Character Analysis Of Waiting For The Mahatma

‘Waiting for the Mahatma’ was published in 1955. It is in a fictional form. It is not a political novel. In this novel, the novelist has simply projected a Gandhian image by telling the story of an average youth who happens to fall in love with one of his followers. R.K.Narayan presents Gandhi as a character not a symbol. He keeps him within his artistic range and shows him not related to great political events. He highlights Mahatma’s concern for truth, simplicity and non-violence and love for the country. ‘Waiting for the Mahatma’ told the story of two young people of Malgudi, Sriram, the protagonist of the novel and Bharati, a young beautiful girl and dedicated disciple of Gandhi. Sriram was an orphaned young man brought up without a care by his pampering grand-mother, whom he called granny. On his twentieth birthday his granny entrusted him a considerable amount which she had kept in her account. The money was the pension from Sriram’s father who had been killed in the war. He came into contact with Bharati and fell in love at first sight when she was collecting funds for Harijan Welfare. Then he met her by providing donation of eight Annas and felt irresistibly drawn to her. Bharati was the disciple of Gandhi and his principles. Her father had been shot dead while offering Satyagraha against the British during the first non-cooperation movement. She, who was just an infant then, was adopted and brought up by Sevak Sangh, a Gandhian institute, as a foster