At a time when coming fails to amuse anyone, arrival throws people off balance, the “nation of immigrants’’ takes pride in forced deportation , one looks for an oasis of mutual understanding where people still prefer ‘talking to’ to “talking at”. This urgently required compassionate narrative is provided by the celebrated Punjabi writer Ram Sarup Ankhi in his trailblazing Punjabi novel “Bheema” and its Hindi translation titled “Bihari Express” which appeared recently.
The novel poignantly fashions a gripping narrative of migration that was set in motion by the drive of ambition and the author, Ram Sarup Ankhi, a Sahitya Akademi Awardee, does not zero in on the pangs of exile and in his novel, dislocation is not seen as a state of tentativeness and the protagonist “Bheema”, a migrant labourer from Bihar, develops a strong sense of affinity with the larger local community. How does homelessness bring forth the feeling of “at homeness” and how unexpected and affirming confluences produce a cross cultural dialogue, Ankhi skilfully depicts.
Absorbing plot
The novel competently rendered into Hindi by Amreek Singh Deep, reveals sterling qualities of Bheema Yadav, a native of Tilakpur village. His tale, generally devoid of the anxieties of relocation, is illustrated by different episodes unravelled through a captivating plot. How do cultural specifications of Punjab and Bihar complement each other, Ankhi focuses attention on it. Punjab is famous for paddy but the farmers living here are not aware of its cultivation and the Bihari labourers expose them to its crofting.
Every day social interaction layered with cultural nuances creates a narrative of mutual understanding and Ankhi seeks to expand cultural understanding and Bheema who toils hard in the fields and finally lays down life when he joins the farmer agitation to protect the fertile land. Bhima’s struggle becomes a history of his own and a fable for others. Ankhi makes us aware that all is not well in Punjab. It is no longer a land of all round happiness as farmers are committing suicides. The agony of landless farmers and labourers of Punjab and ever increasing suicides by the farmers in Punjab impels the author to jot down a creative sociological text that reflects the collective pathos of a diseased society.
Farmer’s suicide
Ankhi, who published more than 40 books including 15 novels, twelve collection of stories four collection of poetry, travelogue, autobiography, finds farmer’s suicide atrocious and his novel seems to be an elaboration of what has been remarkably delineated by Prem Chand in his famous novel “Godaan”. The problems of farmers remains unresolved and kitschy adverts induce a sense of aversion. In this scenario, Ankhi’s novel seems to be a trenchant critique of our political system.
