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A review by reethu_ravi
In a Violent Land by Suketu Mehta, Salam bin Razzaq, Mahasweta Devi, Vijaydan Detha, Harvinder Singh Phoolka, Sonia Faleiro, Khushwant Singh, Sanjoy Hazarika, Manoj Mitta, Anna Bhau Sathe, Shahnaz Bashir, Udayan Ghosh, Barkha Dutt
4.0
In A Violent Land is a collection of stories and essays written around the violence that prevalently exists in Indian society. With works of some of India’s celebrated authors and journalists like Khushwant Singh and Barkha Dutt, the book is a painful reminder of all the violence that has swept the country, and continue to do. It briefly touches upon the brutality arising from issues of religion, caste, gender, language, class, and geopolitics.
The book is a part of Aleph Book Company’s series – Aleph Olio. Centred around various Indian themes – from the diverse cultures to the great cities – Aleph Olio showcases some of the finest writings from some of India’s best writers. The amount of work that has gone into the compilation of this book is evident in the quality of the stories; hats off to the publisher for this.
From the India-Pakistan Partition of 1947 to the 1984 Sikh riots and the 1992-93 riots following the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya, these stories touch upon some of the worst violence India has ever witnessed. While some of these stories are literary fictions, others are real, harrowing accounts of some of the brutalities that occurred.
The book starts with Khushwant Singh’s infamous ‘Train To Pakistan,’ which takes us through the Partition of India in the perspective of Mano Majra, a fictional village bordering India and Pakistan. Suketu Mehta’s Powertoni gives a glimpse into the narrative of a couple of men from the Shiva Sena party who mercilessly killed Muslims during the ’93 riots. Meanwhile, Sonia Faleiro’s 13 Men talks about the horrific gang rape of a Santhal tribe woman in West Bengal, as a village council given punishment for having an affair with a married man from a different community.
At a time when India is witnessing communal riots and massive protests, In A Violent Land becomes a very important and relevant read. The book is a horrific reminder that violence in the name of religion, caste, and gender has been existing in the country since time immemorial, and it is far from over.
I highly recommend In A Violent Land if you’re on the lookout for a great collection of stories and essays. However, be warned that some of the stories have graphic details of rape and violence.
Rating: 3.5/5
The book is a part of Aleph Book Company’s series – Aleph Olio. Centred around various Indian themes – from the diverse cultures to the great cities – Aleph Olio showcases some of the finest writings from some of India’s best writers. The amount of work that has gone into the compilation of this book is evident in the quality of the stories; hats off to the publisher for this.
From the India-Pakistan Partition of 1947 to the 1984 Sikh riots and the 1992-93 riots following the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya, these stories touch upon some of the worst violence India has ever witnessed. While some of these stories are literary fictions, others are real, harrowing accounts of some of the brutalities that occurred.
The book starts with Khushwant Singh’s infamous ‘Train To Pakistan,’ which takes us through the Partition of India in the perspective of Mano Majra, a fictional village bordering India and Pakistan. Suketu Mehta’s Powertoni gives a glimpse into the narrative of a couple of men from the Shiva Sena party who mercilessly killed Muslims during the ’93 riots. Meanwhile, Sonia Faleiro’s 13 Men talks about the horrific gang rape of a Santhal tribe woman in West Bengal, as a village council given punishment for having an affair with a married man from a different community.
At a time when India is witnessing communal riots and massive protests, In A Violent Land becomes a very important and relevant read. The book is a horrific reminder that violence in the name of religion, caste, and gender has been existing in the country since time immemorial, and it is far from over.
I highly recommend In A Violent Land if you’re on the lookout for a great collection of stories and essays. However, be warned that some of the stories have graphic details of rape and violence.
Rating: 3.5/5