TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
ANALYSIS OF POWER RELATION IN BISHNU BHANDARI’S
PAHENLO GHAM
A Thesis
Submitted to Department of English Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan for the partial fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Arts in English
By
ShubhaPokhrel
T.U. Rgd. No.: 6-2-514-13-2009
Roll No: 70015
Year: 2071/073 BS
September 2018
TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan
Department of English
LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
This thesis entitled ANALYSIS OF POWER RELATION IN BISHNU BHANDARI’S PAHENLO GHAM has been prepared by SHUBHA POKHREL under my supervision. I assert that this thesis has maintained the necessary scope and intensity of its level. The researcher has worked with devoted studies, careful analysis and systematic presentation. Thus, I hereby recommend it for final examination and acceptance.
……………….…..
Bidur Rai
Supervisor
Date: 20 Bhadra 2075 BS.
(5th September 2018 A.D)
TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan
Department of English
EVALUATION AND APPROVAL
It is approved that the thesis entitled ANALYSIS OF POWER RELATION IN BISHNU BHANDARI’S PAHENLO GHAM prepared by SHUBHA POKHREL has been submitted to the Department of English, Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan, Sunsari. It has been accepted and evaluated by the following thesis evaluation committee.
…………………… ………………………… ……………………….
Bidur Rai External-Examiner Associate Professor and Head
Supervisor
Date: 21 Ashoj 2075 BS.
(7th October 2018 A.D)
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this thesis is my own original work; and that it contains no materials previously published in my name. I have not used it for the award of any kind and any other degree. The authors and sources of information that are used to support my argument have been duly acknowledged.
Name: Shubha Pokhrel
Signature:
Date: 19 Bhadra 2075 BS.
(4th September 2018 A.D)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Appreciation is a wonderful thing; nothing else can quite substitute for a few well chosen, well-timed and sincere words of gratefulness. They are absolute free and worth a fortune. It is my great pleasure to record my deep sense of gratitude and sincere thanks to all those who have contributed to the successful completion of this study.
Firstly, I am very grateful to my research supervisor, Mr. Bidur Rai, whose encouragement, invaluable suggestions, guidance and support from the beginning to the end enabled me to develop understanding of the subject. In the same way, I am much obliged to Mr. Hem Chandra Adhikari, the Head of the Department of English for his continuous inspiration to conduct this study. Similarly, I would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions to my book auth or Bishnu Bhandari and all my respected teachers and the members of the Department of English for their support in the course of this research.
I am very much thankful all the library Staff of Mahendra Multiple Campus Dharan-10, for providing me available facilities for the completion of the study. Finally, I would like to extend my thankfulness to who have directly and indirectly helped me for the completion of this study.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this dissertation is to identify the portrayal of power relation in the text, the exercise of power in the text, to study the issue of power relations focused in the text in Bishnu Bhandari’s novel entitled Pahenlo Gham [Yellow Sun]. This novel revolves around the story of an insurgent. It contains the story of insurgency period to focus on the goal of power relationship and exercise of power both in negative and positive form. The researcher has selected three sections for this analysis.
Bhandari’s fiction is very rich in portrayal of power and its relationships. In the view of new Historicism power circulates in all directions, to and from all social levels at all times. The presentation of the bottom up model of power and their relationships depicts the circulations of powerthat power does not emanate only from the top of the political and socio economic structure. I have gone through the selected sub- section and has analyzed what portrayal of power relations is found in Pahenlo Gham, how is it exercise in the text, and why are these issue focused in the text.
This dissertation presents the portrayal of power relations from theoretical perspective and presents a formal model on how to understand power relation through new historic perspective. Bhandari’s fiction focuses upon the Maoist insurgency period, cleverness of the political leader, and the background of the political agenda. But, this research has studied it from the theoretical perspective. The findings from this research show that ‘Analysis of power relations’ has both repressive and productive model. This dissertation proffers such an approach, through the use of power relations in stories.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RECOMMENDATION ii
EVALUATION AND APPROVAL iii
DECLARATION iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v
ABSTRACT vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1-7
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 2
1.3 Hypothesis 2
1.4 Review of Literature 2
1.5 Objectives and Limitation 6
1.6 Significance 6
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 7
CHAPTER 3: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF POWER RELATION 14-33
3.1 Power relation 15
3.3 Hegemony 28
CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION 33-36
WORKS CITED 37-39
Chapter1
Introduction
1.1 Background
Bishnu Bhandari is known progressive writer. He has contributed poetry epics and more than half dozen literary books.Pahenlo Gham [“Yellow Sun”] is his first novel that was published in 2072 BS. This novel mainly explores the permanent visibility that assures the automatic function of power both in productive and repressive form. The story of this novel sets in Dolakha district of Bairam village. It is extreme Maoist victimized place where individuals suffered much by both Maoist and government force. They exercise the power in both productive and repressive model. This novel revels the situations of after war and before which depicts the power structure according to time and events. It seems that the use of power in the time of battlefield and combatants after knocked out from the cantonment unfold the power relations by individuals in both positive and negative forms.
Power relation is both productive and repressive force which has been thoroughly explored with the literature of New Historicism. Panoptic is a term borrowed by Michal Foucault whouses an“idealtype” of power structure between people” (sparknotes.com). Power in this novel is presented in such a way that it spreads throughout the society with more economically and effectively. According to Michal Foucault the major effects of the panoptic is to induce in the inmate state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic function of power both in productive and repressive forms (Mills 32). Thus Yellow Sun [Pahenlo Gham] consists both productive and repressive form of power relationship which can be studied from the perspective of analysis of power relations. It is one of the theoretical approaches which comes with the surveillance. The major concepts of surveillance appear to bring the practice into a close relationship with power. Such study is very helpful to understand the bottom up approach of power including both productive and repressive models.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Bishnu Bhandari has included various models of power in this novel and has tried to show the exercise of power relation. All the individuals are on the exercise of power. So to find out such power relation the research work deals with following problems:
- What portrayal of power relation is found in Pahenlo Gham?
- How is it exercised in the text? and
- Why are these issues focused in the text?
1.3 Hypothesis
The novel Pahenlo Gham consists of both productive and repressive forms of power structure. This power structure can be studied from new historic perspective. Individuals mainly exercise both productive and repressive power to establish their identity. Thus the hypothesis of the study is: The power structure used in this novel depicts the analysis on power relations.
1.4 Review of Literature
The book Pahenlo Gham [yellow Sun] is a fiction which presents bottom up approach of power. It shows the power relationship both in productive and repressive models. After the publications of book, a number of critics and writers have given their comments on it and written reviews on this book. Mahesh Paudel and Rajkumar Baniya write that it is a historical document of Nepali politics. Dipak Parajuli gives criticism on the Bhandari’s writing process and other critics have given their opinion on the overall political aspects of this novel (pearljournal.com).
Many writers make criticisms on the Bhandari’s Book Pahenlo Gham, which hasbeen published in Aswin 2072 BS. Chairman of Pragatishil Lakhak Sangha Amar Giri, Sangit Shorta and Ramesh Bhattrai give their views on this book. Giri opines that in this fiction Bishnu Bhandari raises the sensitive subject matter related to peoples’ war and war disqualified insurgent combatants. So it is a socio-political subject matter which is one of the respectable creations of Bhandari. Another youth critic, Shorta says, in the aspect of peoples’ war, very few rangesof creations are published, but Bhandari has picked up great risk by writing the novel. He also says that in this Maoist movement Bhandari makes clear about sexual exploitation of females. Another critic Bhattarai agrees that this novel is quite successful in representing today’s burning issue and realistic picture of people’s war but from the Marxist point of view it is quite a hopeless presentation (12). In this way these three writers are sure that this novel picked up the various issues faced by Nepali citizen during the people’s war.
Mahesh Poudel and Rajkumar Baniya mainly highlight the context of Maoist movement (2052-63) in this novel. In this review Paudel opines that, Pahenlo Gham is quite risky in three senses but it is popular. First, it leads to the history of people’s movement which is the bundle of materialist exploitation. Secondly, it is based on historical document that solely focuses on realistic experience of the Maoist raider, Sheewa. Thirdly, Marxism or Maoism has been explained deficiently as a gateway of golden age. It interprets how the red sun changes into yellow sundue to the dishonest and evil characters. Similarly, Baniya highlights the contexts of major character on the Maoist movement. The character Shiwa is known as Jhaseki Ranee [Queen of Jhansi], a magical underground warrior and aggressive warrior. Various references are given to the characters so for the common readers it is difficult to identify the intended meaning of the text (Cha).Thus both writers focus on the historical documents of Nepali politics.
Critics, Kala Anuragi and Phanidra Sangham interview Bishnu Bhandari where the authors says that Pahenlo Gham means a setting sun which loses both heat and light. It is the symbol of degradation of the social and human value. Similarly, Sangam interviews Bishnu Bhandari where he says, if there had not been people’s war, republic federal state, secularism, ethnic groups’ right and justice would not established into existence. After the peace agreement, Maoist became the largest party but in the issues of social reformation they do not care. Not only leaders but also their carders seem to have false attitudes. In the beginning they started the people’s war with different agenda but at last it becomes worthless. The main reason is that carders and war party hurt the raiders’ mentality. These things are focused in this novel (12).Here, both critics focus on the self-centered attitudes of the political leader. This makes Nepali citizen deprived from their birth right and justice.
Similarly, Bishnu Bhandari’s eighth creation and first novel Pahenlo Gham has been analyzed by different personalities and critics. In Ryandam Readers’ Society of Nepal, monthly book discussion of 60th episode, youth writer Deepak Parajuli, Upendra Poudel and Bihnu Bhandari give their argument on this novel. Parajuli opines that this creation of Bhandari is an important documentation of transitional Nepalese history of politics. He claims that this novel is written about disqualified combatants after the end of peoples’ war which helps to identify the socio-political life and turmoil of raiders. He further accuses, those combatants are not disqualified but party’s leaders are disqualified. The chairman of the same institute, Poudel argues that novelist Bhandari is a progressive writer but being progressive he didn’t need to include the chapter of love, sex and god. He is quiet dissatisfied with the inclusion of the same chapter in progressive novel. Bhandari clarifies Poudel’s argument by saying that literature is specific lens of the society. To highlight a live picture of life into literature is not non-progressive writing, he further says that leaders of Communist party need to play vital roles to build the nation (pearljournal.com).
Similarly, another critic Kala Anuragi and Krishna Raj Adhikari opines that Pahenlo Gham, a story of Maoist combatants who are disqualified from the cantonment, has been the chief subject of this novel. Shiwa’s family members are killed by the government force but luckily she is only saved at last. Shiva faces great sufferings and troubles and joins the Maoist rebel. She shows the magical character and becomes a sharp shooter fairy. The critic Adhikari writes his view on the book that this novel is written by the one who is involved in Maoist Movement directly or indirectly. He has depicted the story of disqualified combatants where their problems and sufferings that resulted from the deceptive characters of the government have been realistically portrayed in the text. (93-96). Here, these writers focus on the last decade of the insurgency period, individuals suffering and struggle during the people’s war.
The above mentioned literature review shows that critics analyzed text from different perspectives. They have passed their opinions and remarks upon the writing process, political milieu and citizens sufferings during the last decade of the insurgency period.Nobody has analyzed on the power relations, which is one of the suitable theoretical tools to study the repressive and productive model of power.
1.5 Objectives and Delimitation
The main aim of this research work is to focus on understanding of power relation as a major theoretical modality to be applied in literary texts. The objectives of this research work are:
- To identify the portrayal of power relation in Pahenlo Gham.
- To find out the exercise of power in the text, and
- To study the issue of power relations focused in the text.
To fulfill these objectives, this research work is confined to analyze the power relations of the novel Pahenlo Gham by Bishnu Bhandari during the people’s war and after the settlement of Maoist combatant. Bhandari’s Pahenlo Gham has been studied for conducting this research work. The study has only been done through new- historicist perspective on the book of Sara Mill’s Michal Foucault. In this novel three sub sections are selected for analysis. They are Power relation, exercise of power and hegemony.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The study will mainly contribute to the study of power relation used in Nepali fiction. It will prove to be useful to those who want to study and do research in power relations in bottom up model of power. The student of the theory can also get new area of study. Similarly it draws the attention of critics too. They will be interested to study power relations in this novel and may be inspired to see these sides in other novel. Thus, the study will contribute to the field of new historic studies of literary text.
CHAPTER 2
POWER RELATION IN A LITERARY TEXT
This research has been conducted with the objective of analyzing the power relation with its portrayal, exercise of power and the issues focus in the text. In order to fulfill these objectives, this study is based on qualitative research methodology. The approach of this study is interpretative. Power relation is applied as a theoretical approach to interpret the selected sections of this novel. Individuals functioning the power, their negative and positive attitudes and their visibility towards power are interpreted with the use of this theory. As the text is in Nepali, free translations is used to quote the exact lines from the text. A certain theoretical modality is developed at the end of this chapter.
Power is the ability or capacity to do something in a particular way, influence the behaviors of others or the course of events which can be closely studied by using power relations. Power must be understood in the first instance as the multiple force of relations. This relations immanent in the spare in which they operateon their own organization. Power is a form of chain or system that disjunctions and contradictions from one another.“The strategies of power in which they effect, whose general design or intuitional crystallization is embodied in the state apparatus in the formation of lawin the various social hegemonies” (Foucault 92). A capacity of doing something and their multiple forces of relations which spread throughout the society are the area of study through the theory of Michal Foucault who develops the theoretical approach with the associations of the exercise of power.
According to Foucault “Power is everywhere; not because it embraces everything but because it comes from everywhere(93)”. It is an ability or capacity toperform effectively both in productive and repressive form. The relations of power is omnipresent, multiple and dynamic. They are not limited on government intuitions parliaments or political parties. This approach is developedby many new historic critics. Michal Foucault has developed a theoretical model where he mainly focuses on the bottom up approach of power and panoptic. He defines power circulates in all direction from all social levels at all times. The panopticon include a sense of permanent visibility that ensures the functioning ofpower. On the other hand Jeremy Bentham decreed that power should be visible yet universal (sparknotes.com). Here panopticon destined to spread throughout society. It makes power more economic and effective. Based on these thinkers we can analyze the power relations.
Institution is quite important in power relation theory and individuals are the product of the exercise of power. Nietzsche’s“will to power” focuses that all human beings are motivated or guided by will to power (thought.com). It means every individual exercises power to establish his /her identity. We use power to control ourselves. In the text Maoist combatants exercise “power over” and “power to” for their own identity in the time of war and then after. In this respect we use power to control ourselves and the world around. Mills discussed in detail by taking this point that power is not a commodity or possessions of individuals, it exercised like net. Power is a set of relations which appeared throughout the society (198). It is a major force to control world around which portrayal with both knowledge and rationality. It is circulated by the exercise of productive and repressive force of power. These are two central forces that shape policy and planning. In this respect power has rationality which helps to exercise power both in repressive and productive model. Francis Bacons the father of English essay, opines that “knowledge is power” (Mills 38). Power links with knowledge and it is exercised for different creative activates. Thus, it is clear that power is exercised through the attachment of rationality that results in power relations.
Power relation is based on surveillance that includes panopticon. There are mainly three faces of power, they are invisible, hidden and visible power. These faces of power is often defined asproductive term. Power in“Repressive”is negative term which is often defined as a form of domination, but it can also be “Productive” a positive force for individual and collective capacity to act for change. The most commonly recognized form of power is ‘power over’. This form of power has many negative associations for people such as repression, force coercion, discrimination, corruption and abuse. Power can be seen in a win and lose relationship. In politics those who control resources and decisions making have power when people are denied in access to important resources like health care, and jobs. ‘Power over’ perpetuates inequality, injustice and poverty. In the absence of alternative models and relationships people repeat the power over pattern in their personal relationships, communities and institutions. This is also true that people who come from marginalized or powerless group gain power in leading positions, they sometime esimitate the oppressor.”The most commonly recognized form of power is ‘power over’ which has mainly negative associations to prevent specific behavior” (Hornqvist 13). Similarly, in productive power, we can advocateth at the experience of being excluded from the right and power prepare people to become democratic leader in new forms. The leadership and decision making must be explicitly defined, thought and rewarded in order to promote more collaborative ways of exercising and using power. Similarly, productive power refers to unique potential of every person to shape his or her life and world. This form of power is mainly based on mutual support. It connects with the possibilities of joint action of ‘power with’. Citizens’ education and leadership for development and advocacy are based on the belief and self-confidence. ‘Power within’ has to do with a person’s sense of self-worth and self-knowledge. It includes an ability to recognize individual differences while respecting others. It is also the capacity to imagine and have hope. It affirms the common human search for dignity and fulfillment of positive thoughts and feelings. So ‘power to’ and ‘power with’ and “power with in” are referred to as agency for the ability to act or development of social change. These three alternatives –‘power with’, ‘power to,’ and ‘power within’; offer positive and productive ways of expressing power. It creates the possibility of forming more equitable relationships by offering people’s capacity to act creatively as they provide some basic principles for constructing empowering strategies (Lisa. Miller 55).So the productive and repressive forms of power is most important for power relations and the exercise of power too.
Power is exercised both in productive and repressive form. These forms of power are performed by knowledge and rationality with social instructions so the power is portrayedhere as a major force of all relations in society. The French philosopher Michal Foucault points out that power is a structural expression of a complex strategic situation in given social settings that require both constraint and enablement(power/knowledge 98).So, power is a system of relations that spread throughout the society in bottom up model, the vehicles by which power circulates is never ending process.
Power is exercised both in productive and repressive model which is never ending proliferations. It circulates in all directions and from all social levels. Power circulates both in positive and negative model which is the vehicles of power. It circulates in repressive model has the attitudes of “power over” and the productive model of power has the attitudes of ‘power too’, ‘with’ and ‘within’ These include with the exchange of materials goods through such practices as buying and selling bartering, gambling taxation and various form of the adaptions kidnapping slavery and the exchange of the ideasthrough the various discourse and cultural produces (Tyson 284).The bottom up model of power is the way that power relations permeate all relations in the society. In this way we can see that both productive and repressive form of power is an important mechanism for analyzing power relations.
It is rightly suggested that power relations is not literary practice, it is political aspects of everyday life. Despite this reality-based opinion there has been complex kingship between power relationships to analyze both productive and repressive form in literary text and writing. The power relation can be analyzed in different social levels. Here we discuss the application on new historicism in the analytical process. If one wants to understand the political and socio – economic structure and the vehicles of power relations he/ she can apply new historicism, power relations is the best way to learn theory. Furthermore, this practice of power has been defined by Najaf Ali. He defines power in three different modes. Power is exercised rather than possessed. It is not primarily repressive but productive and it is analyzed as coming from bottom up model (134). In this way power and literature are connected and this approach can be instrumental to understand the vehicles of power on bottom up approach.
The above discussion established that analysis on power relations is one of the theoretical approaches through which fiction can be analyzed. There is close connection between literature and New –Historicism. Another philosopher Robert Dhal defined the concept of power is viewed as a relationship between individuals. “First power is a relation, and that is a relation among people” (203). New historicism in other words, occupies the place of a subject literature that is an object. The text is analyzed from New Historic perspective. It looks into complex web of power relations, ideologies, and conflicting social political and cultural agendas, of the time and place (Tyson 283). New Historicism is the first study about the power structure and it is presented through literature. In such a case, if literature is studied properly; one can gain insight about individual’s role in power relations. The work of literary analysis views the oppressive people who are victimized by the dominant power structure and also become capable of transforming the power relations. In this way literature and the issue of power relations are closely related. New Historicism is one of the most practical aspects which verifies the literary text and gives various portrait of power structure.
Power relation is one of the theoretical tools to analyze the literary texts. It gives information about political and socio- economic structure of the exercise of power circulation. An individual goes in power relations both in productive and repressive form. They play a role actively as a form of power with social instructions. Literature includes this both form of power that spread throughout the society. If one studies about the vehicles of power through literary text, they can understand the relationship between power structure and instructions clearly. The analysis of power relation is not solely limited on the specific genre of fiction, poetry, anthology; it further shows the issue of power and the social instructions there we find power relationship most vividly. So the issue of power and political agenda can focus on the analysis of power relations.
The literary text provides the working ground of New Historicism. Analysis of the power relations is one of the areas to study New Historicism. It informs about the power and their relations with individuals and instructions. Mainly power relations of this novel can be seen with the relationship between intuitions. Power relations help to instruct to exercise power both in productive and repressive form. The issue of power relations involves in the complex form. It is a socio political context and exercise through various intuitions. The study of such relation through literary text enables to understand the burning issue and the situations of individuals on how they exercise power. Power relations portrait within a society through the use of different mechanisms and techniques that one can find out the political issue and the relation between people and institutions as well. “It is important to remember that the power exercised through hierarchical surveillance is not a possessions or property rather it has a character of a machine or apparatus through which power is produced and individuals are distributed in a permanent and continuous field”(Barry Smart86). In this way the relations of power exercise varyin materialistic way through social body. So, the issue of power relations helps to operate the power and also shows the wideportrayal of power relations both in productive and repressive model. Thus, power relation is one of the theoretical modality which I have proposed to analyze in the subsequent chapter.
CHAPTER 3
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF POWER RELATION
This chapter deals with the textual application of an analysis of power relations that is discussed on chapter two. The research basically concentrates on the relation of power in three sections in the novel. While analyzing this novel different basic elements such as power over, power to, power within and hegemony are some responsible factors to study the power relations.
Power relations of Bhandari’s novel Pahenlo Gham reveals the exercise of power both in negative and positive model. It is based on an insurgency period of last two decades. The novel highlights the exploitation of the current power holder, royal government force to innocent people in the name of giving shelter to Maoist. Those people are exploited frequently physically, mentally and spiritually as well. We can see here royal government force use power over to Nepalese people. It can be seen that ‘Repressive’ model of power consists of conflict. Time has passed and the Maoist movement has ended with people’s revolution and Maoist leaders come in power then they become powerful and the power holder of the country. Eventually they forget their pastpromises to the combatants of power home, land and property. They knock out them and considered them disqualified. Some leave by their will and some are knocked out by the Maoist heads. So we can see here that power has transmitted to Maoist force. They become one of the greatest and powerful power holders of the country but those combatants are deprived of the fundamental rights. Consequently, without any hesitation, frustration and hopelessness they united each other. They got success in the establishment of “Srijanseel Egrekalchara Faram” [Srijanshil Agricultural Form] at Bhaktapur, Madeecourt. This shows that disqualified combatantare united back to form power. We see that the power doesn’t emanate only from the top of the political and socio economic structure, it circulates in all direction to and from all social level
(Tyson 284). In the past powerw as exercised by royal government than it was handed over to the Maoist force and those disqualified combatsga in power by being self-dependent and trained in agricultural sector. So the different elements which include power relations along with the proofs are focused on these three sections.
3.1 Power Relation in Pahenlo Gham [Yellow Sun]
The novel Pahenlo Gham [Yellow Sun] mainly focuses on the portrayal of power structure in every social level. The novel picks up a vivid picture and the plight of Nepalese people and Maoist combat after the end of the war and after. The major character of this novel is Sheewa. She is presented as a revolutionary character among the combatants. The whole plot of this novel moves around her character.
In the period of people’s war they were qualified but after it they become disqualified. Sheewa becomes a Maoist because she has been oppressed by the royal government force of the country. All the family members were killed by the government force and she is only left. She and her family members didn’t have power during the Maoist war. Royal government force makes people terrified and usually gives torture on the subject matter of Maoist to the villagers. Nobody dares to come out when the government force enters to the village. Master Ram Bahadur is one of the innocent characters who is victimized from the government force in the cause of giving shelter to the Maoist. Somebody reports that master has probably protected weapons in his house and accuses that he is a brother of terrorists as well. In this matter in the name of terrorists his family is punished physically and murdered his wife and daughter very cruelly. In the same situation master’s mother hits terribly with an axe to the captain’s back and he got awfully injured so she fled her grand daughter in order to save her life from the warrior. James Scoot in Dominations and the art of resistance has concerned that both the powerful and powerless are constrained in their behavior with the power relation (12). Here we can see that captain is powerful and master’s mother is physically powerless but she behaves like a powerful person. This shows that powerful people and powerless involve in the power relations. So power is a type of relation where people’s behaviors include themselves in power relations.
In the time of people’s war innocent individuals especially females get exploited in various cases. When the government force visit on master’s house for search, they suspect that master is a brother of terrorist. They torture him physically and mentally without considering his justification, he was accused as a terrorist for giving shelter to that Maoist. His mother and wife tried to convince them that he was neither criminal nor the cadre of Maoist instead they bend and kneel on his leg. They rape one female school student, she is also accused of being terrorist who do not know about Maoist and people’s war. The Captain asks the school girl very dominantly about how many husband she makes to Maoist, he misbehaves her physically and emotionally. All the military force sexually exploit her but the girl goes against the situations and bites the captain very badly. We can see here repressive power structure. Repressive power is ‘power which prevents specific behaviors and it exemplified with the relationship between police officer and criminals’ (Horn qvist 13).Here we can see the police officer commits criminal activities and seems as a criminal. This shows the negative form of power with criminal activities.
Similarly Bhandari has portrayed the repressive model of power. Repression is the act of subduing someone by intuitional or physical force. Political violence is a particular form of repression involving the use of physical force to achieve political goals. Repressive model of power can be exercised through physical force a case in a point, criminal activities and oppressive nature of powerful people to powerless one. Acts of repression such as political violence often violate fundamental rights therefore repression and political violence are the policies that government employs in political and military objectives. The most importance of these objectives is maintenance of control but leader may have substantive performance (Mills 124).In this way repressive model of power is exercised through government military force and maintained control to power less people. Bhandari’s repressive model of power can be seen in following lines.
Eakaeak gwaragwarti sena aaipugda mastar jhaskiyo. Budheeko aothamukha sukkyo. Shreematti ra chhoree akpatti kunama santransta awasthama ubhieka thiye. Sabaiko anuhhar darale kaalonilo bhayeko theyo. Masterlai eakdhad prashna sodhapachhi cyapatainle mudkee ra latta handai bhanyo-‘Maobadee palnae jatha! Yeshlai baadhara ladaa. [Immediately military force came to master’s house. His wife and daughter terrified and stood on the corner of that house. All their faces became very nervous. The military force asked some questions to the master and the captain punched and kickedhim, blaming that he was the sole shelter of Maoist with the words “Basted” Tie him and bend down]. (Bhandari 30)
These lines highlight the‘repressive’ model of power.Nepalese citizens have faced extreme exploitation in the era of people’s war. Here Sheewa exercises repressive power to the innocent villagers. They usually give trouble to them in the name of giving shelter. They frequently come for search and investigation to make village and villagers terrified. Here, Master is the representative character among the villagers who have faced extralegal killing, torture, disappearance and imprisonment from the state. Marx Weber points out ‘the defining concept of the state is its monopoly on the legitimate use of coercion or physical force including, repression’ (196). It is seen that government force use power to innocent citizen which is extreme societal violence and coercion from the state and government power.
Bhandari’s text has shown a vivid picture of negative aspects of power presenting the innocent individuals and middle class people such as Master. The plight of master shows that he is a victim of repressive power structure ‘power over’ in the time of people’s war. The use of repressive power can be seen in this following lines:
Aarko din sarchma aaeko shaheeseanaalai kasaile pola lagaideyecha. Pola lagaunele Masterkoma hatahatiyar samet hunasakne batayechha. Yati thaha payapachhe seenalai ke chahiyo? Unehurule eauti skulea chaatraa pani geraftkar garera lyaeka thiye [government force came in search. Somebody reported that master has some weapons. When they know this, what more the force need? They also arrested a school student.] (Bhandari 30)
Above lines highlight the power relations in negative form. The power holder of the country has mainly used “power over” to the innocent villagers in the name of Maoist terrorist. “Power over” highlights the issue of social conflict control, concern and coercions. It has different negative associations for people such as repression wealth, force, coercion, discrimination, corruption and abuse. It is seen in the form of win-lose relationships. We can see here same negative association among the people.“In the absence of alternative models and relationship, people repeat the power over pattern in their personal relationships, communities and intuition. New form of leadership and decision making must be explicitly defined, taught and rewarded in order to promote negative forms of power’ (Venklasen L Miller, 39-41). Thus, innocent and powerless people a case in a point master became a victim of ‘power over”. The negative form of power is highly ghted through following lines:
Mastarko peedaapurna chitkaarale gaunai tharkiyo. Aaba palo thiyo masterneelai bhogne. buhareeko rodhana ra chhorako krandnale budhee pani chichyaudai bahira aaien.
E jamdaar! Yo budheelai bhitra hulara tyo vhargenlai leraa” captanalae aarko adesh deyo, [Teacher’s agonizing words echoed the whole village. Now comes the turn of his wife to face the sufferings. Master’s mother begins to shout and her son and daughter in law started to cry. Captain command to his commander, “Oh Jamindar! Bring that old women inside and virgin outside.” Captain recommends again.] (Bhandari 34)
Above lines mainly focus on the negative model of power relations. Here Master is anindividual and innocent group, government and power holder of the country mainly torture them unnecessarily in the name of Maoist terrorist. All the family members of master are disturbed very horribly. This act shows the power over to the innocent group, where power holder of the country physically and mentally oppress them. Marx Weber says, “A political association exists if […] the enforcement of its order is carried out continually within a given territorial area by the application and the threat of physical force” (np). So the repressive mode of power is presented vividly in the text. These following lines also point out the mode of power in this way.
Tara natinile chechyaudai ushko hatmai tokidiyee. Jamdarle chichyaudai vanyo- ‘saaba! Nageen raechya. Naramrosangha tokee”. thukkya namardha! Taile jaha pani nageen dekhchhaas. Batti bal ma aafai janchhu . darule mattiyeko kyapatena aafai bhitra gayo. .[The girl yelled and bite on thejamdar’sarm. He became afraid and told that it is a type of snake, it bites me badly. Captain scolded him by saying ‘coward’ everywhere you see the same snake. Turn on the light I go there myself.] (Bhandari 34)
Especially in these lines, we see the conflict between two forces such as individuals and government. Here the representative of government force,a captain of force commands his leader ‘jamdar’ to bring the virgin girl and old women. He pulls that young lady and pushes old lady awfully out from the door. But young girl bites painfully on that jamdar arm. It shows the vivid picture of individual’s revolt against the power rule and authority of current royal government which is “Repressive” model of power associated with conflict. “A political system is a persistent pattern of human relationships that involves power, rule or authority (Dhal 214). So the repressive force of power mainly deals with conflict and also has political relationship. In this respect, the repressive mode of power has been presented in following lines:
Madhya ratma eakpachhee aarko gardai goliko aawaj aayo. eknasha chaleko goleeko aawajale gaun santrasta bhayo. Gauko pallo kunama imandar Mastarsanghai aboadha skule keeShor mariye. yeka anasuuya vriddhako chhatee golile chiyaachiyaa bhayo. [Atmid night one after another sound of bullet has touched the ears of the villagers, continuous sound of bullet makes village very terrified. In the corner of the village one innocent teen girl has been murdered. One old women’s chest became broken.] (Bhandari 34)
This extract mainly focuses on the repressive model of power. Particularly suppression and oppression of royal government towards powerless group shows that political issue which the current power holder of the country exercise ‘Repressive’ that is negative power to powerless group of the people. An innocent teenage girl and semi-skilled people such as teacher, farmer, and student mainly getexploited by the military force. In the book “Truth and power” Foucault says “The state, for all the omnipotence of its apparatuses, is for being able to occupy the whole field of actual power relations” (49). Here repressive power structure focuses on the political violence and conflict.
Especially Bhandari has focused on power relation effectively through the use of repressive force of power. Repression is a form of coercion for example, to deter societal violence such as rape, murder etc. we see the same repression in the text, but the citizens are against this repression. The government has cohesive capacity of repressive power, they have agents of repression and it assents the repressive model of power. Repressive agents are military forces, militia, merchants, political leaders, business person and so on, as long as they are seen as and actually function as legitimate extensions of the government (politics oxford.com). Military force creates social violence in the name of Maoist and they obviously exercised repressive power. So the repressive model of power mainly creates violence and conflict. Thus the section of this novel ‘power relations’ unfolds the repressive force of power.
3.2 Exercise of Power
The sub – section of this novel is exercise of power in productive model. The text mainly highlights the power exercises in the society in productive form. The major character of this novel is Sheewa. She is one of the representative and energetic figure who has labored hard in the time of people’s war among the other combatants. She is also given a nick name of sharp shooter fairy, a revolutionary girl. After a decade of Maoist war, it ends with people’s revolt against the royal government. Then, there comes the issue of Maoist combatant settlement. This issue makes them disqualified and the heads from the cantonment knock out them but without any frustration and hesitation they move forward and succeed in the establishment Srijansil Agricultural Form in Madeecota Bhaktapur. The farm is established through the leadership of Sheewa. It is seen here the power exercise with the social intuitions and agents.
Disqualified combatants organized together with their unique potentiality and strengths to work collaboratively. They seek the positive aspects of life and pursuit for the self-dependence and invest their labor power in agricultural sector with the mutual support. This is one of the productive model of power. It is progressive and positive attitude of force. In the book ‘International Journal of scientific study’ Michal Foucault notes that ‘power is not only repressive, law like force that influences and prohibit but also productive. It does not just come from those who are in authority because it represents itself in different modes and from many different matters. It produces the conveyance of knowledge and discourse and form our ideas and self-recognition’ (132). Therefore, the productive model of power occupies the differentideas and discourse of collective action.
The combatants exercise power too, power within and power out in the text. They are united with each other for their existence. It is only achieved with the collective attempt. This is one of the positive models of power and individuals’ way to their destinations of life after being disqualified. “Power is not something that is acquired in size or shared something that one holds on to or allow to slip away, or the power is employed through a net like organizations” (Foucault 98). So collective strength mutual support and social agents helps to exercise the power through bottom-up model. We can see the productive model of power from following lines:
nokarima lagepachhi purano sambandha ra samparkalai: feri badhai . usale samuhikatama bishwasa garthee. Samuhikatama bachana chahanthee. Usalai yuddhale samuhiakatako mahatwa ramraisangha sikayeko thiyo. Samuhik prayatna gariyovane kastai kathin karya pani sampanna garna sakinchha. [After she’s involved in job she has continued the previous relation and connection again. She believed in group and community. She liked to live in community. People’s war had taught her the importance of social agents. If we do the action collectively then every impossibilities turn into possibilities.] (Bhandari 95)
These lines reflect the productive model of power. Here, the combatants exercised the power with. The major character of the novel Sheewa became jobless when she was dis qualified from the cantonment since she had faced unemployment problem. She got a job to some extent. Though she involves in employment she continues her previous friendship with her combatant friends and keep contract with them, this shows the unique potentiality the major character. They develop the connection, support and collective strength where they work with the ideology of collectiveness and mutual support. This helps to exercise the productive force of power with. Here, we see the ideology of Sheewa which reflects mutual relationship and joint action that exercise positive model of power.
Maoist combatants lead towards the collectiveness. They mainly focus on the productive form of power such as Power to, power within and power with, Sheewa a leading figure of this novel exercises power to which is positive model to exercise power. It is an individual ability to act. Combatants develop their ability for the social reformation and they move forward in power which is collective action. They exercise power with and leads to act together. It helps to build bridges across different interests, experiences and knowledge and build the mentality to bring together to create resources and strategies. Power with has positive, productive view of power that analyzes popular up rings where individuals and groups of people take power into their own hands (Mills 37).This form of power leads combatants to the base for living. In this context Astha comments:
“Netalai: gali garna chhadera sirjanatmak kuro garoou.” Kunatirabat aasthale bhani [“We should talk about creative activities instead of insulting the power holder” said Astha]. (Bhandari 96)
Aastha utters these lines about a Maoist combatant who was disqualified and has knocked out from the cantonment. Sheewa developed the idea of collectiveness and work in joint action. We can see here the exercise of power within which is a sense of self-worth value and dignity. Here, the disqualified combatants build their capacity for the rise of aspirations about change. ‘Productive’ power emphasizes the production of specific behaviors (Hornqvist, 13). Combatants themselves engage in job creating activities and concertedaction which is the exercise of productive force of power. Those disqualified combatant belongs to joint action with unique potentiality to seek the positive aspects of life and pursuit for the self-dependence and invest their labor power in agricultural sector with the mutual support. Here the exercise of power within links with following lines:
Unihuru hijo samuhika Jeewan bacheka thye. aaja pani samuhiktama bachna chahanthe. utpadanaka lagi samuhik prayatna ra shrama prati imandar bhayematra hami bachnna sakchoou bhannema sahamat thiye unehuru. [Yesterday they lived cumulative life and today too they link to collective life. They agreed that if there is joint action and honesty in labor for production then only they can continue their life.] (Bhandari 103)
Above lines mainly highlight the positive aspects of power. It mainly focuses on the collectiveness. They exercise power within. Here individuals build their capacities for the rise of aspiration about change. It has a sense of self-worth, value and dignity for the organized work. So collective production is the major agenda for disqualified combatants. According to functionalist sociology ‘Society is based on consensus rather than conflict. A variable- sum concept of power is used in such a way that one social group’s power could increase without the re-education to further collective objectives such as economic growth which would improve the living standards and hence the power is gained by almost all citizens’ (Ralph Miliband np). So the productive force of power mainly focuses on group and collective action. The productive model of power is focused through following lines:
Samasyadekhi bhagne hoina ladne ho. Chhalphalko nichod thiyo. Lamo yesharee chaldaina bhannema sabai sahamat bhaye. Tara chalchha kasharee? yo khojeekai bisaya thiyo. Unihuru yehee khojeema thiye.
[People should not get rid from the problem instead they should struggle. All concluded that the life couldn’t sustain smoothly in the same context. But how it goes? It is the subject if study]. (Bhandari 103)
Given lines mainly highlight the productive model of power. Those combatants are marginal groups, hey are reunited and carry out a discussion about the future plan of cooperative work and joint action. During the time of the people’s war they involve in tea work that leads the nation to be a republic state. People’s war taught them to be united and piled. They are going to practice on the individuality and self-dependence which is one of the positive forces of power leads to power within. Team work and honesty is an important course for productions. It is cultural norms and customs that shape people to realize the needs, possibilities and effective action for change. They mainly focus on problems and issues of decision making. Education for confidence, citizens’ respect, collaboration, political awareness, political analysis, and using alternative media are the major factors for power with. This helps to link with concrete daily problems with rights and aids combatants to exercise power in productive model.
Power is not only repressive force that prohibits, but also productive. It does not just come from those who are in authority and higher positions because it represents itself in many different modes and from many various matters at once. It produces knowledge and forms our ideas and self-recognitions. Foucault says, “ We must cease one and for all to describe the effects of power in negative terms: it ‘excludes’ it ‘represses’ it ‘censors’, it ‘abstracts’, it ‘masks’, it ‘conceals’. In fact power produces; it produces reality; it produces domains of objects and ritual of truth. The individuals and the knowledge that may be gained of him belongs to this production” (Foucault 194). So all the combatants get involved in productions. In this respect, the joint action and team work are one of the important mechanisms which leads to the productive nature of power. This productive force of power mainly exercised by focusing on sovereignty of people which can be analyzed by these lines:
Hamro parteele ‘utpidanaka lagi sangharsha’ bhanne karyakram lyaudai chha. Kehi samayamai hami janatako ghardailoma sahakareemarphat pugneachou.’ ‘yo pani begatamaghai naramai seemit hune ta hola ni!’ [Our party is going to form the program’ Struggle for the Productions’. After sometime we will be thereon door to door of the citizen with the main sprit of development. Sheewa says that this is not only limited on the slogan but also implemented in practice, she further asserts that we have to give pressure to all youth for the program.] (Bhandari 107)
This line mainly practices the productive model of power. The disqualified combatants are on the agenda of “production for struggle” which is one of the burning issue where combatants have exercised power and creates the formal ground to make shape of power with. They are in the collective action and leads to act together. It helps them to build up knowledge, experience and capacity to involve in job, legal right and public life which are the process of empowerment. “Empowerment is a process that involves the individual’s discovery and change” (Miller 39- 41). Here the positive discovery and change can see through the establishment of agricultural farm. They are in the self-dependent work which is public process of power. Thus the productive model of power can be seen through following lines:
Yuddhabata Shanti prakriyama aaepachhi sangharshaka rupa pani paribartan hunchhan. Sadhai sena ra banduka bhanera hudaina.‘ sena ra banduk pani samayasapakshya kuro ho. Bichar ra byabahar sasakta chha bhane mancheka haat pani banduk banda balashalee hunchhan. [Modes of struggle has been changed after the establishment of the peace from people’s war. It is not possible to run after military force and gun. If ideology and behavior are powerful than people’s hands are also powerful like gun.] (Bhandari108)
Above lines explore the productive force of power. They are in positive thinking, production and work which exercises ‘power with’. It has positive thinking and behavior for the productive force of power with. It helps to build bridges across different interests of experiences and knowledges which make the mentality to bring together for the creation of resources and strategies.“Knowledge is determined by the combination of social intuitional and discursive pressure which represents power and power relations in such a way that it can produce new perspective of knowledge in every society” (Foucault 94).We see here the production of new perspective of knowledge and activeness of combatants for the exercise of power. As a whole self-awareness and activeness had to do something with future and nation too. It leads to the social justice and stand up on their right for the productive force of power. So for the positive thinking and behaviors it is one of the major accepts that individuals has to change and develop their capacity and ability which is more powerful than gun.
Past’s Maoist terrorists who have been disqualified went back to the village with the slogan of ‘security and productions’ which is one of the development work of the combatants. Now they are in the state of positive thought and self-behaviors and also the awareness and activeness to do something for the future and nation too.
3.3 Hegemony
Hegemony is also one of the sub section of this novel. The novel mainly explores the practice of hegemony in the society. It mainly focuses on the issue of domination and oppressive status of one element in the system over the others. It also relates with the power relations, according to Antonio Gramsci “Power is not only dependent in force but also onconsent” (Miller 39- 41). Here we can see the characters are in power relations not with force but with their willingness. In this way we can see the both portrayal and exercise of power relations related with force and consent. The character has great power force and consent to involve in power relations.
Similarly different power relations such as open, covert, and structure type of power can be found in the text. The characters borrow such type of power force in the text. They focus on the issue of hegemony which can be seen vividly in the text:
Khuseelea kyantonment chadnne ra ayogya vayara neskenea duwaiko Samasya eautai theyo barojgaree . unehurusanga meahanat garnasakkna ichhaShaktti theyo. Yuddalea Seakayako anusasan ra tyag theyo. Tara lagu: garnne thau theana.[Maoist combatants who have left cantonment by their will and being disqualified both have the common problem that is same unemployment. They do have great willingness to do hardship. War has taught the mscarification and discipline but do not have the way and place to present it.] (Bhandari 94)
Above lines present the element of hegemony related with consent. Here, the Maoist combatants become the victim of unemployment which is the major problem for them. They hav eself-willingness for doing work which explores the power relations in dominant and oppressive status. According to Strut Hall “ It is a framing of all competing definitions of reality with in the dominant class sets the limit structure with in which subordinate class live and make the sense of their sub ordination in such a way as to sustain the dominance of those ruling over them(333). So Maoist combatants come in the direct power in the field of production but they become subordinate and developed the idea of subordinations as well. Thus they are powerless of the state and the power holder uses power oppressing to them. The exercise of hegemony can be seen in the following lines:
Unihurusanga na basne thau thiyo na khane saman. Na gantabya thiyo na takne jamin. Unihuru patreesanga aakroShit ra chubddha thiye. Aayogya banayera nikalinuma patreeko hat thiyo vanne unihuruko thammaye thiyo. [Neither had they had place to live nor foodstuff to feed themselves. Neither had destination nor land to stand. They were quite aggressive with the political parties for evaluating them disqualified and knocking them out from the cantonment.] (Bhandari 95)
Above lines also focus on the exercise of hegemony. Maoist combatants a sub-ordinate class are knocked from the cantonment because of invalidation, without any companions. It is extreme domination to those inferior people by the so called superior. The power holder of the state deprived them from home land and property. This shows that the superior people want to keep society under their control. “Hegemony is a social cultural and ideological or economic influence exerted by dominant groups”(webster.com). Combatants realize the rules of the power holder of the country that politicians has the capacity to rule sub ordinate class by showing them dream of parliamentary member which became fake at last. Susan Strange says “Structural power is an essential capacity to realize the desire rules norms and operations in the international system” (195). So the power holder of the country uses their own rules, norms and operations to the sub ordinate group of people. The exercise of hegemony can be seen from following lines:
“Yogyata ra chhyamatako kam garne ho sabaile. Hijo janayudda ladeko vanera kasaile mala lagaididaina ta”. [All have to work in-accordance with their qualifications and capacity. No one put the garland for struggling in yesterday’s insurgency period] (Bhandari 98)
Above lines represent the covert power. We can see the powerful agenda of Maoist combatants and their self-motivation. All combatants came in power with their qualifications and skill of doing work. In this respect we can see the leadership of the combatant with new political agenda. According to Thomas J. Vology “Hegemony is the positions of having the capacity and power to change the rules and norms of international system based on one’s own motivations and desire” (195). The capacity of the war force for doing work based on their own self motivations encourages them to do work not as an insurgent but with their capacity skill and qualifications. They are in the field of productions which is the self-motivations of them for the leadership and work. In this way the practice of hegemony comes with following lines:
Aafnai parteele rajyako boleema loli milayo. Mahasankatma yogya vayeka hamihuru aahile ayogya vayoau. Hameele garne vanekai yastai ta ho ni. [Our own party deceived us. We were qualified in the time of insurgency period but now disqualified. Now our duty is like this](Bhandari 100)
The above lines highlight the hegemonic characteristics of the power holder. Here politicians deceive the inferior people like Maoist combatants. They used those people in the battle field and now considered them disqualified. Now they realize themselves of being disqualified and make consent to involve on production “The idea of hegemony in its wide sense is…especially important in societies where electoral politics and public opinion and significant factors in which social practice is seen to depend on consent to certain dominant ideas which in fact express the needs of a dominate class (Raymond Williams145). So individuals express their idea of consent and cooperation which promote them to give leadership for productions. Theirs dominated idea has become one of the significant factors for the field of productions which link with following lines:
Badaliyeko aawasthama utpadanma kasari jodine? unihuruko aagadei mukhya chunouti thiyo. Yeasto lagthyo unehuru naya sristee gardai chhan. Hunata sankat ra awaSyaktale matra nayako sirjana hunchha. Unihuru badaliyeko aawasthama jeewanlai kasaree bujne vanne khojma thiye. [How shall we ourselves connect with productions in this changedtime? They thought it was a great challenge of them. It seems that they are doing new creations. In factonly trouble and necessity creates new creation. They were inthe research of how to understand life in this changed condition.] (Bhandari 103)
Above lines explore the hegemonic characteristics of the Maoist combatants. Yesterday they were sub-ordinate class but now they change themselves and involve themselves in the field of productions. This represents the social practices, leadership and consent as being dominant class. Here combatants are in leadership and power which is the new creations to maintain their positions. Gramsci says ‘Hegemony entailscooperation ensured by force’, combining social and political supervision force and consent (ijbsnet.com).So here we can see the cooperation of the combat to involve in the productions. Their new creations, public opinions for productions and their dominant ideas to understand life visualize the cooperation and get involved in productive power force.
Thus, the sub section of this novel hegemony has also power relationship. We can see here the productive model of power exercised by Maoist combatants. This shows that they have also the capacity of leadership for productions. Foucault’s power circulation is never ending proliferation and from all social levels at all time is quite applicable in the text.
CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION
This thesis on the title of analysis of power relation in Bhandari’s Pahenlo Gham [Yellow Sun] is progressive because the researcher while going through the fiction came across the questions about what portrayal of power relations is found in Pahenlo Gham,how is it exercise in the text and why are these issues focused in the text.Its objectives are to identify the portrayal of power relations in the text, exercise of power and the issue of power relations focused in the text.
Power relation has been used in an issue of political agenda. There are different theorists who had developed different methods to analyze the relationship of power. Michal Foucault whose ideas has strongly influence to study the power relations and his new historicist perspective focuses that power circulates on the all directions in the society. After him other theorists such as Antonio Gramsci, Dhal Robert, and Lucks Steven continue the work on the same theory and discover the new fact of both productive and repressive model of power. These concepts ultimately made the study of power- relations easier. Power relations approach has been used by various writers in their writings. Bhandari’s novel is studied from the same theoretical perspective.
Bishnu Bhandari is a popular Nepali writer. Especially negative and positive mode of power circulations can be seen in the novel. Power relations in this novel finds out the productive and repressive model of power presented through the hegemonic characteristics of the political leaders as well as combatants too. The novel offers background information of the insurgency period of Nepalese history where people had well experienced the days, which are vividly maintained in the text.
An analysis on power relations is proven to be a type of bottom –up model of power which focuses on the way of power relations circulates in all directions and from all social level. It is an automatic functions of power both in progressive and repressive model. The relationship with powerful and powerless prepares the field of power relationship which leads to the power both in oppressing and constraining process. The power relations mainly leads towards both positive and negative form. Productive mode of power has leadership, social intuitions and agents. On the other hand the negative aspects of power leads to violence police officer and criminals. Individuals are in power relations both in productive and repressive form. These things are occurred by knowledge and rationality with different instructions. Power is expressed here as major force of relations in all over the society and it occurs with the struggle between powerful and power less people. Power relations come in the process of major agenda.
The term such as power relations is frequently used in different New- historic studies. It portrays the hegemonic characteristic of the people. We can see here the productive and repressive model of power through hegemonic characteristic. Power relations is the major issue which focuses on the hegemonic characteristics. It helps to exercise power and find out portrayal of power relations both in productive and repressive model.
This novel presents the various types of power relations through bottom up approach. The characters of this novel are suppressive and oppressive; they use both power over and power too during people’s war. Here we can see the power relations in various models. These concepts of power are presented through politics. Some of the characters like disqualified combatants of the ten-year people’s war like Sheewa, Bikalpa and Sohan are the victim of people’s war. They are oppressed by the power holder of the country but at the end of war those combatants regain the power. Such types of attitudes of the characters of the novel can be presented through bottom up model of power with productive and repressive form. The struggle of the Maoist combatants for living have been carefully presented in the text. Maoist heads are in power and they are enjoying all the governmental facilities. But without any hesitation and frustration they all struggle for their laborious life which makes them conscious about their future and beneficial life. Thus, the relationship with powerful and powerless prepares the power relationship.
The relationship of power with the rule and ruler groups prove the use of bottom up model of power used in the text. Especially power is related with politics and political agenda which is one of the important part of power relationship. Power is such type of force that permeates all relations in society. The novel deals with bottom up model of power where power is enacted and contested and allows for analysis which focuses on individuals as active subjects. These type of power relations can be studied from the bottom up approach of power. In this way there is gap between Maoist heads and Maoist combatant. Maoist leaders mainly use those innocent raiders for the achievement of the goal of political power butfinally those innocent combatants are left in the street. Here we can see the exploitive nature of political leaders. This kind of attitude mainly reflects the political issue where powerful people oppress powerless. Those powerless people are in street for their rights and opportunity. It is also known as proletariats revolution. In this respect, those innocent groups are now in power which is a wonderful achievement of their struggle and positive thinking and self-dependence of productive model of power.
Having studied and analyzed the power relations in Bhandari’s fiction, I have arrived to conclusion that his novel is rich in the use of productive and repressive model of power relationship with the aim of presenting the exercise of power. The hegemonic attitude of power-relationship has become one of the important issues and make up the plot of this novel. There has presented both oppressive and progressive groups. The novel focuses on the both capacity of powerful agents to realize their will over the will of powerless people and the ability to force them to do things which they do not wish to do. Its use in the novel contributes in conveying the writer’s vision of people’s war power, politics and Marxist agenda.
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