Title: The Muddy River
Author: P.A. Krishnan
Publisher: Tranquebar
Pages: 248
Genre: Politicalfiction
Rating: 9 out of10
In contrast to theunassuming cover page, the book was quite impressive.
‘The Muddy River’almost seems to be a real story – multi-layered, multi-dimensional and complex (whichalso reminded me of Shashi Deshpande’s books).
Ramesh Chandran is aDelhi-based bureaucrat, who is transferred to Assam when he starts asking forContract files of his Corporation (Power Transmission Corporation) and has a fewuncomfortable run-ins with senior people in his organisation. It is meant to bea punishment posting. Sukanya is Ramesh’ wife, and they are both trying to cometo terms with the untimely death of their only child Priya in a freak incident.They love each other but the incidence has developed a strain in theirrelationship. (To digress a little, I read somewhere that the death of a childleads to a lot of divorces because husband and wife have different ways ofdealing with the loss and many times they are not able to understand theother).
Ramesh is an uprightperson and while he thinks he is a Marxist, he is also majorly influenced byGandhi (who keeps coming into the narrative every now and then).
In Assam, Rameshis chosen to negotiate the release of one of his company’s senior managers, whogets kidnapped by a militant outfit for a ransom. In his pursuit of this case,Ramesh meets Anupama (his subordinate who has strong views about Assam’s fightfor independence from the rest of the India), Bhuyan (the Deputy InspectorGeneral who comes to like the sincerity of Ramesh), Bura (a practical MarwariContrator who is chosen as a contact between the militants and Ramesh),Rajbankshi (the Gandhian) and Mrs Ghosh (the kidnapped Mr Ghosh’s unthankfuland untrusting wife). The story dwells on two main issues –the release of MrGhosh is certainly the main issue but it also deals with the levels of corruptionin a government organisation and the resistance one faces when he tries to takeit on. Ramesh goes out of his way, sometimes even putting his life in danger,meeting a number of people who can be of even a little help in ensuring Ghosh’srelease. Ramesh’s pursuit of unravelling corruption within his organisationgets him into trouble and he also gets suspended but he never bucks to thepressure.
The language isillustrative. I admit, I had to look up quite a few words, but it is always apleasure to read such books which enrich your language, while at the same timenarrating the story well! English is a beautiful language.
The story movesforward in the form of a main narrative, and the manuscript written by Rameshfor his book, but it never confuses you between the real and the fictional (interms of the book). Sukanya sends the chapters from Ramesh’s manuscript totheir friends Subir and Herbert for their comments. The interaction betweenSukanya, Subir and Herbert is interesting and clarifies a few doubts which onemay have about the story, as to why the author had written an incident in acertain way.
I was hooked to thestory from the beginning and did not lose interest till the end. The book hasas much pace as a thriller. It dwells on the corruption and bureaucracy ingovernment organisations, empathizes with the voice of people of Assamand while doing so keeps coming back to the relevance of what Gandhi has said!
‘The Muddy River’ is a well-writtenbook, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in a good story. There area few technicalities related to workings of Power companies but if you don’tunderstand them, you can move one, and it is only for a short while. Itcertainly cannot be a reason to put you off because I can assure that atleastthis book is not difficult to read. It is lucid in its narrative.
I just hold back onepoint for a little rushed and dramatic ending, but it might appeal to many.
I am impressed by thewriter’s story telling and I look forward to reading his reading about Mr Sanjoy Ghose, to whom thisbook is dedicated.
Image Source: westlandbooks.in
By Reema Sahay
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