Introduction: “The God of Small Things” gives us a vivid picture of Indian society, especially the state of Kerala. This society suffers from various social evils like caste discrimination, gender bias, the double standards of politicians, police brutality, superstition, cultural prejudice, and various forms of social exploitation.
The picture of Police atrocities
Arundhati Roy shows a vivid picture of police brutality in “The God of Small Things“. Referring to the Kottayam police station, she starts her fierce attack on the police department. The red and blue boards hanging on the walls of the Inspector of Police office describe the words politeness, loyalty, intelligence, courtesy, and efficiency as the department’s motto. But in reality, the department lacks these qualities. Their behavior towards helpless people can be described as cruel and their actions as heartless.
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After Sophie Mol’s funeral, Ammu goes to the Kottayam police station with Estha and Rahel. They reacted strongly to the behavior of Inspector Thomas Mathew. He stares at Ammu’s breasts, calls her a whore, and taps her breasts with his stick as if he were picking mangoes from a basket. The helpless Ammu has to bear the humiliation.
The Police atrocity is at its worst when Velutha is taken into custody on the charge of abducting the three children of the Ayemenem family and alluring them on a holiday excursion on a boat in the nearby river that causes the death of Sophie Mol. Without sufficient evidence against Velutha, they torture him to near death. They almost turn the human being Velutha into a kit. His ribs are broken, skull fractured, nose and cheekbones smashed, half a dozen teeth broken, and the lower intestine is ruptured. They also make Estha, the innocent boy, tell a lie that Velutha has had a role in abducting them. Thus, the novelist has shown how the protectors of law and order find pleasure in putting the innocents to death by torture and humiliating or seducing against all moral Codes.
Conclusion: The way he is tortured to death by police would perhaps be one of the most breathtaking descriptions in any fiction. Now, we can say that undoubtedly the treatment of the Police is clearly described.
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