Agony of an Indian Muslim
Aditi Garg

Son of the Soil
by Nazrul Islam. Viva Books. Pages 769. Rs 395.

Territory is but the body of a nation. The people who inhabit it are its soul, spirit and life. In a country as culturally diverse as India, the bouquet of languages, races and religions forms its essence. A democratic set-up like ours should make every Indian proud of his nation and encourage each one of us to be an active catalyst for change and development. But it is not always so. Some among us are marginalised and treated as lesser citizens. The so-called minorities, even though they are as Indian as anyone else, are discriminated against in subtle and not so subtle ways owing to their religion or caste. These feeling left to simmer long enough, turn to contempt and the person is bound to revolt.

The English translation of Dr Nazrul Islam’s Bangla novel Bhumiputra, Son of the Soil is very hard-hitting indeed. Dr Islam is Inspector General of Police EB, West Bengal. Islam 9/11 and Global Terrorism are some of his better-known books amongst the 27 books that he has authored. Some of these have been translated into other languages. His writings have won him many awards. At the same time, he is the founder Chairman of an NGO, Basantapur Education Society, which has already established a primary school, a higher secondary school, a college, an STVT, a PTTI, a polytechnic and engineering college. Plans are under way for a medical college and a university. Though Son of the Soil is not a word-by-word translation of Bhumiputra, it retains its spirit.

The protagonist of the novel, Kamal, is the person the title Son of the Soil refers to. Because his religion constitutes the minority, he has to learn it very early on in life that people of his community cannot compare with the people of majority communities. His efforts to be a good person and also a religious person fall flat, as he discovers that the two are almost impossible to achieve together. His father is oppressed at the hands of rich landlords who believe it is their birthright to exploit the minorities. Even as a child, as soon as he can understand the meaning of religion, Kamal makes endless enquiries about his religion and that of others. He is fascinated by the discovery that although all religions have some force representing the good and another that represents the bad, they all claim to be different and develops an aversion for all religious rituals and symbols. For him, something that pits one human being against another is not worth following and develops a deep dislike for radical writings of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and others who claimed to be nationalists but on the contrary, side with the colonists and want to oust the Muslims. His professional and personal life suffers setbacks on account of his principles that he bases on his nationalistic feelings.

The novel comes at a time when people need to understand what goes on inside the mind of an Indian Muslim as communal hatred spreads. It is a remarkably well-written and well-researched book that strives to feel the agony and pain of the minority community and their helplessness in communicating their feelings of nationalism in the face of such strong negative feelings. The deftness with which the author has handled such a sensitive issue is commendable. The simplicity of the language facilitates the subject. The reader empathises with the protagonist at all times. His character is not larger than life but such that we can almost recognise him as someone next door. The book leaves a lasting impression on the mind and the fact that we are blissfully ignorant of such injustice rankles the heart and soul.

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