Construction of Subaltern Diasporic Sikh Identity in J. K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy
Harjinder Singh Majhail, Ph.D. Student, University of Derby, [email protected]
Abstract
The paper aims to investigate the construction of subaltern diasporic Sikh identity in J. K.
Rowling’s first adult novel The Casual Vacancy (2012), which stirred a ruckus with the involvement
of Sikh religious head, Avtar Singh Makkar, demanding a ban on the novel (Telegraph, 01 October,
2012). The paper researches into diasporic Sikh identity in the light of subaltern diasporic Sikh
characters presented in the novel weighing it on the anvil of Mr. Makkar’s demand for a ban and
Rowling’s claim of depicting “corrosive racism” after her “vast amount of research” (The Scotsman,
04 October, 2012).
The paper explores diasporic Sikh identity through the character of Sukhvinder who though
dyslexic is stifled by her mother and harassed by her classmate Fats through slanderous remarks such
as “ hermaphrodite”, “moustachioed, yet large-mammaried” (Rowling, 2012, p. 120), ‘Paki bitch’
(2012, p. 148), “hairy man-woman”, (2012, p. 120), “The Bearded Dumb-bell” (2012, p. 146)
targeting her subaltern diasporic identity.
The paper applies Teun A. van Dijk’s “racist discourse directed at ethnically different others”
(2004, p.351) and post-colonial theories specifically Homi Bhabha’s hybridity of cultures (1994),
Jacques Rancière’s theory of the distribution of the sensible (2000) hinting at redistribution of
identities to make the invisible diaspora visible and inaudible audible and Gayatri Spivak’s theory of
the subaltern (1988) to make subaltern Sikh diaspora speak.
The paper concludes that though diasporic Sikh identity bears self-torture and violence
(Rowling, 2012: p. 149) creating Sikh identity crisis in a multicultural diaspora, it finally finds
resolution through Sikh identity model Sukhvinder who, following footsteps of Bhai Kanhayia,
(Rowling, 2012, p. 342) risks her life to save Robbie and “emerge[s] a heroine” (Rowling, 2012: p.
496)
Keywords: Diaspora, subaltern, J.K. Rowling, The Casual Vacancy, Sikh identity, multiculturalism,
Spivak, Homi Bhabha, Jacques Rancière.
*****
Introduction
J. K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy depicts a skilled march of Rowling’s fictional rhetoric from the
narrative theme of casual vacancy to the theme of revival through responsibility traversing many subthemes which the novelist covers riding realistically on the vehicle of subaltern diasporic Sikh
identity. The novelist successfully relates the themes of vacancy, responsibility, hypocrisy, racialism,
emptiness, egalitarianism, death, morality, racialism, and female identity-crisis to the theme of
subaltern diasporic Sikh identity. Subaltern Sikh diaspora becomes a successful tool to help the
novelist to reach her desired destination leading to her plausible creation of a subaltern diasporic Sikh
identity. Reflections of subaltern Sikh diaspora though surface merely as an intermezzo in the opening
of the novel but develop slowly into the main theme filling up the symbolic casual vacancy in the
realm of human vacancies the novelist creates entitling it The Casual Vacancy.
Though Rowling looks at Sikh characters from a British angle, the reader notices the writer’s empathy
with Sikh Diaspora interacting in a multicultural British society. Despite being an English author,
Rowling does not appear to be an outsider to Sikhism, seeing her inside handling of racialism with
artistic craftsmanship and her old association with Sikhs as she says,
“It’s an amazing religion. My interest was sparked years and years and years ago when
I was still in my twenties – and a girl I worked with briefly came from a Sikh family.
We only ever had one serious conversation on the subject but it has stuck with me. She
told me about the fact that men and women were explicitly described as equal in the
holy book.” (Suroor, 2012).
The title of the novel symbolizes an emptiness or vacancy which permeates every character’s life in
the novel and which every character tries to fill up in one way or the other. There are no perfect
characters in The Casual Vacancy. Everyone has some vacancy, weakness or emptiness which one is
trying to fill up. The writer briefs it in an interview with Jennifer Byrne (2012) that some characters in
the novel are filling such vacancy with drugs, some are trying to fill it with bad relationships, and
some are trying to fill it with food or drink or bad behaviour.
The Controversy, the Demand for a Ban on the Novel and Rowling’s Research in Sikhism:
The controversy leading to the involvement of head of the Sikh religious body, Avtar Singh Makkar,
was created by some conservative Sikh elements just after the publication of the novel for the writer’s
misrepresentation of Sikh characters demanding a ban on the novel. The in-depth perusal of the novel
after investigating pervasive racist discourse in Brittan, speak volumes of the writer’s research into
Sikhism before writing the novel.
The demand for a ban on the novel attracted the attention of the Sikhs throughout the world who after
reading the novel are rather thankful to the novelist for highlighting the truth. In her review of the
novel Kamalpreet Kaur, the Guest Columnist of sikh24.com (2012) writes, “Due to the depth of its
content it deserves to be incorporated into required reading for high school students so that it can be ...
pondered by avid readers around the world”. T. Sher Singh, Editor, sikhchic.com (2012) writes, “It is
no secret that the media in India is shallow... But their recent attack on Rowling's new novel hits a
new low. … . I think this is a landmark book for us. From a social engineering perspective, it changes
things in the story-telling about Sikhs forever -- by moving it several notches higher.” Noted scholar
Pashaura Singh (2012) writes in his blog to T. Sher Singh, “[S]he has brought the Sikh tradition to the
world audience. We should be grateful to her.”
A careful study of the novel shows that the novelist has done ample research in Sikhism as she claims.
The writer’s quotes from Sikh holy text well-adjusted into the plot of the novel e.g. Parminder opens
“one volume of Sainchis, her brand-new holy book” (Rowling, 2012: p.40); Rowling’s translation of
Gurbani, “light of God shining from every soul” (2012: p. 497); egalitarianism of Guru Nanak who
disappeared into the river and re-emerged after three days to announce, “There is no Hindu, there is
no Moslem” (2012: p. 301); caste in Sikhism though “Guru Nanak explicitly forbade caste
distinctions” (2012: p. 301) gives ample evidence of the novelist’s research on Sikhism.
The theme of responsibility being the major theme of the novel, is also the theme relevant to Sikh
ideas and identity. Rowing reveals in her interview with James Runcie (2012) that ‘responsibility’ was
the title she had earlier devised for The Casual Vacancy but afterwards thought of “the casual
vacancy” which created vacancy or emptiness as a consequence of slipping away from responsibility.
Misunderstanding responsibility leads to vacancy within creating an inner conflict. All the parents in
the novel lack responsibility for children which results in conflict in parents and the children. Conflict
in Parents’ personal life goes to the children. Samantha though married has developed a fancy for Dr.
Vikram Jawanda and have no time for their children. Parminder’s name is attached with demised
Barry Fairbrother by her daughter Sukhvinder. The only example of Sikh responsibility and courage is
shown by Sukhvinder by risking her life to save Robbie about whom Larisa Novoseltseva (2013)
writes in her review that Sukhvinder is the “only one … responsive to other people’s problems.”
The title of the novel has double meaning. “The casual vacancy” is the vacancy created with the death
of Barry Fairbrother. The other casual vacancy is emptiness or the weaknesses which every character
of the novel suffers from. Every character has this vacancy and tries to fill it up through their actions
whether negative or positive. The drug addiction, poverty, racialism, immorality, hypocrisy are the
vacancies people suffer from. The title’s relevance to themes makes the novel to come up as a
coherent whole. The theme of drug addiction hits Parminder’s identity as a GP when she advises Mrs.
Weedon not to smoke but Mrs. Weedon resorts to racist discourse by calling her ‘Paki cow’.
The novelist has incorporated the theme of poverty as she claims that she herself had to pass through
very trying situations in life. Weedon family suffers from utmost poverty. The odd situation comes at
the end of the novel when there is no money even for the burial of Krystal and Robbie. It is Sikh
identity model Sukhvinder who comes forward to collect money and persuades her parents to
contribute for the burial.
While revealing Sikh identity model Sukhvinder, it is important to explian that a majority of
characters in the novel are teenagers. It is a novel about the world of teenagers and how the elders
especially parents cast their shadows in creating a disharmony or conflict in the tiny world of
teenagers. Jawanda daughter Sukhvinder becomes the victim of Parents’ lack of care and
anger. Nobody has ever tried to judge her introvert behaviour. Her parents never bothered to know
what was happening with their daughter in the school where she was the victim of racialism and was
regularly bullied by Fats Wall in the class.
The Racist Discourse:
Rowling breaks through racist undercurrents of British multicultural society in Sikh diaspora in the
novel in such a way that it makes Teun A. van Dijk’s racist discourse applicable to the novel. Teun A.
van Dijk (2004, p.351) gives “two major forms of racist discourse: (1) racist discourse directed at
ethnically different others; (2) racist discourse about ethnically different others” which can be applied
to Rowling’s treatment of racialism to the Sikh diaspora in the novel.
“Ethnically different others” are the Sikh diaspora minority in the novel. In the first form of racist
discourse the dominant group of British characters in the novel such as Fats, Krystal, Mrs. Weeden,
Shirley Mollison directly target the dominated group of Sikh characters. The second form of racist
discourse occurs in the dominant group of characters in the novel such as Fats and his group in the
classroom, Mrs Weeden and Tessa, Shirley Mollison and Howard who create racialist prejudice
“about ethnic or racial Others”(2004, p. 351) who are Sikhs in the novel.
Teun A. van Dijk (2004, pp. 351-352) highlights "many discriminatory ways that dominant group
members verbally interact with members of dominated groups ... by using derogatory slurs, insults,
impolite forms of address, ... that ... enact superiority and lack of respect.” The major racist discourse
novelist highlights in the novel is the harassment of Sukhvinder by her classmate Fats who constantly
tortures her mentally by hurling objectionable remarks targeted at her religion making her think of
committing suicide. Krystal says ‘Paki bitch’ to Sukhvinder (2012, p. 148) and Mrs. Weedon shouts
‘Paki cow’ and ‘Paki bitch’ to Parminder. (2012, p. 126)The words such as “great hermaphrodite”,
“hairy man-woman”, (2012, p. 120) “Tash ’N’ Tits, The Bearded Dumb-bell” (2012, p. 146) buzz in
Sukhvinder’s ears. She gets nasty posts on her Facebook page by some unknown sender which she
assumes must be Fats. She is so depressed that she thinks of ending her life. Rowling makes Shirley
Mollison a racial medium through Howard’s comments on Parminder’s sari not merely to show the
difference between the Hindu and the Sikh but to highlight Shirley’s intolerance to the racial fact that
the “Old Vicarage built to house a High Church vicar” “was now home to a family of Hindus”
(Rowling, 2012: p. 156). The novelist cleverly explains how the people in England confuse Sikhs as
Hindus while depicting Shirley’s racist intolerance to the fact that the “Old Vicarage built to house a
High Church vicar” “was now home to a family of Hindus”. ‘Hindus’ here is a racist expression use in
the same fashion as a ‘Paki cow’.
Subaltern Diaspora, Hybridity and ‘Othering’:
The Casual Vacancy gives a subaltern picture of the Sikhs in British society. As Rowling explains the
problems of the British teenagers in general, she highlights the subaltern status of the Sikh teenagers
in British schools in particular through the character of Sukhvinder who undergoes racist discourse of
her classmates which demoralises her to think of a suicide. (2012: p. 145) She tortures herself by
creating cuts on her body with the razor blade she steals from the drawers of her doctor father
(Rowling, 2012: p. 145). Her mother gets the same racial treatment as a doctor where the patient is
harassing her with racist names and threatening to complain against her.
Rowling creates hybridity of cultures in a multicultural society of Pagford in the novel by mixing up
of English and Sikh cultures. Parminder is permissively western and Sikh both at the same time. She
goes to the parties in a western style, drinks and dances but that does not keep her away from the Sikh
culture. She is religious and gets guidance from “one volume of the Sainchis, her brand–new holy
book”. (2012, p. 40) She is the symbol of the mixing up of east and west. Homi Bhabha’s theory of
the hybridity of cultures is applicable to the novel as hybridity, mimicry and ambivalence are the
characteristics of all the Sikh characters in the novel.
The “Othering” in Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy is witnessed in two forms in the novel: first as a
the racist discourse which occurs because of the racist remarks given to the Sikh characters and
second as the “Othering” of colour which occurs because of the brown colour of the Sikhs in Diaspora
which becomes a boon as well as a bane. It becomes a symbol of sex-appeal in love and a bane as a
racist discourse. Brown colour also becomes a crime as the novelist says, “Old Pagford, led by
Howard Mollison, generally forgave Vikram the crimes that it could not forget in his wife: brownness,
cleverness and affluence” (Rowling, 2012: p. 291). Sukhvinder being “the only brown in the class” is
noticed and “made to get up to “talk about the Sikh religion” (2012: p. 301). Sikhs being Orientals are
treated obviously inferior to the Occidentals. Colonial discourse treats them as the 'Other' in a British
multicultural society. They suffer derogatory names at the hands of the natives silently.
It is important to note that J. K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy is the portrayal of the British
residents of Indian origin who remain subaltern even in the second generation. Even with a high
professional status they are not treated as equals in British society. Rowling has particularly chosen
the theme of racist discourse in the teen agers in the educational institutions by making Sukhvinder a
victim of this racist discourse. The novelist has shown how fighting the racist discourse changes the
identity of its victims. This change of identity occurs in Sukhvinder who becomes a savior from a
submissive subaltern in The Casual Vacancy. Stuart Hall says, “The subject assumes different
identities at different times”. (1992, p. 598) Sukhvinder’s silent fight changes her identity from a
victim of the racist discourse (1992, p. 145) to a rescuer who risks her life to save Robbie. (2012: p.
464-465) It makes her a model of Sikh identity set up by Bhai Kanhaiya and gives her a respectful
Sikh identity in the class.
Fats relishes harassing Sukhvinder without knowing its fatal results. In utter depression she thinks not
only self-harm but to harm her mother who she thinks hates her. She hacks the Parish council website
and makes a damaging post on the website on behalf of the ghost of Barry Fairbrother to harm her
mother. Similar posts have been put by other teenagers such as Andrew and Fats Wall against their
parents. The novel symbolizes a protest of the teenagers against the treatment they are getting from
their parents which creates personality disorder in children.
Another phase of Sikh identity crisis is witnessed when Sukhvinder notices that her parents do not pay
visit to the Gurdawara which was nearer to their house merely because it was a Gurdawara dominated
‘by Chamars’ (2012: p.301). It confuses Sukhvinder because Sikhism does not allow any caste
diversity. After presenting Sikhism as an egalitarian religion theoretically why there are identities
within identity leading to many sub-identities or multiple Sikh identities (Nesbit, 2011) and an
absence of the ‘federal identity’ or a uniform Sikh identity? (Takhar, 2005)
The author is impressed by the religious morality in Sikhism and an example of it given through fourletter words which are so much a part of life in Pagford that everybody uses four-letter words in the
novel except Sikhs. The characters in the novel use four-letter words even while telling about Barry’s
death as we see Gavin Hughes using them even with the name of Lord Christ: “Jesus fucking Christ!”
(2012, p. 24). Almost all the characters including the teenagers are shown using the four-letter words
except the Sikh characters as the novelist presents Sikh Diaspora as sober and civilized ones in the
novel. To quote Rowling, “In the book, it is Sikhism that provides religious morality, not the Church
of England” (Saroor, 2012).
Conclusion:
To conclude, the novelist has not only highlighted the racist problem but has also given its solution.
Sukhvinder who suffers the racist discourse comes out of it through her positive thoughts of Sikh
identity she gets from the Sikh heroes like Bhai Kanhayia and the Sikh Gururs. She jumps in the river
to save Robbie and creates a reversal of the racist discourse as those who were torturing her through
racist discourse start giving her compliments instead. The novelist presents Sikhs fighting it out with
love by becoming an integral part of the British culture and shows Sikhs rising to the occasion with
Sikh values by becoming the example of Sikh heroes in the novel (Rowling, 2012: p. 369).
Sukhvinder’s status is no longer subaltern after she tries to sacrifice her life to save Robbie and
becomes a role model of Sikh identity even for her parents. She “emerge[s] a heroine” and Maureen
Lowe recommends her name for “a special police award” (Rowling, 2012: p. 496).
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