Wednesday, July 5, 2023

The resonance of Naipaul’s The Suffrage of Elvira

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.    

             

        

No comments:

Post a Comment