Shikha Semester Ii English Project Final.docx

DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE

I hereby declare that the work reported in the B.B.A. LL.B (Hons.) Project Report entitled ― BARBER‘S TRADE UNION-SHORT STORY BY MULK RAJ ANAND‖ submitted at Maharashtra National Law University; Aurangabad is an authentic record of my work carried out under the supervision of Prof. Mahenaz Azizul Haque. I have not submitted this work elsewhere for any other degree or diploma. I am fully responsible for the contents of my Project Report.

(Signature of the Candidate) SHIKHA Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT “IF YOU WANT TO WALK FAST GO ALONE IF YOU WANT TO WALK FAR GO TOGETHER” A project is a joint endeavor which is to be accomplished with utmost compassion, diligence and with support of all. Gratitude is a noble response of one‘s soul to kindness or help generously rendered by another and its acknowledgement is the duty and joyance. I am overwhelmed in all humbleness and gratefulness to acknowledge from the bottom of my heart to all those who have helped me to put these ideas, well above the level of simplicity and into something concrete effectively and moreover on time. This project would not have been completed without combined effort of my revered Law and Literature teacher Prof. Mahenaz Azizul Haque whose support and guidance was the driving force to successfully complete this project. I express my heartfelt gratitude to her. Thanks are also due to my parents, family, siblings, my dear friends and all those who helped me in this project in any way. Last but not the least; I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our Law and Literature teacher for providing us with such a golden opportunity to showcase our talents. Also this project was instrumental in making me know more about the Trade Union and Caste Discrimination prevailing in India. This project played an important role in making me understand more about the relation between law and discrimination. It was truly an endeavour which enabled me to embark on a journey which redefined my intelligentsia, induced my mind to discover the intricacies involved. Moreover, thanks to all those who helped me in any way be it words, presence, Encouragement or blessings...

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2nd Semester

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SHIKHA

B.A. LL.B

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Declaration ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgement… ................................................................................................................ ii Table of Contents… ................................................................................................................ iii Aims and Objectives… ............................................................................................................ iv

Hypothesis. ............................................................................................................................... iv

Research Methodology. ........................................................................................................... iv 1. Introduction… ............................................................................................................ 1-3 2. Legal Overview… ...................................................................................................... 4-7

3. Issues raised in the short story ................................................................................. 8-10 4. Pre-conceived societal norms… .............................................................................11-12

5. Conclusion. ............................................................................................................ 13-14

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………15

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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The Aims and Objectives of this project are: 1. The researcher tends to throw light on one of the masterpieces of Mulk Raj Anand ‗Barber‘s Trade Union‘. 2. The researcher tends to show legal overview of the book. 3. The researcher tends to throw light on the various issues raised in the book.

HYPOTHESES

The researcher considers the following hypothesis: 1. Discriminatory practices create a negative impact on the society. 2. There is only one caste : Caste of Humanity

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY For this study, doctrinal research method was utilised. Various articles, e-articles, reports and books from library were used extensively in framing all the data and figures in appropriate form, essential for this study. The method used in writing this research is primarily analytical.

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INTRODUCTION

In The Barber‘s Trade Union by Mulk Raj Anand we have the theme of class, appearance, alienation, arrogance, ingenuity, independence, admiration, respect, control and freedom. Taken from his Selected Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a young unnamed boy and after reading the story the reader realises that Anand may be exploring the theme of class. Chandu is considered to be of a lower caste or class than other people in the village. It is as though he is being judged solely on the fact that both he and his father are barbers. It is also noticeable that those who alienate Chandu are arrogant and appear to be rooted to a value system (caste system) that Chandu himself does not believe in adhering to. Chandu sees nothing wrong with trying to better himself. However due to the rigid values of those in the town Chandu ends up losing business.

Though it is interesting that Chandu knows that he can outwit those who have alienated him. All he has to do is to be patient and wait for each individual‘s hair to grow. This too may be important as it suggests that Chandu is using his ingenuity. The end of the story is also interesting as Anand appears to be exploring the theme of control. Chandu by setting up a barber‘s union and forcing those in the village to come to him rather than having him travel to them. Has taken control of the situation he finds himself in. Where many might have done as instructed by the elders in the village. Chandu does not. He not only continues to dress as he wants to but he also forces the men in the village to adhere to his rules rather than Chandu having to do as he has been told by Bijay Chand and others. Similarly Chandu‘s mother is able to ignore the instructions of those in the village now that she has money (coming from Chandu). If anything Chandu and his mother have freed themselves from the preconceived societal norms that have been accepted for so long in the village. It might also be worth noting that Chandu‘s actions have benefited other barbers in the neighbouring villages. They too have taken control of their situation thanks to Chandu‘s ingenuity and his resilience. In reality Chandu started off as an underdog fighting against the caste system and managed to turn things around in his favour. It is easy for the reader to see as to why the narrator respects and admires Chandu.

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Mulk Raj Anand (12 December 1905 – 28 September 2004) was an Indian writer in English, notable for his depiction of the lives of the poorer castes in traditional Indian society. One of the pioneers of Indo-Anglian fiction, he, together with R. K. Narayan, Ahmad Ali and Raja Rao, was one of the first India-based writers in English to gain an international readership. Anand is admired for his novels and short stories, which have acquired the status of being classic works of modern Indian English literature, noted for their perceptive insight into the lives of the oppressed and their analysis of impoverishment, exploitation and misfortune. He is also notable for being among the first writers to incorporate Punjabi and Hindustani idioms into English and was a recipient of the civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan. Born in Peshawar, Anand studied at Khalsa College, Amritsar, graduating with

honours in

1924,[3] before moving to England, where, while working in a restaurant because of poverty, he attended University College London as an undergraduate and later Cambridge University, earning a PhD in Philosophy in 1928, his dissertation being "Bertrand Russell and the English empiricists. " During this time he forged friendships with members of the Bloomsbury Group. He spent some time in Geneva, lecturing at the League of Nations' School of intellectual corporation. Anand met an English actress, Kathleen Gelder, whom he married in 1939. They had a daughter, Sushila. In 1948, they divorced.Anand's literary career was launched by family tragedy, instigated by the rigidity of the caste system. His first prose essay was a response to the suicide of an aunt, who had been excommunicated by her family for sharing a meal with a Muslim woman. His first main novel, Untouchable, published in 1935, was a chilling expose of the day-to-day life of a member of India's untouchable caste. It is the story of a single day in the life of Bakha, a toilet-cleaner, who accidentally bumps into a member of a higher caste. Bakha searches for salve to the tragedy of the destiny into which he was born, talking with a Christian missionary, listening to a speech about untouchability by Mahatma Gandhi and a subsequent conversation by two educated Indians, but by the end of the book Anand suggests that it is technology, in the form of the newly introduced flush toilet that may be his savior by eliminating the need for a caste of toilet cleaners. This simple book, which captured the puissance of the Punjabi and Hindi idiom in English was widely acclaimed and Anand won the reputation of being India's Charles Dickens. The introduction was written by his friend, E. M. Forster, whom he met while working on T. S. 2|Page

Eliot's magazine Criterion. Forster writes: "Avoiding rhetoric and circumlocution, it has gone straight to the heart of its subject and purified it." Inevitably, Anand, who in the 1930s and '40s spent half his time in London and half in India,[3] was drawn to the Indian independence movement. During his time in London, he wrote propaganda on behalf of the Indian cause alongside India's future Defence Minister V. K. Krishna Menon, while trying to make a living as a novelist and journalist. At the same time, he also supported freedom elsewhere around the globe and even travelled to Spain to volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, even though his role in the conflict was more journalistic than military. He spent World War II working as a scriptwriter for the BBC in London, where he became a friend of George Orwell. Orwell penned a favourable review of Anand's 1942 novel The Sword and the Sickle and remarked that "although Mr. Anand's novel would still be interesting on its own merits if it had been written by an Englishman, it is impossible to read it without remembering every few pages that is also a cultural curiosity," adding that the growth "of an English-language Indian literature is a strange phenomenon". He was also a friend of Picasso and had Picasso paintings in his collection. Anand returned to India in 1946, and continued with his prodigious literary output there. His work includes poetry and essays on a wide range of subjects, as well as autobiographies, novels and short stories. Prominent among his novels are The Village (1939), Across the Black Waters (1939), The Sword and the Sickle (1942), all written in England, and Coolie (1936), The Private Life of an Indian Prince(1953), perhaps the most important of his works written in India. He also founded a literary magazine, Marg, and taught in various universities. During the 1970s, he worked with the International Progress Organization (IPO) on the issue of cultural self-comprehension of nations. His contribution to the conference of the IPO in Innsbruck (Austria) in 1974 had a special influence on debates that later became known under the phrase of "Dialogue Among Civilizations". Anand also delivered a series of lectures on eminent Indians including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore, commemorating their achievements and significance and paying special attention to their distinct brands of humanism. His 1953 novel The Private Life of an Indian Prince was more autobiographical in nature. In 1950 Anand embarked on a project to write a seven-part autobiography, beginning in 1951 with Seven Summers. One part, Morning Face (1968), won him the Sahitya Akademi Award. Like much of his later work, it contains elements of his spiritual journey as he struggles to attain a higher sense of self-awareness. 3|Page

LEGAL OVERVIEW At a tender age, Chandu embarks upon fullfledged domestic responsibility. Every morning Chandu has to make errands to the notables in the village for shaving and haircutting. All goes well and the set ordered is not disturbed unless Chandu starts going to the Taluka for transacting business. He observes certain novelties there, particularly the rig out of doctor Kalan Khan- a white turban, a white rubber coat and a leather bag in hand. He is uncontrollably fascinated towards the apparel. He has attraction for the medical profession as he has bequeathed some medical tips and snippets from his father. Chandu‘s new attire brings about great clamour and chaos in the village. when he approaches the landlord‘s house. The landlord, an ideologue of dogmatism and orthodoxy, having seen Chandu in the new robe, mortifies Chandu in the foulest terms. The landlord reprimands calling Chandu –‖The son of a pig! Get out ! Get out ! … You will defile my religion‖. It is a fact that innocent low –caste people like Chandu are always treated with humiliation for no fault of theirs. Did Chandu commit any blemish or blunder by wearing a dress like doctor Kalan Khan‘s ?

The conservative society always prefers injustice and oppression. Chandu is impelled to realize that due to his being a low-caste boy, he is not entitled to such felicity and that he is perpetually harnessed to serve the upper caste society. This is his ineradicable destiny and that he is bound to be in it. The village Sahukar, too, goes one step ahead and deals with Chandu in harshest possible terms –‖You little swine, you go on disguising yourself as a clown …‖ Pandit parmanand, the keeper of the village shrine, also bullies saying –‖He is alow caste devil! He is a rogue! ‖. Chandu is thoroughly humiliated and exasperated at this treatment. There is a distinct discrepancy between Chandu and Mulk Raj Anand‘s other protagonists like Bakha and Munoo. They would have wilted, submitted and succumbed to the circumstance as normal creatures of circumstance would have. But Chandu is entirely unlike them. He is one in hundreds and hundreds in one. He is intent on topsey- turveying everything orthodox. He is representative of the modern man in the modern world. Chandu, insulted and affronted though, instead of giving into the village superiors, adopts a course of action with a view to teaching the idiots a lesson.

His course of action is a course of revolt. He desires to change his fate and fate of his fellow – brothers by way of overcoming his predicament. Despite his being a mere barber 4|Page

boy, he has prowess to outwit and outsmart others. With a view to teaching the orthodox idiots a lesson, he ceases to dance attendance to the village notables and others for shaving and hair –cutting. Instead, he frequents the town for earning. Within a few days, the outcome is easily visible, causing a great problem and inconvenience. Chandu is so shrewd and cunning that he has already had his Verka counterpart in his league.

The result is that the landlord looks hoary and his wife has even threatened to leave him. The Sahukar looks like a leper with the brown tinge of tobacco on his moustache. The elders in the village become a stock subject of laughter. Chandu very conveniently succeeds in his plan of non-cooperation. The villagers approach the barber at Verka with a double money offer, but in vain. The villagers reel under the new situation while Chandu makes hey in the town. He summons all the barbers in the purview of seven miles and convinces them that it was high time that all the elders came to them and that they must stop dancing attendance to them. And thus, they launch into ―Rajkot District Barber Brothers‘ Hairdressing and Shaving Saloon‖ and thus become the harbinger and herald of the new era of freedom and justice. Chandu‘s victory assumes greater significance especially in the backdrop of the orthodox and inhuman traditions in the Indian society. His triumph restores sanity to the situation. It is not a win which belongs only to Chandu. It is victory of justice, parity, morality and rejuvenation of human dignity.

Mulk Raj Anand talks expressively how caste discrimination not only affects the ones upon whom its forced but also following it, believing in it and idealizing it as an instrument of social control. Caste discrimination affects an estimated 260 million people worldwide, the vast majority living in South Asia. It involves massive violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Caste systems divide people into unequal and hierarchical social groups. Those at the bottom are considered ‗lesser human beings‘, ‗impure‘ and ‗polluting‘ to other caste groups.

They are known to be ‗untouchable‘ and subjected to so-called ‗untouchability practices‘ in both public and private spheres. ‗Untouchables‘ – known in South Asia as Dalits – are often forcibly assigned the most dirty, menial and hazardous jobs, and many are subjected to forced and bonded labour. Due to exclusion practiced by both state and non-state actors, they have limited access to resources, services and development, keeping most Dalits in severe poverty. They are often de facto excluded from decision making and meaningful participation in public and civil life. Lack of special legislation banning caste discrimination or lack of implementation of legislation, due to dysfunctional systems of justice and caste-bias, have 5|Page

largely left Dalits without protection. Despite policy development and new legislation in some countries, fundamental challenges still remain in all caste-affected countries. The progress that has been made is, to a large extent, a consequence of the tireless work of Dalit civil society groups in South Asia. They have also – through IDSN and by other means – managed to place caste discrimination firmly on the international human rights agenda. UN bodies and EU institutions are paying increasing attention to this issue.The division of a society into castes is a global phenomenon not exclusively practised within any particular religion or belief system. In South Asia, caste discrimination is traditionally rooted in the Hindu caste system, according to which Dalits are considered ‗outcasts‘. However, caste systems and the ensuing discrimination have spread into Christian, Buddhist, Muslim and Sikh communities. They are also found in Africa, other parts of Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific and in Diaspora communities. Caste systems are a form of social and economic governance that is based on principles and customary rules: 

Caste systems involve the division of people into social groups (castes) where assignments of rights are determined by birth, are fixed and hereditary.

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The assignment of basic rights among various castes is unequal and hierarchical, with those at the top enjoying most rights coupled with least duties and those at the bottom performing most duties coupled with no rights.

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The system is maintained through the rigid enforcement of social ostracism (a system of social and economic penalties) in case of any deviations.

The doctrine of inequality is at the core of the caste system. Those who fall outside the caste system are considered ―lesser human beings‖, ―impure‖ and thus ―polluting‖ to other caste groups. They are known to be ―untouchable‖ and subjected to so-called ―untouchability practices‖ in both public and private spheres. ―Untouchables‖ are often forcibly assigned the most dirty, menial and hazardous jobs, such as cleaning human waste. The work they do adds to the stigmatisation they face from the surrounding society.

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The exclusion of ‗caste-affected communities‘ by other groups in society and the inherent structural inequality in these social relationships lead to high levels of poverty among affected population groups and exclusion from, or reduced benefits from development processes, and generally precludes their involvement in decision making and meaningful participation in public and civil life. The division of a society into castes is a global phenomenon not exclusively practised within any particular religion or belief system. In South Asia, caste discrimination is traditionally rooted in the Hindu caste system. Supported by philosophical elements, the caste system constructs the moral, social and legal foundations of Hindu society. Dalits are ‗outcastes‘ or people who fall outside the four-fold caste system consisting of the Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vysya and Sudra. Dalits are also referred to as Panchamas or people of the fifth order. However caste systems and the ensuing caste discrimination have spread into Christian, Buddhist, Muslim and Sikh communities. Caste systems are also found in Africa, other parts of Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific and in Diaspora communities around the world. In Japan association is made with Shinto beliefs concerning purity and impurity, and in marginalized African groups the justification is based on myths. Caste discrimination affects approximately 260 million people worldwide, the vast majority living in South Asia. Caste discrimination involves massive violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. It is often outlawed in countries affected by it, but a lack of implementation of legislation and caste-bias within the justice systems largely leave Dalits without protection. A central feature of caste discrimination is the so-called ―untouchability practices‖. It stems from the notion that different caste groups have varying degrees of purity and pollution, with Dalits and other caste-affected groups being so impure that they can pollute other groups. Paradoxically, sexual abuse and rape against Dalit women is not considered polluting to men from dominant castes. If Dalits and other caste-affected groups challenge the untouchability practices, they often face violent sanctions and social boycott. Massive violations of human rights occur in relation to untouchability practices and other forms of caste-based discrimination.

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ISSUES RAISED IN THE SHORT STORY Mulk Raj Anand, undoubtedly, is one of the doyens of Indian English fiction writing. As a prolific writer, he has authored about fifteen novels; some of them are Untouchable (1935), Coolie (1936), Two Leaves and a Bud (1937), The Village (1939), Across the Black Waters (1941), The Sword and the Sickle (1942), The Big Hearts (1945), Seven Summers (1951), The Private Life of an Indian Prince (1953), The Death of a Master of Arts (1964), Confessions of a Lover (1976), The Bubble (1984), etc. Besides it, he has produced more than six collections of short stoeies, such as The Lost Child and Other Stories (1934), The Barber‘s Trade Union and Other Stories (1944), The Tractor and the Corn Goddess and Other Stories (1947), Reflection on the Golden Bed and Other Stories (1953), The Power of Darkness and Other Stories (1959), Lajwanti and Other Stories (1973). He also has two collections namely Indian Fairy Tales (1946) and More Indian Fairy Tales (1961) to his credit. He is such a versatile genius whose writings include subjects like education, art, music, dance, painting, sculpture, etc. Among the early influences on his life were those of his mother who, nonetheless uneducated, adroitly recounted the fables and folk tales to him, and of his cousin Kaushalaya in whom he saw a soulmate with whom he could at least commune. As he grew up, he was greatly influenced by Gandhi ji. When he went to Europe for higher studies he came in contact with many emerging as well as established writers. Karl Marx, Tolstoy and Ruskin also influenced him to a large extent. Though, he was strongly influenced by them in a number of ways, he is not tied to any particular system or belief, rather he synthesized all of them and evolved for himself a comprehensive historical humanism. Owing to his sensitive and precocious inclination, Anand was enraged by the widespread evil practices such as untouchability, caste system, religious hypocrisy, exploitation of the poor, women‘s problems, corruption among bureaucracy and so forth. As we have discussed that the Indian stories which Anand heard as a child influenced him to a great extent. As a result, his short stories may be referred to as a means, which propagates Anand’s notions. He wants his readers to be aware of the evils of such a system which obstructs men to be civilized. Religious Hypocrisy which is one of the themes Anand depicts prominently, and wherein the religious customs, traditions and rituals contributively act as an instrument of exploitation. Anand portrays this theme from different angles. The Maharaja, Maharaja Ganga Singh Bahadur hopes to get heaven easily at the age of forty in the story ―The Maharaja and the Tortoise‖ in the collection The Barber‘s Trade Union and 8|Page

Other Stories. He spends about one hundred and eighty lakh rupees on bringing the river Ganga to Udhampur from Hardwar by pipelines to offer oblations to the Sun from which the Maharaja considered his clan to be descended. At this age, he understood the significance of the religion. He asks his Prime Minister about his hope of getting heaven easily. The Prime Minister, Pandit Ram Prasad, who is a Brahmin and a great hypocrite, finds a way out to exercise more control on the Maharaja: ―It so happened that as Maharaja Sir Ganga Singh reached the age of forty and felt he was getting old, he sought the advice of Pandit Ram Prasad, who was both the High Priest and the Prime Minister of Udhampur, to prepare an easy passage for his journey to the next world.‖ (25) Pandit Ram Prasad, who is a hypocrite and clever enough, advises the Maharaja to donate his weight in gold to priests. He suggests the Maharaja to worship and offer oblations to his ancestor, the Sun, every morning on the banks of the river Ganga. He also cautions the Maharaja against the ill consequence if the ritual could not be followed properly: According to the holy books, on the appearance of every full moon, he should donate his weight in gold to the priests, entertain seven hundred of them to a feast in the palace and take a prayer, mentioning the name of God three hundred and seventy-five times on the rosary after offering oblations every morning to his ancestor, the sun, seated in the lotus seat by the edge of the Ganga. If this ritual was not followed, said the Pandit, His Highness was in grave danger because, the access to heaven apart, he would have prolonged illness, as the planets Saturn and Venus were daily clashing in the scroll of his horoscope. The Prime Minister, Pandit Ram Prasad, who is a Brahmin and a great hypocrite, finds a way out to exercise more control on the Maharaja: ―It so happened that as Maharaja Sir Ganga Singh reached the age of forty and felt he was getting old, he sought the advice of Pandit Ram Prasad, who was both the High Priest and the Prime Minister of Udhampur, to prepare an easy passage for his journey to the next world. Pandit Ram Prasad, who is ahypocrite and clever enough, advises the Maharaja to donate his weight in gold to priests. He suggests the Maharaja to worship and offer oblations to his ancestor, the Sun, every morning on the banks of the river Ganga. He also cautions the Maharaja against the ill consequence if the ritual could not be followed properly: According to the holy books, on the appearance of every full moon, he should donate his weight in gold to the priests, entertain seven hundred of them to a feast in the palace and take a prayer, mentioning the name of God three hundred and seventyfive times on the rosary after offering oblations every morning to his ancestor, the sun, seated in the lotus seat by the edge of the Ganga. If this ritual was not followed, said

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the Pandit, His Highness was in grave danger because, the access to heaven apart, he would have prolonged illness, as the planets Saturn and Venus were daily clashing in the scroll of his horoscope people have an indrawn faith in religion and follow its practices and customs blindly. Savitri, in the story is forced to be Sati with her dead husband. Though she is educated and modern, yet she is compelled to follow the age old custom for the sake of religion. Anand repeats several times in his short stories that a corrupt and ridiculous religion formed in devotion to a non-existent God Who is even unable to provide any relief to human beings misery. In fact, it creates more new problems for man in various ways. Anand has great belief in the essential goodness of man. The theme “The Feudal Attitude” which has recurrently been shown by the author highlights the suppression and oppression of the poor farmers as well as the people of the low-caste. The class of feudal lords solidifies into an upper nobility class. These feudal lords feel that they are much superior to the commons. As a result, they arrogate what they want from the people working under them. Anand reflects the tendency of feudalism through his characters like Nawab Zaffar Ullaha in ―A Kashmir Idyll Ganesh Das in ―The Prodigal Son, Milap Chand in ―Boots, Raja Rajeshwer Rao in ―The Man who loved Monkeys More than Human Beings, the Seth in ―The Price of Bananas and Latif in ―A Confession‖ and so on. Anand focuses on feudal life-style, its cruelty and caprice. The feudal lords regard it their divine right to exploit and abuse the have-nots. However, there are some feudal lords like Raja Rajeshwer Rao and Khan Azam Khan who foolishly waste their money for the sake of sham pride. Anand exposes the caprices and cruelties of these feudal lords whereby they create an atmosphere of sub-humanity in society,which causes the poor and the downtrodden to live a miserable life. The story ―A Kashmir Idyll‖ in the collection The Barber‘s Trade Union and Other Stories is an account in which the behaviour of the officials is not good with their tenants. The nawab- Nawab Zaffar Ullah, a courtier of the Maharaja of the Kashmir possesses all the inclinations of a feudal landlord. He exploits a poor young man who is on the way to attend his mother’s funeral. The poor man persistently makes a plea for mercy before the Nawab and says that he is on his way to join the funeral ceremony of his dead mother at Srinagar.

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PRE-CONCEIVED SOCIETAL NORMS

One variable that makes us less prejudiced is education. People who are more educated express fewer stereotypes and prejudice in general. This is true for students who enroll in courses that are related to stereotypes and prejudice, such as a course on gender and ethnic diversity (Rudman, Ash more, & Gary, 2001), and is also true more generally—education reduces prejudice, regardless of what particular courses you take (Sidanius, Sinclair, & Pratto, 2006). The effects of education on reducing prejudice are probably due in large part to the new social norms that people are introduced to in school. Social norms define what is appropriate and inappropriate, and we can effectively change stereotypes and prejudice by changing the relevant norms about them. Jetten, Spears, and Manstead (1997) manipulated whether students thought that the other members of their university favored equal treatment of others or believed that others thought it was appropriate to favor the in group. They found that perceptions of what the other group members believed had an important influence on the beliefs of the individuals themselves. The students were more likely to show in group favoritism when they believed that the norm of their in group was to do so, and this tendency was increased for students who had high social identification with the in group. Sechrist and Stangor (2001) selected White college students who were either high or low in prejudice toward Blacks and then provided them with information indicating that their prejudiced or unprejudiced beliefs were either shared or not shared by the other students at their university. Then the students were asked to take a seat in a hallway to wait for the next part of the experiment. A Black confederate was sitting in one seat at the end of the row, and the dependent measure was how far away the students sat from her. High prejudice students who learned that other students were also prejudiced sat farther away from the Black confederate in comparison with high prejudice individuals who were led to believe that their beliefs were not shared. On the other hand, students who were initially low in prejudice and who believed these views were shared sat closer to the Black confederate in comparison with low prejudice individuals who were led to believe that their beliefs were not shared. These results demonstrate that our perceptions of relevant social norms can strengthen or weaken our tendencies to engage in discriminatory behaviors.

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White college students who were low in prejudice toward Blacks sat closer to the Black confederate when they had been told that their beliefs were shared with other group members at their university. On the other hand, White college students who were high in prejudice sat farther away from the Black confederate when they had been told that their beliefs were shared with other group members at their university. Data are from Sechrist and Stangor (2001). The influence of social norms is powerful, and long-lasting changes in beliefs about out groups will occur only if they are supported by changes in social norms. Prejudice and discrimination thrive in environments in which they are perceived to be the norm, but they die when the existing social norms do not allow it. And because social norms are so important, the behavior of individuals can help create or reduce prejudice and discrimination. Discrimination, prejudice, and even hate crimes such as gay bashing will be more likely to continue if people do not respond to or confront them when they occur. What this means is that if you believe that prejudice is wrong, you must confront it when you see it happening. Czopp, Monteith, and Mark (2006) had White participants participate in a task in which it was easy to unintentionally stereotype a Black person, and as a result, many of the participants did so. Then, confederates of the experimenter confronted the students about their stereotypes, saying things such as ―Maybe it would be good to think about Blacks in other ways that are a little more fair? or ―It just seems that you sound like some kind of racist to me. You know what I mean? Although the participants who had been confronted experienced negative feelings about the confrontation and also expressed negative opinions about the person who confronted them, the confrontation did work. The students who had been confronted expressed less prejudice and fewer stereotypes on subsequent tasks than did the students who had not been confronted. As this study concluded, taking steps to reduce prejudice is everyone’s duty—having a little courage can go a long way in this regard. Confronting prejudice can lead other people to think that we are complaining and therefore to dislike us (Kaiser & Miller, 2001; Shelton & Stewart, 2004), but confronting prejudice is not all negative for the person who confronts. Although it is embarrassing to do so, particularly if we are not completely sure that the behavior was in fact prejudice, when we fail to confront, we may frequently later feel guilty that we did not (Shelton, Richeson, Salvatore, & Hill, 2006). 12 | P a g e

CONCLUSION

In The Barber‘s Trade Union by Mulk Raj Anand we have the theme of class, appearance, alienation, arrogance, ingenuity, independence, admiration, respect, control and freedom. Taken from his Selected Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a young unnamed boy and after reading the story the reader realises that Anand may be exploring the theme of class. Chandu is considered to be of a lower caste or class than other people in the village. It is as though he is being judged solely on the fact that both he and his father are barbers. The content of their character is not taken into consideration rather a traditional hierarchy is imposed by those of a higher caste. The simple matter of Chandu changing his clothes to a style that he prefers is also frowned upon by those in the village who are of a higher caste. This may be important as those of a higher caste may be suggesting that Chandu because he is of a lower caste. Has no right to dress as he does. Something that some readers might find unusual considering that Chandu is only trying to improve his appearance. However it is by improving his appearance that others feel threatened and as such alienate Chandu. It is also noticeable that those who alienate Chandu are arrogant and appear to be rooted to a value system (caste system) that Chandu himself does not believe in adhering to. Chandu sees nothing wrong with trying to better himself. However due to the rigid values of those in the town Chandu ends up losing business. Though it is interesting that Chandu knows that he can outwit those who have alienated him. All he has to do is to be patient and wait for each individual‘s hair to grow. This too may be important as it suggests that Chandu is using his ingenuity. He will not be beaten by a system that will not include him. Purely because he is of a lower caste. If anything Chandu knows that those in the village who are alienating him are reliant on him and his services. The narrator‘s relationship with Chandu is also interesting as he not only respects Chandu but he is full of admiration for him. In many ways the narrator envies the freedom that Chandu has when it comes to him being able to go into town. Unfortunately others do not respect or admire Chandu. Something that is clear to the reader by the fact that Bijay Chand throws Chandu out of his home because he believes that Chandu has no right to dress as he is doing so. What is interesting about Bijay Chand and others is that they do not appear to realise that they need Chandu more than he needs them. He may be of a lower caste and attempting (in their eyes) to dress above his class but he is the only 13 | P a g e

barber in the village. Chandu has a monopoly. Something he himself is very much aware of. Chandu can also go into town and earn money and not be judged for wearing the clothes he is wearing. If anything the fact that Chandu can earn a rupee for a haircut yet only two piece in the village suggests that not only is Chandu not being judged by his caste but his efforts are also respected by those in the town. It may also be important that Chandu buys the bicycle as symbolically this may suggest he is independent of those in the village. He has his own means to get into town and earn money. He is not reliant on the business of the men who alienated him because of his choice of clothing. The end of the story is also interesting as Anand appears to be exploring the theme of control. Chandu by setting up a barber‘s union and forcing those in the village to come to him rather than having him travel to them. Has taken control of the situation he finds himself in. Where many might have done as instructed by the elders in the village Chandu does not. He not only continues to dress as he wants to but he also forces the men in the village to adhere to his rules rather than Chandu having to do as he has been told by Bijay Chand and others. Similarly Chandu‘s mother is able to ignore the instructions of those in the village now that she has money (coming from Chandu). If anything Chandu and his mother have freed themselves from the preconceived societal norms that have been accepted for so long in the village. It might also be worth noting that Chandu‘s actions have benefited other barbers in the neighbouring villages. They too have taken control of their situation thanks to Chandu‘s ingenuity and his resilience. In reality Chandu started off as an underdog fighting against the caste system and managed to turn things around in his favour. It is easy for the reader to see as to why the narrator respects and admires Chandu.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

The researcher has consulted following sources to complete the rough proposal:

PRIMARY SOURCES:

1. ‘Barber‘s Trade Union‘ by Mulk Raj Anand 2. Law journals

SECONDARY SOURCES:

1. www.googlebooks.com 2. www.academia.edu.in

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