Read a book (thanks to Blogadda)
which is very different from my kinda books and the very first time (for me) a
political socio fiction.
There are times when you know, at the back of your
mind, about incidents which keeps happening in the society and we tend to
overlook it in the daily chores of life.
But again who likes facts &
figures which keeps cropping up on the newspapers or journals or the big
discussion sessions on various news channels (not that these banters and loud
screams always make sense!) the very idea of turning from statistics and figures
to fiction is worth applauding. So here goes my review.
The Plot
Failed crops and farm debts compel Sudhakar Bhadra to commit suicide. His
widow and family are denied of the compensation by the government committee citing
the cause of suicide as alcohol rather than debt distress. His educated brother
Gangiri who serves as a teacher
decides to quit his job, fight this injustice and bring the system to order.
Back in Delhi the MP Keyur and his powerful politician father
has their own bureaucratic political plan which believes in only political
gain. The corruption is present from the grass root level from the
moneylenders, to powerful farmers, from bank managers to the local MP – all vying
for their interest for their profit. Gangiri
rises up in this situation as the crusader with his perfect strategies and he
is assisted by the no-nonsense journalist Nazar.
My Thoughts
One of those rare fictions which
really compel you to think and introspect on what is there is the truth and is
the fact. Every now and then we hear about farmers committing suicides in
Andhra, in Maharashtra but do we really feel for them? Do we really care how
their families are after they have lost their sole bread earner? Frankly
speaking we don’t. We all know the murky waters of politicians and the
government but don’t realize the potential every one of us has when we are
together.
This is a very deep novel with a
very deep reality at its core. It’s neither racy nor fast paced or with high
drama but is extremely detailed and has meticulous characterization.
About the Author
Kota Neelima works as Political Editor with The Sunday
Guardian, and is a research fellow for South Asia Studies at the Paul H Nitze
School of Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University, Washington DC.
Her previously published works include Riverstones
and Death of a Moneylender. You can
read more about her here.
My Rating – 4/5. It’s a must
read. Hard hitting, no nonsense, tragic but worth a good read
Book – Shoes of the Dead
Author – Kota Neelima
Genre – Political Fiction
Publisher – Rupa Publications
Published in – 2013
ISBN 13 – 9788129123961
ISBN
10 – 8129123967
Pages – 274
Price – INR 495
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