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Tarbela Damned: A reviewBy Mr T L Palani Kumar [1971-BTCH] IIT Alumni often have surprisingly diverse careers, some even far
removed from their core engineering disciplines. Anand has put his
career in the Indian Army to very good use, to write a cracker of a
novel about a final solution to the India-Pakistan problem, with the
basic premise involving his core civil engineering discipline!This is a work of fiction, but so firmly bedded on facts and very plausible personalities and scenarios that it could be read as a factual account of ‘history just about to happen’. In fact, the current situation developing on the ground in Pakistan, with food and power shortages, and the growing clout of extremists in their Polity, is eerily foretold in this chronicle. In fact, even the “Jang” of Pakistan has translated a few chapters from this book into Urdu, ostensibly with a view to caution the Government of Pakistan! The Author’s denoument is indeed very realistic, and quite a nice ending to over 60 years of bitter Indo-Pak rivalry. It is a gripping and fast-paced read, with the plot developing at such break-neck speed that the development of characters and their inner lives takes second place. And as befitting an all-knowing IITian, Anand’s right at home whether he’s describing the difference between Irish Whiskey or Scotch, or the arrival of Bene Israelis in India. And so describing the Tarbela Dam’s structural strengths and weaknesses was not at all difficult for him. The fact that the old India–Pakistan rivalry has now moved centre-stage after 9/11, and is now close to the centre of global geo-politics and vital to Super Power interests, is well brought-out by him. You wish he had spent some more time in fleshing out the main characters and their development and evolution over time, especially the IITian who ends up in the Mossad! And, while his brief but frenetic accounts of passionate sex between two of the principal characters Rahul and Lata were probably edited substantially before print, you feel he could have done better! All in all, a very good first novel, which should whet the appetite of every IITian, and which makes one look forward to his next work. --- Review for ‘Journeys’ by T.L. Palani Kumar, Chem. 1971 IITM, and Secretary for Literary Activities, Institute Gymkhana in 1971 |
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