What do Mohan’s necklaces represent in the novel, Ahimsa?

Mohan’s necklaces represent the lost human potential within the Dalit, or Untouchable, community. Mohan strings necklaces together with hand carved wooden beads, using models and actresses in the newspapers as inspiration. Mohan is Anjali’s toilet cleaner, and as part of her social justice movement work, she encourages him to sell his necklaces. Mohan is cynical, but eventually agrees, even selling a necklace to a British lady. However later on, empowered by this support and thinking maybe the world is changing, Mohan tries to give Suman a necklace fashioned after a famous acress she looks like. All the neighbors turn on him, beating him bloody, Suman’s mother calling Mohan’s gift a “toilet necklace” until Anjali and Baba save him (222). Mohan runs away, proving that not only is change hard, but the people at the bottom of the social chain experience the most hardship. This also shows the untapped human potential created by the unfair caste system in India.