What do you think?
Rate this book
Amar Bari Tomar Bari Naxalbari
For the first time, read Independent India's political history in the form of a no holds barred, satirical comic book.
In the newly independent India - food production is at an all time low, Zamindars control the farms, Nehru is dead, the coalation bengal government is headed for the wall and a tiny village in West Bengal plays host to an uprising.
From the tiny village of Naxalbari the story travels back and forth in time, as it takes you to pre-independence Hyderabad, post independence Andhra Pradesh and finally to the jungles of Dandkaranya (Bastar and surrounding regions) where the sparks of Naxalbari finally grew into the fire that today impacts India and its people.
In the newly independent India - food production is at an all time low, Zamindars control the farms, Nehru is dead, the coalation bengal government is headed for the wall and a tiny village in West Bengal plays host to an uprising.
From the tiny village of Naxalbari the story travels back and forth in time, as it takes you to pre-independence Hyderabad, post independence Andhra Pradesh and finally to the jungles of Dandkaranya (Bastar and surrounding regions) where the sparks of Naxalbari finally grew into the fire that today impacts India and its people.
160 pages, Paperback
13 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Sumit Kumar
3 books21 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Sumit Kumar is a Cartoonist based in New Delhi. His first graphic novel 'The Itch You Can't Scratch' has gained a strong cult following (meaning, not a mainstream one) and his 'Kashmir Ki Kahani' for Newslaundry.com has gotten mainstream acclaim.
Sumit Kumar is a Cartoonist based in New Delhi. His first graphic novel 'The Itch You Can't Scratch' has gained a strong cult following (meaning, not a mainstream one) and his 'Kashmir Ki Kahani' for Newslaundry.com has gotten mainstream acclaim.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 20, 2019
[3.5/5] Naxalites/Maoists are bad people. Because that is how the world works right? There are good people on one side and bad people on the other. And they fight.
This is a good primer into the beginnings of the Naxalite movement starting with Naxalbari and it's continuation in the red corridor. The graphic novel uses satire as a medium to try and normalize the sensitive topic.
Because of the brevity of the book and the medium, there are some gross simplifications and situations that are not explained fully. But it's a good light read about this rather intense topic.
This is a good primer into the beginnings of the Naxalite movement starting with Naxalbari and it's continuation in the red corridor. The graphic novel uses satire as a medium to try and normalize the sensitive topic.
Because of the brevity of the book and the medium, there are some gross simplifications and situations that are not explained fully. But it's a good light read about this rather intense topic.
July 5, 2020
Incredible overview of a part of India's history that is rarely presented objectively in public discourse. Lovely artwork and really witty humor. Pokes good fun with what's wrong with left politics even today. Gives useful context to examine systemic problems that plague Indian society today as well.
June 20, 2024
This is some of the most engaging material that I've read on the Naxals and associated history. As a collected work, it spans a wide gamut of topics and touches upon them enough to make an impression. For anyone who hasn't read more dense histories but would like a primer on this topic, this might just be the book. While it is not definitive, it is definitely ambitious. I loved the irreverent humour in the book and the way the author has caricatured the ruling class. The artwork is fantastic but stays true to the comic style rather than trying to realistically portray anything and goes well with the narrative style. Looking forward to more stuff from the author.
November 10, 2021
Full of painful reality but comedy will keep you company !
November 12, 2020
Brilliant satirical graphic novel!
October 29, 2018
Naxalbari by Sumit Kumar is a graphic novel about Naxalbari and red corridor. Written in the form of a satire, this book talks about the origin of the Naxalbari movement. It is perfect for the people who have no idea about the red corridor. Interspersed with pop culture references and biting humor, this book managed to get a few laughs out of me. However, I do feel that amidst all the humor and satire, the story got lost. Sparing no one, the author has criticized the left and the right-wing alike. I like how the author has approached such a heavy topic. It is definitely one of my favorite reads of this year.
April 10, 2024
It’s quite obvious that there has been minimal to zero research that went into naxalism before actually writing the book, coz more often than not it regurgitates the Indian state’s line on maoism and what not. The fact that Newslaundry even encouraged this project without as much as going through the news reports published during the time about the human rights violations the CRPF and salwa judum had engaged in, in the name of “fighting maoists” finds no mention.
The author, on occasions, seems to suggest that pain and humiliation adivasis have been subjected to by the state is somehow the maoists’ fault?
The author calling out of the mining lobby feels quite dishonest given their gaze(riddled with saviour complex) with which the author even engages with rights of the indigenous communities.
Ultimately, the book reads like a liberals understanding of the conflict. They criticise the state only to take a harsher tone towards the maoists, that too coz the Maoists’ messaging makes the author uncomfortable and questions his privilege (it’s framed as gibberish even, with the communists just throwing around fancy words).
Overall bad read and that the Newslaundry would endorse this puts their credibility in question
The author, on occasions, seems to suggest that pain and humiliation adivasis have been subjected to by the state is somehow the maoists’ fault?
The author calling out of the mining lobby feels quite dishonest given their gaze(riddled with saviour complex) with which the author even engages with rights of the indigenous communities.
Ultimately, the book reads like a liberals understanding of the conflict. They criticise the state only to take a harsher tone towards the maoists, that too coz the Maoists’ messaging makes the author uncomfortable and questions his privilege (it’s framed as gibberish even, with the communists just throwing around fancy words).
Overall bad read and that the Newslaundry would endorse this puts their credibility in question
October 23, 2020
When Abhinandan Sekhri mentioned this book in his interview with Vivek Agnihotri (most entertaining interview!) I was curious to know about this graphic novel about the Naxal movement, and I am glad i checked it out! The author has turned a seemingly serious subject into a highly enjoyable read that i finished in one sitting. A lot of us don't know the history of this movement, and it is a great idea to turn it into a comic book which will cater to a larger number of people. I like how the author/ artist is very frank and simple in his style, with none of the academic jargon. He does not glorify or condone the movement, but gives us different contexts on how it all began. The drawing style is unique in its imperfectness, but grows on you after a couple of pages. The narrative moves from 1800s to the present and does a pretty good job of giving us an overview of what happened. 5 stars.
December 15, 2015
A good start, this attempt. This is a comic, a great intro possibly to folk who have no clue ki Naxalbari/ Red Corridor hai kya. Somebody or the other is always new to it so this may work as a dummy's guide.
Some gags are really funny, but I found a sense of story missing. It is why I love graphic novels. They bring alive something, but this might work well for the very distracted or disinterested. Or those who are able to cackle at a headline.
But satire, it is not. For that, it will have to be way more mature.
And so much of it is in Hindi that the non-Hindi audience will not necessarily get it.
I am going to give it to my nephew and see.
But am happy to see these explorations in India gaining ground.
Some gags are really funny, but I found a sense of story missing. It is why I love graphic novels. They bring alive something, but this might work well for the very distracted or disinterested. Or those who are able to cackle at a headline.
But satire, it is not. For that, it will have to be way more mature.
And so much of it is in Hindi that the non-Hindi audience will not necessarily get it.
I am going to give it to my nephew and see.
But am happy to see these explorations in India gaining ground.
November 13, 2015
This is a work of commendable clarity, with tinges of satirical humor here and there. For the intended audience, this book is a good start, which perhaps will lead to more interrogation on the topic of naxal movement in India. If you are unaware about what former Prime Minister of India, Dr. ManMohan Singh, had described as 'biggest internal security threat to India', then by all means, read this book. After finishing You will want more of it. Sumit Kumar has packed a lot pf punches in his austere choice of words and drawings - the result being 152 pages.
Where this book didn't tick for me though, was a conscious decision on behalf of the author. It is made clear from beginning that this book is meant for the urban folks who don't have knowledge on naxalbari revolution. Even better, this book is for those who think that naxals are terrorists. And Sumit Kumar treads a very fine line here - are these gun-toting people modern incarnations of Robin Hood or cold blooded terrorists, killing armed forces and causing mayhem in tribal areas of India? He rightly mentions that if naxals come to power, they will change the modes of governance in an instant, irrespective of stability and prevailing consensus about democratic norms. The union of India has also resisted the temptation to use air force on naxal infested areas. But as Sumit rightly illustrates that the problem didn't breed itself, decades and decades of exploitation, oppression, apathy, monumental failures of judgement have given rise to this naxal problem, which in state's term is a 'Law and Order problem'. That this is not some law and order problem, but a struggle for justice and freedom from oppression and exploitation has eluded successive governments. Some long held antiquated belief that guns can answer guns when your own countrymen fight against you, has kept the problem burning, leaving CRPF and tribals on tenterhook. It is no surprise that naxals thrive in tribal areas, where gigantic amount of India's natural resources are lying under the soil. High grade iron ore, coal, baxuite, chromium are what attract the honchos of Indian capitalism to naxal infested areas and that in part, frame government's response to the problem.
The book is divided into three segments - part one deals with naxalbari movement; part two explains how the radical communist revolution captured parts of Andhra Pradesh and surrounding areas and part three elaborates on the current status of the conflict and plight of the people living in naxal areas. The author has been immensely helped by existing literature on the subject, like tons of essay collections of Arundhati Roy, 'Hello Bastar' by Rahul Pandita, writings of Kobad Ghandy etc.
Despite of the high readability factor, I was left disappointed on two fronts. The first one, as already discussed, is the tone of the book, making it clear that the primary audience is educated, Internet-savvy, urban population. And this book will definitely interest the armchair critics of government action and policy. But I am afraid that for more mature, knowledgeable people, it might got etch a lasting impression. The language and selection of humors are very much targeted to the young, urban demographic.
The other reason - which is more disheartening - is that despite of claiming that each historical conflict has it's root in some 'Human Stupidity', Sumit Kumar didn't delve on that aspect. The book is dedicated to logic which inevitably finds itself in gutter during times of great turmoil, such as naxalbari uprising and the relentless related casualties ever since. When we can see a dog peeing on an headstone, epitaph-ed 'RIP lpgic', we can expect humorous take on the logical blunders of the movement. And there are subtle hints to some of the shortcomings of the movement - both in protagonist's and antagonist's side, depending on whom - naxals or government - you consider on which side - but they are not as humorous as rest of the book is. The obstinacy of 'Finish 'em all' theory of Charu Mazumdar and the futility of the slogan 'China's chairman is our chairman', get a fleeting mention. The irony of throwing in ill-equipped central reserve forces to the boiling fray of Dandakaranya - the huge swathe of forest that includes the maoist strongholds like Dantewada, Bastar, Gadricholi - is another logical suicide on government's behalf. More soldiers have committed suicide than killed by maoists and there are accounts of soldiers saying that they don't even know who they are fighting. While the latter has logical blunder written all over it and audience should easily get that, the theoretical pitfall in the naxalbari movement could have benefited from a more titular approach. The first segment which describes the rise of naxalbari movement and how it spread itself, is the weakest part in the book. Surely it could have used more finesse and details that Sumit uses so effortlessly in part 2 and part 3.
The best part of the book is Red Corridor: part 3. It is written with sublime clarity. The rise and more rise of Reddy brothers in Karnataka, and Vedanta Corporation of Anil Agarwal, are testament of the collusion of democratically elected government and hungry business captains. Moreover as Sumit has shown, the rent-seeking, all-encompassing, double-mouthed corporate monopoly on Indian's natural resources - which rightfully belong to the people of India - is now the prime contributing factor of the maoist movement. And raising that issue to the eyes and lips of Indian urban population, who at times feel that a dictatorship would suit the country better, may be Sumit's biggest achievement. This is a good debut on print and we can hope that Sumit will come up with more refined comics in the future, that will take his body of work to uncharted territory of Indian comic writing.
Where this book didn't tick for me though, was a conscious decision on behalf of the author. It is made clear from beginning that this book is meant for the urban folks who don't have knowledge on naxalbari revolution. Even better, this book is for those who think that naxals are terrorists. And Sumit Kumar treads a very fine line here - are these gun-toting people modern incarnations of Robin Hood or cold blooded terrorists, killing armed forces and causing mayhem in tribal areas of India? He rightly mentions that if naxals come to power, they will change the modes of governance in an instant, irrespective of stability and prevailing consensus about democratic norms. The union of India has also resisted the temptation to use air force on naxal infested areas. But as Sumit rightly illustrates that the problem didn't breed itself, decades and decades of exploitation, oppression, apathy, monumental failures of judgement have given rise to this naxal problem, which in state's term is a 'Law and Order problem'. That this is not some law and order problem, but a struggle for justice and freedom from oppression and exploitation has eluded successive governments. Some long held antiquated belief that guns can answer guns when your own countrymen fight against you, has kept the problem burning, leaving CRPF and tribals on tenterhook. It is no surprise that naxals thrive in tribal areas, where gigantic amount of India's natural resources are lying under the soil. High grade iron ore, coal, baxuite, chromium are what attract the honchos of Indian capitalism to naxal infested areas and that in part, frame government's response to the problem.
The book is divided into three segments - part one deals with naxalbari movement; part two explains how the radical communist revolution captured parts of Andhra Pradesh and surrounding areas and part three elaborates on the current status of the conflict and plight of the people living in naxal areas. The author has been immensely helped by existing literature on the subject, like tons of essay collections of Arundhati Roy, 'Hello Bastar' by Rahul Pandita, writings of Kobad Ghandy etc.
Despite of the high readability factor, I was left disappointed on two fronts. The first one, as already discussed, is the tone of the book, making it clear that the primary audience is educated, Internet-savvy, urban population. And this book will definitely interest the armchair critics of government action and policy. But I am afraid that for more mature, knowledgeable people, it might got etch a lasting impression. The language and selection of humors are very much targeted to the young, urban demographic.
The other reason - which is more disheartening - is that despite of claiming that each historical conflict has it's root in some 'Human Stupidity', Sumit Kumar didn't delve on that aspect. The book is dedicated to logic which inevitably finds itself in gutter during times of great turmoil, such as naxalbari uprising and the relentless related casualties ever since. When we can see a dog peeing on an headstone, epitaph-ed 'RIP lpgic', we can expect humorous take on the logical blunders of the movement. And there are subtle hints to some of the shortcomings of the movement - both in protagonist's and antagonist's side, depending on whom - naxals or government - you consider on which side - but they are not as humorous as rest of the book is. The obstinacy of 'Finish 'em all' theory of Charu Mazumdar and the futility of the slogan 'China's chairman is our chairman', get a fleeting mention. The irony of throwing in ill-equipped central reserve forces to the boiling fray of Dandakaranya - the huge swathe of forest that includes the maoist strongholds like Dantewada, Bastar, Gadricholi - is another logical suicide on government's behalf. More soldiers have committed suicide than killed by maoists and there are accounts of soldiers saying that they don't even know who they are fighting. While the latter has logical blunder written all over it and audience should easily get that, the theoretical pitfall in the naxalbari movement could have benefited from a more titular approach. The first segment which describes the rise of naxalbari movement and how it spread itself, is the weakest part in the book. Surely it could have used more finesse and details that Sumit uses so effortlessly in part 2 and part 3.
The best part of the book is Red Corridor: part 3. It is written with sublime clarity. The rise and more rise of Reddy brothers in Karnataka, and Vedanta Corporation of Anil Agarwal, are testament of the collusion of democratically elected government and hungry business captains. Moreover as Sumit has shown, the rent-seeking, all-encompassing, double-mouthed corporate monopoly on Indian's natural resources - which rightfully belong to the people of India - is now the prime contributing factor of the maoist movement. And raising that issue to the eyes and lips of Indian urban population, who at times feel that a dictatorship would suit the country better, may be Sumit's biggest achievement. This is a good debut on print and we can hope that Sumit will come up with more refined comics in the future, that will take his body of work to uncharted territory of Indian comic writing.
January 13, 2024
Naxalbari is a very humorously, yet sensitively created retelling of the Naxalbari movement through a graphic novel.
Creator-author Sumit Kumar has integrated multiple art styles and a very engaging way of storytelling to keep the reader hooked to a subject as complex and sensitive as this. It is sometimes sardonic, sometimes sad, but always getting the point across.
Naxalbari also deals with the oft-overlooked hardships of the CRPF, rising suicides among the paramilitary force personnel, the apathy towards the Adivasis and the political-media-business nexus of mining companies.
Hilarious potshots have been taken at consultants, political leaders, former PMs, ideologies, the author himself, and (this one is my favourite) Anu Malik.
With Naxalbari, I got sad, but I also chuckled. Highly recommend.
Creator-author Sumit Kumar has integrated multiple art styles and a very engaging way of storytelling to keep the reader hooked to a subject as complex and sensitive as this. It is sometimes sardonic, sometimes sad, but always getting the point across.
Naxalbari also deals with the oft-overlooked hardships of the CRPF, rising suicides among the paramilitary force personnel, the apathy towards the Adivasis and the political-media-business nexus of mining companies.
Hilarious potshots have been taken at consultants, political leaders, former PMs, ideologies, the author himself, and (this one is my favourite) Anu Malik.
With Naxalbari, I got sad, but I also chuckled. Highly recommend.
November 10, 2021
It's humorous, informative, and thought-provoking. Sumit Kumar magnificently tells the story of the Naxalite movement while poking fun at the political, ideological masters at both ends of the spectrum and captures the plight of the tribals and the foot soldiers of the conflict. It's hard to not end up in a reading rabbit hole trying to learn about everyone involved thus pointing how well researched and well thought the comics' entire narrative is.
I am not qualified to talk about the art behind the comic, but I loved it so much that I read it twice, once of the narrative and again for the art.
I am not qualified to talk about the art behind the comic, but I loved it so much that I read it twice, once of the narrative and again for the art.
January 31, 2024
The Naxalbari movement has not been written about as much as it shoudl have been, which makes it a tough subject for a graphic novel. Sumit Kumar spares nobody even remotely connected with the movement, though sometimes in his attempt to be satirical, the story is occasionally lost. It is a good book to read, though it would be best if the contents of the book are supplemented with those of a more weighty text. The graphics are competent, and i particularly liked the parts which resemble Animal Farm.
June 16, 2017
An engaging account of the historical events that have lead to the rise of Naxalism. Sumit Kumar doesn't want to put anyone on a pedestal. He is not right wing or left wing in this book and it's in no way the ultimate reference book for someone wanting to know about the topic. He still manages to capture the very human side of the entire situation. A breezy read, almost like a dark comedy!
October 28, 2017
A witty and sarcastic look at the the Naxal movement - it's origins, flashpoints and subsequent mishandling by the government. The humour is biting and relatable. Especially the apathy of the urban dwellers with the people in the hinterland. The drawings are well done but some of the printing specially of the night scenes is quite dark and it's hard to make out contrast.
November 4, 2018
Good start to get just an overview of the complicated and sad situation happening in middle of India which is very close to a civil war. There’s no solution insight for the problem but if more people are aware of the situation then maybe the governments will not be able to get away with naked brutalities.
April 16, 2023
A great book that gives you a vivid picture of the Naxalite movement from the 60s till the recent time. The Origins, popularisation, penetration into the south, and the socio-political-business-academia Nexus are explained very well.
The artwork and the witty humour make the history lesson extremely palatable.
The artwork and the witty humour make the history lesson extremely palatable.
October 22, 2018
Bought it in the hopes of understanding the history of Naxal movement in India. But at the end of it, I am not sure I understood anything. May be I should come back to it after reading some history, first.
August 17, 2019
Loved the satire and the peep into Naxal movement. What stands out most is his art of deflating characters and reducing the real person into a caricature reduced to stupidity and ego. The colorful graphics make it a beautiful read.
January 11, 2024
I've always thought of the Nalaxbari struggle as an isolated struggle. However, Sumit Kumar's excellent graphic narrative proves otherwise by depicting the intertwining of larger nation ideologies with smaller microcosms of community discontent.
July 30, 2025
Irreverent, sometimes sad, sometimes inspiring, never comfortable. I'm glad this book exists, it lets in the apathetic Indian to our rich and bloody history easily. here's hoping that history gives us less stupidity all around.
May 4, 2017
Highly recommended.
September 16, 2018
Tragicomedy so brilliant that it hurts.
February 3, 2019
Quirky and cool, hadn't come across something like thing in a long time.!
March 16, 2019
Like a guha book but on red bull
Amazing read, would love to read more by the author! Factual and well researched material and a good short read for all ages
Amazing read, would love to read more by the author! Factual and well researched material and a good short read for all ages
January 26, 2022
A great graphic novel, quite an informative one and an intelligent satirical take on the historical events.. must read...
May 19, 2022
Very informative
December 27, 2022
An important read for those who don't really know the cost of caste and class divisions in India.
October 18, 2023
A communist propaganda
April 21, 2025
Chances upon this at an end of the road cafe at Dharamkot, should take up comics every time the urge to doomscroll hits, this one engaged me enough to finish in a sitting with oodles of humour.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews