Does a society outwardly riven by violence and communal hatred, still heap praise on the divine beings of other faiths? Does an individual’s right amount to injustice to the others? Does a high degree of compatibility make two individuals wary of each other? Does patriarchy strengthen the institution of parenthood? With these piercing questions, Darshan Darshi, a distinguished Dogri author brings to life several deeply disconcerting issues in a society where “everything goes and nothing matters” has become a norm. His recently published novel “Akash Aaparichit Dhara Parai”, rendered into Hindi by Prakash Premi through multiple focalisations, tries to comprehend the underlying complexities of erratic and contradictory human behaviour.
His astutely conceived characters through their actions and dialogues betray alternatingly insightful and embarrassing behaviour. By creating a series of vivid portraits of a number of male and female characters at different points of their life, the celebrated author talks about their implicit biases and stereotypes when they refer to the age-old customs. One should not look up parenthood with reverent awe as one of the characters “Salma” asserts “Look Sohni (main character), in our society Christians, Muslims and Hindus possess different faiths and they have separate laws such as Muslim Personal Law, The Hindu Marriage Act but parents, irrespective of their religion, have one thing in common – they take all the decisions related to the life of their young sons and daughters. Why should it not happen? We live in a society where 80 to 90 % girls after attaining puberty do nothing but anxiously wait for their husbands. Further, 60 to 70% boys with the age of 30 continue to look up to their parents. In such a society only one institution flourishes – that is parenthood.”
It is not the voice of a distracted and self seeking girl who wants to go beyond the banal and common place. It is what the female protagonist Sohini also feels in her moments of solitude. Darshan Darshi weaves a tantalizing tale of a Christian girl Sonia Mano, Hardayal, a Muslim girl Salma and a Dalit girl Shivi, who symbolises kindness, selfishness, flexibility and obstinacy. Cheerfully arrogant Christian girl, Sohni falls in love with a Dogri Pandit Hardayal alias Haddy who was determined to marry Sonia. Sonia too revolted against her father but their dreams get shattered by the mindless violence that became a routine affair in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Glimmer of hope
Haddy’s elder brother, a colonel in Indian Army, fell victim to militants’ gun and his departure converted a girl who is about to marry a boy belonging to another religion into a nun, and a boy who strives for setting up an NGO for the emancipation of the marginalized people of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu into an ever-greedy employee of multinational corporate house. At a time when lynching of people belonging to other faiths on flimsy grounds of cow killing or conversion campaign has become rampant, Darshan sees a flicker of hope. He poignantly narrates a story of a Hindu saint living in a remote area of Himachal Pradesh who takes pride in mentioning the name of Christ with Krishna. While narrating the miracle of Bhagwan Krishna who lifted the Gowardhan mountain on his small finger, Sadhuji does make mention of divine powers of Christ. He was trying to bring both closer. The saint was not aware that anyone could raise objection to such a sermon.
The female protagonist Sohni and her money-minded businessman father share a common trait. Winning was their passion but this marked sense of affinity prompts her father to conclude, “her obsession for winning leaves me frightened”. The author brilliantly produces a narrative that encapsulates nuanced sensitivity and sensibility of Dogri speaking people. It provides a glimpse into a world which is very different from one we live in. The woman is fully empowered in Dogri speaking rural society where she could terminate marriage at will. “Women leave their husband and get engaged with other men. It may happen owing to circumstances or developing intimacy with someone else. Later, new husband pays money stipulated by the Panchayat to annul the right of the previous husband. New marriage gets registered. It is formally done in writing and matter is not pursued by another court”.
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It is the voice of matriarchy which is yet to be heard in other parts of the country. Though Padma Sachdev’s creative dexterity evokes immense admiration, not much is known about fiction being written in Dogri. Darshan Darshi’s enthralling novel ponders over profound questions about religious, social and cultural consciousness. The standpoint of little known cultural mysteries of Dogri speaking communities adds an irresistible bounce to the novel and the novelist is to be complimented for providing much more what smooth talking enormously popular novelists do.