> In The God of Small Things, there's the specific question of her treatment
> of the CPI(M). I am no expert on this, but even while it may be true that
> the communist parties in India were inadequate in their approach to the
> caste question, is Roy's specific portrayal really fair? The fictional
> "Comrade Pillai" is not only a coward, but gives his seal of approval to
the
> betrayal of a *comrade* -- not just anyone, but a well-respected party
> militant and comrade -- to the police because he is a dalit.
Roy's portrayal is clearly unfair. A typical CP leader or militant would not have behaved like this. There was no caste system in the CP. One may disagree with CP's politics and ideology, but the CP's internal structure was never based on notions such as the superiority of Brahmins and untouchability. There is not slightest doubt in mind that the overwhelming majority of CPs leaders and militants were deeply and genuinely committed to the idea of social and economic equality.
Ulhas