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Blood Brothers
While these well-known incidents unfold in the background, we get to see their clear reflection in the lives of ordinary men and women, some of whom comprise the family of the author. So, in a way, the book chronicles the story of all of us, making it an unputdownable tome. Akbar’s grandfather, Prayaag, was born a Hindu who turned orphan when the famine of 1870 emptied his village in Bihar within five years. He ran away to a jute mill in Bengal and started working at a tea shop near a jute mill. He found shelter; he did not expect money. The shop owner, Wali Mohammad, was childless and his wife, Diljan Bibi, grew fond of this quiet, intense boy. Soon, he was to convert to Islam and be a loving son to this childless couple. From then on, it is the story of Rahmatullah’s (Prayaag’s) rise to reasonable affluence and bringing up his son and grandson through trials and tribulations. So much for the storyline. Scratch a little deeper and you find the story having several other hidden dimensions. Rahmatullah is the quintessential Indian who combines the best teachings of Hinduism and Islam. Telinipara, where he resides, is a typical town which tries very hard to keep the two major communities united but fails at times. How the seeds of suspicion and hatred are sown in this town is a miniature version of what happens at the national level as well. What makes all these characters and events come alive is the ability of Akbar to describe everyday happenings in a novel way. For instance, when electricity is brought to the secluded locality, one character describes it to others thus: "It is a magic fire that gives light but neither dances nor burns. The fire is still. Its white glow turns night into day. It lives on the edge of an iron thread through which it travels for miles and miles without being seen". Interwoven are long quotes from scriptures and many stories from holy books. Some of the characters mouth long homilies from such sources, especially in the first part. At times, this may read a tad dull, but then you realise that in the era to which these incidents belong, it was indeed very common to lace conversations with such quotes. Interestingly, some of the tales he refers to are still current. Yet, there is no moralising. Never does Akbar turn didactic. Whatever he conveys through the book comes in a matter-of-fact way. The hold of religion on almost all characters is strong. But coming as they do from a nondescript town, it is not overpowering. In fact, they resist the attempt of "outsiders" to vitiate the atmosphere of their town. In a way, it is the tale of the entire India. It is just a handful of mischief-mongers who sabotage its "Ganga-Jamuni" culture. There is not a linear storyline here really. Events unfold in an unrelated manner. There are also unexpected detours to events like the release of films like Mother India and Mughal-e-Azam and the sex lives of decadent zamindars and their British guests. Akbar is a master story-teller and manages to weave all these strands together. He is fully aware of the psyche of various classes of people, like the British in the pre-Partition India and the zamindars. No wonder, all these characters come alive admirably. India is a complicated kaleidoscope. Akbar’s life story allows one to see it in a new light with a refreshing insight. More strength to his pen. |
THE autobiography of a
person who has himself been engaged in a historical role in a nation’s
march is bound to be a big draw. A book detailing the exploits of a
prominent family can also be a good read. The saga of the family of
prominent journalist MJ Akbar does not fit into either of these slots.
Yet, it makes highly absorbing reading because the history of his three
generations is played out in the backdrop of epochal events through
which India passed during the past century and a half. The ascendancy of
the British, the Gandhi movement, the Partition, the Gandhi
assassination, wars with Pakistan, Hindu-Muslim riots — it chronicles
them all.