TALES FROM ABUJHMAD
courses of ‘modernity’, ‘development’, ‘democracy’, the ‘State’ and many other terms of the Western ‘Enlightenment’ that appear outlandish in self-contained, unconnected Abujhmad. Thus, the Maoist presence in these areas appears to be part of the ‘modernity’ discourse. In Narendra’s estimation, Maoism and Maoists are invasive just as the Indian State is.
When Narendra (often) allows the experiences – about man-animal interaction, mahua liquor making, local festivities, the absence of normative notions of ‘work’ or ‘purpose’ or of ‘public’ and ‘private’, the lack of a beginning, middle and end frame to Adivasi storytelling, the community’s lack of interest in the modernisation of nearby Sonepur, the fact that most residents are “lolling through life”, the paucity of words in their vocabulary – to be told without much interference, he delivers memorable prose that will make the perspicacious reader question her own life-situation in the world. The facts of their existence and attitudes are enthralling to dissect and Narendra handles them with gentleness and care.
By temperament the adivasis of Abujhmad are minimalists. Writing about them demands such a style. Unfortunately, Narendra harps on the binary between their world and that of ‘modernity’ too often.
This reader reckons the book could have gained by concentrating on communicating just their experience with the odd-butrequired explication here and there. At other times, Narendra muses for far too long on the uniqueness of Abujhmad’s customs and cultures. He doesn’t let the experience of the everyday, mundane and even sometimes boring life in the forests to be expressed without persistent unpacking. These are the weakest suits of the book which needed dressing up in the Abujhmadia’s loincloth.
Still, this book is a thing of quality in the anthropology-sociology-non-fiction mode. Narendra’s seems a most fascinating intellect and this reviewer would definitely want to call on him sometime for a mahua drink or two.
Rahul Jayaram teaches at the Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities