Raja Rao’s Kanthapura: A Journey to Decolonization

Kanthapura (1938) depicts the conflict between Indian villagers and the Indian British authorities. Here Raja Rao paints Moorthy as a bold follower of Gandhian ideology. As a freedom fighter he does not accept caste barriers at all. Here Bhatta, the money lender exploits the poor innocent villagers. Gandhi's plan to introduce Charkha succeeds and many villagers start earning their livelihood. Moorthy organizes the villagers for national cause and they follow Gandhian dictates. As a result the tax policy of British government gets a set back. Finally, Moorthy is arrested but not excommunicated. When he comes out of prison, he asks his followers to lead a life of 'action'. Much has got to be done for national freedom. This novel is remarkable for social realism, economic realism and political realism. There is a direct encounter between villagers of Kanthapura and the British imperial powers.