A Haunting portrait of forgotten Agariyas of Kutch: A Review of Anita Agnihotri’s "The Touch of Salt" | Bhavna Harchandani

BOOK REVIEW

A touch of salt
By Anita Agnihotri

Translated by Arunava Sinha

Penguin Books
2024 / 180 pages
ISBN 9780143465812

Reviewed by Bhavna Harchandani

Anita Agnihotri’s "The Touch of Salt", masterfully translated by Arunava Singh, is a poignant and evocative novel that sheds light on the overlooked lives of salt cultivators in the Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. The eleven-chapter book critically examines the historical and political dynamics surrounding salt production in India, tracing its trajectory from anti-colonial resistance to contemporary exploitation in 169 pages. Agnihotri’s novel sheds light on the marginalized Agariya community, highlighting their struggles and experiences in the context of India’s independence. It navigates between minuscule description of Gandhi’s march to Dandi and the lived experience salt satyagraha by a young salt cultivator from Kharaghoda. Agariyas’ plight, is highlighted through their struggles with poverty, lack of access to healthcare, education, and justice. The book humanizes their experiences, from the physical toll of salt harvesting to their unquenchable thirst for fresh water in the Rann.

Through a multigenerational narrative, it interrogates the consequences of colonialism and the efficacy of post-independence governance. The intertwined stories of its characters, Agnihotri exposes the cruel realities of their existence: the backbreaking labor, the paltry wages, and the constant struggle against the unforgiving environment. As the narrative unfolds, the characters’ struggles become a metaphor for the universal human quest for dignity and recognition. The novel comes right in time when the Agariyas of the Little Rann of Kutch are facing threats of eviction, debarred from entering the region and bleak futures. The plans to commercialize the land for tourism, fresh water lake and production of green fuel energy by industrial giants in Gujarat have caught the attention of environmentalist and rights-based activists.

The Rann of Kutch, a vast marshy salt flat, has historically been a contested terrain of power struggles. Initially a thriving port city in the Indus Valley, it now demarcates a barren border between India and Pakistan. During colonial rule, the Rann became a focal point of resistance against the British-imposed Salt Act, which prohibited Indians from harnessing the abundant salt resources and instead imposed hefty taxes on packaged salt. Coastal communities bore the brunt of this legislation, as salt, once a ubiquitous commodity, became inaccessible to the general population.

The Salt Act’s draconian provisions sparked widespread outrage, culminating in Gandhi’s iconic Dandi march, a pivotal moment in India’s struggle for independence. This civil disobedience movement, which challenged the colonial regime’s monopoly on salt production, is meticulously examined in the novel, occupying nearly half of its narrative. Through a nuanced portrayal of Gandhi’s followers at the Sabarmati Ashram and the pivotal role of Kasturba Gandhi, the novel provides a multifaceted understanding of the freedom struggle and the value of salt.

Tribhuvan Patel family’s experiences across generations exemplify the complex and often fraught relationship between colonialism, independence, and governance. Tribhuvan Patel, the patriarch, witnessed British rule as exploitative, violent, and cruel, prompting his involvement with Gandhi’s salt march. In contrast, his son Ram Singh harbored ambivalence towards Indian independence, perceiving corruption, and negligence among Indian officials as equally oppressive.

Ram Singh’s son, Azad, grapples with the legacy of colonialism and the disappointments of independence. The decline in salt prices post-independence led to dwindling profits for Agarias, forcing them into exploitative agreements with loan sharks. As a "denotified tribe," they face systemic exclusion, lacking access to basic rights like healthcare, education, and judicial recourse.

This narrative highlights the continuity of colonial-era power dynamics in post-independence India, with administrators perpetuating British-era methods. Azad’s dilemma—reconciling his father’s cynicism with his grandfather’s optimism—underscores the complexities of navigating this fraught landscape.

The generational change of view on salt cultivation from being taken care by the British government to being abandoned and forgotten by the present government, shows the decrease in the value of salt as Agariyas sink deeper in poverty. This powerful narrative weaves together themes of exploitation, resilience, and the struggle for survival, rendering a compelling portrait of a marginalized community. The seasonal migrant laborers whose world is limited to salt cultivation, continue to end up being invisibilized by the state authorities for basic needs such as water and medical facilities. The peaceful encounters between Agariya and ghudkhar (Wild Ass ), are dismissed by the forest officials who consider Agariya to be illegal after the Little Rann of Kutch was declared a Wild Ass Sanctuary.

The novel attempts to highlight the significance of the salt cultivators that have largely been forgotten and under researched in the history of India. Though the abolition of salt tax became the first step towards independence movements, post-independence, the Agariyas continue to fight the manacles of labor exploitation, state deprivation and doubtful futures. It merits a wider reading audience by offering a unique exploration of an unchartered terrain of Anthro-geographical history. The novel is a delight to readers interested in post-colonial studies and Indian history and opens new avenues to study experiences of marginalized communities and their involvement in struggle of independence.

(Review author: Bhavna Harchandani is a doctoral student at IIT Gandhinagar. Her doctoral research explores the lived experiences of Agariyas in the Little Rann of Kutch)