<P> Set in the fictional Indian town of Bulashah, Untouchable is a day in the life of a young Indian sweeper named Bakha . The son of Lakha, head of all of Bulashah's sweepers, Bakha is intelligent but naïve, humble yet vain . Over the course of Bakha's day various major and minor tragedies occur, causing him to mature and turn his gaze inward . By the end of the novel Mulk Raj Anand, the author, has made a compelling case for the end of untouchability on the grounds that it is an inhumane, unjust system of oppression . He uses Bakha and the people populating the young man's world to craft his argument . </P> <P> Bakha's day starts with his father yelling at him to get out of bed and clean the latrines . The relationship between the father and son is strained, in part due to Bakha's obsession with the British, in part because of Lakha's laziness . Bakha ignores his father but eventually gets up to answer the demands of a high - caste man that wants to use the bathroom . This man is Charat Singh, a famous hockey player . At first, Singh also yells at Bakha for neglecting his cleaning duties . The man has a changeable personality, however . It isn't long before he instructs Bakha to come see him later in the day so he can gift the young sweeper with a prized hockey stick . An overjoyed Bakha agrees . </P> <P> High on his good fortune he quickly finishes his morning shift and hurries home, dying of thirst . Unfortunately, there is no water in the house . His sister Sohini offers to go fill the water bucket . At the well, Sohini must wait behind several other outcasts also queued up . Also waiting for water is Gulabo, mother of one of Bakha's friends and a jealous woman . She hates Sohini and is just barely stopped from striking the young woman . A priest from the town temple named Pundit Kali Nath comes along and helps Sohini get water . He instructs her to come clean the temple later in the day . Sohini agrees and hurries home with the water . </P> <P> Back at home Lakha fakes an illness and instructs Bakha to clean the town square and the temple courtyard in his stead . Bakha is wise to the wily ways of his father but cannot protest . He takes up his cleaning supplies and goes into town . His sweeping duties usually keep him too busy to go into town, and so he takes advantage of the situation by buying cigarettes and candies . </P>

Who wrote preface to mulk raj anands untouchable