Isabel Wilkerson..... recent Karnan movie

 

I am reading the 15th chapter in the book titled Caste by Isabel Wilkerson....  I also watched the film Karnan- a recent tamil movie.. it is a slow burn film.... I am thankful I watched the movie after reading Caste by Wilkerson...  I was able to put things into perspective. It is so amazing to note how a writer in the US has drawn parallels with the caste system here and in her country... Using facts , history and geography she has put things into a wonderful narrative...

The film and the book indicate 'muscle memory'. Wilkerson says 

1. how the oppressed and the oppressor have behaved culturally over generations.. So much so that the servility of the oppressed is taken for granted.. This is so relevant here and is pointed out in the film-- the protagonist reminds the cop how the latter got angry with the 'steadfast gaze'  'standing tall'  by the oppressed men brought to the police station.. These were not criminals.. just a few village elders.. Particularly the cop is more angry because the headman has his 'turban' on in front of the dominant caste! 

2. What is in a name.. you may ask.. oh there is plenty... The upper caste is furious over the names selected by the lower caste.. This fact is reflected in Wilkerson's book where a black father named his daughter Miss as he knew the whites would not like it.. Only a white would be addressed as MIss. A black is addressed by a name irrespective of age or station.

The book and the film draw parallels of  body language, verbal language and daily life rituals of the oppressed and its oppressor.. It is not forgotten in spite of advances made in both the democracies         ( India and USA). It would take many more generations to wipe out the muscle memory.. 

The film is a delight to watch for the detailing of the village life.. the stray cat eating the leftovers, the fish, pigs and piglets, eagle, bugs mating and worms crawling, the donkey, the horse and most of all I loved the village goddess mask metaphor... 

Wilkerson mentions how the blacks were made out to be a nameless, faceless,  emotionless, feelingless, genderless mass.... 

In my country the ravaging of the lowest strata still happens.. in their daily life.. even the dead are not spared.. 

Yet there is hope.. if the villages of India makes the changes, then my country will embody what is written in its Preamble.. in my Constitution