.
The novelist portrays how the
elections give rise to all kinds of things such as wheedling for money in the
guise of help, spread of stories of superstition regarding the ‘Tiger’ that could
doom ten in the family of Baksh , machinations to get or retain vote banks,
competition among campaigners, the anxiety and yearning to win on the part of
candidate’s, the influence of religious preaching to influence the outcome
through argument that voting is against divinity, petty quarrels and reconciliations.
Naipaul brings out humour through
his description of Ramlogan ‘s action after the exit of Haq from his shop.
“That afternoon, routine became
delicious ritual. He was lavish with the Canadian Healing Oil. He rubbed it
over his face and worked it into his scalp; he poured some into his palm and
held it to his nostrils to inhale the therapeutic vapours; the only thing
Ramlogan didn’t do with with Canadian Healing Oil was drink it.’’ (110)
The humour of Naipaul can be observed in the dialogue between
Chittaranjan and Ramlogan. Both of them exchange words over a chicken dead. It
belonged to Chittaranjan but dies in an accident by Foam. Chittaranjan suspects
Ramlogan as responsible for that act.
While Ramlogan taunts Chittaranjan to mind the wanderings of the
latter’s daughter. when cornered Ramlogan says, “ the girl going to school in
the day-time and taking private lessons I the night-time. I know I is a
Nazi-spy , and I know I is a shameless
hard-back resign man, but I is not the man to stand up between father and
daughter.” (115)
Chittaranjan goes and asks Baksh
to explain his son Foam ’s behaviour and there ensues a difference of opinion
between them. Baksh tells Chittaranjan that Muslims won’t vote for Harbans and
the latter is foolish to think that Harbans’s
son would marry nelly, Chittaranjan’s daughter.
We find all kinds of tricks which
people play. Mahdeo wants money to be given to the sick . Baksh keeps quiet as
if he has nothing to do. Chittaranjan is concerned about honour of his daughter
and sends her to stay with his brother. The
Witnesses lose their hold on people whom they wanted to convince not to vote. Both Chittaranjan and Ramlogan reconcile with
each other and turn into ‘bruds’ Ramlogan even declares a drink party to the committee of winning
party and he is sure of Harbans’s win. All the tricks we find today could be
observed even then.
“They talked of degeneracy of the
modern age; they agreed that democracy was a stupid thing; then they came to
the elections and to Baksh.” (148)
Chittaranjan remarks, “Look at
Baksh. Everybody else in Elvira just asking for one little piece of help before
they vote for any particular body. Baksh is the only man who want three.” (148)
Baksh also enters the election
fray ostensibly to split Muslim votes but rally to make fast
buck from Harbans. He asks Harbans for
two thousand dollars plus deposit money. Things move fast. Lorkhoor , the
campaign manager of the Preacher and
rival of foam demands five hundred
dollars to swapping of votes in favour of Harbans. Ramlogan offers rum to his
people in his shop at the cost of Harbans. The latter is also expected to cough
up money to satisfy the demands of the youth for sports goods. The intrigues and demands of the people of Elvira to serve their petty
interests vex Harbans a lot. His
exasperation is total.
“When Harbans had left Elvira and was in county Caroni, he
stopped the lorry and shook his small fist at the dark countryside behind him.
“Elvira!” he shouted. You is a
bitch! A bitch ! A bitch” (154)
Mahdeo is interested in
Sebastian’s’ health from perspective of elections . Meanwhile it is Cuffy who
is dead and Harbans’ team gets active to arrange Cuffy’s funeral. Baksh is humbled and unbothered
about. The radio announces the death of Cuffy. Tanwing is given the of arranging a coffin. Baksh is rather
neglect by all. Dhaniram is distraught as his daughter -in-law has gone along
with Lorkhoor with her things and
jewels. The mixture of tragedies individual as well as the concern of the
candidates for the dead in view of impending elections. During the campaign
many things happen. A cameraman in
making a documentary comes but goes off without photographing the candidates
despite the request. The food van and
the liquor van following Harbans’s campaign
get seized and plundered by the
mob. The taxi drivers feeling affronted
over not getting food and rum demand ten
gallons of petrol per day. Harbans has to oblige. He also goes to a polling
station to grease the palm of a clerk
with a ten dollar note delaying voting deliberately asking people to
spell their names.
Now it is announced that Harbans
has won elections. Baksh gives a speech no one has listened seriously. Harbans gives victory speech and later leaves it . In
a revealing sentence, the novelist writes,
“And so demcoracy took root in Elvira.” (204)
he has to come back to Elvira against his will
to give the party promised to the committee. Foam keeps three bottles of whiskey
to sell later on. Chittaranjan has spent his own money to ensure victory for Harbans. The innocent
people gather at the shop for party but Ramlogan
says it is only for the committee. The people appear to get offended. Chittaranjan says that the
villagers have to say a Kattha for
Harbans by calling Pandit Dahniram to read from scriptures to honour Harbans, a
Hindu. Then demands come from Muslims for kitab and Christians for their
prayers. Meanwhile the news of sickness of Jordan. Harbans has to visit and
cough up fifty dollars for Jordan’s family. Suddenly Harbas’ car goes in
flames. Foam takes him out of the village . Harbans leaves Elvira never
to return to it. He gets a new car from
the insurance company.
Naipaul writes how people go their separate ways meeting their fortunes. Foam becomes a radio announcer,
Lorkhoor, A columnist , Francis, an inspector of schools, Ramlogan, a contented
householder, Dhaniram, under the care of
his sister, Chittaranjan, a disappointed father on account of losing alliance with Harbans’ s family and his
daughter Nelly , a student of polytechnic in London.
Thus Naipaul
portrays the behaviour and changing
fortunes of the people of Elvira in the throes of democracy and his fiction resonates even now.
