Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin describes Anita Nair’s police procedural, Chain of Custody (Harper Collins) as a “harrowing but compassionate tale of modern India.” The novel, a follow up to Cut Like Wound sees Inspector Gowda navigate the dark and disturbing world of child trafficking. Gowda also has to deal with a rapidly-changing city, a new love, a son at a difficult age and annoying superiors at work. Anita talks of the city, the research and why Gowda rides a Bullet in this interview.
Excerpts
Could you comment on the title?
The titles of the Inspector Gowda series titles as of now are a built around medico-legal or forensic terminology. Chain of Custody refers to the various hands that have handled a piece of evidence before it is produced in court. However, in this specific instance I was using it to suggest the trafficking chain and how the children are passed from hand to hand.
Gowda dreaming of doing the tango in leggings is a surreal start to the book, doing ecstasy and playing with the dog, Mr. Right shows a different side to Gowda?
Gowda like all of us is a man of many parts; there is the gruff, surly, impatient man and at the same time there is also Gowda who trips on ecstasy and allows his emotions to emerge or lets his guard down with Mr. Right.
Gowda dreaming of doing the tango in leggings is reflective of Gowda feeling out of his element in the new Bangalore, and in his new relationship.
Gowda has changed from going to Darshini to eat bisi bele bath to having pasta in Bicycle café.
Is Gowda a personification of changing Bangalore?
Not really. Gowda’s horizon has expanded with his association with Urmila and naturally it reflects in his eating patterns as well.
Could you elaborate on Gowda’s observation, ‘How we love is indicative of who we are…
Very often the kind of person we are deep within emerges in the way we demonstrate our love for another person. A shy person may not be able to make personal demonstrations of love even though he or she cares deeply for the loved one; whereas a gregarious person would fling his or her arms around just about anybody as a token of affection. At a deeper level how selfish or generous we are within ourselves colours how we love another person.
Is Neelgubbi modelled on a particular layout in Bangalore or is it emblematic of Bangalore’s transformation?
Neelgubbi is partially modelled on Doddagubbi–Kothanur-Bilishivale areas in Bangalore. But it is also an emblem of the transformation that is happening in what was once considered rural Bangalore.
Does the book celebrate or denigrate the new Bangalore?
The book doesn’t seek to celebrate or denigrate the new Bangalore. Instead, it seeks to capture the city as it is transforming, rainbows, warts and all.
Why does Gowda ride a Bullet? What kind of research did you have to do to get the nuances of the bike right?
The Bullet is very representative to the Indian male of someone who will tolerate no nonsense, is a stable sort of person without the flashiness or sophistication of the foreign dude bikes and yet is distinctive and reliable. Gowda and the Bullet to me seemed a perfect brand fit. I couldn’t see Gowda on any other bike but a Bullet. I spoke to several of my Bullet-riding friends to understand how the bike functions and of course all the countless rides on a Bullet added to my overall understanding of the nuances of the bike.
Why did you decide to focus on child trafficking for this book?
It began as a simple query in my head after reading a newspaper report on missing children statistics: Where do the untraced children go? What happens to them?
There was very little I could find about this and to understand it better I began researching child trafficking and what I discovered made me certain that I had to write about it.
The research must have taken you to dark spaces…
Research for this book involved working at various levels: going to rescue shelters, spending time in homes, talking to NGOs, social workers and a few trafficked children and visiting police stations in an effort to understand at what point the police steps in and what the results are. No part of it was pleasant and it left me feeling devastated and even more determined to write about it.
You mention in the book that from being a transit point, Bangalore has morphed into a hub for child trafficking. What do you think are the reasons for this?
Bangalore has now become a hub for child trafficking as the demand is very high and it is in the nature of urbanized spaces to feed the demand with scant regard for right or wrong. The anonymity of cities fuel the beast of greed with no thought to how the environment and life are treated.
There was the case of Pujita who ran away from home and was found in Hubli. In the book Tina and Moina aren’t so lucky…
It is fortunate that Pujita was found and reached home safe. Unfortunately not every child who runs away from home has a happy ending to an adventure. The story of Tina and Moina are of children who are either taken away or lured with false promises only to be thrust into prostitution.
The novel also talks of different kinds of exploitation and trafficking across sections of society. Comment
Exploitation and trafficking is built on the human need for food. However, there is also a slow but increasing trend of genteel prostitution as a way of making some money to splurge on luxury. All of which still constitute a threat to both girls and boys for once you are in the trade it is difficult to go back to a life unshadowed by what has happened.
Could you elaborate on the creation of team Gowda?
Team Gowda constitutes of Sub-Inspector Santosh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Ratna, Head Constable Gajendra, Constable Byrappa and sometimes Constable David the driver. Each one is representative of a point of view, a skill set, and a particular personality. However when they come together they become Gowda’s support system and what holds them together is their faith in Gowda’s investigation skills and their respect for him.
Is Roshan more like Gowda or his mum?
Roshan, I’d like to believe is more like his dad. However, he has a personality of his own as well. I am actually looking forward to bringing him in more books as I write them.
Is there going to be celluloid version of Gowda?
Frankly my dear, I don’t know.
