WATER

BY CHALLAPALLI SWAROOPA RANI

SUMMARY:

Water, a poem by Challapalli Swaroopa Rani highlights the gender discrimination

that existed from times immemorial. She tries to explain it with many
comparisons and the first one is: The water is aware of the ground's incline and
it knows how people have struggled through generations and this is compared
to the dampness that always exists near the well as that part never dries. In the
same way, this discrimination is never going to end.

Water is a witness to the difference of race between the Samaria women and
Jesus the Jew. It is believed that the Samaria women are supposed to be the
ones who are treated very badly as they belonged to the lowest caste and it is
believed that Jesus who was offered water from such a lady was gracious
enough to accept it. Water is aware of the difference that exists between the
cobbler and the weaver. It means even the sub-caste difference is very clearly
highlighted.

Panchama is supposed to be the 5th set in the Varna category and these were
considered to be lower than the Shudras and were never provided an
opportunity to draw water from the well and they were forced to wait near the
well with an empty pot till a considerate Shudra comes there and draws water
from the well.
Water again is a witness to the humiliation that the Wada girl had to face always
when water was drawn and while pouring it into her container, a part of it would
spill and wet her clothes and this intentional act was the highest because they
would hardly get water added to it, humiliation was of the highest degree.

A lady called Karmachedu Suvarthamma as the one who raised her voice and
supported a Dalit boy who was being beaten by a group of youth. She who had
come to collect water from the tank raises her pot to stop the boy from being
attacked for the reason that he requested the youth to not pollute the water by
cleaning their cattle in the tank.

The poet recollects how her Wada people would wait thirstily for a glass of
water. The poetess describes that water to them is not simply H2O but a mighty
movement and she compares that to a struggle at the Chadar tank, the Mahad
struggle: It is believed that all the Dalit men and women one day went to Chadar
tank and dipped their hands into the waters only to proclaim to the village
people that they were opposing the norms. For people like the poetess, a single
drop of water makes them recollect tears shed over generations. There were
many battles fought for a single drop of water and in this process, many people
lost their lives and yet, they couldn't get a small puddle of water.

The poetess at her own community appeared to be a cursed one because there
were occasions when the community doesn't have an opportunity to take a bath
every day, on the other hand, the entire village could luxuriously bathe twice a
day. This clearly narrates the pathetic state in which the Panchamas were and
that is the main reason for their living.

Whenever the poetess gets an opportunity to recollect her childhood, she is able
to remember the pain that she and her friends experienced when they had to
carry heavy pots and their necks would start aching very badly. They had to
walk miles to reach a canal and almost had to steal water from there.
In a village called Malapalle, there was not a pot of water and all the houses of
the people were mercilessly put on fire.

Water may appear to be a simple thing but its greatest quality is that it can give
life as well as take it away. There are occasions when the water could not satisfy
a thirsty person but it would transform into a Tsunami wave that nearly
swallowed many villagers.

Water has the ability to turn villages into dry deserts or drown them in floods as
people are just like helpless play objects in its cruel hands.

Water has been the cause of fights between states, between villages and in this
process, many people have been seriously wounded and some have even lost
their lives. Whatever be the nature of water, off late, it has been transformed to
sit innocently in a Bisleri bottle. It means, if human beings have the ability to
purchase water, they can truly do so now. Earlier, many women like the poetess
had to struggle to get even a small pot of water but now it has been
transformed into a multinational market commodity. It has created a great
revolution and in doing so, no human being is discriminated against. It is
believed that water is present everywhere and it can take the whole world in its
strive.

Questions and Answers

I. Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase or a

sentence each.

1. What according to the speaker of Water' is a witness to centuries of social injustice?

Answer: Water

2. Who had to wait for a Shudra to get water for him?

Answer: A Panchama.

3. What does a Dalit consider as a wondrous festival?

Answer: The weekly bath.

4. How often do the Dalits get a chance to have bath?

Answer: Once a week.

5. How many times does the entire village other than Dalits bathe?

Answer: Twice a day.

6. Who opposed the Kamma landlords?

Or

Who opposed Kamma landlords in the poem ‘Water’?

Answer: Karamachedu Suvarthamma.

7. Which social movement did the author refer to in the poem, 'Water'?

Answer: Mahad struggle at the Chadar tank in Mumbai.

8. Where did the Mahad Struggle take place?

Or

Where did the Mahad Struggle mentioned in ‘Water’ take place?

Answer: At the Chadar tank in Mumbai.

9. Which are the two biblical characters mentioned in the poem, 'Water'?

Answer: Samaria woman and Jesus.

10. Which tool did Karamachedu Suvarthamma used to oppose the land lords?

Answer: Water pot.

11. Who can devour lives according to the speaker of the poem, 'Water'?

Answer: Water can devour lives.

12. Who is considered to be omniscient by the speaker of the poem, 'Water'?

Answer: Water is considered to be omniscient.

13. Who, according to the speaker of ‘Water’, are plaything in water’s vicious hands?

Answer: The poor people / The poor.

14. Water can also sit innocently in a ………….. (Fill in the blanks)

Answer: Bisleri Bottle.

II. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of 80 – 100

words each:

III. Answer the following questions in about 200 words:

1. Explain the discrimination, untouchables have to experience with reference to the

poem Water.
Answer: The poem Water speaks of the suffering of the Dalits. For many generations,

they have fought for their rights. But they couldn't even win a small puddle of water

There was always disagreement between the people of the village and Wada. It speaks

of the agony of the Panchama, who has no right to draw a pot of water. And he is

expected to wait all day near the well with his empty pot until a shudra arrives. It

describes the humiliation of the Wada girl and about her pain when an upper-caste man

approaches her to satisfy his lust. It's life long struggle for them.

2. How does Challapalli Swaroopa Rani describe the cruelty of untouchability in the

poem 'Water?

Answer: In the poem Water the poet has used one of the very useful natural resources,

water to describe the cruelty of untouchability. Here, the poet says that water knows

the agony of the Panchama group of people, who do not have the right to draw a pot of

water from the public well. So, they had to wait all day near the well with their empty

pots until a shudra arrived to pour water into their pots. The poet describes how the

Dalit girls were humiliated by high caste people. Further, she continues to say that

water was not only HO for them, but it was a mighty movement. They had struggled a

lot to get a single drop of water Moreover, they shed tears over several generations.

Many battles were fought and blood flowed like a stream but they never managed to

win even a small puddle of water. Thus, the poet emphasizes the social discrimination

that exists in our society.

3. The caste difference is clearly depicted in the poem, 'Water? Explain.

Answer: Water is used as an important symbol to depict the caste differences in society.

Water has been the witness for centuries to this discrimination. The poet says that the

people especially the Panchamas are not allowed to fetch water on their own and

therefore are expected to wait for the Shudras to come and get them water. The whole

village takes bath twice a day while the low caste people consider it a festival to take
bath once a week. In spite of the scarcity of drinking water for the Dalits and other low

caste people, the high caste has commoditized water and sell it in the market for

profits.

4. Why does the speaker affirm that 'Water is not simple thing'?

OR

Why does the poet consider water as a mighty movement?

Answer: The poet feels water is not a simple thing for them. However, water is an

essential commodity for the survival of human beings and Dalits and low caste are no

exception to this rule. The poet however presents a contrary picture where the whole

village is divided based on their caste and water becomes the symbol of their

demarcation. The poet says there have been a number of movements and struggles

that have occurred because of water. He alludes to Mahad struggle. The poet further

speaks of how thousands of people have given their lives to free society of this evil.

5. Which are the personal memories of the poet which inspire her to write the poem,

'Water'?

Answer: The poet has vivid memories of her childhood that are associated with water.

The poet remembers how her Wada would remain thirsty the whole day for a drop of

water. The poet also remembers the Mahad struggle which is associated with water. She

also remembers the battles they have fought for the sake of water. She remembers how

she welcomed her weekly bath. She is also reminded of her childhood and how she

walked miles to reach the big canal and carried back heavy pots, with the muscles and

veins on their necks straining and bursting. She remembers how at Malapalle a village

was burnt to ashes for want of water.

6. How does the poem, Water' reveal the humiliation, injustice and thirst?

Or
The poem Water' demonstrates the discrimination in them society based on caste.

Justify.

Or

The difference of race and agony of the Panchama due to water has been effectively

brought out in 'Water Discuss.

Or

How does the poem demonstrate the disparity and discrimination in our society using

water as a symbol?

Or

How does the poem Water' demonstrate the disparity and discrimination in our society

using water as a symbol?

Or

Is water instrumental in social discrimination and disparity? Discuss with reference to

‘Water’.

Or

Bring out the bitter instances recollected by the speaker in 'Water.

Answer: The poet uses the powerful symbol of water to depict the prominent presence

of the caste system and untouchability, particularly in Indian society. Water is the most

essential of elements on earth for the survival of all animate things and yet this basic

requirement is denied to the section of the society, just because they happen to belong

to a particular caste. This is the point that the poet seems to emphasize in the poem.

The poet talks of the life of the Panchama caste. The poet focuses on the agony of the

Panchama, a caste that does not even feature in the distinctly divided Varana

Ashramas. The Panchama does not have the right to draw a pot of water from the well

and thus they wait the whole day for some gentle Shudra to come and give him some

water.

Ironically the Shudra also happens to be on the last rung of the social order. The poet
further elaborates on the agony of the Panchama girl. As this girl waits to get water, the

giver pours water from a distance and eventually, water falls out and drenches her. This

action brings in a lot of humiliation to the girl. This is true in the case of people who

belong to all the lower castes. They are discriminated against and are denied this

essential necessity for survival.

7. "Water can give life and devour lives? Write about the significance of the statement

based on the poem 'Water’.

Answer: The poet introduces us to the innumerable attributes of water. She says water

is not a simple thing. It has the ability to give life to everything; likewise, it also has the

ability to destroy everything. The poet talks about how; water can be both preservers

and destroyers of life.

Further elaborating on the destructive and constructive nature of water, she makes

reference to the Tsunami which destroyed villages and millions of people in a span of

few minutes. The same water which destroyed villages also quenches the thirst of

parched throats.

The poor villagers become playthings in the powerful hands of water. At times it turns

some villages into deserts and some other times it drowns villages. The poor are part of

the vicious circle and have no escape from the clutches of the 'monster.

8. How does the speaker reveal the pain and suffering of the lower caste people in the

poem, 'Water'?

Answer: The poet focuses on the agony of a Panchama, a caste that does not even

feature in the distinctly divided Varana Ashramas. The Panchama does not have the

right to draw a pot of water from the well and thus they wait the whole day for some

gentle Shudra to come and give him some water. Ironically the Shudra also happens to
be on the last rung of the social order. The poet further elaborates on the agony of the

Panchama girl. As this girl waits to get some water, the giver pours water from a

distance and eventually, water falls out and drenches her. This action brings a lot of

humiliation to the girl.

The poor, villagers become playthings in the powerful hands of water. At times it turns

some villages into deserts and at other times it drowns villages. The poor are part of the

vicious circle and have no escape from the clutches of the 'monster.

9. "Water is a multinational market commodity" Explain.

Answer: The poet focuses on a number of contemporary issues. First and foremost, she

talks of how water has been a cause of distinction and strife between the Wada and a

village. She says this conflict is not just restricted to a Wada and a village but has been

the cause of conflict between states.

It has the ability to cause violence and bloodshed. This is something we have been

experiencing in recent times. But contrary to everything the poet says in the previous

stanzas, she begins to make a mockery of the age-old practice of untouchability which

does not find any place in the globalized world today. She talks of how water is

commoditized and packed in a Bisleri bottle and is being made accessible to everyone

irrespective of their caste if you are willing and ready to pay for it.

10. Water can give life and can also devour lives. Examine the significance of this

statement in the light of ‘Water’.

Answer: Water has always been viewed sacred as a symbol of purity, a precious and

divine gift. It is synonymous with life. It is a gift bestowed by mother nature, free of cost

to everyone regardless of caste, class or creed. Yet the same water the life-giving water

can alone devour lives. When the water was denied to thirsty people because they
belonged to the lower class, it came as the killer Tsunami waves which devoured entire

villagers. The poor are more like playthings, for water is capable of turning villages into

dry deserts or causing untold misery through floods.

Water, a harmless substance is capable of causing violent consequences, it can ignite

conflict and strife between castes and states over water sharing. Now in this modern

age, when multinational companies are interested only in the profit margins by

investing more and more in mineral water plants in fact they make the most horrifying

threat i.e. the depletion of the groundwater level. It not only degrades the environment

but also once again make the poor, the worst sufferers.

11. How is the destructive nature of water brought out in the poem 'Water'?

Answer: Water can give life as well as devour life for a pot of water. This fight occurred

between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. People of both the states destroyed each other's

property and destroyed and damaged buses Just over the question of sharing water.

This elixir of life is also capable of causing untold misery and devastation in the form of

the killer Tsunami waves, which swallowed the whole village after village in coastal

Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in 2004.

The poor are mere playthings in its vicious hands, for it is they who have to suffer

sometimes in the form of giant waves or through drought or at times in the form of

floods. We see how the poor are affected by the lack of access to clean drinking water

and at other times, they bear the brunt of nature's fury.