The social-psychological Hindi play Narmedh (1970), written by Girirāj Kiśor, has as its main character a woman wnose husband and sons break with tradition in regard to marriage. Because of her own experiences. she wisches to maintain her family but at the same time she feels guilty about those efforts, and tries to commit suicide. Besides its content, the play is interesting because it is a tragedy, a genre that is more common in European than in Indian literature. The article analyses the techniques of the play and their contribution to the effect of tragedy, and uses especially the method of dialogue anylysis. In the interprearion argued here, the play suggests that after 1947 the old norms ruling personal relationships have been abandoned in favor of an attitude of self-interest or in some cases idealism, without new ones immediately replacing them. The effect is that these relationships may be ruled by indifference, which harms and to some extent immobilizes those who are sensitive.