DIVERSITY AND IDENTITY THROUGH METAPHOR: INDUMATHI'S THARAIYIL IRANGUM VIMANANGAL

-- Presented at a national seminar sponsored by Katha at the Madras Christian College, Chennai, September 12, 2003. Appeared in the Journalism Online newsletter, August 2010) --

Diversity is a natural, if not necessary, condition for identity. This is the thesis of Indumathi’s Tharaiyil Irangum Vimanangal, roughly translated as ‘planes that are landing’. The title is an implied metaphor. The sky symbolises dreams; the earth, responsibilities; and the planes, humans. In the novel, there is no real conflict between dreams and responsibilities. The plane is in the sky till the destination arrives. Then it is touchdown.

Jagannathan and Rajam have three sons, a daughter and a daughter-in-law. Viswam is the second son. How he shifts from dream-mode to responsibility-mode is the focus of the novel. But to understand this shift, we need to study the personae under three spatial categories: 1. Earth; 2. Terrace; and 3. Sky. I am indebted to Dr. Nirmal Selvamony for providing this framework. But it is to be remembered that the personae are not stereotypes.

Viswam’s parents are earth characters. That is, they are already in the responsibility-mode. Down to earth. We are not told whether Rajam had any dreams at all. May be her sole dream was to fulfil that of others. Her eldest son Parasuraman (fondly addressed as Parasu) had great dreams. When Parasu was a boy, he was in dream-mode. He would never play ordinary games. He had never played bus driver-conductor; never played the train game holding on to another boy’s shirt; never pushed a chair and sold ice-creams. But he would make Viswam lie down and play the doctor-patient game. Parasu passes S.S.L.C. and wants to pursue higher studies. But his father Jagannathan tells him to study typewriting. When Rajam takes up his cause, Jagannathan tells her: “What Rajam ... You also talk like this...? Do you think I alone have no desire? But will desire alone be enough? He is a child. He does not know our family’s economic condition. Are you also a child, Rajam?”

Rajam had never shirked responsibilities. She was ever responsible, even when she died a few days after Parasu’s marriage with Rukmini. That is how it seemed to Viswam. He thinks: “How mother died so peacefully. As one who had arranged a substitute. ‘Rukmini will take care of you all better than I did’ – that’s what she seemed to say.”

Jagannathan, like Parasu, had his share of dreams. He remembers how he himself as a boy had stood before his father long ago and how his dreams had been crushed. But we are not told what Jagannathan’s dreams had been. Now the family’s economic condition forces him to do the same. He thinks Parasu will never forgive him. He has no choice but to crush Parasu’s dreams. It was just a question of getting used to it. And once one got used to it, it would seem natural.

Parasu goes to the terrace. It is after all nearer to the skies than the earth. He plucks the leaves of the neighbour’s drumstick tree and tosses them down. He sees the leaves fly and lie scattered on the ground. And then for long he looks up at the skies. The metaphors he had created laughed at him. Doctor Parasu threw away the stethoscope. Lawyer Parasu tore his black coat. Parasu, travelling by plane; Parasu, travelling in a car; each Parasu left him and the real Parasu was all alone. Just to do what his father told him to do ...

Jagannathan often saw Parasu blankly look up at the skies. But he could never sum up courage to tell him, “Parasu, what is this?” But on the day Parasu got a job, he opened up and told him that there would be no problems if everyone remained a child. He told him of the family’s economic condition and asked him, “Parasu, are you angry with me?” Parasu shook his head to say No. “I don’t believe you. You are angry,” Jagannathan says. “No, pa. Really No. Why should I be angry?” he asks. “Because I didn’t let you study further ...” his father explains. “If fate has determined this for me, why should I be angry with you?” Parasu says. “If you are not angry, then you are sad, isn’t it?” his father asks. Parasu could not reply. He can readily forgive but cannot forget ...

Yes, Parasu was sad. He has had diverse dreams; now, diverse responsibilities. In him we see a convergence of the three categories of earth, terrace and sky. His wife Rukmini is down to earth. She plays the veena, reads literature, does mundane tasks without a murmur of complaint, and always wears a smile on her face. She plays a decisive role in bringing Viswam down to earth.

Parasu becomes selfless. He finds his identitity in fulfilling the dreams of others. He takes a loan and buys sister Akila a radio. He wishes to realise his dreams through his brother Viswam. When Viswam gets a first class in B.Com, Parasu asks him to pursue higher studies. But Viswam feels that he has studied enough. Parasu does not compel him. Jagannathan steps in again. And he takes a great deal of effort to get Viswam a job. Viswam, however, is not keen on taking up a job. His dreams are also diverse. He is very different from his brother. He likes to write stories and poems. He likes to talk with his friends about literature and even plans a magazine without a deadline. Above all, he likes to look up at the starry skies.

Viswam’s girlfriend Jamuna made his acquaintance as a fan. Then the relationship blossomed into love. Of late she talks to him only of marriage, which irritates him. He is disappointed that she does not talk to him about his poems he had prepared for the radio broadcast. Sometimes it strikes him that she talks nonsense. But he finds it difficult to ignore her, just because she is beautiful. He contrasts her with his sister-in-law Rukmini, who is a happy marriage of beauty and intelligence. Which, in Viswam’s estimation, Jamuna is not.

Viswam had always wondered how Parasu and Rukmini could cheerfully shoulder the family burden. One day he discusses his problems with Rukmini. He complains about his father and Jamuna. His father has no taste for literature. And Jamuna now is only interested in marriage. He tells Rukmini that he sends applications and attends interviews, only because his father compels him. It is a great relief to him that he does not get a job. He tells her that to marry Jamuna would involve a lot of compromises. But he is not the compromising kind. His poems for the radio were not selected because he refused to rewrite them to fulfil certain expectations. He likes to be what he is. On no account will he change himself.

Viswam begins work on the magazine. Rukmini shows interest in this venture. After half-heartedly attending an interview, he visits his friend Ramakrishnan who funds 75 per cent of the literary project. It was actually Ramakrishnan’s idea to start a ‘little magazine’ despite initial opposition from his parents. And when Viswam reached home, his father breaks the news of Parasu’s transfer to Baroda.

Parasu takes Viswam to the terrace, the same terrace where he had to struggle to come to terms with reality. And the discussion that follows between the brothers is a high point in the novel. Viswam feels that his father had always relied on Parasu, as Viswam and his younger brother Ramji were considered ‘irresponsible’. Parasu disagrees, “Not like that, Viswam. Responsibility does not come by itself. The oxen have no wish to draw the burden. But if you yoke them, then they bear the burden. Likewise, we also bear it only when we are forced to.” But Viswam spots a difference. “Even in that there are two kinds, Parasu. Those who cheerfully bear the burden. And those who hate and tolerate the burden. I am of the second kind.” Parasu explains the family position and tells Viswam that there is no choice but to take up a job. Viswam submits. He tells his brother that he is ready to shoulder responsibility. There is a teardrop in the corner of his eye and his voice has lost its vigour. He then looks up at the skies and sees a plane readying for the touchdown. He, however, continues to stay on the terrace – a compromise between the sky and earth.

Then it is Jagannathan’s turn to chat with his son. Viswam assures him that he would take up a job and try to win his confidence. His father is surprised to see the change in him. He then remembered how Parasu had wanted to study further and how he had crushed his dreams. Now he was crushing Viswam’s dreams. He opens his heart to Viswam and apologises for treating Prasu and him as sacrificial goats. “What can I do ... Viswam?” he says. Now it is Viswam’s turn to be surprised. He had least expected his father to apologise. He never thought his submission would give his father a guilty conscience But that is how people are. “In every persona, how many personae!” he thought.

Parasu leaves for Baroda. Viswam and his friends bring out the first issue of the ‘little magazine’. Rukmini is present at the launch. Later, Rukmini and Viswam chat on as they walk towards home. She tells him that the magazine has come out very well and makes a few remarks about its design and content. And then Rukmini talks of life and human longings. She tells him that it was her father who had told her to always keep a smile on her face. She tells him that Jamuna’s love for him is superior to scholarship. What mattered in the final analysis is human relationship. “Why not take things a bit easy? Tell me what is wrong in being ordinary?” Then she comes up with the most important statement in the novel: “Do not dissect people with your intellect. Take them as they are. With the good as well as the bad. And learn to be happy. And also make others happy ... ”

Parasu had wanted to study a lot. But could not. He had wanted to earn a lot. But could not. He least expected to marry. But that happened. He believed that he did not deserve Rukmini. On the contrary, Rukmini tells Viswam that it was impossible to come across a better human than Parasu. She tells him how Parasu was troubled over transferring the burden of responsibility on to Viswam’s shoulders. Viswam realises that Parasu and Rukmini make a perfect match, though Parasu seems to be always sad and Rukmini always happy. But both are selfless. They had found their identities not in fulfilling their own sweet dreams but in fulfilling diverse responsibilities. Viswam also resolves to cheerfully accept the burden ... There is no choice.

Rukmini also leaves for Baroda. Viswam gets a job. Because of a misunderstanding, he has not been seeing Jamuna. On the terrace, his father broaches the topic of his sister Akila’s marriage. He assures his father that he will go for a loan and solve the problem. After his father goes down, he looks up at the skies and is lost in thought. He remembers the different Viswams: the Viswam who climbed the hill with a canvas bag, the Viswam who casually walked on the ridges in the field, the Viswam who threw stones into the pond, the Viswam who just loitered ... a whole lot of memorable Viswams. But now? There is a paradigm shift from diverse dreams to diverse responsibilities. There is a change of personae: the Viswam who regularly goes to office, the Viswam who sits alone in his cabin looking into the ledger, the Viswam who hands in the entire salary to his father, the Viswam who balances the family accounts, the Viswam who is going to arrange his sister’s marriage, the Viswam who is going to take a loan for this, the Viswam who is going to repay the loans little by little...

Viswam receives a letter from Jamuna. She also talks to him over the phone. He decides to meet her. But before that he meets Ramakrishnan. Viswam is told that the material for the next issue of the magazine is ready but ... the future issues may not materialise. Ramakrishnan reluctantly tells him that his father was not in good health and so he has to shoulder his father’s responsibilities. Moreover, the other friends were also ready for touchdown. Moorthy was getting married. Badri has got a job in Calcutta. Rajaram has been transferred to Bhavanisagar. Each friend seems to have no problem of choice: the dream must sacrifice itself at the altar of responsibility. But Viswam takes the news in his stride. Ramakrishnan is surprised. Viswam simply says, “Let this issue come. Let’s then see if something can be done to keep it alive. If there is no way, then what can be done?” He takes leave and goes to meet Jamuna. “Hello!” he says when they meet. The end.

The end of the novel, yes. But the beginning of a new life. Down to earth. Each person finds his identity not in dreams but in responsibilities. And in the novel, the transition from dream-mode to responsibility-mode is smooth ... just like the planes that touchdown. It is true that Parasu had to struggle to come to terms with reality. But this struggle remains personal and never spills into the public domain. He becomes sad but never protests. Viswam is amazed that Parasu is able to shift so easily from diverse dreams to diverse responsibilities. It is not surprising that Viswam also accepts responsibilities without a semblance of protest. He had seen his brother pass through the same phase. There have been times when Viswam had looked at Parasu with pity. These days when Viswam returns home after a hard day’s work, he notices that brother Ramji also looks at him the same way. “There is no escape from the grind, Ramji,” he thinks. He, however does not say it. He knows Ramji will also come to terms with reality in his own way. There is no one formula to evaluate oneself; no particular road that leads to understanding. Diversity, after all, appears to be a necessary condition for identity.