ଶାସ୍ତି

by Kanhu Charan Mohanty

Set against the backdrop of Orissa famine of 1866, this novel by Kahnu Charan Mohanty depicts famine's aftermath and pestilence.

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Kanhu Charan Mohanty (11 August 1906 – 6 April 1994) was an Indian Odia language novelist who has authored fifty-six novels in a career spanning over six decades from 1930 to 1985. He is considered as "one of the most popular and celebrated novelists of Odisha".
Mohanty was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958 for his novel, Kaa, published in 1956, and was one of the fellows of the Sahitya Akademi. Mohanty died on 6 April 1994 at the age of 87.

Courtesy: Wikipedia

Reviews

[S.Ach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel immensely fortunate that I could read this book in its original text, as I am sure no translation could do justice to the indescribable feeling that this writing entails - A brilliant tale of existentialism and a lone man's struggle against the norms of feudal society ridden with caste and religious prejudices and ridiculous superstitions.

The story is set around 1866 at the times of the aftermath of the devastating famine(known as NaAnka Durvikhsya) that wiped out one third of the population of Odisha (the poorest state in India…still).
Sania - a young man with skeletal body but indomitable spirit returns to his village after the famine in the hope to re-establish himself in his ancestral home and find his lost love. But instead of finding welcoming refuge, he receives banishment. His caste and village ostracizes him for mingling and eating with people of lower caste. But his will for survival is not extinguished. He lives, cause he can and he should.
The father of his childhood beloved, Dhobi, is the feudal lord of his village and with the help of the village priest is responsible for the penury and ultimate death of most of his family members. Yet, Sania, without having vengeful animosity towards the feudal lords, tries to establish a new world of no caste and creed discrimination. But, could an illiterate superstitious society accept such radical way of living?
Thus unfolds a tale of constant struggle between traditional and revolutionary thinking at a time when hunger overpowers morality.

This is a brilliant book and should be treasured as a symbol of great Odia literature. The amazing writing and storytelling of Kanhu Charan Mohanty makes him one of my favourite writers of all time with just this one book.

[Suman Bhoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thnxs

[Rihana Begum]

Good