KOCHI: What purpose does a political satire serve? Is it to churn out political fragments for entertainment? Or is it a subtle move to highlight a specific political argument? Either way, Unni R succeeds in holding a mirror to the Indian psyche with his take, prompting readers to indulge in some serious introspection. ‘The Cock is the Culprit’, the first novel from an established short story writer, never ceases to engage us, raising some uncomfortable yet pertinent questions about the Indian society and its recently-acquired characteristics of pseudo nationalism. The book has a liberal sprinkling of subtle hues on contemporary socio-political and religious ingredients that have mysteriously surfaced in our society in recent times.
What could possibly go wrong by the mere crowing of a rooster at odd hours or during a so-called occasion of holiness and sanctity? Nothing? You are mistaken. It can seemingly offend the patriarchal system, the patriotic fervour practised by some and may even cast shadows of suspicions in the minds of even those apparently endowed with a sense of logical reasoning.
The story is set in the backdrop of an-otherwise quiet Kerala village. An effervescent concoction of societal components like politics, religion, caste and mob psychology in addition to fragments of hidden desires, self doubt, a bit of unconventional love and the collective consciousness of a society as a whole gradually unfolds before the reader’s eye.
A brilliant narration, set as a tell-tale chronicled by some authentic voices in the everyday society around us, the novel portrays how imageries are created in a society and how these subsequently lead to precipitous responses that may give way to deep-rooted customs and beliefs.
As translator J Devika, who has done an excellent job in conveying the story without losing its essence, points out in her note, this work is not only about Hindutva nationalism, it’s also about patriarchal micro-fascism that infects the social life in Kerala. If you are a reader with a political-bent, this is one book that indeed deserves the must read tag!
brilliant reiteration
The novel was translated into ‘The Cock is the Culprit’ by feminist historian, social researcher and teacher at the Centre for Development Studies in Kerala, J Devika, who did an excellent job in retaining it humour.