Poojamma
The Woman Who Redefined Womanhood
M C Raj
Partridge India, Penguin Books India Pvt.Ltd, 2013
ISBN 978-1-4828-0101-9 (ebook)
ISBN 978-1-4828-0102-6 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4828-0103-3 (hard cover)
282 Pages
Fiction
Do yourself a favor and take a trip to modern-day India by reading M C
Raj’s fifth novel, Poojamma, The Woman
Who Redefined Womanhood. Submerge in
the mysterious culture of this fascinating country, and soak up the colors and
layers of the human condition: not an easy journey, but very rewarding. M C Raj is a master tour-guide.
Poojamma, the title character, is a shooting star of humanity, who lives
among the Dalit people (Untouchables) in rural Karnataka. She devotes her life to the education and
empowerment of the poor in a confusing era in India’s history, when traditional
beliefs and practices clash with the demandingly fast global development, and
political corruption is rampant: “No political party in India is interested to
develop the people. They only want to
create the grand illusion that they are developing the country” (p. 18). Poojamma gains unsurpassed popularity among
the villagers, and venomous enemies among the rulers who are trying to hold on
to the people’s religious and traditional ways in order to continue exploiting
the poor, thus secure their own wealth and power, even if it means disregarding
The Constitution of India.
The story begins with the funeral of Poojamma and unfolds in a series of
flashbacks in a prolonged conversation between beautiful and empowered Kala,
Pojamma’s young disciple, and Nina, an American journalist. Providing this frame to the main plot is an
ingenious strategy on the author’s part.
Nina becomes the liaison and cultural interpreter for us less informed
Western readers: we see the events narrated by Kala through Nina’s American
eyes, and her - at times naïve - questions makes us less embarrassed about our
ignorance. Thank you, M C Raj!
Under the egis of fictional Poojamma’s tumultuous and meaningful life
story, M C Raj gives a comprehensive picture of modern Indian society from a
Dalit point of view. A person of Dalit
heritage himself, he reveals and discusses many important and controversial
issues in India today, including the effects of the traditional caste system and
its “bloody customs” (p. 22) on individual families and people, the prevalent oppression
of the less fortunate (the distortion of the original 1952 government land deal
with the Dalits, p. 198), the eye-opening rural conditions, corruption, and the
treatment of women. His style is
conversational yet authoritative whether he talks about the Thailand “sexapades”
of local Indian politicians or the despicable custom of casting new mothers out
of a village and forcing them to live in a tiny, inhumane hut in order to avoid
a village’s contamination by blood.
The author’s respect and love for women is obvious. All major and most minor progressive characters
are enlightened, strong, and empowered women in a world where women still do
not have an equal place.
The book is fascinating. The
narration, even though the novel is set in modern-day India, has a mythical
quality. M C Raj’s language is a spicy
mixture of fire, unexpected visuals, and deliciously foreign idioms blended
with crude slang and occasional faux pas.
His figures of speech carry the flavor of exotic India. Poetic interludes mingle with rapid action,
and the characters use graceful imagery and curse words in the same paragraph. I like it; it transports me to a foreign land,
where people speak with an accent, and where logic, aesthetics, and the ways of
storytelling are different than mine. On
the other hand, it might be a challenge for action oriented readers who are used
to a linear, Hollywood-style plot. The
storyline is complicated and fragmented by flashbacks (within flashbacks), and
the reading becomes labored after a while because of the overwhelming factual
and sensory details. Yet, I could not
put it down.
Open-minded readers will experience an exhilarating journey with the
expert guidance of prolific and well-respected writer of India, M C Raj. Those with some background knowledge in
Indian history, politics, and law will be thrilled, but no one should miss the
tour.
Hedi Harrington
For The Harrington Review
September 28, 2013
http://t.co/Tw8ygUf0sC
