BENGALURU: As the Consul-General of India in San Francisco, Ambassador N Parthasarathi often came across cases of distressed spouses facing domestic violence and emotional abuse. It is this and more that Amb. Parthasarathi weaves into a gripping tale in his recently-released book, Suspended Lives. On Wednesday, the book was released at the Indian Institute of World Culture by Justice E S Indiresh, which was later followed by a quick conversation between Amb. Parthasarathi and M K Raghavendra, writer and critic.
Set in the Bay Area in California, the story revolves around two young couples from Bengaluru, who move to the ‘Land of Opportunity’ in search of better prospects. Amb. Parthasarathi emphasises three aspects that the book highlights. First, a partner going to the US on an H1B or H4 visa, which leaves them completely dependent on the partner, and thereby unable to escape the trap. Second, an undercurrent of manipulation by people, who, motivated by their own fractured sensibilities, inflict physical and psychological abuse on those who trust and depend on them. “At the third level is the more widespread problem of domestic abuse, its ramifications affecting both women and men,” he says, adding, “The worst thing that happens is when they go there, and slowly and steadily lose self-esteem and respect.”
“It is shocking to realise that domestic violence and emotional abuse are increasingly being used by many as effective weapons to control the lives of others in the family. It is sad to see that many spouses – who are well-educated, have promising careers, arrive on the shores of a foreign land, brimming with confidence and a can-do spirit – get into a cycle of domestic abuse.
Unfortunately, these vulnerable people, apart from enduring traumatic experiences, are also forced to remain dependent on spouses who are perpetrators of such heinous abuse,” says the Ambassador, who has served in South Korea, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, and Cape Verde Islands. He has also served as a diplomat in Pakistan, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Syria. “The idea of the book – in addition to highlighting these aspects – is to send out a message that all is not lost. It is to give courage to the victims, tell them that they are not alone in this suffering and that there is a way out,” he says.
Amb. Parthasarathi’s experience over the last three decades and more also led to the writing of The Reluctant Assassin, a thriller set in India and Pakistan; Legend of Ayodhya Princess in Korea, a story of a royal member of Ayodhya travelling to Korea, 2,000 years ago and marrying a king and setting up an empire; SriRatna- Kum Suro, a children’s book published by the National Book Trust.
(Suspended Lives, published by Star Publications, New Delhi, is available on Amazon)