A Tale of a Town (Novel) شهر جي ڳالهه
Book Review 3:
A Tale of a Town (Novel) شهر جي ڳالهه
Reviewed by Dr Mubarak Lashari
Book Name: Hik Shehr ji Galh (A Tale of a Town)
Author: Akbar Soomro
Pages: 232
Publisher: Kavita Publication Hyderabad
Year of Publication: Second edition 2009 (First edition, 1998).
Price: Rs 250
ISBN: 978-969-9329-03-6
One of the wonderful novels ever written in Sindhi
language, A Tale of a Town is superb illustration of the account of
recent past of our country and its phenomenon. While reading this, one can
imagine the satirical novel of Amar Jaleel in his ‘Nethh Gongy Galhayo’
(Thus the dumb spoke) in the context of a city/town Islamabad where
Islam is sought for. There is great difference of art in telling the tales.
Despite all of such things, what commonalities are there, are draconian bleak
period of General Zia, the emergence of favoritism, power game, corruption,
saluting to the rising Sun, targeting and marginalizing opponents, imposing
despotic laws, self-interpreted super-natural codes etc. are always part of the
discourse of the day. One more commonality is the account/tale of Islamabad
city, as center of all the experiments of power game. It is depicted with all
its charms and deceptive attracts including rains, disloyal weathers, wandering
clouds, ever changing colour of azure sky, buildings, houses, people, big vehicles,
beaurocrates, politicians etc. vividly.
The novel commence with the account of Martial law of 80s
when Gen Zia ousted and hanged Bhutto and occupied the seat of presidency in
Islamabad. Some employees of parliament are living in an apartment where many employees
from higher to lower rank near parliament lodges are living with various
opinions and points of views. In them, there is an unemployed Ali Raza, a
position holder in engineering, is also living and looking for job in the
centre of the country. There are some other friends including Siraj, a village
mate are also residing there. Its fascinating part is the description of
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto that haunts not only the whole novel but its content and
context of Zia ul Haq as “He (Bhutto) became the Ghost of Pakistan’s
Streets & Parliament! Off course, he became…he became….” This context
haunts the political scenario of Pakistan then and now. Ali is getting to think
of the condition of the political system and practical happening throughout the
story along with his search for job, search for bodily needs, obsession with
instincts and their fulfilment.
The twist in the story comes when Ali meets a girl in a
party where they perform break dance with the girl Kaldeep Kaur, an Indian Sikh
girl who now green card holder of Pakistan. The girl is symbol of Indian
atrocity with Sikh community in India. Her whole family was brutally killed and
she herself was targeted and victimized in the turmoil and mobocracy but
remains successful to reach Pakistan to his uncle who was personal friend of
president of the country. Ali gets involved in emotional attachment even in his
first meeting and then setting time for the date but it remains unfulfilled. There
comes a good break in an artistic way in the novel and the novelist gets chance
to covert readers’ attention to other conditions like unemployment, political
and beauracratic hegemony, favoritism, and other issues related to the country
due to Martial law and dictatorial codes of Zia regime. In the meantime, Ali
gets disappointed not only from meeting with Kaldeep but also from job and
employment seeking as there is no merit, consequently, decides to leave the
city and go back to his village. On the day of departure a moments before he
meets Kaldeep where she emphasizes him to postpone his program of leaving for
village. He agrees to stay there. From there, starts his love-affair with
Kaldeep with so fascinating description and analysis of love, spirituality,
physical love, ideological agreements and disagreements etc. He wishes to have
physical relations with Kaldeep but she refuses or avoids in one or the other
way due to her bodily inability or disability that was top secret for Ali.
Finally, in one night when Ali gets over-obsessed with the need of physical
love or sex, she discloses everything and shows handicapped body parts which
were crippled for any marital relations.
Once again, Ali gets disappointed from Job, Kaldeep’s
love, democracy, and merit and leaves Islamabad for his village. Thenceforth,
Ali gets admission in a university in Sindh and gets involved in politics but
picked by enforcing agencies and murdered for not accepting the crimes he never
committed.
Ali’s character is central one as a protagonist along with
Kaldeep Kaur, a seasoned journalist but physically crippled but very beautiful
girl. Ali not only is having many positive characteristics but as a genuine or
real symbol of the society he lives in he is also having some traits of having
sex with the paid boy. On the other, Kaldeep Kaur is depicted as innocent,
sensitive and sincere one.
The novel is consisted with many stories in the story but
major issues can be seen as political turmoil and tyranny of Zia regime,
injustice and involvement of law enforcing agencies in public or social
affairs, love affair or ground reality of human psyche and needs.
The novelist seems having an inordinate art of delaying
tactics and literary craftsmanship in weaving incidents. The readers get attracted
by many small incidents, jokes, lighter mood of the characters, great scenic
impact like things make this novel subtle art in Sindhi fiction. There can be
seen existentialist expression, for example “Yar Ali (Dear Ali) Raeny
changed the topic, ‘why were we born in this world?...just to toil and get
exhausted? Or to work and have broods and to die?’ Raeny said in haste’ ‘I also
don’t find any reason that why were brought in this world’ Ali said while
thinking deeply”….
There are certain elements and deep touches of
surrealism, realism, modernism and postmodernism in the novel along with
theoretical approaches like Marxism, feminism, post-colonialism. This novel can
be very much helpful for the students and learners who want to find various
themes in Sindhi novels and fiction. It also can be helpful in historical
evolution of various menaces under the shade of military dictatorships and
interference of military agencies in civilian systems. Social aspect of the
novel cannot be ignored as well.
There can be seen certain things inappropriate with
unities of time, place and characters as well. At one place there is mentioned
that Harry potter series in Zia regime or 80s which actual emerged much later.
The depiction of so beautiful character and fitness of Kaldeep in spite of her
physical handicapped conditions from genital organs to entrails, belly, breasts
all in such a fascinating fittings and the character of Italian couple Raeny
and her wife do not seem much fitting. There are certain things that can be
pondered from other points of view. Despite all, the novel is really a great
contribution to Sindhi literature and the writer Akbar Soomro deserves profound
appreciation.
26/09/19
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