Where is Dhauladhar?
The first question anyone might see rising slowly in their mind is this one. If
you are missing this question, you are missing the point. You ought to read Men & Dreams in Dhauladhar by Kochery
C. Shibu in order to savour the words by the new avatar of Indian literature in
English. “The Dhauladhar range (lit. The White Range) is part of a lesser
Himalayan chain of mountains,” says Wikipedia. The White Range hides in its
shimmering façade, many dark truths of our times. One of these dark truths is
the exploitation of nature and men.
The story opens through
the account of Nanda, the protagonist who elites from an auto rickshaw. He
wants to go to the Dhauladhar range to find work. Later, we learn that his
intention is also part of a self-crafted exile. An exile has many faces and
sources of inspiration. Nanda’s exile is forced by his desire to live. His
story starts in a flashback and takes us to the north of Kerala. The Kalari
tradition of the north of Kerala is often cited as the core reason for the
violent political killings that happen there even now. The same passion for
blood and vengeance is cited in the novel as a reason for Nanda’s journey away
from his home.
Nanda reaches the Dhauladhar
and the reader is taken on a journey of sightseeing on the area where the dam
construction is going on. Only in chapter two, which is marked by the name of
another character, Nanda’s mother do we learn about Nanda’s past and
connections with the land of kalarippayattu—Kerala. Titled Indumati, this part
of the story takes us into the family of Mathathil Madhavan Nair. You can read
this part of the story, feeling nostalgic about a literary background that
existed in the times of Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer, M T Vasudevan Nair’s early
stories and novels, Thakazhi, and the many other stalwarts of Malayalam
literature. This gap is presently filled by writers like Benjamin and all. But
the essence of the culture and its roots still remain lost in the deluge of literary
mediocrity that this culture has been bearing with.
After Indumati, we meet
Mangu Ram and his son who aspires to be a part of the dam project rather than
helping his father and strengthening his family’s farm. For Mangu Ram, “It was
a good feeling to be treated with a little respect.” The whole village area
that surrounded the Dhauladhar range was bought over by the corporation by
tactics. Mangu Ram is a replica of the mind of the villager on a cellular
level. His desires, needs, and worldview are in alignment with the life of the
village.
Khusru “had no idea
what awaited him on the other end.” He too is on an exile. He begins his work
at the dam site. His life turns and twists in a series of events that change
our perspective of the innocent-looking boy from the valley of Kashmir. The
chapters realign themselves as we are taken back the story of Nanda where we
left off.
Like a magnet that
pulls materials with the same frequency of vibration, these indelible
characters move towards the dam. The dam is built in the Dhauladhar. This novel
is significant in terms of how it negotiates the presentation of nature in
literature. On several occasions, one may even feel that Kochery C. Shibu has
traced the steps of authors like Ruskin Bond and RK Narayan in his storytelling
style. A truly Indian tale, Men &
Dreams in Dhauladhar deserves multiple readings because it is also a
self-published book. Self-published books deserve to be read and analyzed in
their own league. Self-published authors do not get the same privileges and
facilities as those authors who are published by established publishing houses.
The huge capital that is at hand for an established publisher leaves the field
undulating and unstable for the rest of the publishing entities (authors as
publishes and small publishers).
The paperback version
of the book is released through Niyogi Books. I reviewed a Kindle EBook version
of the novel. The print book is 284 pages long. The cover of the book smartly
portrays the central character, the Dhauladhar range. Priced 395, Men & Dreams in Dhauladhar is available with a large discount
on various online shopping sites, including Amazon. Men & Dreams in Dhauladhar can boast of a sprawling narrative
that includes the stories of many generations and multiple landscapes. The
language and the stylistics are unique and unlikely in a self-published work. Men & Dreams in Dhauladhar certainly
deserves major attention. Mainstream, don’t miss out on this one!
Buy the book https://amzn.to/2lftOK1
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