Haruki Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood”

I enjoyed Haruki Murakami’s sad novel “Norwegian Wood”. A confession first: I had avoided Murakami for a long time after hearing from many that his fractured narratives make a difficult read. I’m not fond of non-linear plot and all those mind games and magical realism stuff (Murakami’s signature style) don’t appeal me. But this novel is different. Toru’s loneliness and his meeting with strange characters like Storm Trooper, Nagasawa, Midori, Naoko, Reiko and others kept me hooked to the story. Sadness experienced by Toru and his non-attachment with people along with the death hanging over the narrative can subject the sensitive reader to gloom and can prove off-putting. However, Murakami’s spiritual commentary on anomie brought about by the modern time and space and the inadequacy of physical love (there is plenty of hardcore sex in the novel) to relieve one of boredom is excellent. Quirky characters make this novel interesting.  

Carlos Ruiz Zafón's "The Shadow of the Wind"

Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón's thrilling novel "The Shadow of the Wind" is one of the best reads. Translated into English by Lucia Graves, this novel of epic proportion pays homage to writing and creative process.

Daniel is a young bookkeeper who stumbles across a novel named "The Shadow of the Wind" by an obscure writer Julian Carax. After being fascinated by the novel, Daniel looks for other works by the writer but finds that someone has been destroying every copy of every novel the writer has written. Even Daniel's life  is put on edge various times during his search for the elusive writer. A fearsome police officer Xavier Fumero threatens Daniel's life as there is a history of hatred between Fumero and Carax. But the revelation of the book-destroyer towards the end comes as a shock to the reader .

The novel is not trapped into the conventions of the genre as its lyrical style and play with various emotions testify. Multiple stories are nested within one another and they unravel in a fascinating manner. Never does the reader come across a dull moment in the novel. Highly recommended!

Prashant Jha’s “Battles of the New Republic

Prashant Jha’s book “Battles of the New Republic” left me depressed; no, no the book is excellent but Nepali politics sucks. Throughout the book, Jha shows that all our political developments are at the mercy of our southern neighbor. This begs the question: Are we even independent?

As a political reporter, Jha had unparalleled access to key actors in Nepali politics and he was even in contact with Indian spooks who had greater hand in Nepali politics than imagined. All of them categorically confirm that Nepali politicians were/are mere puppets at the hands of Indian masters. However, by focusing on Indian hand so much, Jha may have missed the angle of Western intervention. 

Jha is all for change in current political dispensation. While Nepal certainly progressed from being a Hindu Kingdom to a secular republic but things have not changed much in the ground. The writer had pinned much hope in Maoists and Madheshi forces to usher in vital changes in the country but they too were splintered in several factions and were rather co-opted by the old system they were trying to change in the first place. He is a little disappointed with this.

Jha’s extensive analysis of the Madheshi movement helps gain the knowledge of pains and anger the community feels. But the narrow casteist politics of Madheshis as exposed by Jha makes the reader conclude that left to themselves, Madheshis will leave the region in lurch.

I was mesmerized by the lucid prose style of the writer in the book. Even if this book seems to be intended for the audience outside Nepal, even Nepali readers will get a clear perspective of our politics by reading it.

Akhil Sharma's "Family Life"

This appeared in Republica on December 5, 2014:

http://myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=87964

The famous first line of Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece “Anna Karenina” reads, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”. This holds true for Akhil Sharma’s second novel “Family Life”. The novel tells the story of a migrant family of Indian origin in the US having its unique trouble that feeds unhappiness in the family and unravels it. The sad tale of the family, however, is not aimed at exploiting readers’ emotions like a cheap tearjerker; rather it uplifts their spirit with the undying belief in life.

The Mishra family, consisting of parents and two sons, Birju and Ajay, move to greener pastures in America in the 1970s. The stifling atmosphere of the Emergency period in India motivates them to emigrate. America is full of hope and promise and the family starts chasing the American Dream. 

Birju, the older son, is an academically brilliant person with a great future potential. But an accident in the swimming pool (where his head struck the cement bottom and he left stunned for three minutes) leaves him brain-damaged. His motor ability suffers a fatal blow and he is forced to take to the bed forever.

This accident hits the family hard. Ajay is left to pick up the pieces of a life torn apart. He does not know what to do and how to grow up in a strange country. The father becomes a drunk. The mother loses sight of everything else and only wants to take care of Birju.


Ajay, from whose point of view the novel is written, refuses to be devastated by this tragedy. Instead, he loses himself to the world of books. It is a convenient escape from the suffering. “I was always lost in a book, whether I was actually reading or imagining myself as a character. If bad things happened, like Birju developing pneumonia and having to wear an oxygen mask, I would think that soon I would be able to go back to my reading and then time would vanish and when I reentered the world, the difficult thing would be gone or changed.”

He “discovers” Ernest Hemingway and is enamored with the works of this great writer. Emulating Hemingway’s sparse style, he writes his own stories about his family (in fact, Sharma adopts this style for the whole novel). The power of art in healing life’s wounds is succinctly emphasized. Besides this love for books, he falls for girls, gets acquainted with the popular American culture, and chats with God and daydreams. These coping mechanisms enable him to transcend the life-shattering grief in the family.

Birju´s tragedy defines the life of his family so much that Ajay has to fulfill his elder brother´s dream of getting good grades and being useful to the family. Denied of parental love after the tragedy, Ajay fends for himself and studies diligently. However, the bedridden Birju continues to haunt Ajay even after achieving something in life, making him feel as if he were living a vicarious life. "That spring I was continuously aware that if the accident had not occurred, Birju would be graduating from college, that he would be applying to medical schools. The awareness was like a physical sensitivity, like when your back is hurting and you are careful all the time how you take a step". The Indian values of emphasizing family over the individual may have influenced Ajay´s thoughts. However, Ajay´s loss of the self is regained towards the climax.

The novel deals with migration at two levels. At the apparent level, an Indian family´s emigration to America brings along with it the issues of difficulties in cultural adaptation, "We even discussed what part of a dog a hot dog must be made of". Ajay is bullied by the white boys in school because of his color. The father aggressively pushes the family for assimilation into the American society. He makes his sons watch American news channels every evening and asks them to play tennis as he considers the game to be played by the rich. The family is slowly Americanized.

At the deeper level, the migration from happiness to grief characterizes the Mishra family. The single traumatic event defines the family and misery takes the center stage. The members of the family become clueless after the event and lapse into their idiosyncrasies. The father drowns his grief in drinking while the mother turns to religious superstition and miracle workers. They keep fighting with one another most of the time. But with the passing time, they learn to live with their grief.

This novel deals with a dark and maudlin matter but the reader is not bogged down in the narrative because Sharma sprinkles humor at times. For instance, Ajay and his mother tease Birju for not paying attention when they play cards by his bedside, at other times they accuse him of being lazy for never getting out of bed. This dark humor shows the lighter side of human nature that is not suppressed by tragedies. The acceptance of life in all its forms and the power of love and hope that works as a beacon in the darkness of despair elevate the novel to the first grade work of art.

Naseeruddin Shah's memoir "And Then One Day"

Naseeruddin Shah’s memoir “And Then One Day” left me desiring for more. Shah has focused more on his personal life and failed to give equal consideration to his professional life. I wanted to learn more about the films he played and his reactions to them. The reactions (mostly negative) are there but he talks nothing about his career after 1980s.

Shah feels himself a misfit in Hindi film industry where people who don’t know their onions rule the roost and produce cat’s vomit that goes by the name of commercial cinema. He feels comfortable only in so-called “art-cinema” (he waxes eloquent about the movie “Sparsh”). Ruthlessness in passing judgment on others and even on himself is the hallmark of his memoir. The strained relationship with his father perhaps makes him a tempestuous man of temper who is garrulous and disobedient to directors in film sets.

However, the warm appreciation he shows for fellow actors Om Puri, Shabana Azmi (barring one place where he criticizes her acting), Smita Patil and some others is delightful. His frank observations of Indian theater and movies show us the murky reality of the show business. His command over the English language is superb and the memoir consists of delightful phrases and sentences. He could have written more.

Talakjung vs Tulke टलकजंग भर्सेस टुल्के

"टलकजंग भर्सेस टुल्के" हेरियो । ठीकै लाग्यो । बतासे कथा बोकेको चर्को मेलोड्रामा बन्ने सिनेउद्योगमा यथार्थको नजिक रहेको, स्थानीय भाषाशैली पक्रेको फिल्मलाई प्रोत्साहन गर्नु पर्छ तर फिल्म अझै राम्रो हुन सक्थ्यो जस्तो लाग्यो । लु सुनको कथा "द ट्रु स्टोरी अफ आह क्यु" को नेपाली संस्करण भनिएको यो फिल्मको कथा अनुवादमा आफ्नो गहिराइ गुमाउन पुगेको अनुभूत हुन्छ । खगेन्द्र लामिछानेले लेखेको कथामा धेरै छिद्र छन् । मुख्य कुरा त कथा सलल बगेको छैन । कमीकमजोरीको  रौचिरा विश्लेषण गर्न थाल्दा कथाको ठूलो अंश नै भन्नुपर्ने हुँदा हेर्न मजा आउँदैन, त्यसैले त्यता नलागौं । द्वन्द्वको सतही चित्रण छ कथामा । तर लामिछानेको  अभिनय उम्दा छ । पूरै बाँचेका छन् उनी चरित्रमा । अन्य कलाकारको अभिनय पनि राम्रो छ । "लुट" मा निश्चल बस्नेतको स्टाइलिस निर्देशन थियो, यसमा त्यस्तो वाह भन्न लायक खासै काम भेटिनँ । शीर्षकको सार्थकता भेटिन्न (अन्तिममा "फुली" पात्रले व्याख्या गर्न खोजे पनि त्यो कमजोर छ) । एकचोटी हेर्दा हुने तर हलबाट निस्केपछि बिर्सिइने फिल्म लाग्यो मलाई !        

Saurabh's "Asahamati" सौरभको "असहमति"

सौरभको नयाँ पुस्तक "असहमति" पढेर सिध्याएँ ।  बुझ्नै गाह्रो ।  धेरै सूचना खाँदाखाँद हुन्छ प्रत्येक लेखमा । तैपनि यसो बुझ्न खोज्दा सौरभले वनस्पति र जीवजन्तु (फ्लोरा यान्ड फौना) लाई आधार बनाएर इतिहासको मूल्यांकन गर्ने रहेछन् । अनि शब्दको उत्पत्ति कसरी भयो होला भन्ने कुरा गम्दै कुनै पनि घटनाको प्राचीनता/अर्वाचीनता खुट्ट्याउन खोज्छन् । यो क्रममा उनी भारतवर्ष र चीनको प्राचीनता र पश्चिमको आधुनिकतालाई पुन:स्थापित गर्दछन् अनि नेपाल राज्यको विश्वसभ्यतामा योगदानको चर्चा गर्न पुग्छन् । आधुनिक समाजले भुलिसकेको राष्ट्रिय गौरवलाई सम्झाउने सौरभको प्रयास प्रशंसनीय छ । तर उनका दाबीलाई "भेरिफाइ" गर्नलाई आफ्नो अध्ययन पनि त्यति नै व्यापक हुनुपर्यो, जो मलगायत धेरैमा छैन । त्यसैले उनका लेखमा आएका पाठक प्रतिक्रिया त्यति गहन नभएका होलान् (जुन यस पुस्तकमा समावेश गरिएका छन्) । नेपालको राजनीतिक तरलताको फाइदा उठाउन खोज्दै  पश्चिमले लाद्न  खोजेको जातीय विद्वेष र त्यसको मतियार बनेका दलका नेताप्रति उनको  तीव्र कटाक्ष छ । तर यी सबै कुरा सहज तरिकाले पनि लेख्न सकिन्थ्यो होला, यस्तो "सिजोफ्रेनिक" शैली उनी किन अपनाउँछन् खै ?       

Nayan Raj Pandey's "Nidaaye Jagadamba" निदाएँ जगदम्बा

नयनराज पाण्डे दाइको पुरानो कथा संग्रह "निदाएँ जगदम्बा" एकै बसाइमा पढिसिध्याएँ । सुललित भाषामा समाजका विकृतिहरूमाथि तीव्र व्यंग्य गरिएका कथामा निहित प्रतीक प्रयोगले नयन दाइको आख्यानशिल्पलाई उच्च बनाएको अनुभव भयो । विशेषगरी "कीला " (धार्मिक असहिष्णुता) , "देश" (अदूरदर्शिता), "निदाएँ जगदम्बा" (साहित्यिक गुटबन्दी) मा प्रयुक्त भिन्नभिन्न प्रतीकले वर्तमान विसंगतिको शल्यक्रिया गर्ने लेखकको तरिका उम्दा लाग्यो । अन्य कथा पनि राम्रै छन् । लेखकको संवेदनशीलताले समाजका विकार देखेर जन्मेको रोष नारावादी नभइकन कठोर व्यंग्यमा अभिव्यक्त भएको छ । आफ्नो व्यंग्यप्रहारको पात्रलाई धेरैले सजिलै थाहा पाउनेगरी बढी नघुमाइकन प्रस्तुत गर्नुभएको छ नयन दाइले, त्यसैले पनि ती चोटिला बन्न पुगेका छन् । छपाइको प्राविधिक त्रुटिका कारण चारवटा जति कथा चाहिँ अधूराअपूरा भएछन् ।

Pushkar Shah's "Sansaar laaii saadhe paach fanko"

पुष्कर शाहको "संसारलाई साढे पाँच फन्को" प्रबल सम्भावना बोकेको तर अनुचित प्रस्तुतीकरणले गर्दा स्तरहीन बन्न पुगेको पुस्तक लाग्यो मलाई । विश्वका १५० देशमा घुमेर बटुलेको अनुभवजन्य पुस्तक त सांस्कृतिक, भौगोलिक, मानवीय सबै पक्षको दह्रो विवरणले भरिएको हुनुपर्ने हो । तर यो पुस्तक त विभिन्न देशमा गएर बेस्सरी जाँड धोकेको, तरुनीहरूसँग झन्डैझन्डै सुतेको, उनीहरूका नग्न शरीर देखियो भनेर दंग परेको एउटो उरन्ठेउलो युवकको डायरीमा मात्र पो सीमित रह्यो । पुष्कार पक्कै तेस्ता मान्छे हैनन् होला । उनी त विश्वमा शान्ति फैलाउने अभियानमा लागेका प्रबुद्ध व्यक्ति हुन् तर यो पुस्तक पढ्दा त उनको प्रबुद्धतामा शंका पो उठ्छ । कुनै पनि देश उनी कसरी पुगे, त्यहाँ पुगेर कुन कुन मुख्य ठाउँमा घुमे, त्यहाँका निवासीलाई केकस्तो सन्देश दिए शान्तिको भन्ने प्रश्न राखेर किताब पढ्न बसेको त तामसिक कृत्यमा मात्र जोड दिएको देखेर दिक्क लाग्यो । म नियात्राको "फ्यान" हुँ त्यसैएल यो पुस्तक पढ्न मलाई हुटहुटी थियो ।   पुस्तकमा छोटा छोटा अध्याय र केही सरस वर्णनले पठनलाई सजिलो बनाएपनि बारम्बार उस्तैखाले प्रसंग दोहोरिरहँदा पछिपछि त झर्को लागेर "स्किप" गर्न मन लाग्छ (जबकि संसारको विशेषता नै वैविध्य हो ) । सगरमाथा आरोहणको भाग तुलनात्मक राम्रै लाग्यो । तर ठाडा र भद्दा शब्द प्रयोग पुस्तकभरि नै गरिएकाले सुसंस्कृत रुचि भएका पाठकलाई बिच्काउँछ । मानवीयतामाथिको आस्थालाई दह्रो बनाउने पुष्करको यात्रावर्णन कलाविहीनताको दलदलमा नराम्ररी फँसेकोमा मलाई दु:ख लाग्यो । 

Bijaya Kumar's "Khusi"

विजय कुमारको पुस्तक "खुसी" मलाई राम्रै लाग्यो । आफ्नो जीवनभोगाइलाई लेखकले इमान्दारीपूर्वक पस्केका छन् जस्तो लाग्यो । कुनै पुस्तक मन पर्नुमा पाठकको आफ्नो पूर्वाग्रहले काम गर्छ भन्ने मेरो मान्यता छ । मैले विजय कुमारको व्यक्तित्वमा आफ्नो व्यक्तित्वका केही झल्का पाएँ, जस्तै लजालु बानी, मान्छेसँग घुलमिल गर्न नरुचाउने, बच्चा मन नपराउने तर आफ्नो पाएपछि वात्सल्यको तीव्र अनुभव गर्ने, जागिर खाने कुरामा फुक्काफाल धारणा राख्ने, कुरा सिधा राख्ने लगायतका कुरा । उनको मनमौजी बानी, अध्यात्मतिरको रुचिलाई पनि मैले आनन्दपूर्वक पढेँ । रक्सी पिउने बानी र यसबाट पाएको छुटकाराको इमान्दार प्रसंग तारिफयोग्य लाग्यो । सम्पादक/प्रकाशकसँगको कुराकानी अब्बल छ । तर "सेक्स" सम्बन्धी पूरै अध्याय नै बकवास लाग्यो किनकि यसमा उनले आफ्नो अनुभवजन्य कुराभन्दा अर्काको भनाइ दोहोर्याए । उनले अन्य व्यक्तिका भनाइमा अन्य प्रसंगमा पनि धेरै भर परेको चित्त बुझेन । पुस्तकमा तथ्यगत त्रुटि भएको कुरा त धेरैले औंल्याए तर भाषा सम्पादनमा समेत बिजोक छ । नेपाली र अंग्रेजी शब्दमा गल्ती भरमार छन् । कल्पनासँगको "प्लेटोनिक" सम्बन्धलाई "प्लुटोनिक", अमेरिकी मित्रको "yacht" लाई "याच" जस्ता गल्ती अग्रेजी शब्दमा भने नेपालीमा एकरूपता नअपनाई एउटै शब्दलाई अनेक हिज्जेमा लेख्ने कामले पठन खल्लो बनायो ।

The flying posture

मानिसले दुवै हातलाई उचालेर फैलाउने मुद्राले मलाई घोत्लिन बाध्य गरायो । पंछीले पखेटा फिँजाएर उडेको क्रियालाई मानिसले अनुकरण गरेको हुनसक्छ यो । पंछीको उडान स्वतन्त्रताको प्रतीक हो र मानिसको स्वभाव नै स्वतन्त्रता रुचाउने हुन्छ । धेरैजसो प्रख्यात मानिसले कुन जीव बन्न पाए हुन्थ्यो भन्ने प्रश्नको उत्तर "चरा" भनेर दिन्छन् । अनि हात फैलाउने मुद्रा त जिसस क्राइस्टको प्रसिद्ध मुद्रा भैहाल्यो । यसको आध्यात्मिक महत्त्व छुट्टै छ । क्रिस्तानी धर्ममा रहस्यमयी सन्तहरूले आफ्नो हत्केलामा क्राइस्टको दु:खलाई आत्मसात गर्दै कीलाको घाउ (स्टिगमाटा) अनुभव गर्छन् भनी परमहंस योगानन्दको आत्मकथामा उल्लेख गरिएको छ । भारतीय रहस्ययोगमा समेत सिद्ध योगीहरूले संसारलाई दुवै हात फैलाएको पुरुषका रूपमा देख्छन् भनी गोपीनाथ कविराजको कुनै पुस्तकमा पढेको थिएँ । अनि अाधुनिक युगमा हात फैलाउने मुद्रा त "टाइटानिक" फिल्मले प्रसिद्ध बनायो । जहाजको टुप्पोमा गएर नायकनायिका दुवैले सूर्यास्त हेर्दै हात फैलाएर प्रेममा लीन भएको त्यो दृश्य अत्यधिक अनुकरण गरियो फिल्महरूमै पनि, वास्तविक जिन्दगीमा पनि ।

Rahul Pandita's "Hello Bastar"

Investigative journalist Rahul Pandita's book "Hello Bastar" provides the account of Maoist conflict in certain areas of India like Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal and Bihar. Rahul traveled to the hinterlands of these states and interviewed Maoist leaders and guerrillas over a long period of time so his account feels authentic.

Maoist conflict started with Naxalbari uprising and it extended to other places in India. The persistent inequality, caste-based discrimination and the deprivation of Adivasis' rights to land resources have proved fertile grounds for Maoist activities.

Indian government's approach is negative in the sense that rather than fulfilling people's basic needs, it tries to suppress Maoist rebellion with brute power. This state oppression has involved even the innocent people and has inspired them to join the Maoist fold.

While Maoist tactics of physically eliminating class enemy cannot be justified, the cause they raise has to be addressed by the state. Maoists are also at fault as they accept gifts from big corporations and work against people's interests. But Maoist dream of a communist regime is a pipe dream at best.

Rahul maintains objectivity in the book although at times he seems to fall in charm of Maoists.He provides the portraits of certain Maoist leaders among whom Anuradha Ghandy stands the best. She sacrificed her life for the uplift of poor Dalits, Muslims and the proletariat, unlike our own Maoist leaders who enjoyed privileges in India while common cadres were tortured and killed here. Since Nepal too went through Maoist conflict, Nepali readers can relate with it.

Neelanjan Mukhopadhyaya's Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times

नीलान्जन मुखोपाध्यायले लेखेको नरेन्द्र मोदीको जीवनी Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times ठीकै मात्र लाग्यो । मोदीलाई खासै मन नपराउने तर खुलेर गाली गर्न पनि नसक्ने रहेछ नीलान्जन । सन्तुलित भएर लेख्न खोजेको रहेछ तर कता कता के नमिलेजस्तो । मोदीका जीवनकथा भन्दा पनि उनको राजनीतिक  उहापोहलाई देखाउन खोजेको रहेछ । मलाई त मोदी कर्मनिष्ठ र देशभक्त लागे यो जीवनी पढिसकेपछि । यिनले भारतका लागि केही गर्छन् ।

Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone

Adults create war. The young are sacrificed in it. Forced into war into an early stage of life is a traumatic experience for anyone. Ismael Beah in his memoir A Long Way Gone graphically records his wartime experience in Sierra Leone and the difficulty in social rehabilitation later. The loss of innocence and its regain provides a good read although the writing was not par excellence.

Left behind (Conflict-hit children)

This appeared in Republica daily on 23 June 2014.

http://myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=77590

The process of formation of transitional justice mechanisms has finally started. The bill to form Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Enquiry into Enforced Disappearances has already been passed by the parliament. But the human rights community and conflict victims have rejected the bill and moved the Supreme Court for its alleged “amnesty provisions” even for serious breaches of human rights. That in itself is a problem, but importantly the apathy of the bill towards the children affected by the conflict is even more troublesome. Nowhere in the bills have the concerns of children been addressed. 

Children bore the brunt of the conflict. Many were injured after being caught in the crossfire. They suffered in the post-conflict period as well because they couldn’t recognize live explosives, to fatal consequences. Around 700 children are reported to have become casualties of landmines and other explosive devices since 2006. 
Normal growth of children was stunted by the loss of care and protection as their parents died or were displaced. Separated from their parents, children across the country have been living in child protection home. This bereavement has caused psychosocial problems. Moreover, there are reports of sexual abuses and disappearance of children during the conflict.

Data of conflict victim children have been made public by various agencies. But it is a pity that the government has no such data. According to the 2005 report of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), more than 500 children have lost their lives, approximately 40,000 were displaced, hundreds wounded, and more than 8,000 rendered orphan or separated from their families during the conflict. 


Central Child Welfare Board’s 2009 report says 19,980 children were affected by the conflict, with almost 50 percent of them displaced; 20 percent had lost either mother or father; 8 percent had lost both the parents and 671 were disabled. Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN) estimates a similar number of children as affected by the conflict. Save the Children, meanwhile, claims to have supported 24,368 conflict-hit children since 2006. These data show that the conflict had a profoundly negative impact on children.

Maoist combatants formerly residing in cantonments but disqualified as minors by the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) present a further problem. The Maoist practice of recruiting children placed many children in harm’s way. Maoist leaders kept telling the world that they hadn’t recruited any children but nearly 3,000 minors in the cantonments belied their claims. Since these children were informally released without any form of rehabilitation and reintegration package, their vulnerability has increased manifold. 

Left to themselves, these “disqualified” combatants have been facing hurdles in smooth reintegration into the society. The stolen lives of these children have left them with feelings of resentment and frustration. There is every chance of their negative energy being used by criminal elements in the society. Sierra Leone and Liberia serve as examples. There, former child soldiers were involved in substance abuse, violence and thefts. Ismael Beah’s memoir A Long Way Gone graphically records the plights of child soldiers having difficulty in reintegration. Only social rehabilitation, rather than pecuniary compensation, can guarantee their future. 

The government has made big promises for the rehabilitation and protection of children affected by the conflict. In clause 7.5.1 of Comprehensive Peace Agreement both the parties have committed to special protection of the rights of women and children. National Plan of Action for Children, Nepal 2012 published by Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare has pledged to make arrangements for clear codes of conduct related to children affected by armed conflict, and ensure their rehabilitation within families, communities or institutions. 

Nepal is also a party to Convention on the Rights of Child and its optional protocols which clearly obliges the government to protect children. However, the government has not done anything to translate these obligations into actions. Nepal Peace Trust Fund was established to address conflict-era issues and billions spent in different peace projects, but not a single rupee for the benefit of children. 

To redress these problems, the government should immediately implement its long-term plans and policies for children. Incorporating children’s concerns in the TRC could be the first step. Appropriate mechanisms for involving children in the TRC should be developed. Children who played the roles of victims and perpetrators have been subjected to traumatic events. Thus, it is imperative that a child-friendly environment be ensured through involvement of child specialists in order to avoid re-traumatization. 

Children must be an integral part of TRC process. Important information about the experiences of children should be obtained from adults, child protection agencies and others working with children.TRC should build upon and promote existing structures established by child protection agencies and other re-integration and resettlement support agencies concerning the reunification, reintegration and reconciliation of children through a community-based approach.
 

William Dalrymple's "The Age of Kali"

William Dalrymple's travelogue "The Age of Kali" is commendable in language and contemptible in content. The writer has a gift for the descriptive (any aspiring fiction-writer has to read him for a lesson or two) but he presents a very grim picture of the Indian subcontinent. Dalrymple visits different states in India, in Pakistan and Sri Lanka and meets with people with a cultural bias and seeks out only the negative aspects to prove his preconceived thesis of a psychologically turbulent continent (the dark Kali Yuga). He has shown apathy (at times hostility) for Hindus and Muslims (seeking out fanatics; describing Goddess Kaali in grotesque form; saying that The Koran is a boring book) and empathy for Christians (warming up to The Reunion Islanders and Goans). Nonetheless, I recommend the book.

Sanjaya Baru's "The Accidental Prime Minister"

Sanjaya Baru's book on ex-PM of India Manmohan Singh, "The Accidental Prime Minister", tries to project Singh as a Shakespearean tragic hero, noble man with inherent flaws. Since Baru was the media adviser to Singh during his first term, he is privy to the intrigues in the highest echelons of Indian politics. Singh remained under the shadow of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Baru tries to project Singh as an independent and strong PM but Singh chose to remain shy (because he had a troubled childhood) and subservient to mother-son duo (Now I understand why Modi during his election campaign cast aspersions against maa bete). Singh had a difficult time in the government because the coalition partner in leftist parties always saw him as the agent of capitalism and imperialism as he had opened up India in 1991 with advocacy of free market during his stint as the Finance Minister in Narsimha Rao cabinet. Even the left-leaning Congressmen like Pranab Mukherjee and Jayaram Ramesh and Sonia loyalists tried to sabotage the good works done by Singh. They gave credits of all good works done by Singh to Sonia and bad works to Singh. But Singh chose the route of passivity and self-abnegation (one reason maybe that he was not directly chosen by the people but was a member of Rajya Sabha, hence the sobriquet of accidental PM). This lack of strength and fatalistic "que sera, sera" attitude in Singh made Baru frustrated. Baru has used the term "teething" often in the book to describe Singh's actions, suggesting infantile Singh and Baru's role as his guardian. When Baru assumes this role of an officious guardian and jumps the gun at times, Singh admonishes him. Baru presents Singh's biggest achievement to be the nuclear deal he was able to sign with the US despite vociferous opposition from the left and the BJP. It remains to be seen how this achievement translated into easing the life of common people. After reading the book, Singh comes out as a good man surrounded by evil figures. Baru suggests that Singh should have used his political clout in choosing honest and capable people in his second term. Since he failed in doing that, his second term proved disastrous, tainted with multiple allegations of corruption. Is Baru trying to project that his absence in Singh's office during the second term caused the difference? I enjoyed reading this book.

Prateek Dhakal's "Anandabhoomiko Yatra"

Prateek Dhakal दाइको सद्य:प्रकाशित पुस्तक "आनन्दभूमिको आँगन" पढेपछि मन काबुमा छैन । अझै पनि डुल्दैछ लाङटाङ, खप्तड र चाँदनी दोधारतिरै । प्रतीक दाइको विशिष्टता नै यही हो । आफ्नो शारीरिक यात्राको वर्णनबाट नै पाठकलाई मानसिक यात्रामा डोर्याउनु र सुमधुर यात्राको छाप दिमागमा अंकित गरिदिनु । दाइ हिउँलाई असाध्यै प्रेम गर्नुहुन्छ र प्रकृतिको चिन्मय स्वरूपको दर्शन गर्नुहुन्छ । यसले उहाँलाई आनन्दातिरेक दिन्छ र निस्कन्छ उहाँबाट प्रशंसोद्गार । उहाँमा रहेको यो आनन्दलाई पाठकसँग बाँड्न सक्नु उहाँको खुबी हो । प्रकृतिको सन्निधिमा सात्विक भावना उब्जन्छन् र आध्यात्मिकताले व्यक्तिलाई संस्पर्श गर्छ भन्ने तथ्यको प्रमाण हो प्रतीक दाइ । नेपाल बुझ्न, प्रकृतिको ईश्वरीय रूपको अवलोकन गर्नका लागि प्रेरणा पाउन अनि देशका कुनाकाप्चामा रहेका सरलमन नेपालीसँग साक्षात्कार गर्न पनि प्रतीक दाइको यो पुस्तक पढ्न जरुरी छ ।

Fatima Bhutto's "Songs of Blood and Sword"

Fatima Bhutto's memoir "Songs of Blood and Sword" left me cold. Bhutto engages in hagiography of her grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and her father Murtaza Ali Bhutto. But Zulfikar was not a milk-washed politician as Fatima wants us to believe. He hobnobbed with the junta to remain in power by rigging elections which proved fatal as military dictator Zia Ul Haq later had him imprisoned, tortured and murdered. Because of his hatred for Hindus in the other side of the border, Zulfikar spent millions in nuclear program in a country where even a pointed needle wasn't manufactured and many people had to live with bare minimum.  Fatima fails to discuss this.

Murtaza may be a good man as Fatima describes but during Zia's tyranny he was enjoying a posh life abroad. His sister Benazir was in Pakistan during the rule. Yes, Benazir later became corrupt to the core when she came to power with the help of the army. Her husband Asif Zardari comes out as a one-dimensional villain in the book. Fatima directs all her anger against Benazir rather than the army which always has a great say in Pakistani politics. She is completely biased in that regard but that is understandable in a memoir where her subjectivity dictates.

If you want to get a truthful picture of Pakistani politics, this book will not help you. If you are interested in political soap opera of a powerful family of Pakistan, this book gives you plenty of thrills. Fatima writes in a beautiful language and her descriptions of the intimate moments with her father and family oozes warmth.

Niraj Bhattarai's "Dhuwaako Dhaago" धुवाँको धागो

युवाकवि निरज भट्टराईको "धुवाँको  धागो" मा संकलित कविताले मलाई प्रभावित गरे । छोटा बान्कीका सशक्त कविता पढेपछि अनौठो आनन्दानुभूति भयो । मृत्यु चिन्तन, समयमाथिका विचार र कविता सिर्जना प्रक्रियालाई कविताको विषय बनाइएको छ । जिन्दगीको  म्युजिकल चेयरमा बस्न नसकेकी हजुरआमा, जिन्दगीको धागो तान्ने त्यो अज्ञात शक्ति, अस्तित्वको भुरुङमा मानिसको नाच, जिन्दगी के हो भन्ने प्रश्नको उत्तर पाउन नसकेर भएको छटपटी,  समयको गतिसँगै गल्न  थालेको काँध, समयले हीरा बनाएको अप्ठ्याराका कोइला, कल्पनाको छिटाले बनेका कविताहरू तलस्पर्शी लागे । लय मिलेका यी कवितामा निहित गेयताले यसको लालित्य बढेको अनुभूति हुन्छ । (वाचनमा झन् कति सुन्दर सुनिएलान्?) जानीबुझीरहेको कुरालाई कवितात्मक अप्रत्यक्षमा भन्न सक्नु निरजको विशेषता हो । "जुन अखबार/चिया तितो बनाउन माहिर थियो/सधैँ झैं हिजो बोकेर आइ रहन्छ/ र आज बिथोलेर गैदिन्छ" ले समाजमा व्याप्त हिंसालाई अभिव्यक्त गरेको छ भने कट्टरपन्थीले महिलाका मुहार क्षत पार्ने कुत्सित क्रियालाई "आ-आफ्नो रिसको आगो थपेर निर्णय गरे/ 'यो आगो केवल अनुहारमा निभाउन सकिन्छ'" मा दर्साइएको छ । दार्शनिक गहिराइ बोक्ने "ऐनाको कैदी", 'ब्रह्माण्ड" जस्ता कविता पढेपछि लाग्छ निरज विचार र अनुभूति दुवैलाई उत्तिकै बलियो रूपमा प्रस्तुत गर्न समर्थ छन् । प्रेमको मधुर अनुभूतिलाई अभिव्यक्त गर्ने "आदत", "सम्बन्ध"  जस्ता कविताले  त मुटु न्यानो बनाउँछन् ।   "झाँक्री हीरालाल", "आकाङ्क्षा", "यौटा घरमा", "कति चिजहरू"  जस्ता केही कविता भने कमजोर लाग्छन्, शब्दचातुरी मात्र प्रदर्शन भएको देखिन्छ तिनमा । तर अधिकांश कविता राम्रा छन् यो संग्रहमा । नेपाली कविताको क्षेत्रमा निरजको आगमन एक सुखद घटनाका रूपमा मैले लिएको छु ।

Uday Prakash's "The Walls of Delhi"

Written by Uday Prakash in Hindi and translated into English by Jason Grunebaum "The Walls of Delhi" probes into the Indian underbelly to make a strong statement against the establishment. This is a collection of three novellas, "The Walls of Delhi", "Mohandas" and "Mangosil". The first novella shows the corrupting power of ill-gotten money. The second, the best among the lot, depicts the theft of identity of a brilliant-minded eponymous character from the lower caste and the lack of justice. The last one is the story of a strange child whose head keeps growing out of proportion. 

All the novellas hit out against the culture of corruption, unchecked capitalism, inequality gap, criminality, casteism and many other ills that infect modern India. Prakash incorporates humor in the midst of grim narrative and provides non-fictional comments that work as a bitter satire against power-wielders. This works as the alarm to the reader who may be lulled by the narrative but at times they prove to be jarring. Prakash is not afraid of showing crimes in graphic details to generate rage in the readers. No many writers are capable of outspoken criticism of illnesses of Indian society.

All the downtrodden characters are well-developed and manage to gain sympathy for their plights.

The English translation has been able to capture the nuances of Prakash's language. Recommended!

Arlandur Indridason's "Silence of the Grave"

The characteristics of a good fiction is that it has the power to make readers enter the narrative and vanish there. The reader forgets his/her self and starts caring about the characters as if they were the dear ones. A sense of empathy develops for them.

As I read Icelandic author Arlandur Indridason's crime novel "Silence of the Grave", I went through the emotions mentioned above. Inspector Erlendur is in charge of investigating a cold case when a bone structure surfaces from an unmarked grave in Reykjavik. The progress in exhumation and forensic analysis runs together with the story of a family where domestic violence has made the life of a wife and children hellish. Simultaneously, Erlendur's family troubles are described.

The scenes of domestic violence made my blood boil (in empathy for the victim). They are presented in a graphic manner but never descend to vulgarity. The scarred pysche of a battered wife and children has been realistically presented by the writer. Twisted mentality of people is generally the result of childhood trauma, as Freud maintained. The suspense of the grave is maintained till the end with plenty of red herrings thrown between.  I was engrossed till the end.

This book rises above genre conventions as it avoids cheap thrills and provides insights into human nature. A heartwarming work from a very cold place, "Silence of the Grave" will please the connoisseurs of crime fiction.

Love and its ills (Barun Bajracharya's "Sins of Love"

This appeared in Republica daily on May 2, 2014.

http://theweek.myrepublica.com/details.php?news_id=73936

Barun Bajracharya’s short story collection, ‘Sins of Love,’ is enjoyable for what it is, short and sweet with a little bite. 18 short stories compiled in this slim book spanning just 64 pages appeal the sensibilities of the teenagers. Young hearts palpitating with love for their beaus and belles savor these stories like chocolates. The stories also provide insights to life from different perspectives. In each story, the readers witness vivid images woven wonderfully with crisp narratives and feel-good themes.

Simple and straightforward language and witty dialogues are the highlights of Barun’s stories. Characters are taken from normal life and that is why they are realistic. 

Barun’s expanse of love is so wide that this world is not enough for its fruition. So his characters seek love even after death. Death looms large in most of the stories. Besides the impulsive love of teenagers, love of parents and children and misdeeds of hypocritical people are the subject matters of the stories.

The first story ‘Father and Son’ attempts to inspect child and adult psychologies. Here, Barun has inserted vivid images of how a child and an adult view their environs. In this mere two-and-a-half-page story, the writer has striven to deal with the sensitive issue of a motherless child and his single father.

‘Sins of Love,’ after which the book title has been derived, is a romantic story and it’s an apt title. Influenced by mainstream Bollywood and Korean movies, the protagonists in this story seem to live like in a fairytale where handsome Johnny tries to woo sultry Karishma through unfair means.



This story adheres to the beauty and the beast type in romantic fiction but has a twist in the tail. The motif of an unruly male who is finally tamed by his beautiful, self-sacrificing victim is presented in a heartrending manner. Towards the denouement, Karishma discovers that Johnny’s misbehavior had only masked his sensitivity and love for her; in fact, his maneuverings were the proof of his love. Johnny changes from beast to beau and is successful in melting Karishma’s heart. But there is no coda of “they lived happily ever after.”

One of the best stories in the collection is ‘Time to say Goodbye.’ In this story, the writer has displayed his writing potential, paying meticulous attention to detailing and character building. This tale illustrates aggravation and anguish of a lonely old man.

Some other noteworthy stories are ‘Shristi,’ ‘Two Sides,’ ‘Story of a Girl,’ and ‘Radha and Krishna.’ The suffering of an elderly person is realistically portrayed in ‘Shristi’ but there is a twist in the end that is quite shrewd. ‘Two Sides’ is about an unusual love triangle between three teenagers and this story portrays male chauvinism.

‘Story of a Girl’ is a unique attempt in story writing. With this story, the writer has tried to blur the boundary between short fiction and poetry. Set in 3-4-lined paragraphs and confined within a single page, this story is actually the suicide letter of a girl. If we read it out loud and mentally break the story into stanzas, we can find beautiful rhyme scheme and poetic flow in it. Most probably the writer has tried this method due to his inclination towards poetry which can be observed in some of his earlier published works in certain journals.

Another story, “Radha and Krishna,” is about the plight of a poor couple and the hypocrisy of a priest. The names of the characters in this story are tied up with Hindu mythical characters. This allusion shows the maturity of the writer.

However, commercial filminess in the sense of glorious coincidences to propel the plot of some stories seems to be Barun’s weakness, and he has to work on it. Barun has certain flair in his language and style (complete with realistic dialogues and expletives) and seems to be seeking to develop his own style, which he should.

A few stories towards the last section of the book are less gripping than the first half of the book. Perhaps some stories in this collection are too simple, bordering on being simplistic. For the sake of brevity, Barun seems to have neglected character development in some of the stories.

Due to the likeability of the characters and the corny plots, this collection will be received well by adolescents rather than older readers. Those who read books for the sole purpose of refreshment and entertainment may highly enjoy the book. Those who read serious literature and like to minutely dissect every word and character, this collection may lack appeal.

Considering it a debut attempt of a young writer, we can surely cut him some slack and expect much more from him in the near future. We hope Barun takes up themes other than love for fiction in the future and presents them with dexterity.

Title    :     Sins of Love
Author    :     Barun Bajracharya
Genre    :     Fiction, in English
Publisher    :     Indrachaitya Publications
Published    :     Feb 1, 2013
Pages    :     64, Paperback