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_askthebookbug 's review for:
Harijan
by Gopinath Mohanty
// Harijan by Gopinath Mohanty, translated by Bikram Das.
Harijan, originally written in Odia by Gopinath Mohanty is considered to be one of his finest works. Published in 1948, it was only now that it was translated into English by Bikram Das. The introduction was well researched, and gave a brief insight to Mohanty's life. It also listed down other important works about Harijans by various authors, which I was quick in noting down. While the introduction was strong, the actual story of the book was entirely different. It didn't have the impacted effect on me. Of course, Mohanty describes the lives of manual scavengers but what I read was what I already knew of. The translation too did not do much. All in all, it was a disappointment.
The story is set in a village where the roles of people are well defined. The highest on the caste system are rich and the lowest are manual scavengers. Mohanty puts forth the lives of both the sides before us, holding nothing back to show the unfairness of casteism. There's Puni, a young girl who's mother is a scavenger. As much as Puni's mother tries to shield her precious daughter from having to do the same work, fate doesn't allow her to do so. There's Aghore and Manonmayee, children of the rich who watch the basti from their balcony, seemingly unaffected. Although Aghore did have a good conscience. The rich take what they want and the poor are left with nothing. Mohanty focuses mainly on Puni and the way she feels while having to take care of her ill mother. We notice how the Harijans' addiction to liquor is out of desperation and not for fun. While he tries to tie up the story, I began to think how the story could have been cut shorter. Few characters were unnecessary. The story too severely lacked something. There wasn't the expected intensity that I was looking forward to.
They say that Mohanty wrote this book during his 'urban era' and it suddenly becomes clear why this novel didn't reach its full potential with me. I would certainly not recommend this book to others but if at all you choose to read it, I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
Thank you for the copy @alephbookco
Harijan, originally written in Odia by Gopinath Mohanty is considered to be one of his finest works. Published in 1948, it was only now that it was translated into English by Bikram Das. The introduction was well researched, and gave a brief insight to Mohanty's life. It also listed down other important works about Harijans by various authors, which I was quick in noting down. While the introduction was strong, the actual story of the book was entirely different. It didn't have the impacted effect on me. Of course, Mohanty describes the lives of manual scavengers but what I read was what I already knew of. The translation too did not do much. All in all, it was a disappointment.
The story is set in a village where the roles of people are well defined. The highest on the caste system are rich and the lowest are manual scavengers. Mohanty puts forth the lives of both the sides before us, holding nothing back to show the unfairness of casteism. There's Puni, a young girl who's mother is a scavenger. As much as Puni's mother tries to shield her precious daughter from having to do the same work, fate doesn't allow her to do so. There's Aghore and Manonmayee, children of the rich who watch the basti from their balcony, seemingly unaffected. Although Aghore did have a good conscience. The rich take what they want and the poor are left with nothing. Mohanty focuses mainly on Puni and the way she feels while having to take care of her ill mother. We notice how the Harijans' addiction to liquor is out of desperation and not for fun. While he tries to tie up the story, I began to think how the story could have been cut shorter. Few characters were unnecessary. The story too severely lacked something. There wasn't the expected intensity that I was looking forward to.
They say that Mohanty wrote this book during his 'urban era' and it suddenly becomes clear why this novel didn't reach its full potential with me. I would certainly not recommend this book to others but if at all you choose to read it, I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
Thank you for the copy @alephbookco