The difference ofrace and agony of the panchama due to water has been effectively
Qyt in 'Water. Discuss. brought
nthe pocm 'Water, the speaker recalls scveral instances taken from the life of the dalit. .
highlightthe disparity betwecn the dalits and the upper caste people in their life styles. dalits to
The spcaker states that water is witness to the Panchama's plight when he goeS to the pond
tank to collect water.Since he does not have the right to draw a pot ef water directly from a wel)
he waits all day ncar the well until ashudra arrives there and fills his pot. Next, thespeaker
hc humiliation of the wada girl, when she receives water poured from adistance. Some watermentions
falls on
her body and she fccls humiliated.
Later, the speaker articulates the rightcous indignation shown by Karamchedu Suvartamm
when she raiscd her vessel to ward of anattack by the Kamma youths against the dalit boy who asked
them not lo pollute their drinking water.These instances illustratc how the dalits were discriminatcd
against using water from apublic well.
The speaker recalls how people in the wada would thirst all day for aglass of water while the)
villagcrshad a lot of water to drink and bathe as and when they wanted. On the other hand,the people
n the villagecnjoyed
forcgo
bath twice aday/pecause they had plenty of wale, and the dalits wee madeto
waler thc pretext of untouchability. Next, the speaker narrates how in her childhood they
on
walked miles and miles to collect water from the big canal and walked back carrying heavy pots of
water_on their heads, with the veins in their neck straining and bursting.
Finally, the speaker recalls how several thatched huts in Malapalle were reduccd to ashes for
want of apot of watcr to douse the fire.
14.13 How are the poor affectetby
