Malapalli, chapters 13- 23
13. Burning issues and the starving poor.
The following day, early in the morning, Sangadasu got down to work. Asked Venganna if Chowdarayya
returned home. Venganna told him that Chowdarayya and the munsif of Palem were on their way to a meeting
in the neighboring village.
The munsif and Chowdarayya were conspiring and finding ways to shortchange the laborers of their wages.
One suggestion was to offer money instead of grains. Sangadasu also understood that Chowdarayya was
keeping him under his control in his household. He thought of informing Rama Naidu but changed his mind,
thought it might his feelings.
Rama Naidu learned from Sangadasu about his father’s plans to swindle the laborers and avowed his support
to Sangadasu in his fight for worker’s rights.
Rama Naidu offered to go to the field to learn farming. At the field, Rama Naidu asked for food. Sangadasu said
that, unlike the bosses, not everybody would have three meals a day and snacks in between to eat. Rama
Naidu was even more determined to join hands with Sangadasu for improving the conditions of the poor.
14. Splinters
Sangadasu was pondering over Rama Naidu’s commitment and the possible consequences. Rama Naidu could
offer plenty of help but that would create problems between him and his father. He might even lose his share of
the family’s wealth.
On his way home, Sangadasu stopped by a small store selling daily necessities. There he saw the poorest of
the poor buying the daily necessities with the smallest change they had and begging for a near handout.
Sangadasu was devastated. “How could I ask them to go on strike?” he thought. He came home and the
conditions at home appeared to be heavenly compared to the sight at the store.
During the chitchat, Malakshmi told him that Subbalakshmi was beaten and had fallen seriously ill due to lack of
medical attention. Sangadasu went to see her. Subbalakshmi begged him to take care of her son, Appadu. She
also told Appadu not to befriend bad people and stay with only Sangadasu.
Sangadasu promised her to take care of Appadu and also offered to admit her in a nearby hospital. She asked
to let Appadu go with her. Sangadasu agreed.
Later he went to the courtyard by the neem tree and joined the group who had gathered to chat.
Sangadasu asked them how they were doing, and plans to build roof over their heads, etc.
Veeradasu said he changed his mind about the house. He said his son was planning to buy a cart and
transport stones. Sangadasu discussed the logistics of the business, and offered to help financially. He
reminded them not to start drinking again.
Punnanna raised the question about the wages. Sangadasu told them that munsif was offering cash instead of
grain but was not sure how much.
Muthadu told them that munsif was offering a quarter of a rupee, which was much less compared to the amount
of grain they were receiving.
Veeradasu suggested strike. Rangadu said that would hurt the laborers more than the owners and it they
should work but refuse the pay until the owners paid reasonably.
Sangadasu said both the arguments had merit. Rangadasu suggested the path of dharma and the owners
might come around and seek the same dharma. Punnanna on the other hand suggested the hero’s path.
Veeradasu commented that the dharma path would not yield results in a short period of time and the hero’s
path, strike, could get the owner’s attention quickly.
Sangadasu said that most of the workers were in favor of strike. He told some of them to go to Chowdarayya’s
farm and the others to munsif’s farm. That way, they might force both the owners to come to an understanding.
15. Harvesting
The next morning Sangadasu went to see Munsif and discuss the situation of the farm workers. Munsif asked
Sangadasu whose side he was on. He was sympathetic to the workers’ issue but was not willing to disobey
Chowdarayya.
Munsif and Sangadasu argued about the workers they had hired. Sangadasu said the workers were
determined to go on strike.
Sangadasu went to Rama Naidu and told him and informed him of the latest developments in the workers’
situation. He also advised Naidu to eat before going to the fields. Rama Naidu said he would eat along with the
other workers.
Rama Naidu asked why Sangadasu was not coming inside the house. Sangadasu said he would explain it to
him later. As they all started going toward the fields, Naidu noticed that he could not keep up with even female
workers.
Seshayya, one of the workers told Naidu that Munsif had paid four days’ wages in advance and some workers
went to work for him. Sangadasu asked him how in what manner he should pay them. Seshayya replied that he
would leave it to Sangadasu’s judgment. Sangadasu said he would follow Chowdarayya’s orders.
They all were aware that things would get rough.
The workers hung their food vessels to the tree branches and started reaping. Rama Naidu, being new to
manual labor and to this type of work, was having hard time. Soon, he was tired. Akkalakshmi brought food for
him in a silver dish. Sangadasu told the workers to eat their meals. Naidu wanted to take bath but changed his
mind since he did not have towel with him. He watched as the workers ate with their right hand from the food
placed in their left hands. To him, it was amusing. After finished eating, Rama Naidu fell asleep.
It was past midday by the time he woke up. He saw that the workers were already in the field reaping the grain.
Sangadasu stopped reaping and came to Naidu and asked how was he. Naidu said it was totally new for him
and asked if they would be eating light meal in the mid-afternoon. Sangadasu said there were no light meals in
this world and offered to pick some fresh cucumber from the field.
Naidu ate the cucumbers and baby grains [uucabiyyam] and asked him to bring water. Sangadasu said Naidu
should fetch the water himself, fearing that the workers might fuss about it. He also told him how his aunt,
Subbalakshmi was beaten up.
He then explained to Naidu how the hunger debilitates the workers and it would not be in the best interest of the
owners. They both decided to fight for the reinstatement of Dharma, even if it meant Naidu going against his
father’s wishes.
16. The Sowkar.
This chapter provides a detailed account of the Nallamotu lineage. Chowdarayya’s father, Ramanna Chowdary
had amassed wealth in the form of land and buildings in several ways. He had the workers under his leadership
revolt against then the British government, refused to pay the taxes, and continued the strike for a very long
time. By the time he died, he owned two hundred acres of low land and one hundred acres of high land. After
his father, Chowdarayya expanded their affluence by buying land cheap and auctioned property, and through
questionable lending practices. In his time, the land expanded to five hundred acres of low land, three hundred
acres of high land and also three lakhs cash.
In their village, Mangalapuram, there used to be old type mansion with high-raised walls. He bought additionally
the house across from his and owned by a powerless brahmin family. Chowdarayya wanted to build a separate
shed in the place of that brahmin’s house but Lakshmamma argued that the cowshed should be part of the
house they were living; that would bring good fortune.
Chowdarayya had a two-storey mansion built. But Lakshmamma always stayed in the old house. Rama Naidu
was using the entire upstairs. Dowstairs, Chowdarayya was using the south room as his bedroom and the
hallway for meeting friends. His older brother’s son, Venkatayya would sleep either in the mansion or the
cowshed as needed.
Chowdarayya was a good businessman. He had learned to read and write. Pantulu was his right hand man.
Sangadasu was in charge of the farming. He was getting 15 rupees per month and food.
Chowdarayya asked Lakshmamma about Rama Naidu. He was worried about his son’s friendship with
Sangadasu and their visit with a brahmin guru. Lakshmamma said that the father brought him [Sangadasu] into
the house and the son took him upstairs.
Chowdarayya asked her to send him away to find a job but Lakshmamma was not sure that Naidu would listen
to her or anybody else for that matter. Chowdarayya was also not happy that Lakshmamma was generous to
the poor.
In this chapter, I came to know for the first time the relationship of Venkatayya to Chowdarayya. Venkatayya
was introduced earlier in chapter 10. There he addressed Lakshmamma as pinnamma which led me to believe
that he was her stepson. It is however in this chapter the actual relationship, that Venkatayya was Chowdarayya’
s brother’s son, was mentioned. This again brings us to the stylistic variations in Telugu narrative.
17. Wages
Chowdarayya was worried that his son was drifting away, and that his friendship with Sangadasu was to be
blamed. Nevertheless he would have to ensure Sangadasu’s support since he had lost the support of the
munsif.
Chowdarayya discussed the wages with Sangadasu. Sangadasu did not want to ruffle his boss, but did not want
to shortchange the workers either. Sangadasu pointed out that the tradition of paying in the form of the grain
on which the workers had worked had its value. It was a way of survival for the workers. Chowdarayya argued
that he was willing to pay cash, saying it was not always possible to pay in kind. He cited the example of
construction work. Sangadasu countered saying the custom of paying in cash came into existence only
because of that kind of labor but it did not apply to the farm work. He went on to elaborate the various types of
ownership and wages.
Chowdarayya was adamant. He was not concerned so much about the subsistence of the workers as his own
profits. Sangadasu argued that the workers would not be able work effectively on empty stomachs. He was able
to convince Chowdarayya to pay as usual at least for now.
18. An old woman from Mutarachu.
The workers were waiting outside while Chowdarayya and Sangadasu negotiated in the hallway. At
Chowdarayya’s suggestion, Sangadasu asked Seshayya, Veerayya and Rangadasu to come in for further
talks.
Chowdarayya inquired what they would be doing on that day and told them the grain they would be receiving as
their wages was stored in a silo. He would give them the following day. Seshayya insisted that the workers
needed food for that night. Chowdarayya agreed.
Sangadasu assured other workers that the other landowners in the village also would come around since
Chowdarayya agreed to their terms. The strike was stalled temporarily at least.
Rama Naidu admired Sangadasu for his strategy. Sangadasu quoted the four ways of strategy—sama
[compromise], dana [bribe], bheda [divide] and danda [assault] and said there was a fifth way which was to
ignore.
It was getting dark. Adam Sayibu was measuring and giving the grain to the workers.
Rama Naidu and Chowdarayya returned home. There Rama Naidu witnessed a scene that caused his heart to
thaw out.
An old woman was begging his mother for food. Lakshmamma asked her why she had to beg for food, if she
had no family. The old woman told her piteous story. Lakshmamma took pity on her and gave her some rice.
Chowdarayya called the old woman a swindler. Rama Naidu was moved by the woman’s story and the
conditions that drove her to near death situation.
19.
This chapter was not given a subtitle.
Rama Naidu went upstairs but could not sleep. He came downstairs and noticed that the light was still on in
Sangadasu’s room. He invited Sangadasu into his room upstairs. Sangadasu replied he would not be
comfortable going upstairs. But Naidu insisted and they both went upstairs.
Chowdarayya saw them and thought of waiting to see what would happen.
Rama Naidu told Sangadasu about the old woman who had fainted in their yard earlier. Sangadasu said he had
seen it and continued to explain the hardships the poor had been suffering in the village. He also told about his
aunt, Subbalakshmi who had beaten by a sowkar and died. Naidu asked why it was not reported.
The doctor had taken the statement from Subbalakshmi on her deathbed but the Naidu’s father paid five
hundred rupees and had the doctor rewrite a statement that she died of pneumonia.
Rama Naidu said that he was being disheartened by the minute. Sangadasu talked at length about the
loopholes in the system and possible solutions.
They both talked about the upcoming meeting by workers union to fight the landowners’ atrocities. Actually,
Sangadasu explained in elaborate detail the entire system of land ownership, land tenure and agrarianism.
Chowdarayya had heard their decision to leave town the following day. He thought that it might actually help
him to turn things around in his own favor.
In this chapter, we see the author going to great lengths to highlight Sangadasu’s scholarship and Rama Naidu’
s ignorance. Rama Naidu had received college education and in preparation for an administrative position in
the government. (His mother said he was qualified to be a tahsildar and his father wanted him to take a job
outside his village). That being the case, it is strange that he should learn the entire philosophy of agragrarian
system from Sangadasu.
20. Food polluted by madiga presence.
Sangadasu and Rama Naidu go to Vijayawada to attend the Adima Andhra Conference. The munsif saw them
eating at the same table. The news reached the village and Chowdarayya was beside himself.
21. Caste distinctions
At the conference, Sangadasu met with the organizer, Venkata Reddy and other prominent members of the
party. Once again, Sangadasu explained in detail the origins of the caste-oriented vocations and the eventual
distribution of wealth based on caste system. He then suggested the need for reform and the method of
achieving it.
22. The Knowledge of the Aryans belongs to one and all.
The president and Sangadasu sat down to draft a proposal summarizing the conclusions drawn at the meeting
the day before. Chowdarayya joined them. Somayajulu was also expected. He joined them a little later.
Here I need to make a brief comment about names. This Chowdarayya might not be the same Chowdarayya,
earlier identified as Rama Naidu’s father. Several variations of similar sounding [names also very common in
this novel. For instance, Venkata Reddy, Venkatadasu (Ramadasu’s eldest son), Venganna (hired hand at
Chowdarayya’s household), Venkatayya (Chowdarayya’s brother’s son)—seem to be taxing our memory from
the perspective of today’s readers. And it gets worse as the initial syllable is used in conversations. The reader
need to remember the individual participants in specific instances.
23. Reconstruction of the society.
In nine pages, the president’s speech on the societies in the west, Bolshevik revolution in Russia, and the
reforms in England and the evils in our society described exhaustively. And then the recommendations of the
panel drafted by their hero, Sangadasu, were passed.
(continued)