"My Childhood" by Maxim Gorky

Maxim Gorky's "My Childhood", his autobiography is a painful recollection of his childhood that was strewn with poverty, loneliness, abuse and maternal deprivation. His young father dies of cholera and his mother has a miscarriage on the same day. Though he is unable to comprehend the happenings around him, he is engulfed by a profound sorrow. He ends up in his grandfather's house along with his mother after his father's death. His grandfather, a self-made man runs a dye workshop at his home. His grandfather often flogs him for his acts of mischief with a strange belief that it is for his good. 

When Gorky lives with his grandparents, he comes across a variety of people and his autobiography puts forth before us their characters without judging their actions on the basis of morality. He comes across the workers in the dye workshop who are subjected to oppression for long, his two warring uncles who fight to extract money from his grandfather, the kids in the neighbouring house who are restricted to mingle with others but end up listening to Gorky's recital of his grandmother's stories, a bunch of mischievous kids with whom he steals wood for a living and many others. His autobiography respects everyone's decisions including his mother's when she decides to remarry and at the same time conveys the pain and suffering he endures in due course. 

Gorky's relationship with his grandmother is special and it provided the much needed emotional support which he yearned for. Gorky, as a writer would have grown listening to the stories from his grandmother. The contrasting religious beliefs and worshipping ways of his grandmother and grandfather made him pick his grandmother's "God" ahead of his grandfather's during his childhood. But, his independent intellect made him choose atheism at a later stage. 

Despite the physical abuse, emotional unavailability of his mother, his situation during his family's descent into poverty being a depressing narrative to hear, this autobiography of his reiterates how life instills hope in the form of people around us and promises a better and more humane future.

 

This book is an intimate portrait of Gorky's painful childhood in a dysfunctional family that instills in one the confidence to face upto the truth. 

“The Incredible Life of Savitribhai Phule - The Fearless Reformer” by Swati Sengupta

It was a time when women in India were confined to the households by virtue of inveterate age old beliefs. It was a time when the caste system deep rooted in the society purposefully denied education to women and lower castes. It was a time when any change to the so called “order” that the caste system dictates was regarded an impending danger to the society. The regressive state of the society imposed practices of child marriage, sati, enforced widowhood, all of which were mere attempts to curtail the freedom of women and establish the unjust social order. Being a woman from a lower caste meant she had to endure double the oppression - caste based and gender based. 

A 9-year old girl who dreamt of going to school was facing the situation of getting married to an unknown 13-year old boy. From this stage where she had to succumb to the societal shackles to a stage where she was instrumental in shattering the societal shackles not just for her but for generations to come, Savitribhai Phule’s journey is a testament to her determination, bravery and resilience. 

“The incredible life of Savitribhai Phule - the fearless reformer” by Swati Sengupta is a concise biography of Savitribhai that covers all key events in her life chronologically from her marriage to death. Savitribhai was born in 1831 into a Dalit family at Naigaon, a village in Maharashtra. Savitribhai who was getting married to Jyotirao at the age of nine thought that was the end of her dream to learn. On the contrary, little did she know that she was about to be the pioneer of feminist movement in India and the first ever woman teacher of India.

Jyotirao, who had experienced a denial of education after being humiliated by higher caste students at school understood Savitribhai’s pain and her wish to learn. He taught her to read and write. Savitribhai, determined to change the pitiful state of women in India decided to impart education to women in her neighbourhood. She attended teacher training to ensure she was equipped to impart knowledge to the underprivileged girls. 

When Savitribhai was 17, she and Jyotirao decided to start a school for girls. In 1848, they started the first school for girls in India at Bhidaweda, a locality in Pune. Her attempt to educate women was a direct opposition to what was happening in the society.

On her way to school, loud, jeering voices came to her from all sides. She was targeted with incessant violence and the crowd used to pelt stones at her. People used to fling dung at her cursing her of ruining the purity of the society. However, she was undeterred and continued to follow her path to liberate women from the patriarchy and the shackles of caste. Savitribai once stated, “As I do the sacred task of teaching my fellow sisters, the stones or cow dung that you throw seem like flowers to me. May God bless you!”. Such was her resilience and her refusal to conform. 

Savitribhai did not limit herself to educating women to free them from the patriarchy they had been subjugated to. She voiced out against social ostracisation of widows and organised a barber’s strike against shaving the hair of widowed women in 1860. Widowed mothers who were often sexually exploited, killed off newborns and committed suicide. Savitribhai started a home for widowed mothers and children born out of wedlock.

“Satyashodhak Samaj” started by Savitribhai and Jyotirao focused on the fight for social equality of the marginalised and women. The organization also promoted Satyashodhak marriage - a marriage that rejected dowries, happened without following any customs and respected both the bride and groom equally. 

Savitribhai died at the age of 66 succumbing to bubonic plague after being at the forefront of providing rehab and medical facilities to patients who were affected with the same disease.

Savitribhai Phule is a revolutionary who stood against all odds for the betterment of the society. She took the unchartered paths that no one else had dared to take before.

“Rock Paper Scissors” by Alice Feeney

Alice Feeney’s “Rock Paper Scissors” is a psychological thriller set in an eerie chapel that is cut off from the city. A couple in a desperate attempt to save their marriage and patch things up plan a weekend getaway to a secluded place which the wife won in a Christmas raffle. On their arrival, they experience mysterious happenings in and around the chapel that are paranormal in nature. Is there a rational explanation to what they experience? Were they lured in to visit this chapel? What is it that is planned for them?

Adam, a screenwriter who suffers from face blindness and his wife Amelia arrive at the chapel to give a try at renewing their relationship. With secrets at stake which they have hidden from each other and their past catching up with them, they realise that their stay at the chapel is life threatening.

Alice Feeney

The first half of the novel is slow paced with the happenings restricted to a closed atmosphere. The letters written by the wife secretly on each anniversary and hidden from her husband serve  as a nonlinear narrative to the story. Though this narrative occasionally gives the high points, the novel tests your patience for an impending twist which takes long to show up. But, the author drops a banger of a twist after the first half and from then on, there is no looking back. 

The novel is filled with quotes that are superficial and often distracting. There are few knots that are put up early on and left unattended when the story unravels at the end. 

A novel surviving on a sole twist which is genuinely surprising, but one has to sit through a snail paced narration in the first half to experience it. 

ஆணவக் கொலைச் சாமிகளும் பெருமிதக் கொலை அம்மன்களும் - ஆ. சிவசுப்பிரமணியன்

தமிழ் சமூகத்தில் மக்கள் வழிபடும் கொலையுண்டு தெய்வமாக்கப்பட்ட நாட்டார் தெய்வங்களின் தோற்றம், பின்புலக் கதை, வழிபாட்டு முறை ஆகியவற்றை ஆய்வின் அடிப்படையில் ஆவணப்படுத்தும் நூல் "ஆணவக் கொலைச் சாமிகளும் பெருமிதக் கொலை அம்மன்களும்". 

சாதி மீறிய காதல் தொடர்பான கொலைகள் தினசரி நிகழும் அவல நிலையை காண்கிறோம். இவை சாதிய ஆணவக் கொலைகள் என வழங்கப்படுகின்றன. ஆணவக் கொலைகளுக்கு பின்னால் சாதியைத் தவிர குடும்ப பெருமிதமும் காரணமாய் அமைகிறது. அப்படி தென் தமிழகத்தில் நிகழ்த்தப்பட்ட சில கொலைகளையும், கொலையில் பலியானவர்களை தெய்வமாய் வழிபடும் மரபையும் விவரிக்கிறது இந்த ஆய்வு. 

சமூகத்தில் நிலவும் சாதிய கட்டமைப்பு, பொருளாதார ஏற்றத்தாழ்வு, பாலின பாகுபாடு ஆகியவை எவ்வாறு மனித உயிரை பறிக்கும் எல்லை வரை கொண்டு செல்கின்றன என்பதை இந்த கதைகளில் காண்கிறோம். குடும்ப மானம் என்பதை பெண்ணைச் சுற்றியே நிறுவி, கற்பு என்பதை பெண்ணோடு மட்டும் சம்பந்தப்படுத்தும் நிற்பந்த கற்பு முறையால் நிகழ்ந்த கொலைகள் ஏராளம். கணவனை பிரிந்து வாழும் மனைவி மகிழ்ச்சி தரும் பொழுதுபோக்கில் ஈடுபடக்கூடாது எனும் மரபை மீறியதாக கூறி ஒரு பெண் கொல்லப்பட்டதை மாடாத்தி அம்மன் கதை விவரிக்கிறது. 

கிராமிய அமைப்பு சாதிய அடிப்படையில் நிறுவும் விதிகளையும், அவற்றை காப்பதற்கு ஆதிக்க சாதியினர் எடுத்துக்கொள்ளும் பிரயத்தனமும் கொலைகளில் முடிகின்றன. ஒடுக்கப்பட்டச் சமூகத்தில் பிறந்த ஒருவன் தனது ஆற்றலால் இடைநிலை சாதியில் இருப்பவனை விட உயர்ந்துவிட்டான் என்பதற்காக நிகழ்ந்த கொலையும் இந்நூலில் இடம்பெறுகிறது. அதே சமயம் சாதிய படிநிலை ஒரே சாதிக்குள்ளும் ஏற்றத்தாழ்வு கற்பிக்கும் என்பதற்கு சான்றான கொலையும் இந்நூலில் இடம்பெறுகிறது.

ஆ. சிவசுப்பிரமணியன்

இந்த தெய்வங்களின் கதைகளை குறிப்பிடும் போது தடை அல்லது மரபு, தடை அல்லது மரபு மீறல், விளைவு, பழிவாங்கல், முடிவு ஆகியவை கொலையுண்டவர் தெய்வமாக மாறுவதற்கான கூறுகளாக சுட்டிக் காட்டுகிறார் சிவசுப்பிரமணியன். சாதிய வண்மமும், குடும்ப மானமும், பொருளாதார மேல்நிலையும், நேரடி சண்டைகளும் மூர்க்கமான வன்முறையை தூண்டும் காரணிகளாக அமைகின்றன. நாம் பேரூந்துகளில் பயணிக்கும் போது கிராமப்புரங்களிலும், ஊர் எல்லையிலும், தூரத்து காடுகளிலும் காணும் முறையான பராமரிப்பு இல்லாத சின்னச் சின்ன கோவில்களுக்கு பின்னாலும் இம்மாதிரியான வன்முறை சம்பவங்கள் இருக்கக்கூடும்.

ராஜேஷ் குமாரின் "ஒரு துளி கடல்"

க்ரைம் மற்றும் மர்ம நாவல்களில் பிரசித்தி பெற்ற ராஜேஷ் குமாரின் ஒரு social drama இந்த நாவல். இருவேறு கதைக்களம், இருவேறு சூழ்நிலை, இரண்டு பெண் கதாப்பாத்திரங்கள் என இந்நாவல் தங்குதடையற்ற non-linear narrative ஆக பயணிக்கிறது.

 

சமூகம் பெண்களுக்கு விதிக்கும் கட்டுப்பாடுகளை மீற முற்படாத பெண்ணாக பூர்ணிமா - வேறு ஒரு கதைகளத்தில் தன் சுதந்திரத்தை உணர்ந்து சமூகம் மூர்க்கமாக கடைப்பிடிக்கும் கட்டுப்பாட்டுகளிலிருந்து விடுபட முயலும் பெண்ணாக ரோகிணி. ஒரு ஆணின் சுயநலத்தால் இவ்விரு பெண்கள் சந்திக்கும் பிரச்சினைகளும், அவற்றை சமாளிக்க அவர்கள் எடுக்கும் முடிவுகளுமே கதையின் கரு. பிரச்சினைகளை எதிர்கொள்ள பூர்ணிமா தியாகம் செய்கிறாள், ரோகிணி சமரசமில்லாமல் எதிர்த்து நிற்கிறாள். 

இவ்விரு கதைகளின் பிண்ணனியில் இரத்த தானம், உடலுறுப்பு தானம், ஆதரவற்ற குழந்தைகள் காப்பகம், அடுத்த தெரு மருத்துவருக்கும் multi specialty மருத்துவமணையின் மருத்துவருக்குமான ethics ரீதியான வேற்றுமை ஆகியவை பற்றிய social commentary மேலோட்டமாய் அமைந்தாலும் கதையோடு பொருந்தி அமைகிறது.

பல திருப்புமுனைகளுடன் அமையும் கதையோட்டம், பேச்சுவழக்கான வார்த்தை பிரயோகம், எளிய மொழியில் அமையும் கதைசொல்லல் முறை ஆகியவை வெகுஜன மக்களிடம் ராஜேஷ் குமாரின் நாவல்களை சேர்த்துள்ளன. அதனால், இந்நாவலில் அமையும் "over the top” காட்சிகள் கூட கதையின் ஒட்டத்தை எந்தவிதத்திலும் பாதிக்காமல் நகர்கின்றன.

Stephen King’s “Mr. Mercedes”

“Mr. Mercedes” is the first of the Bill Hodges trilogy written by Stephen King. Bill Hodges, a retired detective contemplating suicide is pitted against a psychotic killer in a cat and mouse game in this crime thriller. 

The Mercedes killer is “the one that got away” in one of the cases Bill was formerly in charge of - a madman riding a Mercedes runs over a group of job seekers waiting outside a job fair on a foggy morning killing eight and injuring many more. The killer contacts Bill by sending him a letter and inviting him for a chat in a mysterious website. Bill comes out of his suicidal ideation and is bent upon catching this killer who has proved elusive before. 

The killer with his traumatic childhood and an unsettling and complicated relationship with his mother is one intricately written character. On the other hand, Bill Hodges as a retired cop starts off as a well written character but falls flat as the usual over-ambitious detective of mystery novels often driven by personal revenge. Holly as a socially awkward, mentally unstable middle aged woman shines towards the very end especially when the character tries to get into the mind of the Mercedes killer with deductions from her own condition. 

The exchange of messages between Bill and the killer is brilliantly written with enough suspense that keeps us guessing. There are flaws in the way the relationship between the characters are handled and it brings down the grounded nature of this novel. The novel never dips in pace and the scenes unfold seamlessly proving yet again that Stephen King is a master storyteller. 

Hoping the next in this series is even better!

“The Pelican Brief” by John Grisham

“The Pelican Brief” is a mystery novel that revolves around the murders of two Supreme Court justices who were either liberal or democratic or environmentalists. There are two possibilities behind the murders - a revenge for a case in the past that these judges were part of (or) a precautionary act to eliminate their voting on a case that is yet to be handled by the Supreme Court. Which one is it? 

A young law student Darby Shaw hunts all cases from the past that might link the two Supreme Court justices but fails to find a compelling case. She finds a case that is a long shot, writes a legal brief on it and almost decides to discard it. When the brief circulates around in the circles of FBI and the White House, she is in grave danger of getting killed and she is forced to run for her life. Her legal brief which was a shot in the dark had threatening implications in the inner sanctum of the White House.

While she is on the run, she calls up a reporter who goes to any extent and even resorts to sleazy ways to break a shocking news to the world. She dictates to him how she wants to approach the story and its verification before he breaks the story to the world. They both start digging the truth only to realise that there is an even bigger conspiracy. 

The novel is propulsive and page turning.  Though the plot solely rests on the suspense behind the legal brief, the novel is able to keep up the suspense until the very end without losing its steam. The overwhelming list of characters might need a track, despite that the novel is fairly engaging and easy to comprehend.

Another John Grisham masterpiece in the legal thriller genre!

நா. முத்துக்குமார் கவிதைகள்

நா. முத்துக்குமாரின் ஆறு கவிதை தொகுப்புகளை உள்ளடக்கியது இந்நூல். கவிதைகளில் இடம்பெரும் துள்ளிய வர்ணனையும், அசரவைக்கும் கற்பனையும் தமிழ் திரையுலகில் முத்துக்குமாரின் நிரப்பப்படா இடத்தை நினைவூட்டுகிறது. அவரது எழுத்துக்கள் இயல்பானவை, தனது புலமையைக் காட்டி வாசகனை என்றுமே திக்குமுக்காட செய்ததில்லை. 

தினம்தினம் நாம் சந்திக்கும் மனிதர்களையும், நம்மை சுற்றி நடக்கும் சாதாரண நிகழ்வுகளையும், நமது உணர்வுகளையும் நமக்கு நெருக்கமான மொழியில் இக்கவிதைகளில் தருகிறார். 

கவிஞர் தனது பால்யத்தை விவரிக்கும் கவிதைகளில் அம்மா, அப்பா மற்ற உறவுகளுடன் பள்ளி அனுபவங்கள், நண்பர்களின் நினைவுகள் என அடுக்கும் போது, அவை நம்முடைய பால்யத்தை நினைவூட்டும் ஒரு nostalgic experience ஆக அமைகிறது.

அவர் கடவுளை விடவும் இயற்கையை அதிகமாக விரும்பியதை பல இடங்களில் காண முடிகிறது. பகுத்தறிவு கருத்துக்களுடன் பெண் விடுதலை, பாலின சமத்துவம் பேசும் கவிதைகள் இந்த தொகுப்பு முழுக்க நிரம்பி இருக்கின்றன. சமகால சமூக சூழலை பிரதிபலிக்கும் கவிதைகள் கவிஞரின் தெளிவான அரசியல் நிலைப்பாட்டையும் பதிவு செய்கின்றன. 

"தூர்" எனும் கவிஞரின் பிரசித்தி பெற்ற கவிதையைத் தவிர்த்து என்னை கவர்ந்த சில கவிதைகள்...

அம்மாவின் கரிச் சுவர்

ஒவ்வொறு பொங்கலுக்கும்

வெள்ளையடித்தாலும்

மீண்டும் தன் முகத்தில்

கரி பூசிக்கொள்கிறது

சமையலறைச் சுவர்.

...

அம்மாவுக்காய் அழுகிற

ஈர விறகுகளின்

புகைச் சோகம் தாங்கி

மேலும் கறுக்கும் அது.

...

அக்காவுக்கு இவற்றிலிருந்து 

சீக்கிரம் விடுதலை.

கல்யாணம் ஆனதும்

கேஸ் குக்கர்

சுவரில் டிஸ்டெம்பர்

சுவர் விடுதலை மட்டும் 

பெண் விடுதலை என்றால்

அம்மாக்களை விட

அக்காக்கள் அதனை

அடைந்து விட்டார்கள்.

இட்லி புத்திரர்கள்

இட்லிகள் கொள்கையற்றவை

சாம்பாரில் மிதவையாகவும்

சட்னியில் துவையலாகவும்

ஏதுமற்ற பொழுதுகளில்

எண்ணெய் மிதக்கிற

மிளகாய்த்தூளில் துணுக்கெனவும்

எதனுடனும் அமையும்

இட்லிகளின் கூட்டணி

பெயர் உருவான கதை

ஆரம்பத்தில் அதன் பெயர்

வேறாக இருந்தது.

அதன் பலகீனம்

இருபுறம் சுவர் சூழ்ந்த

குறுபாதை எனலாம்.

...

ஆத்திரம் மட்டுமே

அடக்கக் கற்ற

மனிதர்கள் கூடி

அதற்கொரு பெயர்

அப்புறம் வைத்தனர் 

மூத்திரச் சந்து.

சலூன் கண்ணாடிகள்

பிமபங்களற்ற தனிமையில்

ஒன்றிலொன்று முகம் பார்த்தன

சலூன் கண்ணாடிகள்.

நியூட்டனின் மூன்றாம் விதி

மேல் வீட்டுக்காரன்

என்கிற உரிமையில்

நீ கைப்பற்றும் சுதந்திரம் 

அதிகப்படியானது.

உன் ஒவ்வொரு அசைவும்

பூதாகரமாய் ஒலிக்கிறது

கீழ்த்தளச் சுவர்களில்.

...

உன்னைப் பழிவாங்கும் விதமாக

என்னால் முடிந்தது ஒன்றுதான்.

எனதருமை மேல்தளத்து நண்பா...

தலையணையையும் மீறி 

உன்காதுகளில்

சுழன்றுகொண்டிருக்கும்

என் மின்விசிறி!

கட்டணக் கழிப்பிட உரிமையாளன்

ஆச்சா... ஆச்சா... குரல் கொடுத்தபடி

மதிய உணவு உண்கிறான்

கட்டணக் கழிப்பிட உரிமையாளன்.

லிஃப்ட் பயம்

வழக்கம்போல இம்முறையும்

லிப்ட்டில் பயணிக்கையில்

அலாரத்தையே பார்க்கிறேன்.

கோயிலில் ஒதுங்கியவர்கள்

பலத்த மழை

வாசலைப் பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருந்தார்கள்

கோயிலில் ஒதுங்கியவர்கள்.

பல்லக்கு தூக்கிகள்

சாமியின் முகத்தில்

சந்தனக் காப்பு

பல்லக்கு தூக்கிகளின் சாராயநெடி

நிழல்

ஜன்னல் கம்பியை வளைத்தது

திருடனல்ல

நிழல்.

தலையணை வாத்துகள்

வாத்துகள்

ரெக்கைகள் இருந்தும்

அதிக உயரம் பறப்பதில்லை.

பிறந்த வீடு, புகுந்த வீடு என

பெண்களைப்போலவே

தண்ணீருக்கும் தரைக்கும்

அலைபாய்வதே

வாத்துகளின் வாழ்க்கை!

குழந்தைகளுடன் பேசும் கலை

எல்லோரும் ஒரு காலத்தில் 

குழந்தையாக இருநதாலும்

வளர்ந்த பின்

தொலைந்துவிடுகிறது

குழந்தைகளின் உலகத்தைத்

திறக்கும் சாவி.

“The Sky is Falling” by Sidney Sheldon

Dana Evans, an investigative journalist returns from Sarajevo with an armless kid Kemal whom she rescued while covering the war there. While both Dana and Kemal suffer from post war trauma, Dana tries her best to make Kemal feel at home. Jeff, her boyfriend turned fiancé works at the same studio. Just before their marriage, Jeff and Dana are forced to travel away from each other - Dana for work, Jeff to meet his ex-wife with whom the relationship is little complicated. 

Dana starts to investigate the deaths in the Winthrop’s family, a royal family in the US. The suspicious deaths of all the members from the same family in less than a year have many mysteries to be unearthed and Dana is bent upon to uncover them. While Dana is in determined pursuit to find the motive behind the killings, she finds every witness in danger and that there is even bigger conspiracy behind the murders. 

The novel wastes no time in getting to the premise and is well paced all along. The novel has an overwhelming list of characters that guarantees enough action and drama, but there are few characters which don’t add much to the storyline. The novel stays predictable at many places but the pace doesn’t dip. There is no emotional connect with most of the central characters. But, the complicated relationship between Jeff and his ex-wife stands out as a beautiful portrayal - a big plus to the novel. 

This Sidney Sheldon novel is a template murder mystery with additional ingredients that make it a timepass!

“The Lost Bookshop” by Evie Woods

“The Lost Bookshop” by Evie Woods is a story that has elements of romance, historical fiction, mystery and magical realism. 

The story revolves around three central characters - Opaline, Martha and Henry. Opaline, a woman from the 1920s who flees home to escape a forced marriage and a domineering older brother finally ends up as the owner of an antiques and books shop in Dublin. Martha, a woman from the present who escapes from an abusive marriage lives as a servant to a wealthy lady with a constant fear of her husband finding her. Henry, a researcher with a traumatic childhood is in pursuit of a rumoured manuscript of Emily Brontë’s second novel. 

Evie Woods

The non-linear narrative of the novel travels around these three characters in two different timelines. The journey of these three characters to overcome their distressing past to a better future with surprising yet welcoming turn of events forms the storyline. 

The lives of these three are seamlessly interwoven in this magical tale of love, betrayal, hope, self-realisation and destiny. The novel brings in historical references to books, bookshops, authors and their personal lives and combines this reality with otherworldly elements to build a compelling tale of magical realism. Except being slow paced at some places, this is a feel-good novel which is engaging for the most part. 

Pongal - A celebration that is Rational & Secular

The festivals celebrated in India are countless. Being the land of diversity, the calendar in India is packed with festivals from various religions and cultures. In addition to the ceremonies, the visit to the places of worship, prayers and offerings to Gods in certain cases, festivals are occasions when families get together and spend quality time. It is a time when cousins from different parts of the city get together. It is a time when people from metropolitan cities travel back to their hometown to celebrate the occasion in their traditional way. But, how is Pongal any different from other festivals? Pongal celebrates “labour”. 

The grand festival of Tamil Nadu “Pongal” is a celebration of the harvest which is a result of the relentless efforts of farmers in the fields. This is celebrated as Sankranti outside Tamil Nadu and in other parts of India. The celebration of this festival usually includes worship of the sun, decorating the cattle by painting of the cow’s horns and garlanding the cows and cooking “Pongal” - a dish made out of the freshly harvested rice, jaggery and milk. There are customised versions of this festival that might differ from region to region in Tamil Nadu. But, on the whole, the festival is a celebration of anything and everything that relates to agriculture. A festival that celebrates “labour” and the driving factors for a successful harvest on the harvest day - can a festival be more rational? 

The grand bull taming event “Jallikattu” also coincides with the Pongal festival which is a spectacular sporting event in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. “Vaadivaasal”, a Tamil novel written by C.S. Chellappa captures intricate details of this sporting event in the background of social structure prevalent in the villages. “Jallikattu” has gained popularity over the years and channels have started live streaming of this event in the recent years with sponsors from popular brands in Tamil Nadu.

Since, the festival relates to labour, naturally it should have been a secular one. But, people being used to the act of practising rituals and conducting ceremonies during festivals might have made Pongal closer to one religion than the other. We have seen instances in Tamil Nadu where Pongal is celebrated by Hindus, Muslims and Christians. There is also an event “Samathuva Pongal” (means Secular Pongal) conducted in the presence of representatives from different religions. Each religion might have its own way of celebrating Pongal, but the majoritarian belief should not distance the solidarity this festival shows towards secularism. If every religion respects the other and its way of celebrating the festival, the festival would be an unanimous display of harmony. If there are individuals or groups who think the other way, their views should also be respected.

“Pongal” will build an inclusive and harmonious environment to celebrate “labour” which keeps this world running! 

Wishing everyone a happy Pongal!

“Periyar - A Study in Political Atheism” by Karthick Ram Manoharan

This book is a study of the work and ideas of Periyar E.V.Ramasamy, the renowned social reformer of Tamilnadu. This is not a biographical text on the life of Periyar, but is an extensive study that analyses his revolutionary criticism of religion and presents the idea of “political atheism”. The book is split into thematic sections which provide insightful perspective on the impact of Periyar’s ideologies in the political spectrum in Tamilnadu. 

The book points out Periyar’s fallout with congress after demanding proportional representation of non-brahmins in the party. His demand and he voicing out against caste inequalities were viewed “too radical” by the leaders. This conflict and Periyar’s realisation of social elitism that existed in congress led to the emergence of Self Respect Movement. 

When Indian leaders took an approach of Indian / Hindu nationalism to tackle the colonial structure and demand freedom from British, the “Dravidians” who were considered native to this land resorted to tackle the brahminical hegemony with the Aryan - Dravidian differentiation. Though there were forerunners to Periyar on this front like Iyothidasar, Karthik Ram Manoharan explains how the medium and message put across by Periyar with its simplicity gained him the popularity that he enjoys even today. 

This book also discusses in detail how Periyar drew inspiration from socialism that was gaining prominence during his times and at the same time points out his skepticism on the role of communism in India. This criticism from Periyar on communists in India was largely owing to their priority over class antagonisms over caste antagonisms and again the brahminical dominance in the communist party at that time. Periyar’s arguments also included that communism in India would be yet another tool in the hands of priestly class to cement their dominance. Periyar was also against the concept of state. However, as per my reading of Lenin’s “The State and Revolution”, it argues how complete communism can be achieved only in stages with gradual withering away of the state and how the stage of complete communism will be devoid of any form of antagonism not only the class antagonism, so this view is debatable.

The research of Karthik Ram Manoharan provides an interesting insight on how Periyar’s retelling of Ramayana was a significant strategy towards resisting and demystifying Aryan dominance. Periyar’s projection of Ravana as anti-caste hero was a strategy to counterpose the image of the Aryan icon Rama who upheld the  “Varna” system. Karthik draws parallel of this approach of Periyar with anarchists like Balkunin. 

The book also points out the inconsistencies in Periyar’s writings over a period of time which is currently levelled against Periyar in television debates. However, this book also stands to clarify these inconsistencies as individual statements that were reactionary and his true standpoint needs to be viewed from the coherence derived from the arguments that find a repetition in his thoughts and writings. 

Karthick Ram Manoharan

In the final chapter, the book brings out how Periyar’s ideology is relevant even today. This work by Karthik Ram Manoharan is a brilliant research that puts forth detailed analysis on how Periyar’s ideas to separate religion and politics changed the course of politics in Tamilnadu as an alternate to the Hindu nationalism.

V.I. Lenin - The Story Of His Life by Maria Prilezhayeva

Maria Prilezhayeva's "V.I. Lenin - The Story of His Life" is a biography of Vladimir Lenin, the communist icon of Soviet Russia. I read this book in Tamil as I was able to get hold of a translated copy in Kindle. The book is a written account on the life of Lenin covering the events and happenings in chronological order. 

The biography dwells deep into the plight of peasants and factory workers at the hands of landlords and capitalists. The impact of the first world war on the working class and contrastingly the gains of capitalists with their imperialist agenda are explained here. The anti-war propaganda by Lenin during such times was followed by a call for a revolution to fight against the Tsar rule in Russia which organized the workers and peasants in masses. This led to the November revolution which also overthrew the provisional government in Russia thus establishing the founding stone for communism in the country. 

The war-hit Soviet Union countries faced famines, inclement weather conditions and pandemics which piled up the misery of the people. But, Lenin's vision of communist Russia and planning during tough times to act on a war time basis bailed out the people of Soviet Union countries to an extent. 

His speeches and writings that inspired millions of people to stage the revolution against the mighty Tsar rule and imperialist countries are covered in detail. Lenin followed the view of Marx and Engels’ to resolve class antagonisms in the society. The biography details Lenin’s vision for upbringing of the lives of working class and his relentless efforts towards the same despite the difficulties he faced during his imprisonment and exile. The book also touches upon the betrayal that revolutionists suffered at the hands of Trotsky briefly and how Lenin tried mending the adverse impact. 

The translation had less impact with the revolutionary songs quoted as the voice of the workers. Though the following Lenin had during and post the revolution is undeniable, this book or most probably the translation at times goes overboard with praise for even the trivial and thoughts and mundane actions of Lenin.

The resurrection of Soviet nations from the effects of war, famine and pandemic under the able leadership of Lenin and the bloom of communism as a result is a process that was staged with the destruction of the state machine. The book points out Lenin’s revolutionary role in this until his death. 

An insightful biography that introduces Lenin, despite the overdose of praise at certain places.