New perception of partially physically deformed people in literature.

New perception of Partially Physically Deformed People in Literature

नेचुरल्लीदीपक

Abstract

    My study is focused about use of physically impaired people used in literary text, basically based on two prolific writers Parijat and Lain singh Bangdel of Nepal. I have taken ‘Langadako Saathi’ of Bangdel’s text(novel) and I have tried to picturise the use of characters by Parijat in her all (9) novels.

  My question is that; PPDP are never used as Central Characters that can be Hero or Villain .They are either not used or used only in the sense of suffering or sympathy. So, my claim is; here I make even PPDP have normal and similar life like the others.

  I have used PPDP (Partially Physically Deformed People) instead of disable.

Keywords

Partially Physically Deformed People PPDP .

Overview On Perception Of deformity

         PPDP's are always taken as ‘other beings’  by  able group’ ( it's considered by society’s manipulation) but the fact has always been under defined. They are always taken with the sense of sympathy. Instead they don’t want any sympathy from ‘able group’ ( i.e. privilege group); they just want to have “ Position “ and responsibility in the existing social situation. Furthermore, the existing social edifice has always discarded the presence of physically ‘deformed group’ (even mentally weak). So, the huge group of this community is seeking their own meaning in today’s Context.

Confusion Of Definition Of PPDP  

        The privilege community of able group has given playful meaning in the word disability. Here in today’s context the marginalized ppdp group has been defined with complete meaning of inability i.e. this group of people are generalized as unable to perform daily works and normal activities as others do. Although in actual perception this conception of large able group can’t be considered as totally acceptable, because even ppdp's are not exactly disable as they are considered. For example, one who is blind, can completely be able to perform other tasks like thinking, imagining, creating, singing etc. Only the eyes of blind are unable to see visual existence. Again, a person having cerebral palsy can’t be considered as fully or completely disable as the majority of society do. For example famous American painter and writer Christi Brown was victim of cerebral palsy but his ability of creativity was not hindered. So it’s the same case with Nepali writer Jhamak Ghimire ; she is also a victim of cerebral palsy; inborn,  but a renown writer of Nepal . Even John Milton, who was blind but he is respected as greatest poet in English literature.

       So, my argument is that even having physical deformity, makes nothing difference in the creativity of one’s life. For instance, one from Able Group (so called) person can’t be able to play football as Lionel Messi do, Or he/she can't run like world’s fastest runner Usain Bolt do. Now, then how can we consider them as able in this sense? So considering partially weak person as ‘other being’ or completely disable is injustice for them. So this group should be named as Partially Physically Deformed People (PPDP) because they are able to perform and create other realms of life.

      Here, my study is focused with the use of PPDP in literature. They are always whether used with the sense of sympathetic notion or they are never been used as normally as able group is used. In one sense PPDP might have been marginalized (others marginalized it), but (other) majorities are also marginalized in other realms; like politics, religion, caste, occupation, nation, education etc.  So, I have taken novel written by Lain Singh Bangdel , ‘Langadako Sathi’ . In this novel a PPDP is shown as character of discarded human being. Who is alone, weak, poor, alienated, beggar and always been teased by children. There is no one to love him, and take care of him. He has no home and not even good food to eat or good attire. He has got a street dog, who performs the role of caretaker, lover and friend of this character. Finally he dies a meaningless death. Even though, he is a protagonist of this short novel (Langadako Sathi ), he has been presented as character to be sympathized.

       Now I want to talk about one of the main and leading characters of Nepali literature (and a major Nepali female Writer ); Parijaat who has written (9 novels) in her life . She who was also a PPDP but she even couldn’t produce the protagonist or villain of this group, why?  Was she afraid ? Or was she predominated by the thoughts of able group?  

     My study is about ‘pre-occupied mentality’ made upon ‘PPDP’. Bangdel and Parijat both couldn’t break the wall of pre-occupied mentality. That’s why Bangdel showed his character as sympathetic only; instead the character of Bangdel could have fought against existing society and got his position. And Parijat couldn’t show any PPDP as her central character even though her novels are based upon ‘oppressed’ and ‘marginalized’ but she missed ‘PPDP’. In her novel ‘Parkhal Bhitra Ra Bahira’. There is a revolutionary protagonist ‘Jwala’ who is not PPDP. Does it mean that, revolution can only be obtained by one’s physical strength?

Meaning Of Hero And Use Of PPDP In Literature

   In my perception the meaning of hero has been made myth i.e. they should be good looking, strong and physically fit. So, it’s hard to find any PPDP as a leading character or hero of literary works. That is why; Bangdel only used a character to be sympathized. Who is unable to fight against existing structure of the society and change his pace of life.

   Even Parijaat being member of PPDP, she couldn’t present a character who could lead the story of her novels (anyone out of nine) to the end. Even though she was member of same group, she couldn’t catch the sentiment of very community. If she had dared to use such a characters in her any novels she could have caught the true sentiment and meaning, better than Bangdel did in his novel ‘Langadako saathi’.

   So, what is the actual entity should a person has to be a hero? Should he/she be able one or superhuman like Hercules? So my question is that; can’t even a ‘PPDP’ be a leading character of any literary texts (but not as in the work of Bangdel).

   I consider hero as very normal person (that can be any one, even PPDP) who can perform super task by the help one’s powerful will-power. So, even PPDP can be presented in literary works as a leading character (can even be antagonist) of that very text. The character can be rapist, smuggler, business man, lover, rebellion, freedom fighter, labourer etc. But consideration can be done in the presentation of that leading character in the ‘text’. So, time has come to change the ‘flow’ of using ‘leading character by doing experimental use of ‘PPDP’ in myriad roles of literature and other forms of art.

Why partially physically deformed people?

I have not used words like differently able, physically challenged or any other phrase, instead I am using PPDP in short. I believe that all other so called able people are also differently able with each others, they can't perform any task equally if they are compared; though they are not considered differently able. In-such-a-way all of these people are also physically challenged because they have different physical capacity and weakness as I showed example of Messi and Bolt above. Therefore, if these people are not considered differently able or physically challenged, then considering PPDP as such using these sorts of words is injustice.

PPDP is a short form of Partially Physically Deformed people, which argues that only a part or more are weak or deformed but other his/her body parts and life is normal as others do. For instances, if a person can't see, his only capacity of eyes are deformed not other abilities and if someone do not have leg, then only her that part is weak. So PPDP argues that only a part or more of a body are deformed while all aspects of such people are as normal as others (able group) do. If a person is considered weak or unable on the basis of such partial deformity then it would be a big injustice to them.

What is PPDP writing?

PPDP writing puts forward the idea about use of these people as leading characters (protagonist or antagonist) in literary texts. This writing denies all established thoughts upon being a central characters in writings. He/she should not only be presented as a character of sympathy in this writing. So they can be in any conditions, like teaching in class room or fighting in the street; killing someone or rescuing. This writing just gives an introduction about being a PPDP though it never supports presenting them as sympathetic, and this writing never considers their lives as meaningless. Furthermore, this writing provides a way out to use PPDP in other form of art like acting.

Bibliography

Parijat.’Parijatka Sankalit rachanaharu’ (v. 1 and 2). Namchi, South Sikkim, India. Nirman Prakashan, 1997

Bangdel, Lainsingh. Langadako Sathi. Lalitpur, Nepal, Sajha prakashan, 2065