சுடுமணல் - சுப்ரபாரதிமணியன்

This novel tells the story of a city through the eyes of an unemployed man during troubled times. Mahendran, an unemployed youth lives with his parents in a rented house in Hyderabad. Though he was born and educated there , the city treats them as an outsider. He wanted to go out and live a normal life. But unfortunately for him,the four walls are everything.

நகரமே இப்படித்தான் பிணங்களின் மத்தியில் சாவகாசமாய் இயங்கிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது

His father Venkattaiya left his hometown thirty years before and never able to go back and live his dream life . He can talk the local language but he is always scared to use his own language outside of his house. His only communication with his families and friends in native is through Pongal cards. His longing for his native made him to sent his son Mahendran to Tiruppur to be with his brother, who he contacted long time back.His mother ,a housewife but these days Mahendran does all the household work including cooking. She always laying down in her bed

காலம் கட்டப்பட்டு எங்காவது மரணப் படுக்கையில் கிடக்கும். எல்லோருக்கும் காலம் நகர்ந்து எதை எதையோ நிகழ்த்திக் காட்டிப் போகிறது. தன்னை மட்டும் அப்படியே விட்டுவிட்டிருக்கிறது. ஒரு அடி கூட நகரவிடவில்லை. வாகனத்தின் வெளிச்ச ஒளிக்குள் அமிழ்ந்துவிட வேண்டும் போலிருந்தது அவனுக்கு

Another memorable character is Damodaran - an ex-army man who lost his wife and became alcohol addict. No one  except kids like him but everyone needed him for house hold works. The author beautifully portrays how we treat people like him. People like  Damodaran is typical to any city, no one cares for them.

சமையலறையில் இருக்கின்றவரை நாலு சுவர் களையே பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருக்க வேண்டும். கல் சுவர்கள், நகரத்து மனிதனின் இதயத்தைப் போன்ற திடம்தான். கொலைக்குரல் பக்கத்தில் கேட்டாலும் சாவகாசமாக இருக்கச் சொல்லும் சுவர்கள்.

The author beautifully brings the essence of typical city life that too during tense communal and social unrest time. There was a murder discussed in the earlier chapters - very authentic , i myself had seen an accident in Chennai in early hours, no one stopped to help. But Mahendran think of these events and wants to help. He is baffled by the people's reactions. In this story there is a constant tension and fear among outsiders.

The curfew days were scary -language,culture and race took back seat. Venkattiya's journey to meet Mahendran during those curfew days were unimaginable. The influx of refugees from different states and the confusion of Venkattaiya about which language side he needs to go makes a exact climax. The mindset of the parents who are staying away from their children was captured realistically by the author.

Good Read!

தேடல் - பொன்னீலன்

I chose this book for only one reason - the story is about fishermen community.  This a story of love and exploitation of fishermen.

Michael,the owner of the engine boat uses  Dhasan and others for his own growth. They all shared whatever they catch  and was very happy until the engine boat comes into picture. Michael broke his promise with his fellow fishermen that leads to lots of problem among them. The changes in Michael is radical.

Silvy was loved by Ruben and Dhasan but Silvy loved Ruben and was cheated by him . Though Dhasan was very angry on Ruben and Michael, he slowly understood everything and was ready to marry Silvy.  The portrayal of Dhasan as a hardworking and ever loving is typical to many in Fishing community. For people like Dhasan sea is everything and love is eternal.The two female characters Silvy and Mary plays very important role, specially their relation to the boy.

The story talks about fish agents a little , in fact Ruben himself is one such agent. The relationship between Ruben and Boodhanathan is one of the highlights of the business of fish trading . The author also highlights the role of church in the fishermen's life - specially in relations to marriage. Its surprise to know the traditional punishment for cheating a girl - carry the cross during the mass before the alter and marry the girl.

The title of this book is very apt. The search for life and the search for love continues for the fishermen, in this story search for justice continues for Dhasan and others.The language is very simple and easy. The story is even simpler.  This is a small book which one can read in one sitting.

Another book to add to the fishermen stories collection.

Euro - 2016

Euro - 2016 will start tomorrow in France amid lots of security risks.  After a long and hectic domestic and regional championships the players are coming as one  - under ones country's banner.  I love La Liga and Premier League a lot.  My favourite team is FC Barcelona for the last 6+ years  but i love watching Man U , Juve ,  Real and to some extend Atletico.  Now whom to support?

As a non-playing country's fan I have big dilemma to choose the team to support, me being a football fan loves good matches.  we always support of Italy- i really  don't know why. I used the word WE because the whole of my street supports them. Another two teams which gets the same support are Brazilian football team and West Indies Cricket team.  I have asked my uncle many times why we support these three teams always, he replied " don't know" , it was like that for a long time. No one knows the answer.

Italy will remains  our favourite for this tournament also. Personally I think France has good chance to win the championship, they have good combination of youth and experienced players. Also home advantage and familiarity will help France. Next comes Spain - lately they struggled but if everything goes well they will be devastating on that day, they have enough fire power to do that. Then comes Germany -same like Spain they are struggling lately but they are very dangerous .

I don't know why something in my mind says Poland will surprise everyone this time. My dark horses are Poland and England. England are perennial under achievers. Most Singaporeans support England - I always intrigued by this, may be because of Premier League.  Rashford is a good young player . It will be very interesting how Hodgson is going to use Vardy, Kane and Rooney along with some youngsters.

Players to watch :

1) Antoine Griezmann (France)
2) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
3)Thomas Muller (Germany)
4)Paul Pogba(France)
5)Leonardo Bonucci(Italy)

Hoping for exciting and controversy free matches.

Gujarat Files : Anatomy Of A Cover Up - Rana Ayyub

One hell of a book. I have read many reports on Gujarat riots but this one is chilling and to think of how a group of people can control everything in the state is scary.  The author Rana Ayyub has done some wonderful reporting about Gujarat Riots at Tehelka and she is the main reason for the arrest of Amit Shah ,then home minister of Gujarat.

The author went undercover for eight months to investigate about the riots and encounter killings. The author along with her friends conducted sting operations on most of the officers who were involved. All are high profile officers. Most of the details are well known - discussed and written widely. These sting operations confirms many of the details came out after riots. The common thread in that connects all these officers testimonial was Amit Shah.

“You know this Haren Pandya case is like a volcano. Once the truth is out, Modi will go home. He will be jailed, not go home. He will be in prison.”

One of the highlight of this book is the exposure of  how the government used Dalit officers for 'fake' encounters and threw them out after -like "use and throw". Officer Priyadarshi  says “I mean a Dalit officer can be asked to commit cold-blooded murder because he (apparently) has no self-respect, no ideals. Upper castes in the Gujarat police are the ones in (everyone’s) good books.”  Another officer Pandey says "there were riots in 85, 87, 89, 92 and most of the times the Hindus got a beating. And the Muslims got an upperhand. So this time in 2002, it had to happen, it was the retaliation of Hindus."  The book clearly shows the communal divide among the police departments.

Its remarkable for a Muslim woman to pretend like a Hindu girl (Maithili Tyagi) , wearing all those dresses with hidden cameras and asking some uncomfortable questions to those high profile officers - an ode to investigative journalism.  Rana Ayyub says she will handover the materials collected to investigators if asked.

Muslims were more dominant. In 2002, more Muslims were killed. See with Muslims it’s like this. Especially in 2002 it was like this, Muslims were killing Hindus all these years so whatever happened in 2002 was a retaliation for all those years of being beaten by Muslims. And everybody across the world created havoc. They did not see the situation in which the Hindus were killed.

I finished the book in less than three hours, it was like reading a crime thriller. The language is simple and engaging.  I felt very sad for those courageous police officers who were put in a moral dilemma- those who toed the line were rewarded and others were thrown out. Its like in movies -complete disregard to law and order by the top police and government officials.

The book does not give any idea on which those unfortunate events happened, rather it gives thoughts of those who involved in it -in their own words and leave the readers to judge. Definitely things were not as clear as one would like to believe in events during and after the riots and encounters. I believe the author may have some more information which she do not want reveal at this point of time ? Also anyone working behind this author because one cannot ask all the questions without some kind of backup? Whatever it may be this is a brilliant book.

A chilling read ! 

Signs Preceding the End of the World - Yuri Herrera

Very short book with so much emotion. This is the journey of a sister searching for his brother.  The journey is through different geographical plains. She is from Mexico crossing the border illegally to USA . She is observant,curious and street smart. The first line "I’m dead, Makina said to herself when everything lurched"  sets the tone for story. That line gives lots to think even before one proceed further.

Makina, who runs the only switchboard in miles was asked by her mother to deliver the letter and bring his son back . She had a way to fix everything and readily talks to anyone and she knew three languages. She helped many in her village in their relationship through her work.  She knows how to to stay in the correct side of the local gangsters ,she meets a gangster who gave her a package to deliver. Will she return back ? or does she have any intention to return ?

You are the door, not the one who walks through it.

She is the door, she knew it and she cannot go through it, that's the reason why she was able to gain access to any where.She is a conduit , everyone relies on her. She journeys from Village to little town to big Chilango . Her plan was to come back as soon as she meet her brother. After meeting her brother she realized that she cannot go back and she remains there.

Makina risks her life in search of her brother using all her skills in fighting the immigrants and security forces. She also understood the life of her brother after her brother explained his complex life in  United States. She also realizes there is no escaping from the reality that she will stay in the unknown land may be forever as her brother. The end is inevitable.

“All families had started off in some mysterious waay: to repopulate the earth, or by accident, or by force, or out of boredom; and it's all a mystery what each will become.” 

This is a strange story but memorable.The crossing of border is a allegory.The writing is poetic. Lots of overlapping words in a sentence - rain and snow ,anglo and latin . The journey itself moving in two ways -forward and backward sort of Inferno and Paradise. The contradiction is explained beautifully in this passages - "They speak an intermediary tongue that Makina instantly warms to because it’s like her: malleable, erasable, permeable; a hinge pivoting between two like but distant souls, and then two more, and then two more, never exactly the same ones; something that serves as a link. . . . More than the midpoint between home grown and anglo their tongue is a nebulous territory between what is dying out and what is not yet born. . . . In it brims nostalgia for the land they left or never knew when they use the words with which they name objects; while actions are alluded to with an anglo verb conjugated latin-style, pinning on a sonorous tail from back there."

The sinkhole which devours a man, a cat and a dog is a sign at the beginning of the story which talks about the end. The names of each chapters describes how the places looks like and it geographical features "The Place Where The Wind Cuts Like A Knife," , “The Place Where People’s Hearts Are Eaten.” and "The Place Where Flags Wave" etc.The author also highlights the need of some kind of paper whether its for crossing or for marriage of any sorts - "perhaps they just want the papers, she said to herself, any kind of papers, even if it’s only to fit in" . 

Below quote is a very powerful message and this is the only lengthy monologue by Makina which explores anti-immigration and xenophobia. 

We are to blame for this destruction, we who don’t speak your tongue and don’t know how to keep quiet either. We who didn’t come by boat, who dirty up your doorsteps with our dust, who break your barbed wire. We who came to take your jobs, who dream of wiping your shit, who long to work all hours. We who fill your shiny clean streets with the smell of food, who brought you violence you’d never known, who deliver your dope, who deserve to be chained by neck and feet. We who are happy to die for you, what else could we do? We, the ones who are waiting for who knows what. We, the dark, the short, the greasy, the shifty, the fat, the anemic. We the barbarians.

I'm reading "Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari , in this book the author describes the eternal differences of "us" and "them", the above quote confirms that. I think the translator did a very good job in bringing the essence of the original. 

Read the book for its language and the sense of hope and kindness.