Chapter one introduction

CHAPTER THREE (PART TWO)

RACISM AND ETHNICITY IN

THE THING ABOUT THUGS

This part of the chapter includes an anti-colonial analysis of Tabish Khair’s most famous novel The Thing About Thugs published in the 2010 by Harper Collins. The novel is one of the excellent works of the writer which emphatically highlights some prominent issues of colonial and postcolonial period like uncivilized, uncultured, dangerous, diabolical and inferior by self on one hand and the notion of race, identity, barbarism, east-west encounter and inter-racial relationships on the other hand. The novel was shortlisted for the DSC prize for South Asia, the Man Asian literary prize. And it was one of the twelve novels shortlisted earlier for The Hindu Best Fiction Award. While talking about the concept of the self and the other O. P. Dwivedi rightly says:

“In this creation of the ‘Other’ there is a continual denial of allowing the Other to relate to the Self, and at the same time, a tendency to cast the Self and the Other as simplified opposites of each other. Because there is a denial, there exist repercussions of flagrant contestations, which inevitably dismantle the peace and the dream of a utopian world. It is these vital issues of terror, horror and violence that Khair powerfully brings out in this novel” (2013, 1).

The Thing About Thugs highlights many deeply annoyed and prominent issues that are central to any discussion on colonial and postcolonial dynamism. It is a very important novel, which lies in the fact that the novel goes on to evoke the diverse ways of construction of the ‘Other’. The novel marks ‘other’ as uncivilised, uncultured, dangerous, diabolical and inferior by the Self.

The novel is a master stroke of the author to highlight the typical stereotype nature of the west towards the east. It represents a marvellous study of racial fear and horror in the novel and it also highlights the racial otherness and ghost stories. The novel is a beautiful attempt of the author to fill the gap and silence that underpin the eastern and western countries. There is a counter attack in the novel upon the typical mind-set of the west, who always consider east inferior to them.

The book represents a study of other that how other has been treated and viewed as a problem, and become a major form of horror, fear, and violence and how they remin other from the western mind. When Amir goes to London he certainly faces these sets of problems. Khair has examined this through the study of polemical dichotomy of East and west. Commented about this type of treatment of other O.P. Dwivedi in his “The Devil and the Racial Other in Tabish Khair’s The thing About Thugs” writes, “Covertly suggesting his preference for highlighting issues of otherness and ghost stories as cogent alternative in order to break the negative stereotyping of the other”. (2013, 1)

The title of the novel is very attractive but sometimes looks mysterious and ambiguous. The title of the novel is The Thing About Thugs. The writer tried to focus on the each and every thing related to the cult of thugee and about the difficult life of the thugs. He showed enormous difference of this practice between India and London. Amir Ali is the protagonist and central character of the novel, presented as a reformed thug but when the narrative takes place he found himself one of them. He has taken away to London by Captain T. Meadows to investigate the cult of thugee. As Meadows believes being a thug, he better knows the habits, attitude, and needs of thugs. He narrates his tales about thugee, as how it was practiced and institutionalised in India.

The narration of the stories was natural and fantastic. Therefore the stories become alive in front of the reader. The way of narration of the author is adventurous and lucid which brings many surprises for the reader either in terms of changing situations, or in terms of changes in the shades of characters. These surprises hold the reader up-to the end of the novel. While narrating the tales once Amir Ali said to Captain T. Meadows “And thus Sahib, did my first year as a thug come to an end. How many did we kill that year? Close to seventy”! (Khair, 2012, 60)

Amir Ali is the central character and the protagonist of the novel. Around whom the whole narrative revolves. He was a thug, lives in India who was taken away to London to narrate the tales of thugee practiced in India and also for the investigation of the regular robberies and brutal murderous happening in the dark, stinking streets of London. Therefore the novel deals with the characters and their stories happening on two different places. Om Prakash Dwivedi in his article entitled “The Thing About Thugs: Book Review” describes, “novel deals with the assortment of characters and their touching stories spanning over two places, Phansa in India and London in U K” (June 2011, 1).

When novel unfolds we come to know about the haunting mysteries of Victorian London. Gillian Wright in his article “A Thug Redeemed: Leisure” commented about the mysteries, relations of characters and about their brutal, barbaric attitude;

“Novel is full of suspense where the various strands of mystery, human relationships and crime are expertly woven into an absorbing and fast-moving tale. This is a book that deserves to stand the test of time and join the other masterpieces of Victorian London” (2010, 168).

The Thing About Thugs is a narration of a sensational and sizzling crime story which covers a wide range of characters. On commenting about the portrayal of the story and the characters Varsha Singh rightly says in her “The Midnight’s Grandchildren: Articulating the Postmodern Spirit in English Fiction of India Analyzing Tabish Khair’s The Thing About Thugs”. She writes,

“The Thing About Thugs, is a sensational crime story about a series of beheadings that terrify the public in 1830s London. As a Victorian genre novel it delivers an intricate plot, a large cast of entertaining characters, masked villains and admirable stylistic flair. And as an attempt to transcend the genre, Khair employs some metafiction and uses multiple perspectives to offer a broad social critique of the era's class and race divisions”. (2013, 4)

There are two major characters in the novel. Only the character of Amir Ali and author write in the first person. The first Character is Amir Ali, the central character and the protagonist of the novel. He bought to London from India by Captain Meadows to investigate the cult of thugee in the streets of London. The second character is Captain T. Meadows. Who wants to rewrite these tales of thugee. One more notable character is Lord Batterstone, was studying phrenology with Captain Meadows. There are two important lady characters in the novel; one is the girlfriend of Amir Ali named Jenny. She was a British. Amir writes a series of Farsi letters about his experience, which helps in the growth of the narrative.

The second lady character named QuiHy. This character seems to resemble Madame Defarge in Charles Dickens A Tale of Two cities, runs a Punjabi dhaba. The character named QuiHy. She was like Chinese. The author refers ‘QuiHy’ as no body ‘invisible’. But she was always eager to help the poor and played a strong role for their betterment of their life. The importance of the character is that her connectivity with these kinds of people made her able to catch the real thugs. The lady symbolises the east which is always considered as mute, colonised, supressed, but very much advanced in the race of civilization.

The character of Amir Ali is the central and leading character and he is also the narrator of the story. He has represented as a reformed thug. But when the entire story opens he becomes almost one of them. Amir Ali is taken to London by Captain William T. Meadows in the year around 1839. He was taken to London to investigate the cult of Thugee in the London. Amir has an English girlfriend Jenny; he addresses her ‘jaanam’. Amir’s letters becomes the developing and interesting source for the narrative. These Persian letters was actually intended to negate Amir’s talk with Captain Meadows. And the letters were the ‘official/public’ record of his life. Amir writes in his first letter to Jenny; “Scribbling away in the murk of the scullery, I wish, perhaps, to leave an account of myself in words other than the ones Kaptaan Meadows uses in his notebook”. (26)

While commenting about the letters (which becomes the development of the narrative) Md. Rezaul Haque in his “Review Essay: Colonial Thugs and Metropolitan Things: White Man’s Twin Burdens Tabish Khair’s, The Thing about Thugs” has written,

“Tabish is thus coupling, the young scholar notes, the ‘writing back’ agenda with a revisionist/subaltern one. As such, Amir’s letters are best read as a meta-text that works to upset the hierarchy of discourses by according the personal more significance than the public, a practice that used to be popular with the feminists of her grandmother’s generation”. (2014, 3)

Captain Meadows was Amir’s mentor he wants to rewrite the story with the help of his tales. He said to Amir “any story worth retelling is a true story” (4).On commenting about the letters written by Amir Ali to Jenny Om Prakash Dwivedi writes,

“Narrative takes its origin in the electric borrowing from Captain T. Meadows notes On a Thug: Character and Circumstances, a bunch of letters written in Farsi by Amir addressed to jenny and a London newspaper clipping which he comes across in the old library of his grandfather”. (June 2011, 168)

The starting of the novel is quite interesting as it reflects the childhood memories of the author. The memories were strongly related with his ancestral house at Phansa. It was a place where he deeply affected by the great writers of English literature such as Dickens, Conrad, Collins and Austen. When the novel gets started we come to know that Amir was not a real thug. He was a man who loved peace. He was a victim of a terrible loss as his escaped from India marked a new identity for him. And he pretends one of them just to deceive Captain Meadows. Because besides doing this he would not be able to investigate. Therefore we could say the fitting of the characters in the narrative is very impactful because all the characters are able to maintain their identity either they are British or Indian. Author’s portrayal of some characters living under ground is wonderful in comparison to the upper class. Ustad, who lives in the sewers of London, was fond of Urdu poetry. The description of Fetcher of these people to Ali was so heart touching. He claims,

“They are humans, but no they are not from aloud, not beggars escaped prisoners or homeless Londoners, They never even go above. They were born and reared in the tunnels under London. Not ghosts, nor ghouls, they are human or half human”. (171)

There are some more characters moving in the novel like; prostitutes, beggars, niggers, ex-slaves, opium peddlers, lascars. They all represent different class of the system. Almost all these characters belong to the lower class of the society. They were living in dirty, gloomy, stink, streets of London. The most interesting and touching aspects of such characters is they all represent the plight and reality of this artificial world. The author also tried to highlight the shades of some characters according to their body structure. As the character of Captain Meadows not only take interviews of Amir Ali but he also examines his head. Because Captain Meadows believes the character of a man can be assessed by the shape of his skull. The writer has also given certain examples in this respect in the book like; “There is the difference in the shape and size of the brain and the organic quality of the body”. (88) Khair has made a comparison between the physical structure of Chinaman and Negro. He claims,

“Negro or the child of some other race, is to blur the essential differences between the races, and the lessons of history, which records Greek and Roman antiquity as the cradle of every civilization, as well as the lessons of biology”. (87)

The author exposes the racist attitude of western thinking. He defines the racist thinking of Lord Batterstone, “just as God did not create all beings equal, it stands to reason that the marks on the skull are as permanent as souls and not liable to be erased by education or wealth” (78). The character of Batterstone highlights the epitome of the White‘s Enlightenment project. On commenting about this characters attitude O. P. Dwivedi writes, “as such he ensured that the palpable differences between different races are proliferated and strengthened through his research work. In order to carry out his research” (2013, 4).

These characters help in the development of the narrative. To narrate his story, author creates a character representing the modern day. This figure discovers the bunch of Farsi letters written by Amir Ali to Jenny. The letters written by Amir Ali to his girlfriend Jenny played an important role in the development of the novel. In his letters Amir talked about his experiences of West and he compared east and west in many aspects. He claims, “There were always the people who had less time than anyone else. On the other hand, there are people in the village, like my uncle” (138-139).

The style and the tone either Amir narrating the stories of robbery and murderous or describing the regional spirit of Phansa (Bihar) were fabulous. The description of his native village was full of heart touching memories. He describes wonderfully the beauty of Indian landscapes, “the mighty Himalayas four hundred miles away or flowing into the Ganga or the Jamuna further on” (67). And Amir defines the beauty of morning rise in India “those to the east tinged with the colour of the rising sun” (66). He also compared his experience in both the places “here the fog and the buildings obscure the sun and the sky” (66). Amir’s description of his village made it alive to the reader; the singing birds, fresh air, bright sunny day, smelling fields with crops, lovely people and wonderful atmosphere.

But in comparison to London it was dominant, strong, busy, and pungent. And the stories of thugee were dabbled with brutality, horror presented with amazing imagination as they become able to create the British image of the Indians as mysterious, cheat, unreliable and wily. And this image continues up to the end of the novel. When the story comes to an end the image of British proves true. Because the end discloses, British were the real criminals who were responsible for these barbaric practices.

The period described by Author was ruled by British in India. On the other hand he is talking about brutal, haunting, bleeding London. Amir says about the fact; “London is full of ghosts. It is a place of hauntings, of betrayals, hangings, and beheadings. And above all, it is a place of dreams and hopes” (172).

The streets are wrapped in darkness and dabbled in blood. Khair also portrayed London as a country of poverty, people without home, slums on road side etc. portrayal of mysterious, haunting nights of London “Look night is descending on the streets of London in the likeness of a streaming darkness, capped by a laggard mist a little way up in the air” (16). But we got the image of London has been changed and it becomes a prosperous land.

The period portrayed in the novel was nineteenth century it was colonial period in India. The key point of the process of colonialism was that the European colonialisms involved a variety of techniques, patterns and tools of domination all of them produced the economic imbalance that was necessary for the growth of European industry capitalism and culture. Homi K. Bhaba in his The Locations of Culture describes about the characteristic of colonial discourse. He writes, “The objective of colonial discourse is to construe the colonized as a population of degenerate types on the basis of racial origin, in order to justify conquest and to establish systems of administration and instructions” (1994, 70).

This is process which affects the human not only physically but psychologically. On commenting upon the psychoanalytical effect of colonialism Ashis Nandy in his “The Intimate Enemy: Recovery of Self under Colonialism” writes, “This colonialism colonizes minds in addition to bodies and it releases forces within the colonized societies to alter their cultural priorities once for all” (1986, 11).

The purpose of colonisers was to make the colonised country civilized, and cultured. Therefore they were forced to adopt the civilised culture of colonisers. The gap between colonisation and civilisation is typical and wide. And this process of colonisation is sick and diseased. The interrogation of the author of colonial paradigm is quite emphatic and he charges against the coloniser for their barbaric attitude. Captain Meadows asked Amir Ali how this system can allow this brutal and barbaric habit exists so long. Amir Ali replied very politely “And are you not fond of battles and wars by which you win a town here and a market there? How much less bloody is the occupation of a thug!” (61).

Depankar Roy in his article “Representation of the ‘National Self—Novelistic portrayal of a New Cultural identity in Gora” has written about the perception of colonial attitude in a general sense. He writes;

“This experience turned out to be debilitating and invigorating in an irreversible way. Colonization can never be merely viewed as the unleashing of processes of economic exploitation. It always has cultural aggression as its necessary corollary. It destroys civilizations. It empties the colonized subjects of all their traditional belief-systems, cultural practices, and ritualistic moorings. It undermines their very sense of self. The loss of ‘self’ under colonialism– when humanity reduced to a monologue— results in the colonization of minds” (2010, 386).

Actually there is a similarity presented by the author in the novel between the life of a thug and the process of colonisation; As Amir said “What is the thug’s life but a preying upon those weaker than him?” (61). The same thing happens in the process of colonisation. The stronger one suppresses the weaker one and uses their resources and wealth. Amir also denies with the stereotype thinking of west towards eastern geography. While remembering India Amir asked to Jenny,

“My part of India is not lush green wilderness, as you like to picture India. No, jaanam, it has been cultivated far too long to be the jungle that you imagine but there are trees, sometimes twisted and deprived, sometimes wide and majestic” (67).

The description of Indian landscapes from the point of view of colonial discourse is always been taken as dark, wild forests captured with robbers. The description is dangerous and horrible. But author tried to vanish this thinking of colonial India. He claims the daybreak in Indian villages is quite nice in comparison to foggy Victorian London. He made comparison and said “how peaceful it is, the break of down, in the village of India” (66).

Actually the setting of the novel is in nineteenth century London, the Victorian age. Nineteenth century was the culmination period for colonialism, When European states established colonies on other continents. Most of the native people of colonial territory were oppressed and enslaved by the colonising power. At the same time the indigenous people were forced to give up their cultural heritage and to assimilate to the coloniser’s culture. The colonial power always argued that ‘third world countries’ were inferior and needed western help and assistance in order to gain moral integrity and economic wealth.

The representation of London in the novel is a true image of Victorian London. In early nineties London was a magical place with beautiful less traffic streets, bricks or stone houses. The roads were lighted with lampposts. The dressings of the people were nice. The opening pages of the novel reflect a clear picture of the atmosphere of eighteenth century Victorian London. The opening page has a picture of ‘traditional lamppost’, which indicates that how the period actually was. In the nineteenth century London becomes the capital of British Empire and world’s largest city.

The era is a witness of progress of the city in such fields like; global, financial, cultural and political. And it was marked rapidly changing society and developments. The country was dabbled into religion. It was the era of industrial revolution. The image of England is always taken as beautiful castles, Wavelet Rivers, dancing Daffodils, beautiful drop hills covered with milky snow, relaxed sandy beaches, innocent villages and stylish, energetic, noisy city.

This attractive London city has been fictionalised by number of authors. It is the city of great authors since a long time like Milton, Keats Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Shelley. But Khair’s representation of British characters, atmosphere of the city and the typical attitude of west are amazing. And there is something unique because he is a writer of Indian background and has no connection with the city especially the period portrayed in the novel. The imagination and portrayal of the period is wonderful. The period presented in the novel was nineteenth century foggy, mysterious and barbaric Victorian London.

To deal with the themes like Otherness, racist attitude of west, inter-racial relationships and racial fear, Khair focuses on the Victorian London, because during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the seeds of colonialism and resulting the suppression and exploitation were dabble in the London. The Industrial Revolution widens the gap between and the lower classes and the aristocrats in London.

The city was also the symbol of producing best literature, science learning, architecture and industrial development. It is very difficult to an author of post-modern period to frame such qualities into his literature but Khair has been succeeded in his job to make novel alive and immortal. He bought Bihar to London. The history defines England a legacy of battles, a developing monarchy, fashion, art-works etc. But the reality was quite different. In that era London was the greatest metropolis in Europe. And because of these qualities the city always fascinates Orient towards itself. But there is always remain a great difference between the east and west.

When we are talking about colonial period we cannot ignore the post-colonial period. The post-colonialism is a new way of thinking of the relation between coloniser and colonisation like; east and west, binary division, black and white etc. The novel also reflects a binary distinction between coloniser and colonised. The author claims this distinction in term of civilisation and barbarism. From the perspective of post-colonial discourse the British mind-set towards Indian caste system and traditions is always ridiculous. Khair’s depiction of British characters is quite well. These characters represents the western class system dabbled in the English society.

The British class system attracts author to answer about the changes on the class system of the society. The lower class fascinates more to him. These characters show courage and loyalty. Like Jack and Holmes were familiar with the gloomy streets and therefore they helped to catch the criminals.

While dealing with the perspective of anti-colonial discourse there are certain issues which come in front of us in the novel highlighted by the author like; east-west encounter, racism, colonisation vs. civilization, regional spirit of Bihar, diasporic writing, etc. The novel represents a racism biased characterization. Like the people belong to the east always considered as lazy, violent, uneducated and uncivilized. And the people of west are quite intelligent, educated, mannered, and cultured in comparison to the east. Edward Said in ‘Orientalism’ describes about this biased behaviour of west towards east. The west is always considered as powerful, coloniser and they have a typical attitude towards east. The east is always taken like; lazy Indians, dazed Irish, and Liquidator Arab. And especially Indians have always remained a centre of attraction for western countries. Therefore Edward Said claims, “How the alluring and appalling image of the Orient was used to underpin and legitimize European imperialist and colonialist undertakings” (Shands, W. Kerstin. 2008).

The primary symbol/signifier of racism is the ‘colour’ although later it changes into certain terms prevailing in the Indian socity like; linguistic, religious, ethnic, sexual and class differences. Ania Loomba in her book Colonialism/ Postcolonialism defines the attitude of racism. To quote:

“Race’ those particularly highlight the supposed primitivism and violence. The connection between contemporary British racism and the city is an important reminder that race is a relational concept which does not have fixed referents” (1998, 106).

The racist attitude of British towards east is emphatically presented in the novel and this theory exists in the Orientalism. Therefore we could say orientalism exposes the racist attitude of west towards east. The racist attitude gives them a feeling of superiority complex.

According to Marxism the racism is an important element of class division. Actually the history is the witness of racist attitude of stereotypes as a complex process. These racist stereotypes of colonial discourses can still be found in science, historical writing, mass media and literature. The one more type of caste distinction represented by the author in the novel in a very lucid manner; “Haldi Ram and his community, being low caste, resided in a hamlet just outside the main village” (67). This type of typical mind-set for low castes was very common in the colonial India.

The British attitude towards India was very much influenced with domestic servants, and the experiences of slavery etc. Racism, caste and class are the important contents of colonialism. While describing caste system Ania Loomba claims,

“Caste was of course a concept that becomes familiar in England from colonial experiences in India, and it marked a social, economic and religious hierarchy overlaid with connotations of purity and pollution, similar to those that shape the idea of race” (1998, 107).

The racist attitude was also defined by Jawahar Lal Nehru in Discovery of India, as east versus west and Asia versus Europe. While accepting the fact Rudyard Kipling commented on racist attitude in the ending lines of his The Ballad of East and West;

“Oh, East is east, and West is west, and never the twain shall meet,

Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great judgement seat”.

But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,

When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!” (1889).

This distinction of race has been seen in the characters of the novel. The description of British characters in the novel is presented as coloniser stronger, and civilised in comparison to Indian characters. According to Homi Bhabha there are four kinds of stages in the process of colonisation; mimicry, hybridity, ambivalence and liminality. Khair focused upon the ambivalent nature of coloniser and colonised in the novel. The colonisers are considered as brutal, strong, wild, willy, dangerous and harmful. But on the same time they looked as helpful, supportive and domestic.

The British characters in the novel are created and narrated in the same manner; Captains, Lords, majors etc. These British are presented as criminals, murderous, skull collectors, and opium eaters. They are all belongs to high class society. And on the other hand the colonised are always taken as suppressed, voiceless, weak, and uncivilised. But the character of Amir Ali And lady character QuiHy are presented as intelligent, cultured and strong. As both were able to investigate the real thugs.

In the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte made a picture of class division. The eastern countries are richer in comparison to west and they had a variety of traditional long living culture; but this quality is always ignored by the west. According to the west the orient or the India is a country of poverty, illiteracy, and uncivilised and of course they are murderous, barbaric and thugs. They do not care that the east is agree or not but they always repeated the same attitude. This typical attitude is also represented in the writings of west. And these writings made India as a disgraceful country. Sometimes this attitude represents in this novel too. From the perspective of India, Mary Douglas has claimed that India is ‘“a mirror image” of Europe and thus a totally opposite world to the West” (1972, 12).

The novel strongly highlights the trauma of racism. The Character of Amir Ali is represented as an accused of the murderous and robberies and he take refuge among his fellow “untouchables”. This also includes an enjoyable trip through Mole People territory, live in sewer tunnels.

Because of the series of murderous, in London, becomes an increasingly dangerous and horrible place with many lurking threats. There were one common thing in these murders that all those who have been killed so far are non-Whites/ blacks/orients and poor people residing on the dark streets of London. Commenting on the monstrous nature of its people, Khair writes thus:

“And London, this city of cities, how could it be trusted? It hid so many stories and layers, its paths above the ground were devious and twisted, its tunnels and sewers and dungeons numberless and unmapped” (159).

Actually this was only a misunderstanding of the whites that these uncivilised, brutal activities done by the orients. Journalist Daniel Oates in his report had to say about the convict. He has written,

“From the far points of the globe they come, from places of wondrous riches and sights but also, as our missionaries and colonialists remind us, with strange rites and heathen customs, with extreme political views like anarchism, with devilish practices, like cannibalism and suttee and thugee. It has been whispered in the streets that the murderer is some heathen, recently imported into our parts that either practises a devilish and esoteric rite or consumes human flesh” (Quoted in Dwivedi, 2013, 5).

Daniel Oates, in contrast to the above-mentioned report, had written about his self-celebratory views upon the race and culture. He states “It was the sort of crime one only associates with other, hotter climes, with people reared on superstitions and barbarities, and not on the milk of human mercy that flows through Christian veins in the lands of civilization”. (Quoted in Dwivedi, 2013, 6)

Tabish Khair in his essay “Re-Orientalisms: Meditations on Exoticism and Transcendence, Otherness and the Self” writes about the racial prejudices which become vital;

“All cultures have their prejudices, but the hegemony of Europe in the past few centuries turned many European perspectives, prejudiced or not, into the main and at times the only – definitive truth about complex non-European places, ideas, histories, customs or peoples” (Quoted in Dwivedi, 2013, 6).

Through the character of Amir Ali, Tabish khair represents another interesting account of Otherness which operates throughout the narration of Amir’s tales of stories. It is very interesting; Amir chooses to adopt Otherness by acting like a real thug that Captain T. Meadows believes his words when Amir says,

“I wish, perhaps, to leave an account of myself in words other than the ones Kaptan Meadows uses in his notebook, the carefully inscribed pages that he intends to turn into a book about the infamous institution of thugee and my fledging career in what he calls ritual murder‘. Because, my dear, I was not, I am not what the Kaptan wants me to be I am not Amir Ali, the Thug” (30).

These brutal murders were actually done by the Whites. Therefore this dismantles the superiority of their culture, intelligence and race. The character of an old lady Qui Hy comes out as a smarter lady with a nice reasoning mind in comparison to Major Grayper, or even the journalist, Daniel Oates. Clearly then, reason and goodness cannot be associated with any particular race.

Therefore by making Amir speak like a real thug, Captain Meadows was only tried to assert the superiority of his culture, civilisation and race. Meadows also promise Amir that he will allow returning him back to India as a cruel deed. O. P. Dwivedi further says about the adoption of otherness of Amir Ali:

“He listens or it would be more appropriate to say that he makes Amir say what he feels like listening. That is why Amir recounts the barbaric tales of thugs and their disturbing practices only to please the Captain. He is well aware that he can only be safe if he subscribes to and affirms the notion of superiority of the Captain‘s race and culture, and this is what he does in the process of his entire narration. Listen to what Amir has to reveal further” (2013, 8).

Amir was feeling guilty because he pretends to be a reformed Thug but at the end of the novel we come to know that he becomes one of them. There are some moments described by Khair when he feels guilty about the stories which he has embroidered for Captain Meadows: “No, I would not say I have lied to him, for I have told him what he wanted to hear I believe that we are lied to only to the extent that we want to believe in the lies” (122).

The central character Amir Ali narrates story with the help of tales of thugee. These tales represents the Orients as brutal, barbaric and uncivilized. James Clifford commented about the orients “The Orient functions as a theatre, a stage on which a performance is repeated, to be seen from a privileged stand point” (1986, 12). The representation of the characters and circumstances in the novel is amazingly effective. As the writer offers an alternative way of thinking, how the cult of thugee had been practiced in the India. And there is also a different way of thinking that how this practice institutionalised in the India by the British.

Actually the image of India from the western mind is always made by repellent interpretations and by misrepresentations of Indian civilization. The Orient has been always colonised and neglected by the Europeans therefore they suffers with the feeling of hatred and aggression in their minds. The thinking of British eye on the Indian life and culture is always different. This difference beautifully described by Edward Said in Orientalism;

“The discipline by which the Orient was (and is) approached systematically, as a topic of learning, discovery, and practice. But in addition I have been using the word to designate that collection of dreams, images and vocabularies available to anyone who has tried to talk about what lies east of the dividing line. These two aspects of Orientalism are not incongruent, since by use of them both Europe could advance securely and unmetaphorically upon the Orient” (1995, 73).

The luxurious of west always fascinates east towards itself. And because of this attraction there is kind of encounter happens, known as east-west encounter. It could be of two types (1) When an eastern culture/people meets west, and (2) West comes in the contact of east. The novel is an excellent example of east-west encounter. East -West encounter is an important part of the concept of anti-colonial discourse. As in the novel Amir the central character went to England and comes in the contact of a different culture. Amir belongs to India an eastern country. In his letters to his girlfriend Jenny he certainly writes about his experiences about both the countries. Edward Said in his Orientalism claims about the orient westerners shore up their identity. So in that way orientalism is a style of west to dominate and oppress the east and to show their superiority. According to E. Said this type of idea may appear when someone received the western culture. Clarke also commented on this encounter of east and west. He says, “Encountering the East has been significant for the self-image of the West producing identities ranging from decadent European modernity to concepts of cultural, racial and moral superiority” (Clarke 1997).

E. M. Forster in his “A Passage to India” has also written about east-west encounter. The novel is based upon writers own experience when he was temporarily residing in India. And there he comes in contact with the Indian people and culture. This is a book that has been balanced by the author between east and west in many perspectives like; religion, and culture etc. F. Boris commented about Forster’s representation of India from western mind; “Forster, representing the finest and most human in the liberal spirit, began in A Passage to India the tradition of using Indian life as an image of personal experiences” (1983, 319).

The colonial era is the witness of first encounter with others. This encounter begins a new age for traders and for the common people also. It also brings a new idea of progress. This cultural encounter emerged as a scientific progress and for the study of otherness. This scientific attitude of west emphatically described in this novel. The novel focuses their passion and attraction towards science. British always think that science is a great tool by which they can construct and sometimes deconstruct religion according to their need.

India is basically known for their long lasting culture and a country of religion. And the maximum numbers are the followers of Hindu religion. This religion from the thinking of west is always superstitious. Hindu religion is constructed on blind faith in mighty God. There is no space for reasoning and questioning. But westerns believe on science, reasoning, progress and questioning. When Amir Ali migrated to London he found himself inferior to British. There are few characters in the novel who talks about ‘God of Reason’. Captain Meadows said, ‘the guidance of Reason which is a God unknown to your race’.

Amir actually belongs to a long lasting culture and civilisation. But when he went to London to investigate the cult of thugee happening in the streets of London, he comes in the contact of a very different and new culture. This new culture was dominated by science, observations and reasons. On the other hand Indian religions and culture are based upon faith.

We could say that there is a theme related to science and religion or a wave carrying the theme ‘Science versus Religion’ flowing throughout the novel. This is because the east is always considered as more religious, optimistic and superstitious in comparison to west. And therefore west always consider they are superior to east. Two characters of the novel Captain Meadows and Lord Batterstone believe that science is the ultimate truth of the world. They made this conclusion through the study of phrenology. Khair has presented Phrenology as many of the aristocrats' beloved science, to help strengthen England's global dominance and colonial enthusiasm.

There is also a disappointment with the novel that it carries multiple issues and themes and they are not chosen slowly. After involvement into the story a number of times, teasing at the idea that while Amir's adventure is wild it has a basis in modern life. There is also a lack of concrete details and facts about Khair to form the real connection what he feels with his characters especially to Amir Ali.

Human contact with other religions, castes, cultures, behaviour, and societies described by Edward Said in his Famous book Orientalism. Edward Said called this attitude “Otherness”. Actually if we talk about India, the British mind-set is very typical towards Indians. But the novel brings a different attitude because there is a single person who went to abroad and comes in the contact of a different atmosphere. On the other hand in the common process of colonisation, Colonialism deprived the natives of their identity and the time came when they revolt against coloniser.

Khair is an enthusiastic diaspora writer of contemporary Indian English writing. Born in Gaya (Bihar), migrated to Denmark, still the person subtly writing about Indian culture, tradition and people. This reflects that how the memories of his native country are still alive in his heart. Yet the novel does not deal directly with the regional spirit of Bihar (Phansa). Amir Ali talked about his native village in his letters. He made comparison between India and England. Being a diasporic writer Khair very well highlights this element. Khair belongs to a Muslim family; Muslims are the biggest minority of India. Khair himself claimed that he is born in a Muslim community, for him it is just like living in a minority within the minority. So the experiences of being a migrated person like the character of Amir Ali in the novel, sometimes looks same. This reflects how the person is deeply rooted with their native land. The diasporic element of the novel is quite impressive. Therefore we have found an autobiographic element in the novel.

Finally almost at the end of the novel Amir Ali the central character felt exhausted and frustrated with the peculiar atmosphere of the country. He felt tired himself with all these but he does not want’s to come back their native land India. This quality makes a connection of similarity between the author and Amir Ali; it reflects an autobiographical element in the novel. And we have also seen various comparison made by Amir in the novel between his native country and London. Amir was not fully able to adopt accommodate in the culture. When a person left his country for education, employment and betterment of his life or some other reason, it is not easy for them.

The character of Amir Ali is a direct representation of the writer’s own experiences of caste and class divisions. There is also a brief section of notes about what Amir endures in his life. Amir Ali himself laments "This is India as you people imagine it. You have made it come alive here in the streets of London" (quoted in Singh, 2013, 6).

This strategy of narration of the plot leads to a high expectation that Khair as author will serve both as a guiding voice and true character in the story and his autobiography will help propel an otherwise standard genre novel to a higher level. It is very difficult to attract the reader’s attention towards the narrative and the author equally as well. The narration style of the writer in the first section presents a mix of awkwardness and eloquence. While commenting about the fact Varsha Singh further writes,

“It is, however, not a subtle method to draw readers' attention to possible parallels between an author and a novel. And Khair's writing style in the first section presents a mix of awkwardness and eloquence. The odd first line reads, Ghosts are often said to be white, but a few pages later Khair delivers a slightly more graceful, expansive sentiment about the characters we'll soon meet: (I) write from between texts and spaces, even though I am located in the space of their narration and they in mine" (2013, 4).

Just like Amir Ali, Khair’s mind was also crowded with so many questions when he was living in India. As he belongs to the biggest minority community of India; therefore there were several questions related to his identity being an Indian or a Muslim. Yet the person is writing about Indian culture, tradition, discourse etc. This shows that how the person is deep in affection with their country. The real India and the memories are still alive in his heart. The description of Amir of his native village was very natural and harmonic. It was the period of British rule in India. Amir says, “Patna was the city of a thousand of gardens, a hundred schools, but they are all gone. Now it is simply a provincial headquarter, sustained by the presence of the company” (43).

But as the people live over there it was very coexisting and mannered. As people love each other and spend time with their near and dears. The complete atmosphere was so peaceful and religious in his village. The impact of British Empire was less reflected in this type of lovely atmosphere. The people of both the religions were live and work together. There was a unity in the people of all religions. When Amir unfolds the tales of thugee he said there was a unity between the thugs of both the religion when they invoke their goddess Bhovanee, “the guardian deity of thugs, Muslims and Hindu” (27). Amutha Charu also commented on this religious spirit, “Whereas those sahibs who hails god of reason, can only sow seeds of hatred and partition among the innocent people – an act of uncivilized deed” (2011, 322).

Therefore the words like nation, home, homeland, nation-state, discourse are very important in the life of diaspora or migrated person. Expatriate writing is one more burning and highlighted issue in the present time in relation to Anti- Colonial Discourse; as it connects two different cultures and discourses of two different nations. Actually Diaspora is like a transnational connection between two cultures; the native land from where it belongs and the land where he is settled. Therefore he can write emphatically about the cultures, traditions, religion, rituals, social values etc. of their native land. And the person can also write about their current experiences and he can make comparison in between both.

Amir Ali portrays his experiences and memories of India which made his tales of thugee alive and natural. And he also made comparison at so many places in India and London. While writing about the home of origin and adopted nation Chetna Pokhriyal suggests, “The process of survival of the diasporic individual/ community in between the ‘home of origin’ and ‘World of adoption’ in the voyage undertaken in the whole process from ‘alienation’ to final ‘assimilation” (2009, 1).

There is a kind of nostalgia of coming back to their native land. Like Amir told to Jenny “return has never struck me as an option. Some people has no desire to return, for to return is to disturb a past which, whether good or bad” (139). Salman Rushdie in his Imaginary Homelands raises the question, what does it mean to be an “Indian” outside India?

We could say that now the concept of anti-colonialism has been changed. Now it brings the concept anti-colonialism to globalism. Actually when the human comes in the contact of other culture, races and languages, this change affects their thinking. The encounter with other people and culture enhances their knowledge and awareness in many ways. Tabish Khair amazingly presented these changes in this novel. As we saw when Amir Ali went to London, he comes in the contact of a different culture, people and language. And he discusses these changes with his girlfriend Jenny.

Actually sometimes two different kinds of thoughts are running together in the novel; like one hand Amir is narrating his tales of thugee in India and on the same time he is talking about London “how strange this place is, this London of yours” (63). Same as above the novel highlights two types of questions on the same time like; it reveals the stories about brutal murders and regular robberies happening on the notorious highways of nineteenth century Victorian London and it focuses on the hypothetical British mind-set to show their superiority over orients or the natives. The author also suggests this thinking about India is only a western fantasy. Edward Said also describes that their typical thinking about India is not based upon observations but only a result of the typical attitude of west and their dreams or imagination about eastern countries.

As the narrative runs soon we saw the changes in the practice of thugee. It becomes harsher, brutal along with dog- like behaviour. The plot structure is built upon two parallel issues; the stories of brutal and mysterious thugee along with the parallel action. The plot of the novel consists of a series of horrible-beheadings takes place in a gloomy and dark street of London. Along with these series there are also a series of letters written by Amir Ali to his girlfriend. These letters are based upon the experiences of Amir in India and London. The system suspected that the colonies are responsible for these practices of thugee. The reason behind this suspect was the beheadings. Because the gruesome -beheading is not a habit of Heathenish (People not acknowledging the God of Christianity and Judaism and Islam). Amutha Charu said upon this brutal practice done by British; “This perception also arises because they cannot imagine the English collecting heads to perform tantric rites in Stonehenge and Voodoo in Westminster” (2011, 316).

According to the press this habit this was a cult done by foreigners. They also represent a theory called Oriental Cannibal theory; the theory defines:

“The Oriental theory of the atrocities is worth thinking about we all know how political fanaticism will drive a Nihilist to the commission of murder, but it is not so generally known that religious fervour drives some sects to the most terrible acts of self – mutilation in Asia and Africa . The Orientals are very apt to rush into extremes, and they seem to have an idea that social and eternal salvation can only be obtained by means most repugnant to civilized and well-balanced minds” (quoted in Charu, 316).

The ending of the novel is quite ambiguous. Khair presented a total reversal in the roles of the characters. Amir Ali the protagonist of the novel found himself one of the thugs and the system also suspected that he is a thug because he past life of thugee emerges as a civilised and cultured person. As we know that Amir is presented as a reformed thug. Initially the government suspected that the colonies are responsible for these robberies and murders but the actual criminal was three British who belong to a civilised society.

West has always been a fantasy of pleasure for the eastern countries. Author breaks the so called stereotype mind-set of west towards east. Like the east is always taken as uncultured, uncivilised, wild, brutal and barbaric. But when the truth exposes, everyone come to know who the actual criminals were. The west always proud to their education, science and progress and civilised culture. But the reality is quite different which interrogates by the author at the end of the novel. The character of Amir is the true reflection of a colonised person like Khair himself. Captain Meadows tried to civilize the thugs stands as evidence,

“entire culture and nations , The promise so dear to any Christian heart, of salvation of the human soul, of mercy and redemption” (Quoted in Charu, 317).

The Author narrated novel as a multiple narrative as it carries letter writing, dialogues, monologue, right from the first person narrative to the third person. Sometimes the first-person narration also leaps into the mind of a minor or short character and in the later part of the book it was narrated by a character that has almost no stake in the central action. Versha Singh highlights when she writes in her article “The Midnight’s Grandchildren: Articulating the Postmodern Spirit in English Fiction of India Analyzing Tabish Khair’s The Thing About Thugs”;

“there is Khair, or his cipher, as author, who more than once clambers directly into the narrative, as in this exact quote: "Jenny bends down and I cannot see what she does. From my grandfather's library in Phansa, in the ghostly white pages of the books here and elsewhere, there is much that I can see and much that I cannot." Why not? And does this matter? Khair wants it to matter. And in the end it does only because these confessed limitations, true or false, are unwise to include. They amount to discursive handwringing about the work of writing a novel and need more care and attention if they are to fit into an otherwise gripping, inventive book” (2013, 5).

Sometimes the narrative technique of the novel looks confusing. The portrayal of the character of Amir Ali is very intense and emotional. His journey of life from the past to the present is very interesting, emotional and mysterious. Especially his past was quite mysterious. The author has tried to maintain the suspense that what is going to be happening with the character of Amir. But along with that there is a fact that the reader is perpetually informed what is feeling the character.

In the second half through the novel, the reader got to realize that the author has not written even a single full scene of dialogue between Amir Ali, the central character, and Jenny, his beloved. There is a bunch of letters by Amir to Jenny, which represents their relation and love. Khair had silenced them both, rather than giving them a voice and showing their true feelings about each other and their possible life together. The technique uses by Khair to narrate and express their love is the epistolary technique of writing.

The short chapters help set a quick pace, but also keep the perspective off-balance. There are press reporting and cross questioning and examining between two different cultures and civilisations. The narration of Amir of presenting stories is quite traditional but fantastic. Because when the writer uses the Non-English words it specifically represents the quality of particular culture or civilisation. This technique is quite impressive and impactful and it also able to highlight the qualities and significance of the particular discourse and culture. Therefore the language of the author becomes quite touchy to the common reader and critics as well. Pankaj Mishra rightly commented about the novel, printed on the cover page of the book; “Formally and intellectually intrepid, and emotionally resonant, Tabish Khair’s are some of the most exciting to have come out of the Indian subcontinent”. (http://www.harpercollins.co.in).

Therefore the analysis of the text through anti-colonial perspective concludes that the author tried to present Indian past without stinky spots and with the help of multiple techniques he denies with the superiority of British Empire over India or other eastern countries. And he also refutes their typical mind-set about eastern subcontinents along with eastern thinking and dreams about western lavish, high profile and busy country life. Therefore we could say that the novel is a wonderful attempt and a counter-attack on the stereotypes, barbarism, class, caste, racist attitude, discourse, inter-racial relationships, and religion etc.

The major concern of the book is the effect of racism underpinned in the western minds towards eastern subcontinents along with that it majorly highlights the notion of self which is related to the identity. Actually this thinking is in their blood from many years, which cannot be changed. On commenting about the racist attitude of westerns O. P. Dwivedi further says;

“So what one can deduce from the above statements is the simple truth that the Whites had clearly created a monster out of their fear of the ‘Other’ races and cultures. More than anything else, the negative ‘Other’ that has been positioned and strengthened in the Whites discourses over a long period of time appears as a person who cannot be changed” (2013, 8).

Therefore it could be said that the novel crries certain major elements of anti-colonial discourse prevailing in the pre-independence and post-independence periods as well.