Book Review by Sanjeev Gandhi
Title: The Call of the
Citadel
Subtitle: First Chapter in the History of Indian
Subcontinent
Authors: Vikram
Singh Deol & Parneet Jaggi
Publisher: Authors
Press, India
Genre: Historical
Fiction
Language: English
ISBN:
978-93-89824-41-4
Pages: 179
Price: ₹ 230.00 INR
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Parneet Jaggi |
Vikram and Parneet, endowed with a fecund imagination, try to recreate the past and instil life in the dry bones of history. They have swept back into the past flushing the stones of history with colour and brightness and tried to construct the past as warm, breathing, excitedly alive.
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Vikram Singh Deol |
The two different civilizations are on the verge of conflict as the novel begins. Both civilizations are not familiar with each other’s cultures and lifestyles. They have some advantages over each other. At the onset, the people of Mohan-toh –Daro are perplexed at the brutal murders of their three citizens. The investigation starts at the bidding of leader Kalika Das by the prominent persons like Peter Das, Bhooto Das and others. At the same time, Indro, the leader of the other race is at the threshold of the city in search of new settlements. The people of Mohan-toh-Daro are complacent with their ways of living and splendour, they are civilised and cultured people. They have skilled artisans, weavers and jewellers. The invaders are adorned with valour and lust for power and pelf. They are better cattle-men but do not possess farming skills. They are proficient in warfare. The clash is imminent.
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Sanjeev Gandhi |
Two parallel plots run in thirteen chapters. Invaders, under the leadership of Indro, make strategies with the guidance of their wise men Vasistha and Vishwamitra, to conquer the city dwellers, distribute the bounties among themselves and get settled in the vast, fertile, irrigated plains. On the other hand, people of Mohan-toh-Daro get together to plan their defence under the leadership of Kalika Das. The rituals of different civilizations are vividly portrayed.
This novel is written by a historian and a litterateur. Minute details have been perfectly worked out. The character of Sundari is perhaps inspired by the bronze statuette, dubbed as "Dancing Girl", found in excavations, now placed at National Museum, New Delhi. The love story of Peter Das and Devika has not been exploited though there is a scope for it.
The language of the novel is lucid and poetic. Devika is described as: “The fairly chiselled features of Devika carried the crimson colour of flame” and in describing nature, the language becomes more poetic as: “The orange light, it seems, was feeding on the rain drops. It was getting brighter; dancing in harmony with the wind, simply swaying towards the direction the winds wanted it to.” Sentences flow on with an immaculate rhythm as well as consistent pace.
Rain is continuous in the background throughout the novel and reminds us of Farewell to Arms but cannot be interpreted as a symbol of sorrow as in Hemingway’s novel. It is suggestive of origination because the amalgamation of two civilizations is going to take place. It is also used as symbol of realism, having a specific emotional purpose. The change in behaviour of water is depicted through indirect and unpredictable incidents like the crocodile pond etc. The novel touches upon a mysterious episode of Indian history, unlocking several windows to look through.
Today, we witness a decline in the production of historical novels. Many reasons have been contributing to the steep decline of this intriguing genre. The growing spirit of realism and intellectualism which is the basis of present materialistic life has turned the authors away from history. At such time, these two young novelists, like modern K. N. Dikshit and John Marshall, dig the Ancient Indian History to weave a lucid and convincing story, which is indubitably going to be helpful for students to get a creative, pictorial document of the bygone, forgotten age. The book-cover appeals with the imaginative setting of the locale and encounter of the races. The novel is a path-breaking work of historical fiction attempting to decode the most clouded era of the history of the Indian subcontinent,
Reviewer:
Dr. Sanjeev Gandhi is Associate Professor of English at Government College, Mustafabad, Haryana, India. He is a researcher, blogger and an avid reader. With a teaching experience of 23 years, he is the author of three books- Essentials of Communication, Personality Development and The Tempest: A Critical Study.
Email:
profsgandhi@gmail.com
Authors:
Vikram Singh Deol is
Associate Professor and Head, Department of History at Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar
Government College, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India. He is the author of the
book Social and Economic Values in the
Teachings of Sikh Gurus and the novel The
Call of the Citadel. Email: vikramsinghdeol@gmail.com
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