Crime And Punishment

“What do you think,would not one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds?”  – Fyodor Dostoyevsky 

What is a crime in your opinion? Do you think some people don’t deserve to live in this world? Do you think some people have the right to choose who should live and who shouldn’t? Do you think that person is serving mankind by doing so? If not, haven’t we historically praised the great kings who have been the cause of war that accounted for the deaths of numerous souls? Why do we celebrate them as heroes?

Crime and Punishment is a complex work that is about the mental anguish and moral dilemmas that the protagonist undergoes after he commits a murder.

செல்லாத பணம் – இமையம்

சாஹித்ய அகாடமி விருது பெற்ற இந்த நாவல், இமயம் அவர்களின் எழுத்தில் நான் படித்த முதல் புத்தகம்.
தொண்டங்கியதிலிருந்தே கீழே வைக்க முடியவில்லை. எதார்த்தம், எளிய நடை ஆனால் படிக்க படிக்க பல பரிமாணங்கள்.

ஒரு சம்பவம் நடக்கிறது – பெற்றோரின் சம்மதம் இல்லாமல் காதல் திருமணம் செய்யத ஒரு பெண் (ரேவதி), 6 வருடங்களுக்கு பின் தீ காயங்களுடன் மருத்துவமனையில் சேர்க்கப்படுகிறாள். இது போன்ற சம்பவம் நாம எல்லோரும் சினிமாவில் பார்த்தோ, பேப்பர்ல படிச்சோ, இல்ல யாருக்கோ நடந்தோ கேள்விபட்டிருப்போம். இதை மய்யமாக கொண்டது தான் இந்த நாவல். தீ எப்படி ஏற்பட்டது, பின் கதை என்ன என்ற விளக்கங்களுக்குள் போகாமல் கதாபாத்திரங்களின் வழியாக என்ன பின்னணி என்று வாசகரை வியூகிக்க வைக்கிறது.

பணம் பத்தும் செய்யும் என்பது பழமொழி. ஆனால் பணம் மட்டும் இருந்தால் போதுமா? அது நமக்கு எல்லா நேரங்களிலும் கை குடுப்பது இல்லை.

ரேவதியின் அப்பா அம்மா அண்ணன் ஒரு பக்கம்… ரேவதியின் கணவன் இன்னொரு பக்கம்…. பாசம், உணர்வுகள், சிந்தனைகள் என்று மனித அனுபவத்தை அருமையாக கொண்டு வருகிறார்.

A river in darkness – One man’s escape from North Korea

“You don’t choose to be born. You just are. And your birth is your destiny, some say. I say the hell with that. And I should know. I was born not just once but five times. And five times I learned the same lesson, Sometimes in life, you have to grab your so-called destiny by the throat and wring it’s neck”

Powerful opening lines of the book “A river in darkness” is a memoir by Masaji Ishikawa, a man who managed to escape from North Korea. Masaji was born in Japan, to a Japanese mother and Korean father. Right after world war II, when Masaji was about 13yrs old, his parents (mostly his father) decide to relocate to North Korea. A lot of North Koreans were brought to Japan as laborers during World War II. Post war, Japan’s economy collapsed and North Korea needed man power to rebuild the nation. There was a call-back for its citizens, It was advertised as the land of opportunities, “the paradise on earth”. Mass relocation happened during that time. But these innocent people didn’t know that they were about to move from a life of poverty to HELL.

The miseries that the North Koreans face are beyond description. Everyone, including the old and sick have to toil to earn their food. Masaji’s mother was not recognized as a citizen, since she was Japanese and hence assigned no work or food. The family, which included his parents and 3 younger siblings, had to sustain with the limited food. The living conditions weren’t any great either, sustaining snowfall weather without a proper roof or furniture. With such hunger, poverty and anguish, all social ethics breakdown. Begging, theft, stealing, killing, backstabbing is the norm. People try to survive at any cost… it really puts our life and problems into perspective.

Masaji tries hard to keep his family and children alive. Babies born and die without nourishment. With the death of Kim Il-sung, the country plunges further down into economic crisis and poverty. Food barely adequate, people try to boil and eat tree barks, weeds, mushrooms, anything that can be considered even remotely edible. The narration continues on, through his sisters’ marriages, his marriage, kids born, death of family members and how he faced it all.

Finally, he reaches a breaking point when he has 3 kids with no means of getting a job or money to take care of them. With death so imminent, Masaji thinks he can at-least die trying to escape from there than to die out of starvation. He makes a plan, with no money or food, to travel towards China border and cross the river. From there contact the Japanese embassy, ask them to take him back to Japan. Once back in Japan, he can meet his relatives, find a job and send some money back to his wife and children in North Korea. With great difficulty he manages to do so and reaches Japan. Did his dreams finally come true? Was he able to salvage his family?

Written as a short and crisp first hand narrative, it is gripping novel.

ஒரு புளியமரத்தின் கதை – சுந்தர ராமசாமி

காலங்களை தாண்டி நிற்கும் வரிகள்…

Touching new heights at the Stok Kangri

The rocky mountains

I did the famous Stok Kangri trek in August 2017. Most of the trek was the usual, like any other organised himalayan trek with beautiful views and relatively easy climbs… that was until I reached the Base Camp(4900m). From the Base camp to the summit is a total different ball game altogether. Stok Kangri (6153m) is the highest trekkable peak (i.e. it doesn’t require any mountaineering skills to summit), that doesn’t mean it is an easy walk. Clouded by this misjudgment many first time summitters (like me) flock to the trek… I am not saying it is impossible to do the summit in the first attempt, but I want to emphasize on what a challenge it is and how prepared one needs to be.

A short ascend along the way

For me, the trek until Base camp was a cake walk, while few others found it difficult.  The summit itself has to be done in the night (when the snow is firm and glacier is frozen). A total altitude gain of 1.2km (4900m at basecamp to 6153 at the summit), along with the cold, altitude and steep ascend sucked my energy out. When I think about the trek, it’s that night that stands out in my memory…

The trail towards the glacier

When our guides decided to split the group into two, we had already covered about two-thirds of the distance to the Stok Kangri summit. We were all cold and exhausted, after a non-stop ascend from the Base Camp (4900m), that started at 10p.m. Carrying the Ice Axe and wearing the crampons, it was a first time experience for most of us… we crossed the glacier and were making our way up the snow-covered mountain. Slowly but steadily gaining altitude.

A view of the Base camp from a nearby hilltop

3:30am

We had already crossed an altitude of 5600m. Some of my friends were finding it difficult to continue with the ascend, as the oxygen levels in high altitude is extremely low and breathing becomes a problem. They decided to return, back to lower altitude. The rest of us continued with our ascend.

The trail heading along the stream boulders

4:00am

When I looked up, I could see the stream of torch lights, going all the way to the top of the mountain… merging into the starry sky. I had so much to ascend before I could reach the top… it looked intimidating. I decided to muster my strength and keep climbing. I was accompanied by Vijayakumar Selvam and Niranjan. Together, the three of us along with our two guides started pushing forward. Digging our ice axes into the snow, we hurled ourselves further and further up. It was tiring.

5:00am

We were climbing slowly but steadily, it was getting steeper as we moved up. I had to stop every few steps to catch my breath. The sun was rising just behind us, for the first time that night, I got a view of the spectacular snow covered mountain tops.

Fellow trekkers slogging off to reach the top

6:00am

We were a few hundred meters away from the shoulder. I was hydrating myself every few steps, trying to survive the climb. As we went up, the gradient was getting steeper. Each step was exhausting and I had to take frequent breaks to catch my breath. This was the most taxing part of the climb, the last few hundred meters.

Reaching the top…

That was the climb!

6:45am

With a final push, I reached shoulder of the mountain. The summit was just 100m above me, I felt overwhelmed… I was standing at 6000m!!! my head was floating in the clouds… That’s when it hit me, I couldn’t breathe… my head was in a dizzy haze. I tried to steady myself and with the help of the guide sat down on a rock. Waiting for my friends to come up, I was hoping my condition would improve. Niranjan reached the shoulder, he looked in good shape… Next was Vijayakumar. The ultra-running star of CTC, was taking disorganized clumsy steps to the shoulder. He was affected by the thin air too… Meanwhile I was trying to hold on to the rock, with my bones shivering and gasping for air.., It was cold as hell.

A view of all the surrounding mountains from Stok

 

We had to decide fast. With 2 out of 3 down, summit was getting out of hand… We decided to descend. Quickly, we took a picture at the shoulder with the poster.

A moment to remember

Just below the glacier

“And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far into the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” –  Rainer Maria Rilke

Although a part of me feels bad that I couldn’t do the last 100 meters of the climb, I feel happy and thankful that I survived the ascend and did what I could. I believe trekking is all about pushing myself to new levels and a self-realization of my strengths and weaknesses. In that way, I am really surprised and proud of how I was able to cope up to the situation and reach 6000 meters altitude, which is a new personal record for me. After all, what is life but one big adventure! 

“Ice skating” on the frozen lake – Chadar trek

Chadar is a famous trek in the Ladakh region.  During the winter months, river Zanskar freezes into slabs of ice thick enough for people to walk over it. It is a unique trekking experience, where I got to walk over frozen river for days.

Himalayas always has breathtaking views. The winter Himalayan peaks, filled with snow was a visual treat. The best time to do this trek is end of Jan, while the winter is at its peak. I went in Jan 2017.

Acclimatization to altitude is not as much necessary as acclimatization to the weather. The highest point of the trek will be less than 3500 m. The temperature on a hottest day was less than -10°C. The nights went below -30°C to -35°C. This was very harsh, especially for someone who comes from a tropical climate.

Pushing an ice block into water

The Ladakhi crew men drag the tent and food supplies along the ice in small “sledges”

At many places the ripples on the water had frozen to form an interesting pattern and made walking tricky. The first few hours, you have to re-teach yourself how to walk… grazing your feet along the floor, like a penguin. We had a fun time, trying to glide, slipping and falling down.

Walking over the frozen river

The gum boots, from the local market costed about Rs 700 a pair. It turned out to be the best on ice, providing decent grip and protection against the weather.

Walking.. the penguin style

A frozen waterfall :O

A hole on the ice floor…

Different stages of ice formation

The trek took 7 days… starting from Chilling. When we were trekking, the snow fall started on day 3. It started as a gentle fall and kept going all day. In the night, the snow fall thickened and took over the campsite.

 

Snowing on the tent and campsite

A view of the campsite from within a cave

From day 2, the snowing begun. It was slight at first. Boosted by the sudden climate shift, I trekked happily. But the snow was non-stop, increasing as we entered deeper into the valley. Snow is not good for Chadar, as it makes the ice melt on the river. Yet we proceeded further into the valley, hoping that we can keep going as long as it is safe. It was a new kind of adventure, as I got to experience more extreme conditions.

Ice trek becomes snow trek

On Day 4, somewhere before Nerak, we had to turn back… for the snow increased the chances of avalanche and we couldn’t take the chance anymore. All the other groups along with us, also decided to retreat.

Heavy snowing overnight

The river soaring along..

 

The turning point for us, since we couldn’t proceed further

We took the last two days to get back to our starting point. By this time, due to the continuous exposure to extreme weather, I fell sick. Coughing and dragging myself out of the valley.

Trying to soothe myself with the sunlight

The last day was sunny, but the snow had caused enough damage. As we exited, I saw slabs of ice breaking away and flowing with the mighty river.

Bye-Bye Zanskar

There she stood, the mighty mountains bidding me farewell.. until we meet again.

Meghamalai – Under the shelter of the clouds

April 14 – 17, 2016

 

Theni -> Meghamalai -> Theni cycle ride.

 

After few failed attempts in the past, trying to join my friends on a Meghamalai hill run/cycle, I decided to do it on my own.

I started cycling from the Theni bus stand, via Chinanamanoor to the Meghamalai hills. It was about 12 noon when I reached the check-post in the foothills. There were no shops/water sources until you reach the top. Ignorance is bliss people say, it was true in my case… little did I know that I would end up spending my first day dragging myself under the hot sun, with no food, no water and no shade. It took me almost until nightfall to find a shelter.. I put up in the Meghamalai resort. I fell sick from the exhaustion and had to spent time entire next morning recuperating. By about noon I started pushing my cycle up, still tired in my bones. Luckily a friendly truck driver gave me lift until the tea estates, saving me a few kms of riding. I took my lunch and spent the evening walking around the hills, mostly through the tea estates.

 

I spent the next 2 days riding on the cloud covered mountain. Though it was peak summer the climate was pretty enjoyable up there. I enjoyed mos to the day time riding and walking around the tea estates. The roads were all in a very bad shape and felt like an off-road rider’s dream destination. Unfortunately I didn’t get the opportunity to spot many wild animals, except for the occasional langurs and deer.

 

The 4th day, it was time to return to Theni. I spent sometime in taking pictures, riding in the estates and cycled downhill till Theni bus stand.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

My first himalayan adventure – Annapurna Circuit Trek

This October, I crossed a big item off my bucket list by doing the Annapurna Circuit Trek on a mountain bike. It was a lifetime experience and taking my MTB along only made it more challenging and memorable.

The circuit map

A small introduction on the place: Annapurna is a range of mountains in the Himalayas, all scaling up till ~8000 mts. The Annapurna circuit trek goes counter clock-wise around this beautiful range. You can find more information on the circuit here. This is considered as one of the best treks in the world.  The scenery is outstanding with a variety of terrains from the lower 800m dense green forests to the snow capped peaks at the Thorang la pass at 5416m.

An aerial view of the Annapurna range

A small account of my itinerary and experiences along the circuit:

Day 1 – Kathmandu
After reaching Kathmandu at about 3pm on 9th oct, 2015, we assembled our cycles and rushed to get the TIMS and ACAP cards from the tourism board. We spent the night there at Kathmandu and took an early morning bus the next day to Besisahar.
Day 2 – Besisahar
Since we didnt get a night bus from kathmandu, we had to sacrifice one day in a bus ride to Besisahar. It was difficult especially carrying four cycles in the overcrowded buses. After a day-long bus journey, we ended up in Sundar bazar, about 15kms before Besisahar. From there we biked till Besishar and stayed at an amazing Tibetian hotel. The dinner was yummy Dal Bhat and excellent service. Dal Bhatt is the staple food in Nepal and available throughout the circuit. It is a simple, delicious and healthy meal.

On the way to Besisahar

 

Day 3 – Besisahar (820m) to Ram bazaar (1130m)
We started early from Besishar, the official start of the Annapurna Circuit. A muddy jeep track starts from the northern end of Besisahar, which runs along the banks of the beautiful Marshyangdi river. About a couple of hours after we started, Gautham’s front wheel started giving trouble. Eventually the wheel got bent and we lost about 5 hours of precious time trying to fix it. Finally, the mechanic said nothing could be done and he had to continue with the bent wheel throughout the circuit. This delay also cumulatively changed the plan for each we had made.
By late noon we started pedaling trying to cover as much ground before nightfall. It started raining heavily at around 6pm, by 7:30pm we called it a day and decided to stay a cozy place in Ram Bazaar.

Day 4 – Ram bazaar (1130m) to Bagarchap (2160m)
The monsoon hadn’t ended it Nepal by the start of October. Throughout this day we were riding enjoying the peaking mountains and pouring showers… Marshyangdi river was at its full flow, gushing through the valley below us. It was a breathtaking view. There were numerous water falls formed due to the recent rains and crossing each one was a cyclist’s thrill. 🙂

Rode right through the water falls.. 😀

Marshyangdi river flowing through the valley

Day 5 – Bagarchap (2160m) to Dhukur Pokhari (3240m)
It was another day of exciting ride. The terrain kept changing slowly from the lower lands to slightly elevated forests. The terrain kept rolling with continuous ascends and descends.

By the banks of Marshyangdi

 

Day 6 – Dhukur Pokhari (3240m) to Khangsar (3740m)
Another energy filled day with great sights and clean mountainous air. We crossed by Manang, a major town in the middle of the circuit. It is also a tourist attraction and a great place to do shopping.

A selfie on the way 

Manang

Day 7 – Acclimitization day at Khangsar
Tilicho lake is one of the highest lakes in the world and I heard the trek (no cycling possible in that route :P) is a to-do for all adventure seekers. We left our bikes in Khangsar and set forward to do the trek. Halfway through one of my team guys came down with acute altitude sickness and already i had a headache. So we were forced to get back to Khangsar. Never underestimate the importance of acclimatizing. We spent whole of this day on this small trek and resting at Khangsar for the rest of the time. It was a good decision, after this day my headache disappeared 🙂

A view on the way back to Manang and Letdar

Day 8 – Khangsar (3740) to Letdar (4200)
After giving up the attempt to climb to the Tilicho lake, we headed towards the pass. The effect of thin air was much felt on this day. Panting and gasping I made it to Letdar, where a sweet couple invited us to stay for the night. There is no electricity in this part of the circuit until the pass. Since one of the members in my team was still suffering from altitude sickness symptoms, we decided to take it slow from here until the pass.

Wheeeee… exciting!!!!

Day 9 – Letdar (4200m) to High camp (4850m)
Another day of gasp and pant… We had lunch at base camp, a beautiful restaurant with delicious food.

On the way…

Refreshing chai shop in the middle of nowhere

A sneak peek at the Chulu peak

Riding on the narrow trails

Day 10 – High camp (4850m) – Thorang La (5416) – Mukthinath (3800m)
This was the big day. A final ascent to the Thorag La Pass at 5416m. We had an early breakfast at the high camp and began our ascend by 6am. It was still dark and my fingers were numb with cold. Slowly I started moving up the mountains. The effect of high altitude was highly felt during this ascend. I had take a break every 20 steps to catch my breadth. Pushing the cycle along with me in this condition was only exhilarating.

Just starting from the high camp

There is a small tea shop halfway towards the pass. After that its a serious of small uphills until you reach the pass. Reaching the pass was the my “high moment” of the entire trip.

Excruciating journey to the pass

The moment of glory!

The pass…

The descend from the Thorang La Pass to Mukthinath is a killer on the knees, its a steep slope with a lot of altitude loss. Luckily I had my cycle and was able to ride down most of the parts. After reaching Mukthinath I wanted to take a break and enjoy the end of a big day with a beer and food. Hotel Bob Marley is a famous joint there, we spent the night listening to Reggae and sipping beer. Yak meat pizza filled my taste buds and a rewarding end to a killer day.

Day 11 – Mukthinath (3800) to Jomsom (2720)

Jomsom is major town in the circuit and has an airport. This was also the end for my 10days long ride. The ride from Mukthinath to Jomsom was very enjoyable with great views and rolling terrains. The ride was downhill throughout with strong head winds, strong enough to push me off the cycle. The terrain totally changed here, and the Kali Gandaki river begins here. From Jomsom there are lots of buses to Pokhara and Beni. I took an early morning bus from Jomsom to Beni and from there to India border.

Across the river Kali Gandaki 

A glorious end to a super journey 🙂

Some noteable points, if you are planning to do a trip to the Annapurna

1. Its not necessary to cycle along the route. It is actually more trekker friendly (I had to carry/push my cycle at many place) and the time gained by cycling is not much.
2. There are tea-houses throughout the route, so no worry on camping. Every few hours you will be crossing a village.
3. The food prices keep increasing as you go up in altitude. On an average 1000-1500 NPR per person should be sufficient for a day.
4. Accomodation is very cheap, mostly 100-200NPR per room. Some places they let you stay for free if you eat dinner/breakfast there.
5. Dal Bhat is the most common food there, it is rich in carb, proteins and filling too.
6. Do not underestimate the importance of acclimitization, it is a good practice to ascend a little extra in the evening, come back and sleep at a relatively lower altitude.
7. The trails are very clear and well marked, it is easy to do without a guide.
8. It is possible to get a Nepali N-Cell simcard at Kathmandu. The call rate to India is about 3NPR/min. You need to provide a passport size photograph and a copy of you passport.

A Colombian Legend

Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist. He was awarded Nobel prize in Literature in the year 1982. Known for his works in magical realism, Marquez is considered to be one of the best novelists from the postmodern era. Though he writes in Spanish, English translated versions are available. Recently I came to know about this writer from a friend. I started with a novella named Chronicle of a Death Foretold and soon found myself grabbing his other books from the store. “I say extraordinary things in an ordinary tone. It’s possible to get away with ANYTHING as long as you make it believable.” True to his words, he spins extraordinary tales and passes it along in his almost magical narration.

I have already written about Memoirs of My Melancholy Whores, this post is a small account of other novellas that I have read…

Chronicle Of a Death Foretold

This was the first book of Marquez I read and one of my favorites too.

After 27 years, the narrator returns to his town and digs into the murder of Santiago Nasar. The beautiful Angela Vicario is married to Bayardo San Roman. On their wedding night Bayardo finds out that Angela is not a virgin and sends back the bride to her family home, bringing disgrace to the family. Enraged Angela’s mother beats her up and demands to know guy responsible for her situation. She names Santiago Nasar. Her brothers pledge to avenge their family honor and soon the entire town knows who they plan to kill, where, when and why.

The opening lines of the book: “On the day they were going to kill him, Santiago Nasar got up at five-thirty in the morning to wait for the boat the bishop was coming on. He’d dreamed he was going through a grove of timber trees where a gentle drizzle was falling, and for an instant he was happy in his dream, but when he awoke he felt completely spattered with bird shit” 

An extremely gripping narration, there are references to dreams by Santiago before his death. The author tries to form a connection between dreams and the happenings of reality, as an omen to the future?

Of Love and Other Demons

This is the story of a small girl, Sierva Maria who is the only survivor of the four, who were bitten by a rabid dog. Her father Marquis de Casalduero in an attempt to save his only daughter keeps her under constant vigil. Surprisingly, Sierva Maria shows no signs of infection and has good health. Soon the word spreads around the town, engulfed by superstitions, people attribute her good health to demonic possessions. She is brought to a convent for observation. The only one to realize her sanity is the young priest who is being assigned by the bishop to exorcise her.. Can the love stricken priest save this little girl from the superstitions of the society?

No One Writes to the Colonel

Comparatively a very small read, only about 60 pages, but a heart touching narration. It’s the story of a retired Colonel who is caught forever in the red-tapism of the government office. Every Friday, for the past fifteen years he goes to the harbor to check on the mail.. awaiting the envelope bearing his promised pension money. With passing years, his hopes never diminishes. But all this while until the promised sum reaches, how is he going to take care of his wife, feed themselves and also a rooster – a prized bird awaiting the coming cockfighting season? The rooster has some significance to him, a loved asset from his late son… there is a prize on the bird, but will the colonel be willing to sell it?

Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor

The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor who drifted on a life raft for ten days without food or water, was proclaimed a national hero, kissed by beauty Queens,  made rich through publicity and then spurned by the government and forgotten for all time. 

Luis Alejandro Belasco is thrown overboard from a Columbian destroyer, Caldas along with 7 other colleagues. The only survivor from the incident, he drifts along the sea on a raft for ten days. An interesting real-life account of the sailor in the words on Marquez, this was originally published in a journal. A gripping story of life and death, so descriptively worded by the talented Marquez.

A journey in the Train to Pakistan

The history of India-Pakistan independence; of the twin countries that was separated immediately after birth is familiar to all. The impact of partition on the people on either sides were humongous. People had to live their land, livelihood grab whatever they could carry and migrate in huge numbers, only to never see their homes again. Kushwant Singh, himself born in a Sikh family from East Punjab, in his book “Train to Pakistan”  brings us a glimpse into the actual lives of Punjabis then at the time of partition.  Not at a political, but a common man’s perspective of the partition. What does the change of governments mean to an ordinary pheasant living in a village?

Mano majra is a small fictional village by the banks of river Sutlej. Its a mainly Sikh occupied village, which also has a considerable number of Muslim families dwelling within. In that village, the Sikhs and Muslims live in perfect harmony. Mano majra being located near the newly formed border gets frequented by trains to and from Pakistan. The whistle of the engines, loading and unloading of goods,  the clickety-clakety of the rails becomes the center of focus for the villagers. The narration begins with a robbery at the village and proceeds on the wheels of love, romance, religion, evil villains, investigating cops… Everything so normal until one day when the “ghost” train heading towards east stops at the Mano Majra station. The story takes a turn from there.  With a little twist of events in the otherwise peaceful village, at the verge of calamity breaking out a plot is made it to send the Muslims. From there the narrator takes us through a journey of brotherhood to blood thirsty enmity that partition imparted on people of different faiths.

From the beginning to the end the story maintains its pace, with a dramatic ending bringing out the message that the author wants to convey. The narration sticks to the point, beautiful and crisp.

(Spoiler alert!!)  A few characters cast in different dimensions that are the essence of the story… Juggut Singh the budmash – an illiterate and robber who values human sentiments and lives above his own welfare leaves a steady impression in the readers hearts; Magistrate Hukum Chand – starts of as some kind of a perverted official, turns out major plots during the separation in the village; Iqbal – the highly educated “social worker” who keeps quiet and does nothing when the communal dispute was being kindled at the innocent pheasants hearts. The three contrasting characters that form the bone and frame for the story.

In addition to the rich description of Kushwant Singh the book that I have also has many real-time photos captured at the time of partition. The photographer
Margeret Bourke-White,  Time-Life‘s photo correspondent then, is considered to be one of the great photographers of all time. If the words paint a mental picture, the photos tell a story of their own.