The English translation of Milind Bokil’s Marathi novel “Shala” (Harper Collins), which means school, by Vikrant Pande will make the reader revisit that brief period of life which will never return. The reason being that good writing always strikes a sensitive chord with the reader or at least leads to nostalgia about the years gone by. The book in hand does both.
The story, revolving around a 14-year-old school-going boy residing in the suburbs of Mumbai with the Emergency of 1975 forming the backdrop, is about adolescent struggles and love. Bokil, a diploma holder in electronics and radio engineering turned author, describes that stage as “growing and coming to terms with life”. “During this period, an altogether new feeling of love comes into being. The beauty of this emotion is that as a child you are loved by all and then you realise that you can also love. This realisation is extraordinary and cherished lifelong.” Terming it “platonic”, the writer says “the entire story is from that angle, not only for the main protagonist but all the other boys and girls in it.”
Asked if the change in the profile of today’s youngster due to the information technology boom and increased awareness will not make the book feel outdated, the author says, “The material status of our life has changed rapidly, but I do not think the teenage mind has. The feeling of love has not gone, only the method of expressing it has transformed. Now it is through SMS and emails whereas earlier it was expressed through eyes. The methods of expressing have changed, rightly so due to technological advancement.”
According to Bokil, boys and girls of today will appreciate “Shala” as they “will be able to relate to it”. Having said that, he adds, “The technological and material changes have not been accompanied by change in our psychology, social and moral outlook. Society has not become liberal. For example, inter-caste marriages are still not allowed.”
A simple story, the narrative deals with the love of an adolescent boy pining for his classmate in a social setting that does not allow free expression of his feelings. That is not all, it vividly captures school life replete with childhood friends, tuitions and holidays –– a phase which all of us have been through. Bokil’s own schooling took place in an institution located in the suburbs inhabited by people from diverse background, but he is quick to add that “Shala” is a work of fiction, “a product of assimilated experience ignited with imagination”.
“The plot, events and characters are my product,” he says. The strength of fiction is that “the work of imagination appeals to the readers, even if they do not understand the ethos, as they are able to recreate a different world and connect with it through their personal experiences”.
The period of Emergency forms the backdrop of the story as it is set in 1975-76. “I have used the Emergency as a metaphor,” he explains. “The protagonist’s physical and emotional world collapses. The story begins amid paddy fields which get converted into chawls towards the end. Television viewing becomes the favourite pastime of the chawl residents who earlier used to engage in indoor games and chat among themselves. I have also used the Emergency to express the repression of love,” says the author, who at one time was drawn towards Jayaprakash Narayan and even joined the Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Vahini founded by the leader.
As per the author, his doctorate in sociology and rural development has broadened his perspective on society, enlightened him on caste and gender equality and broadened his world view. “This has affected my writing in a positive way –– made me humbler.”
Asked about the shift in focus of his tales from social relationships to personal ones, Bokil explains, “Earlier my stories centred around social relationships as I was influenced by social change, transformation and activism. Now, I have moved to the interpersonal domain, irrespective of social class, and my present works are on basic human emotions and relations. Moving from the periphery to the inside is part of my evolution as an author.”
