Deconstructing The Hegemony Of Colour In Vinoy Thomas’ Karikkottakkari

Abstract

 In the colonial discourse, the supremacy of the colour- white skin- accredits the politics of power. The western conception tags white as rational, civilized and pure where the conscious racial marking of ‘other’ as savage, barbaric and ignorant. Division of savarna and avarna and its framework demanding certain codes of conduct has a great course to trace in the history of India, mainly in the socio-political space and existence. Above all, the social implication of the Varna system in its modified forms still reflects in the society overtly and covertly. Set during the time of Malabar migration, the Malayalam novel, Karikkottakkari postulate an uncanny attack on the privilege of religion, caste, race and ethnicity in the formation of identities and acceptance. With due reference to the historical context of the particular period, this paper tries to probe into the all socio-political realities the novel tries to disclose and reprove.