Voice of Subaltern Souvali in Mahasweta Devi’s After Kurushetra

In the contemporary scenario, Subaltern Studies group brings together the writers, like Amitav Ghosh and Mahasweta Devi who have been frequently associated with subaltern concerns. Mahasweta Devi is a champion of subaltern community and through her works she always indicts and questions the government and other people about the sanctioning of human rights to dalits, tribals, women and children. Mahasweta Devi’s After Kurushetra narrates the stories of women who were subalternized by the kings and queens of Hastinapur. The life stories of these women appeared in the forms of short stories namely “The Five Women (Panchakanya)”, “Kunti and the Nishadin (Kunti O Nishadi), and “Souvali” in After Kurushetra . “Souvali” narrates the story of Souvali who was a dasi working in the royal palace of Hastinapur: She was sexually exploited by Dhritarashtra and gave birth to a son named Yuyutsu. Though Yuyutsu @ Souvalya was not considered by Dhritarashtra as his first son, yet he was allowed by Yudhishtira to give ‘tarpan’ to Dhritarashtra during the time of ‘mahatarpan.’ Souvalya, as a son, had done his duty to Dhritarashtra but Souvali voiced against the oppressions meted on her by the king through her action. She did not adhere to the norms of widowhood after the death of Dhritarashtara for she was never considered by him as his wife.


Introduction
The subaltern study in literature marks many writers. Of all, Mulk Raj Anand is the one who set a path to the future writers to deal with the matter of marginality empathetically.
In the contemporary scenario, it brings together the writers like Amitav Ghosh and Mahasweta Devi who have been frequently associated with subaltern concerns. Other internationally acclaimed writers, like Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai, Rohinton Mistry and Khushwant Singh, whose works also deal with disparities in Indian society and the representation of them. Therefore, Subaltern Vision has a valuable contextualizing 'Preface' by Debjani Ganguly. The editor, Aparajita De's 'Introduction' also illuminates the evolution to subaltern studies. The writers of Subaltern Vision question the stereotypical images imposed on the subaltern community. Andrew Edgar and Peter Sedwick have explained the term in the following words: A stereotype is an oversimplified and usually value-laden view of the attitudes, behaviour, and expectations of a group or individual. Such views, which may be deeply embedded in sexist, racist, or otherwise prejudiced cultures are typically highly resistant to change, and play a significant role in shaping the attitudes of members of the culture to others. (380-81) Mahasweta Devi who is a champion of subaltern community through her works always indicts and questions the government and other people about the sanctioning of human rights to dalits, tribals, women and children. Devi's works document the struggle of SMART MOVES JOURNAL IJELLH e-ISSN: 2582-3574 p-ISSN: 2582-4406 VOL. 8, ISSUE 7, JULY 2020 www.ijellh.com 80 the subaltern to cope with the doomed life. Her works showcase her commitment and concer n for the lowliest of low who are denied of their fundamental rights which the mainstream writers keep on ominous silence. Rendering voice to the silenced, Mahasweta Devi emerges as a crusader of the underdogs of the society for whom human rights are the basic demands.
In real sense, she is not only a writer giving voice to the voiceless but also a social activist who demonstrated dharna for the upliftment of these people. www.ijellh.com 81 created their own history and charted out their own life as they practice their independent beliefs and also following the system of gender equality existing in their community.

Discussion
The caste division is well defined in The Mahabharata which explicates the truth that in India caste system has been existed since time immemorial. Taking the privilege of caste, the royal men and women subjugated and oppressed the ordinary people. Women, especially the tribal women were sexually exploited and men were forcibly made to participate in the epical war of 'Mahabharata.' After Kurushetra presents marginalized women who defy the class, caste, and gender divisions for living their lives on their own terms. About the caste system in India John Keay and Michael Edwardes opine thus: An Aryanised society may be defined as one in which primacy is accorded to a particular language (Sanskrit) to an authorized priesthood (Brahmans) and to a hierarchical social structure (caste). (Keay 28) When the Aryans entered India they already had class divisions, between the nobility and the ordinary tribesmen. Once they settled down, class-divisions hardened to exclude the indigenous peoples whom the Aryans called dasa, or slave, and Aryans who intermarried with them. (Edwardes 5) "Souvali" narrates the story of Souvali who was a dasi working in the royal palace of happy that at least for one day Sovalya was allowed to stay with her. Her motherhood found a fulfillment of seeing her son after such a long time as her own: "One night with you. I 'm going to hold you close, my son. You've been lost to me since childhood" (51).
The conversation between Souvali and her son reveals the difference between the haves and have-nots. He informed his mother about the attitude of the royal people who controlled their emotions even for their very close relatives. He also informed that he was insulted whenever he showed emotions: "They'd taunt me. Say that only dasipurta suffered such unmanly needs, cried for their mothers" (52). With the same attitude they considered the emotions of ordinary people as mean things. Hence Souvali said that human beings are bundles of emotions and the royal people gave up all these emotions and lived like ghosts.
They knew only war and so they faced downfall. In fact, they executed such approaches even on the poor people like Souvali: It's true. It's in the janavritta, amongst the common people, that we are in touch without natural emotions. Tenderness, caring, compassion, romance, love, anger, jealousy. But in the rajavritta, you know how they keep such natural emotions strictly in check. And that's their downfall. It's always been power, greed, arrogance, and enmity that's caused the ruin of the rajavritta. (52) Souvali wanted her son to remain in the janavritta for she is fully aware that in their heart of hearts the Pandavas too would never accept Souvalya one among them. Souvali knew that her son was being used as a pawn by Yudhishtira: "Her son is foolish. Following the norms and customs of royalty even though he's one of the common folk. She thinks to herself; if you must learn, learn from your mother. I was nothing but a dasi in the royal household but here, amongst the common people, I'm a free woman" (54). Souvali's strong resistance against the patriarchy is shown in her action. All through her life she had contempt for Dhritarashtra who had robbed her femininity. Further pain had been inflicted in Souvali's heart when young Souvalya was separated from her. She also had resentment in her heart for Souvalya was being used as a pawn in the hands of the Pandavas. Being a subaltern her voice had been muted but she showed strong resistance through her action. She feasted on sweet and honey on the day of tarpan offered to Dhritarashtra by Souvalya. She refused to adapt the rites of widowhood while the dasis living in the palace appeared in white saris. She did not perform any death rites to Dhritarashtra.
She vehemently questioned, "What death rites? Who was Dhritarashtra to me" (53). These words of Souvali express the deep pain that she had been experiencing in life due to the callous attitude of Dhritarashtra.
Souvali accepted her son's duty of giving tarpan to Dhritarashtra. Yet she did not treat Dhritarashtra as her husband because she was not taken into consideration while she was impregnated by him. For her Dhritarashtra was her son's father and not her husband: "Son's father. And my son had done his duty." (53). Like the feminists of the contemporary age, Souvali has written her own dharma and in this way she has rebelled against the caste, class and gender discriminations. Though she showed her resistance through her action, yet she still worried about her son who was still in the hands of the royal people. She took pity at her son who still adhered to royal norms and rituals. She knew very well that her son would not be recognized by the Pandavas as one among them: "When will Souvalya realize? That even the Pandavas will never accept him as one of their own?" (54).

Conclusion
The master narrative of monarchy, patriarchy and dogma crushed into pieces a s Souvali delightfully collapsed and declared to herself "I'm a free woman" (53) and in this way she had "defied the dead Dhritarashtra" (53). Being a subaltern, Souvali could not fight against the oppressive mechanism. Yet through her action she has given therapy to her