NEW VOICES
Landscapes of the grid
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Salma's novel unravels a stunningly textured world of Muslim life. PRASANNA RAMASWAMY talks to the author.
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THE poet Salma's first novel Irandam Jamangalin Kathai unravels a stunningly textured world of Muslim life in Southern Tamil Nadu; rather a densely layered female space in its ruthlessly restricted and guarded grid, governed by a fierce religiosity. The young and the inquisitive Rabia, nubile Vahidha, zestful Mumtaz, vivacious Nafisa, vituperative Savura, greedy Safia — each one of them appear in their dominant colour and by emanating a gamut of transient emotional tones, acquire their form in flesh and blood. Even as the characters who people the novel serve as specific representations within the chartered canvas, they reveal a certain universality beyond the garb and context.
Polyphonic composition
By moving the act through multiple narratives of women from both confronting and complimenting backgrounds and life situations, locating them inside the community space like assonant and consonant notes, Salma creates a polyphonic and multilateral composition where women are seen celebrating their togetherness, whether it be cooking for the Ramalan or preparing a marriage celebration, biting each other jealously in vengence, sharing their fulfilled and unfulfilled sexuality and their longing to be cherished. Simultaneously supporting the deprived of their own lot, yet committing violent acts in jealousy and retaliation, committing "sins", offering prayers, constantly sculpting and expanding a shared internal landscape, a legitimate space for themselves that is impenetrable by the male world, framed within the rigid confines of a patriarchal society. Clinging to the shadows of their male lot, Salma's women are real and eloquently reveal their state of being in a matter of fact way; thus Salma enables the reader to reflect and question the politics and values of such a system without slipping into any didactic techniques or seductive skills that expand preconcluded theories.
The evocative discourse with a dense expansiveness that has an epic quality, is economically contained within a real time of 10 weeks. By running it through a Ramalan month and locating it in the sociopolitical canvas of the 1980s, Salma renders the realistic style of the novel a legitimacy. To a non-Muslim reader, the work allows vital glimpses of the community spirit, both its solidarity to the aging and poor, irrespective of status or caste as well as the cruel obstinacy and vulgar patriarchal attitudes. Without straying off the centrality of the discourse, merely by weaving in the character of Mariyayi to the narrative, Salma touches upon the caste discrimination in the larger context and briefly indicates that the very same women who suffer the gender discrimination within the community play party to this caste discrimination.
Sensitive work
Kannan, the publisher of the novel says, "Her portrayal of life and people of a small town as seen through the eyes of its women was refreshingly new to me. It shatters the construction of Muslims as the other by its very authentic and candid-to-a-fault portrayal of several families, their believes , miseries, sorrows and petty joys, all of which have universal relevance and appeal. It also demolishes the non-Muslim readers' received notions of Muslim womanhood. On reading the novel I immediately felt it was a sensitive, genuine and artistic work. I consider it an honor to have published it."
The morning after the official release of the book, this writer had met Salma for a coffee and conversation. As we discuss the work, Ayyanar, a writer and a mutual friend, points out the confining and restricting atmosphere within which Salma functions and creates and smuggles out her writing. In all her trips she is "respectably" accompanied by family escorts. Despite the constraints, travelling always comes as a relief to Salma; but she is returning "home" that afternoon and I quote her poem as we sip the coffee:
from faraway travels
my return home
is assured
escorting me to ensure my return
are my demons
Shifting her eyes that resemble the nilothpala flowers, towards the birds on the tree beyond the glass panes, she reflects upon it saying that "home" has always been an unfriendly and restricting space which mutilates the sensitive self. Every time returning home demands a reorientation of body and emotions as there is a transfer from a fluid free space to a rigid confinement. During the audience interface the previous evening, Susie Tharu made a remark that the Muslim women are not put to any more deprivations than the women of other communities; as we remember the discussion, Salma observes that women do have the same right of talaq and right to education and so on, but they are mere words on paper and the community exploits everything to suit its patriarchal norms. As we move on to the visible and violent reactions among a section of the Tamil male writers to women's voices that has gone on record to call much of the current women's writing, especially poetry, as obscene, vulgar and soliciting, Salma remarks that such a reaction is the embodiment of the hatred, insecurity and the opposition of the male mind which is unable to accept the female space and therefore the voice.
Constructive criticism
Asked about facing the consequences and repercussions for this work, Salma says that criticism that could lead to a dialogue alone concerns her and not empty hysteria and threats.
After the public reading of expansive excerpts of her work the previous evening, one noticed that a huge discomfort was writ large on the faces of the accompanying family. While we were discussing the impending reactions in the foyer, publisher Kannan observed that it is good that they got to know the work here, as they were also witnessing the recognition and adulation accorded to her as a writer and a sigh of relief exuded from all of us.
Does this find her in a conflicting situation, that her philosophy of writing is towards liberating the body and soul and against the seats and notions of power, their position; whereas much of the possibilities that enable her to participate in a public space is a result of a recognition of "power" associated with her as the Panchayat President and as a "successful" writer?
Even as a trace of shadow crosses her luminous and delicate face, Salma emerges with a firm answer, "Ttue that one negates the idea of power; but I do recognise and own the power accorded to me. It is also true that conceptually and in practice there is no big divide between the manner in which power functions in the society and the way I have/ use it. However, when it becomes a tool for me to act and enables me a little freedom, I do accept it. It is one thing to oppose the idea of power and yet another to reject it. I believe that it is possible to transform/ transfuse power to facilitate liberating acts."
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