IN SEARCH OF THE SOUL OF INDIA, THE SEVEN SISTERS POST LITERARY REVIEW on Bridging Souls: A Journey from Mahabharata to Bharata in : By RANA JODHBIR JUNG

Roma,

Now I have no qualms about your overt affection for this police officer’s literary works! The midnight oil burnt itself out quite some time back and the moon has also dimmed its own light and slowly gone to sleep, while I am looking out of the bedroom window with tired eyes. You don’t seem to let go of me so easily, do you? And that is why you have also asked for my feedback on the book –immediately!

The Gods seemed to be kind to me, for once. Coincidence you may call it, but the lights went off the moment I closed the book. And I was just reveling in the idea of how pleasant it would be to listen to Akhtari Bai’s soul-stirring ghazals at this hour when the Gods laughed again. Within a mere two minutes, our room was flooded with light. Anyway, putting aside my silly excuses, I have got hold of my pen and paper now…

I remember you telling me that Arindam Nath, the author, is a man of simplewords and speaks straight from the heart.  Although you have read his works in Bengali, let me assure you, Roma, he is equally a pro in the language of Her Majesty! The book Bridging Souls – A Journey from Mahabharata to Bharata vividly describes simple events in simple words.

While the ‘Jatu Greeha’  incident, then seen as a survival strategy, could lead to  life imprisonment of the Pandavas, the embarrassment of Draupadi at the royal court that led to the infamous Kurukshetra war, would have been considered a minor crime.

The author turns into the protagonist, Dr Asamanja Bhowmik, and narrates his long journey in search of India’s soul. With the epic Mahabharata as its backdrop, the story revolves around the greater part of India that includes Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. Arindam, in his introduction to the book, says that he had served as chairman of the recruitment board for the Tripura State Rifles jawans (outstate quota), hence the long journey. But in his book, Aridam calls the recruitment board chairman Ambujanabha Sharma, a man of enormous knowledge – someone who has literally gulped down the Mahabharata. As a skilled narrator Arindam keeps the reader turning the pages of the book – all 258 pages of it – which narrate, in the form of a journal, the various incidents encountered by the author during his journey. Let me also tell you, Roma, that Arindam babu has used as many as 18 versions of the Mahabharata in different languages, including one that has been passed down through generations of tribals, to produce this admirable piece of work.

As a result, quite a few interesting observations have come to my notice.  For example, some incidents that took place during the age of the Mahabharata are legally punishable offences as per the Indian Penal code formulated by Mr Macaulay, the British gentleman, in 1833 and enacted in 1861. The code is still in force in India in this 21st century with very few amendments. While the ‘Jatu Greeha’  incident, then seen as a survival strategy, could lead to  life imprisonment of the Pandavas, the embarrassment of Draupadi at the royal court that led to the infamous Kurukshetra war, would have been considered a minor crime. Mr Nath effectively points out that the Pandavas were more imperialistic, crime-prone and human rights trespassers than the Kauravas. Polygamy and extra-marital relationships had added to their social status – etcetera, etcetera.

But above and beyond all this, one thing that strikes me – and will also strike you, I’m sure – is the sweet love story the author tenderly weaves into the narrative. It is the story of the growing love between the protagonist, a Bengali doctor, and Harleen, a Punjabi girl.  Though the story begins a tad mysteriously, it continues devoid of any twists and reaches a predictable ending.

I would like to tell you here that the characters in the book also move around many areas of the country that are invaded by terrorists. And the author makes best use of them to express his views. He openly states that the Gorkhaland issue will not be solved until the political unrest in Nepal ceases. Being a man of authority himself, he can put forward his views rather blatantly – be they about Gorkhaland or the Maoists – and I must appreciate this.

And finally, my dear, allow me to tell you about the cover of the book. Published by Peacock Books, Bridging Souls… has been priced at INR 250 and the cover design has been done by Dilip Paswan, rifleman of Tripura State Rifles. Kudos to Mr Paswan. Bhai wah!!

Time to finish my letter for today.

Take care. 

PS: On two points in the book, I couldn’t agree with the author. Arindam, on page 132, states that Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya of Tripura studied in Lucknow. I cannot second this.  The Maharaja had an English tutor, Lt Col. OC Pulley, and a Bengali master, I forgot his name. But I’ll let you know soon. Also, in the same place he mentions that Maharani Kanchanprabha Devi of Tripura hails from Lucknow. Sorry, Roma, your favourite author goes absolutely wrong here. Kanchanprabha Devi was born to the king of Panna, then a princely state, now in Madhya Pradesh. Today the state is known for the Indian Government’s ‘Project Tiger’. Did you know that only 1,411 tigers remain?