Lessons in humanity
Reviewed by Renu Manish Sinha

The Day I Stopped Drinking milk
By Sudha Murty.
Penguin Books. Pages 212. Rs 199.

It is the title which first arrests your attention. And once you pick up the book, it is hard to put it down. The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk by Sudha Murty is her latest collection of short stories. All 23 stories are based on the author’s real-life experiences. The narratives are based on Murty’s interaction with ordinary people whom she encountered over the years during her travels as Chairperson, Infosys Foundation. In Murty’s own words, "There is no one in particular who inspired me to write this book. I have been fortunate to have met and interacted with people from different walks of life and socio-economic strata, all of whom have influenced and impacted my life in many ways."

Murty calls these life’s secret lessons. Gleaned from the lives of common people, Murty’s tales are an interesting blend of anecdotes and fables. These true-to-life stories reveal astonishing insights into human nature.

The language is simple and the emotions are those we experience every day. Each story highlights a human trait — humility, selflessness, love, greed, deceit, honesty etc. Although the author dubs these as "lessons to self", but these are "lessons in humanity" we could very well learn again. Ganga’s Ghat is about a poor simple village woman. Living in a drought-stricken area, she provides water for bathing to countless people. Her philosophy is as simple as her that you don’t need much money to help others but a willingness and opportunity to serve those who don’t have anything in life. The title story The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk shows both sides of the Indian philosophy atithi devo bhava. That if the host shows deference to the guest and his wishes, the guest too must act responsibly. In a small Odisha village, Murty accepts a poor farmer’s offer of milk, which creates a problem in the household. Murty’s writes, "This was for the first time I realised that when a guest demands something, however small it might seem, it might be hard for the host to provide it, especially in a poor country like ours."

Many stories have strong central women characters — Chitra, Ganga, Avva, Ammani, Neelamma, Bhagirathi, Hirakani. Most of the stories have a positive portrayal of women, while men come across as selfish, pompous, inconsiderate, and deceitful. Hari in Genes, Satish in Bad Help, Venkat in Sticky Bottoms, Vishnu in Miserable Success have shades of grey. Only Parappa in No Man’s Garden and Vinayak in Helping the Dead redeem their gender a bit. The stories may seem like the Indian version of Chicken Soup for the Soul but these are not at all preachy but simple, honest stories about simple and honest people. The author too has an innate simplicity and views philanthropy as a duty and writing as an extended form of it. "Writing is also a form of sharing my rare experiences, so I believe that is also a form of giving."

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