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Short takes
The sound of impotent fury
Randeep Wadehra
Bewatna & other novels
by Fakhar Zaman. Translated from Punjabi by Khalid Hassan. Unistar.
Pages 314. Rs 495.
 FAKHAR ZAMAN
is a much-acclaimed Punjabi writer from
Pakistan. His writings protest against military dictatorship, in
particular of Zia-ul-Haq who had ousted the democratically elected
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and hanged him on trumped up charges. Consequently,
his books remained banned for 18 years on charges of, hold your breath,
obscenity.
In Bandiwan the protagonist ‘Z’ (Zaman?
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto?) has been arrested on fabricated charges of murder
and is spending the last hours of his life on the death row. There’s a
sequence of a kite-flying contest wherein Z’s red kite cuts down his
rivals’ g reen kites, signifying victory of leftist ideology over the
Islamic Right. Subsequently, his kite is snatched away and trampled
under jackboots. However, the author’s sneaking admiration for Bhutto
will not find many empathisers even in Pakistan.
After all, Bhutto was a typically amoral,
self-promoting politician who cynically used various dictators, and
exploited the leftist ideology to grab power. Interestingly, in the
other stories in this volume, Zaman debunks both ideology and religion,
and shows remarkable distaste for politicians.
For example, Ik Mare Bande Di Kahani is about
yearning for freedom from tyranny of all sorts – familial, social and
political. The protagonist resorts to extra-marital affairs and
perverted sex and rebels against family and social ties, yet he balks at
the prospect of becoming a politiciangigolo. The author’s angst at the
brazen manipulation of ideology and religion for grabbing political
power manifests itself in the narrative.
Satt Guache Lok
too protests against
exploitation, betrayal and oppression. Hapless underdogs, five men and
two women, try to escape hopeless situations. Their experiences are
their own, yet strikingly resemble each other’s.
The stories hold our interest. Why have their titles not
been translated too?
 Into Punjab
The Punjab: An Overview
by Dr S.P. Gupta. Ess Pee Publications. Pages 390. Rs
395.
Punjab has always been history’s laboratory.
Countless tribes from different parts of the world found their way into
the salubrious subcontinent through Punjab, whose culture and economy,
thus, represent all that is composite, large-hearted and dynamic. The
book purports to present "an authentic statistical outline of the
economy of Punjab since the Partition of India`85" with special
emphasis on its economy after the reorganisation. Even though Dr Gupta’s
main intention is to present the post-1966 economic scenario of the
state, the book has quite a bit of information on its history and
socio-cultural aspects.
Students and interested readers may find chapters like Partition of
Punjab; Cultural Heritage, Literature and Religious Movements; Rural
Development and Poverty Alleviation; Green Revolution etc quite
interesting.
Teen troubles
Age of Adolescence: A Challenge
by Dr S. Kumar. The Laxmi Devi Memorial Charitable
Trust. Pages 70. Rs 30.
Adolescents form 21 per cent of India’s population.
That’s quite a significant chunk. Dr Kumar has tried to draw the
readers’ attention towards the psycho-sociological aspects of this
populace. Adolescence is the stage where one’s personality is on the
verge of taking its final shape, which in turn impacts the society at
large. Being at an impressionable age, the youth are sensitive to all
that they hear and experience. Often they go astray and imbibe distorted
values. Though exact statistics are not available, the prevalence of
sexually transmitted diseases is very high in this age group. Petty
crime and addiction to narcotics are other perils to which adolescents
are vulnerable. Therefore, parental care and sensible guidance become
all the more imperative.
Though the volume is slim, it does provide quite a bit of food for
thought in chapters like Abuse, addiction and alcohol, Adolescent’s
perception of sex, Role of parents and teachers, and Role of government
and non-government organisations.
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