Social Changes of Salt Pan Workers in Karippu Manigal

Abstract

This Article deals with the novel “Karippu Manigal‟ which reflects the social changes in the lives of salt harvesters. The novel Karippu Manigal is the harrowing depiction of the lives of salt pan workers. Man’s fundamental needs are Food, Clothing, and Shelter which are produced by the working class, but their lives halts at the margin. A tamil proverbs goes like this, “Food without salt is waste”, which shows the immense use of salt in food. Though we enjoy the salt in food, we fail to know about the salt harvesters who produce that. Through this novel Rajam Krishnan portrays the appaling lives of workers in salt pans like their poor living condition, lower wages without proper standard income and their sufferings are not only constrained to money but also to physical illness such as young having grey hair at an early age, eye problems and many others. Author has also shown the other side of worker’s suffering due to employers and contractors. Rajam Krishnan clearly demonstrates that, without striving earnestly, social changes ain't possible. The objective of this dissertation is to show that only a revolution against capitalism will serve as a root cause for the social changes in the lives of salt harvesters which is proved through the novel “Karippu Manigal”.