Beena Agarwal

Mahesh Dattani’s Seven Steps around the Fire: Acknowledging the Marginality of Eunuchs

With the fall of empire, human history moved in the direction of enlightenment and identity awareness. The Ppostcolonial socio-political scenario created spaces to identify the invisible identities of the marginalized sections of society. The thinkers and creative writers were inspired to articulate the voice of those whose identity remain unacknowledged under the hegemonic and authoritative voice of the elitists for their superiority of caste, gender, race, religion, economic status or any other paradigm of the manifestation of power. In socio-political context, the ‘centre-margin’ binary includes the awareness of living conditions, language construction, social recognition, power structure and the control over the resources of productivity. In the words of Gayatri-Spivak, marginality can be acknowledged in terms of “silence and speech”. With the persistent annals of subordination, the marginalized groups were devoid of mental strength of self affirmation. They were forced to lead the life of subalterns. In 1980, Spivak wrote of subalterns, “It denotes to the general attribute of subordination in South Asian Society whether this expressed in terms of caste, class, age, gender and office or any other way.” There have been organized and collective efforts to make the representation of the conditions of oppressions and to stir the consciousness about their suppressed self so that they might be inspired to seek spaces in the mainstream of life. In this process, the emphasis is not on political liberation only but also on the emancipation from the psychological impact of oppression. It anticipates the shift of margins and proclaims the emergence of ‘new man’ who can assert himself against irrational domination of elitists’ ideologies. Nandy, the eminent post colonial critic, postulates that the psychological liberation is more significant than social and political liberation. To quote: 
The colonialism colonizes minds in addition to bodies and releases forces within colonized societies to alter their cultural priorities once and for all. In the process, it helps to generalize the concept of the modern west from a geographical entity to a psychological category. The west is now everywhere within the west and outside in structures and in minds. (Nandy A. 83) 
Every individual possesses the divine sparks of human sensibility and its willful suppression might lead to volcanic eruptions. In the post colonial literature, the critics and writers directed their efforts to restore the humanity of those who are dehumanized and are subjected to all humiliations and injustice. Shiller defines it as a method to acknowledge the humanity of dehumanized. To quote: 
Each individual human being one might say, carries within him potentially and perceptively an ideal man, the arche type of human being, and it’s his life’s task to be, through all his changing human being and it’s his life’s task to be, through all his changing manifestations, in harmony with the unchanging unity of this ideal. This arche-type more or less clearly in every individual is represented by the state, the objective and as it were the canonical form in which the diversity of individual subjects strive to unite. (Shiller qtd. By Lyods 137) 
In this state of shift of ideologies, Dattani launched his dramatic voyage to find out a way of “Decolonizing Theatre” escaping the shadows of “politically driven search for an indigenous aesthetic and dramaturgy.” (Mee 14) Deviating from the conventions of conventional morality within the pages of his splays, Dattani reconstructs the spaces for marginalized groups of society. He admits, “Each individual wants to be a part of society, of the mainstream but we must acknowledge that it is a forced harmony.” (Dattani : Indian Express) Within the dramatic texts of Dattani, the voices of new marginalized groups like the community of Eunuchs, and the suffering of AID-victims are heard. He reconstructs the identity of gays and lesbians in On A Muggy Night in Mumbai, Aid Victims in Ek Alag Mausam and the Community of Eunuchs in Seven Steps Around the Fire. It is not a process of romantic exhortation only but an effort to celebrate the true spirit of humanity. He accepts, “The function of drama, in my opinion, is not merely to reflect the malfunction of society, but to act like freak mirrors in a carnival and to project grotesque images of all that passes for normal in our world. It is ugly, but funny.” (Roy)  
Dattani makes a bold attempt to give central space in the mainstream drama to the community of Eunuchs in his play Seven Steps Around the Fire. Dattani investigates the human aspect of eunuchs who are socially neglected and even humiliated. For being sexually handicapped, they are not permitted to share the normal life conditions and they are often identified with their obscene patterns of behaviour including their speech, clapping and singing. Dattani deals with the problem with socio-psychological paradigms related to the existence of Eunuchs. The play Seven Steps Around the Fire is the mockery of gender oriented social system where dramatist sympathetically accepts human identity of eunuchs and struggles to construct their voice so that they might identify their oppressors and register their voice of protest. 
In Indian society, the community of eunuchs perpetually survives under the cover of ‘shame’ and ‘silence.’ They suffer social discrimination, social deprivation, poverty, inferiority and mental torture. For their genderless identity, they are often known as “hijara community”. Their birth is treated as the curse of divine and they are not allowed to involve in personal relationship. They are deprived of the pleasure of family bliss but their presence is essential on the occasions of marriage and child birth. The word ‘Eunuchs’ denotes the idea of “a castrated man”, especially one in charge of a harem or a high voiced “singer.” In ancient India, kings used to keep these Eunuchs for the management of women’s chambers. It is evident that hijara community in spite of being sexually handicapped, are gifted with identical potential and human sensibility. There are ample evidences in history that king’s used to encourage these eunuchs for sexual prostitution. According to social conventions they are not permitted to live in the respectable society. It is the horror of social convention that they are not even permitted to achieve professional skills to earn their bread and butter. The venues of education are closed for them. Many of them are obliged to die without proper medical care because doctors take it as their misfortune to attend them. The play Seven Steps Around The Fire, is the first authentic representation of the community of Eunuchs in theatre. 
The play Seven Steps Around the Fire is constructed on the lines of detective serial. The plot revolves round the murder case of Kamala, a young and beautiful eunuch and this case is to be investigated by Uma Rao. She is doing her research in Sociology. She is the daughter of the Vice Chancellor of Bangalore University and is married to Suresh, the Superintendent of Police. Uma resolutes to unveil the mystery of Kamala’s murder. Police suspects that this henious crime has been committed by Anarkali, another eunuch. Uma appears as an instrument of awakening and, therefore, she takes the responsibility to articulate the mute voices of eunuchs in the centre and to expose the community of elitists that drags them to the margin.  From the dramatic point of view, the conflict of social commitments and the obligations of interpersonal relationships are successfully taken to make the argument more viable. 
The play Seven Steps Around the Fire begins with the presence of Uma in the office of Sperintendent of Police. Eunuchs have genderless identity but Uma addresses Anarkali with the pronoun “she”. In contrast of her sympathy, Munuswamy, the assistant of Suresh, pours all contempt against Kamala. He ruthlessly asserts, “it will talk to you” and further continues his observations in highly abusive tone. Anarkali, being a victim of the hegemonic practices of elitists, becomes aggressive, violent and revengeful. The suspended fury bursts out with the sympathy of Uma. Still Uma with her patience and immense human sympathy subsides Kamala’s anger and wins her favour. Confessing her innocence in Kamala murder case, Anarkali admits, “It don’t kill her. She was my sister.” Dattani accepts that the transformation in the attitude of this community of marginalized is possible only through love and human sympathy. It helps them to realize their own self and to reconstruct the inner strength of will to resist the forces of oppression. The social irony is evident in the decision of Suresh who commands that Anarkali should be put in the male prison. Forgetting his responsibility as a police officer, he comments, “They are as strong as horses” and presents whole situation with a wild laughter, “They are all just castrated degenerate men. They fought like dogs every day ...” (238)  
Within the text of the play Seven Steps Around the Fire, Dattani tries to expose the position of eunuchs in Indian society. He asserts : 
There are transsexual all over the world and India is no exception. The purpose of this study is to show their position in society. Perceived as the lowest of the low, they yearn for family and love. (239) 
Anarkali in spite of her antagonism is encouraged to reveal her own life conditions. For her deprivation in the main stream of life, even bread and butter is a problem for her. She becomes emotional and expresses her desire to develop sister-like affinity with Uma, “If you were a hijara, I would have made you my sister.” (242) Uma realizes her sentiments and responds with the same warmth, “I would love to be your sister, if you will be mine.” (242) This craving for personal relationship evinces that Dattani accepts personal relationship as a potent strategy to fill the gap between the marginalized and the ruling class. Anarkali offer gathering her confidence, pathetically implores Uma to help her to come out of the prison house. For Anarkali the human love of Uma is of greater significance than the possibilities of legal redressal. She expresses her doubt, “They will kill me also if I tell the truth. If I don’t tell the truth, I will die in jail.” (241) Anarkali is motivated to reveal the secret of neglected dwelling places of hijara community. Uma Rao in her quest to investigate the life conditions of this community, resolutes to visit Shivajinagar and to see Anarkali’s friend, Champa. She comes to Champa, an elderly hijara, fanning herself with a delicate Punkah, reading Femina and enjoying perfect comradship with other members of her own community. When Uma tries to involve her in personal dialogue she confesses her helplessly, “We cannot speak ... when we want to speak nobody listens. When we cannot speak ...” (259) She further continues, “There is no world for a hijara other than the one we make for ourselves.” (261) She mentions that society does not give them opportunity to feel the zest of life with the involvement in personal relationship. In response of the query of Uma about the murder of Kamala, she bursts out with pain and anguish, “You don’t know how much we all loved her! You will not understand. I loved her more than you can love your daughter! You don’t know.” (262) These statements of Champa make it evident that inspite of their marginalized status, they are equally sensitive and aware of the apathetic and hegemonic practices of social order. Champa fearlessly refuses to bear the mercy of Uma because she realizes that the idealism of social mercy is only an illusion. It justifies that their “self consciousness” is not dead but suppressed. 
In the play Seven Steps Around the Fire, Uma’s whole endeavour is directed to expose corruption and dubiousness of ruling class. Through one photograph, at Champa’s place, Uma came to know about some secret involvement of Salim in Kamala murdercase. Uma visits Sharma’s place to discern the identity of Salim and his concern with the case. When Uma arrives at Mr. Sharma’s place, his son, Subbu appears there. Mr. Sharma, the minister, anticipates some crisis and tries his best to prevent Subbu from being involved in the case. In the play Dattani presents highly emotional situations to make the presentation more effective. In the later part of the play events like the sudden release of Anarkali, the marriage of Subbu, the appearance  of Champa with his trail on the occasion of marriage of Subbu and the nervousness of Suresh prepare very strong dramatic situation to investigate those terrain of human consciousness where social dualities come to an end. Mr. Sharma is more restless in the presence of Champa, it suggests that those who are at the centre have their own insecurities. They fear of the shift of ‘margin’ towards ‘centre’ in which centrality would naturally demolish. The awareness of marginality proclaims the end of the hegemony of centre. As soon as the dance of Champa begins, in the image of dancing Anarkali, the image of dead Kamala starts haunting Subbu’s mind. With the shift of consciousness of past, Subbu lost control over himself and declares, “you can’t keep me away from Kamala.” To take the best of Subbu’s nervousness, Champa takes the photograph and gives it to him. As soon as he looks at the photograph, the living paraphernalia suspends and he starts identifying Kamala with Anarkali. In this state of masochism, Subbu reveals the secret of his relationship with Kamala and also the secret of the murder of Kamala. In depression, Subbu takes the gun and kills himself. It is only after the death of Subbu that Kamala’s murder mystery was resolved. Even Subbu in the name of the power of his father fails to retain his voice and status. 
Dattani in his representation of Eunuchs seems to agree that the marginalized can’t raise their voice against humiliation and injustice. Subbu dies but both Suresh and Mr. Sharma were not ready to listen to the voice of Anarkali. Uma concludes: 
They have no voice. The case was hushed up and it was not even reported in the news paper... Subbu’s suicide was written off as an accident. The photograph was destroyed. So we are the lives of two young people .. but Anarkali’s blessings remain with me... I did not her blessings for a child. All I want is what they want ... to move on, to love to love. (282)
The arguments enunciated in the present critical interpretation evinces that in case of marginalized communities, the psychic subjugation has far reaching consequences. The awareness about the suffering of the marginalized communities is a realization of the perceptions of life that can ensure better understanding of human relationship. Champa’s quest to love and to live is a call from margin to seek spaces in the periphery of the centre. Dattani organizes the events in the play to establish that the innate natural deficiency should not be exploited as the mechanism of subjugation. The unbridled passion for survival and personal relationship of Champa and Anarkali suggests that eunuchs are not marginalized by nature and God but they are marginalized by the conventions of society. The contribution of Dattani is his positive vision that the involvement in personal relationship can be taken as a safe panacea for the redumption of the suffering of marginalized communities. The idea of associating the social curse with personal relationship gives an intense dramatic quality and assigns a new direction to subaltern studies.

 

 

Works Cited

Dattani, Mahesh. “Seven Steps Around The Fire” Collected Plays. New Delhi: Penguin India, 2000.

Mee, Erin B. Drama Contemporary India. New Delhi : Oxford University Press, 2002.

Nandy. A. The Intimate Enemy : Loss and Recovery of Self Under Colonialism, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1983.

Roy, Elizabeth. “Freak Mirrors and Grotesque Images” The Hindu, 15 March, 2002. 

Lyods “Arnold Ferguson Schiller : Aesthetic Culture and the Politics of Aesthetics” Cultural Critique, Vol. 2.

Spivak, Gayatri. Subaltern Studies. (ed.) R. Guha Vol. I, Delhi : Oxford University Press, 1982.