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Kitne Pakistan
Kitne Pakistan
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2000
340 people are currently reading
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About the author
Kamleshwar
97 books55 followersKamleshwar (कमलेश्वर) was a prominent 20th-century Hindi writer, and scriptwriter for Hindi cinema and television. Among his most well- known work are the films Aandhi, Mausam, Chhoti Si Baat and Rang Birangi. He was awarded the 2003 Sahitya Akademi Award for his cult Hindi novel Kitne Pakistan (translated in English as Partitions), and also the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
June 29, 2020
This is one of the best, if not the best book, I have ever read.
The amount of research and time that must have gone into creating this masterpiece. Historical controversies are explained so beautifully and logically. The explanations of historical facts leave you in awe. It is a very creative take on the miseries of human society with India in the background. This is a poignant reminder how deeply interconnected and similar the entire human society is and how we all should come together to solve its deep challenges and problems.
I am highly impressed with the writing of the author. This is a well-deserved 'Sahitya Academy Award' winner.
The amount of research and time that must have gone into creating this masterpiece. Historical controversies are explained so beautifully and logically. The explanations of historical facts leave you in awe. It is a very creative take on the miseries of human society with India in the background. This is a poignant reminder how deeply interconnected and similar the entire human society is and how we all should come together to solve its deep challenges and problems.
I am highly impressed with the writing of the author. This is a well-deserved 'Sahitya Academy Award' winner.
January 2, 2015
“कमलेश्वर का ये उपन्यास मानवता के दरवाज़े पर इतिहास और समय की एक दस्तक है .....इस उम्मीद के साथ कि भारत ही नही ,दुनिया भर में एक के बाद दुसरे पाकिस्तान बनाने की लहू से लथपथ यह परंपरा अब खत्म हो.....”(पृष्ठ कवर पे दिया गया विवरण).
कुछ दिन पहले एक मलयालम फिल्म देख रहा था...’मरियान’,जिसमे हीरो को कुछ कबीले बंधक बना लेते हैं.रोज जीने के लिए संघर्ष करने वाले जिन कबीलों के पास खाने और रहने का भी ठिकाना नही है उनके हाथों में बाजारवाद ने बंदूके और मिसाइलें थमा दी हैं.नाइजीरिया,युगांडा,रवांडा,तिमोर और ऐसे ही अनेकों अविकसित देश जहाँ जीवन की मूलभूत सुविधाएँ भी मयस्सर नही,वहाँ भी वो अत्याधुनिक हथियार रखते हैं,गृह युद्ध जारी है...वहशत और हिंसा का नाच जारी है.जिंदगी मौत मांग रही है.कौन किसे मार रहा है और क्यों? इसमें गलत कौन है...सही कौन....हर कौम अपनों के खून से ही सरोबार है...असली दुश्मन कौन है?किसी के पास इस मूल प्रश्न के लिए वक्त नही है.या उन्हें सोचने की मोहलत ही नही दी जाती.
’कितने पाकिस्तान’ इन्ही सवालों के जवाब तलाशता हुआ एक उपन्यास है. उपन्यास की बनी बनाई परिपाटी को तोड़ता हुई ‘कितने पाकिस्तान’ एक प्रयोगवादी विचार से लिखा गया है.लेखन का एक अनूठा प्रयोग.कोई कहानी नही ,कोई नायक-खलनायक नही.सिर्फ वक़्त और इतिहास.अदीब और उसकी अदालत.जहाँ सभ्यताएँ,इतिहास,वक़्त,पाकिस्तानों के जनक अपनी गवाही दर्ज कराते हैं.वैश्विक भूगोल,इतिहास,परम्पराओं,मान्यताओं,वेदों,मिथकों को खंगालता हुआ लेखक देवताओं,महाभारत,माया,इंका,मिस्र की सभ्यताओं,उनके देवताओं,मोहम्मद,ख़ुदा,मुगलों,बाबर,विश्व युद्ध से लेकर अंग्रेजों और पाकिस्तान के बनने तक का सफ़र तय करता है.
ऐसे उपन्यास छः महीने,एक या 2 वर्ष में नही लिखे जाते.इसके लिए एक गहन अध्यन,खोज,मानसिक उद्वेलन की जरुरत होती है.जितने किरदारों को लेखक ने याद किया है,सिर्फ उनका विस्तृत अध्यन ही विश्व की लगभग सभी सभ्यताओं,उनके इतिहास और भूगोल को समझने के लिए पर्याप्त होगा.
चन्द बाजारवादी ताकतों और षड्यंत्रों से विश्व को कब्रिस्तान बना देने के लिए संयुक्त संघ,नाटो और उपनिवेशी देशों के लिए कमलेश्वर लिखते हैं.“नियंत्रण द्वारा आत्माओं को तोड़ा जाता है....फिर उन्हें विभाजित किया जाता है...उनमे सांस्कृतिक प्रतिरोध की शक्ति विखंडित की जाती है और तब बाजारवादी जोंके उस विभाजित कौम का सारा रक्त चूस लेती हैं.खंडित संस्कृति के श्मशानों में तब उत्सव के बाज़ार स्थापित होते हैं....धर्म और इतिहास शोषकों के हाथों में खिलौना बन कर नाचते-गाते,जश्न मनाते अपने ही विभाजित अंग के शत्रु और विनाश का कारण बन जाते हैं...इन बड़ी संस्कृतियों को तोड़कर उन्हें बंदी बनाने के लिए विभाजन का यही रास्ता उन असभ्य अपसंस्कृतियों ने चुना है....जिनके खेतों में सिर्फ बारूद और बंदूकें उगती है”
“बाजारों के लिए बनते हैं साम्राज्य ! और साम्राज्यों को जीवित रखने के लिए बनाये जाते हैं बाज़ार ! साम्राज्यों की नाभि बाज़ार से जुड़ी है . साम्राज्यों के रूप बदल सकते हैं.....वे प्रजातान्त्रिक आर्थिक साम्राज्य का रूप ले सकते हैं परन्तु,इन पूंजीवादी प्रजातंत्रों को जीने के लिए मुनाफे के बाजारों की जरुरत है.....बाज़ार ! बाज़ार !! बाज़ार! यही है औद्योगिक क्रांति का सतत जीवित रहने की मजबूरी का सिद्धांत ! यही है पूंजीवाद .इसी का दूसरा नाम है साम्राज्यवाद.तीसरा नाम है उपनिवेशवाद...और आज दस्तक देती हुई इस नई सदी में इसका नाम है बाजारवाद.यह व्यवस्था कच्चे माल की प्राप्ति और नित नए बाजारों के निर्माण के बिना जी नही सकती .यातना,विषमता और अवसाद के बीच यह देते हैं कृतिम उत्सव और उल्लास.सडती लाशों के अम्बार पे ये छिडकते है क्रिश्चियन डिओर,शैनल और अमुआगे क्रिस्टल के इत्र .कटी हुई लहूलुहान गर्दनों में पहनते हैं लंविन की नेकटाइयाँ और मेजोरिका के नेकलेस.टूटी हुई कलाइयों में ये बांधते हैं राडो और रेमण्डवील की घड़ियाँ और चकनाचूर उँगलियों को ये पकड़ाते हैं मोंटब्लांक और वाटरमैन के कलम!”आज भी इंडिया के हज़ारों गाँव में जहाँ पीने का साफ पानी नही पहुँच पाया है,वहाँ पेप्सी और कोक पहुँच चुका है.....”
सिर्फ कथानक और प्रस्तुतीकरण ही आपको बांधे रखने के लिए काफी है.कहीं कहीं आप शायद शब्दों की अतिरेकता,दोहराव और भारीपन से बोझिल हो सकते हैं.पर प्रभाव और प्रवाह में दोहराव भी अलग नही जान पड़ता.
कमलेश्वर का ये उपन्यास कालजयी है,और अपने में अद्भुत,बार बार पढने योग्य.हाँ हलके-फुल्के मनोरंजन तलाशने वाले कुछ निराश हो सकते है....
कुछ दिन पहले एक मलयालम फिल्म देख रहा था...’मरियान’,जिसमे हीरो को कुछ कबीले बंधक बना लेते हैं.रोज जीने के लिए संघर्ष करने वाले जिन कबीलों के पास खाने और रहने का भी ठिकाना नही है उनके हाथों में बाजारवाद ने बंदूके और मिसाइलें थमा दी हैं.नाइजीरिया,युगांडा,रवांडा,तिमोर और ऐसे ही अनेकों अविकसित देश जहाँ जीवन की मूलभूत सुविधाएँ भी मयस्सर नही,वहाँ भी वो अत्याधुनिक हथियार रखते हैं,गृह युद्ध जारी है...वहशत और हिंसा का नाच जारी है.जिंदगी मौत मांग रही है.कौन किसे मार रहा है और क्यों? इसमें गलत कौन है...सही कौन....हर कौम अपनों के खून से ही सरोबार है...असली दुश्मन कौन है?किसी के पास इस मूल प्रश्न के लिए वक्त नही है.या उन्हें सोचने की मोहलत ही नही दी जाती.
’कितने पाकिस्तान’ इन्ही सवालों के जवाब तलाशता हुआ एक उपन्यास है. उपन्यास की बनी बनाई परिपाटी को तोड़ता हुई ‘कितने पाकिस्तान’ एक प्रयोगवादी विचार से लिखा गया है.लेखन का एक अनूठा प्रयोग.कोई कहानी नही ,कोई नायक-खलनायक नही.सिर्फ वक़्त और इतिहास.अदीब और उसकी अदालत.जहाँ सभ्यताएँ,इतिहास,वक़्त,पाकिस्तानों के जनक अपनी गवाही दर्ज कराते हैं.वैश्विक भूगोल,इतिहास,परम्पराओं,मान्यताओं,वेदों,मिथकों को खंगालता हुआ लेखक देवताओं,महाभारत,माया,इंका,मिस्र की सभ्यताओं,उनके देवताओं,मोहम्मद,ख़ुदा,मुगलों,बाबर,विश्व युद्ध से लेकर अंग्रेजों और पाकिस्तान के बनने तक का सफ़र तय करता है.
ऐसे उपन्यास छः महीने,एक या 2 वर्ष में नही लिखे जाते.इसके लिए एक गहन अध्यन,खोज,मानसिक उद्वेलन की जरुरत होती है.जितने किरदारों को लेखक ने याद किया है,सिर्फ उनका विस्तृत अध्यन ही विश्व की लगभग सभी सभ्यताओं,उनके इतिहास और भूगोल को समझने के लिए पर्याप्त होगा.
चन्द बाजारवादी ताकतों और षड्यंत्रों से विश्व को कब्रिस्तान बना देने के लिए संयुक्त संघ,नाटो और उपनिवेशी देशों के लिए कमलेश्वर लिखते हैं.“नियंत्रण द्वारा आत्माओं को तोड़ा जाता है....फिर उन्हें विभाजित किया जाता है...उनमे सांस्कृतिक प्रतिरोध की शक्ति विखंडित की जाती है और तब बाजारवादी जोंके उस विभाजित कौम का सारा रक्त चूस लेती हैं.खंडित संस्कृति के श्मशानों में तब उत्सव के बाज़ार स्थापित होते हैं....धर्म और इतिहास शोषकों के हाथों में खिलौना बन कर नाचते-गाते,जश्न मनाते अपने ही विभाजित अंग के शत्रु और विनाश का कारण बन जाते हैं...इन बड़ी संस्कृतियों को तोड़कर उन्हें बंदी बनाने के लिए विभाजन का यही रास्ता उन असभ्य अपसंस्कृतियों ने चुना है....जिनके खेतों में सिर्फ बारूद और बंदूकें उगती है”
“बाजारों के लिए बनते हैं साम्राज्य ! और साम्राज्यों को जीवित रखने के लिए बनाये जाते हैं बाज़ार ! साम्राज्यों की नाभि बाज़ार से जुड़ी है . साम्राज्यों के रूप बदल सकते हैं.....वे प्रजातान्त्रिक आर्थिक साम्राज्य का रूप ले सकते हैं परन्तु,इन पूंजीवादी प्रजातंत्रों को जीने के लिए मुनाफे के बाजारों की जरुरत है.....बाज़ार ! बाज़ार !! बाज़ार! यही है औद्योगिक क्रांति का सतत जीवित रहने की मजबूरी का सिद्धांत ! यही है पूंजीवाद .इसी का दूसरा नाम है साम्राज्यवाद.तीसरा नाम है उपनिवेशवाद...और आज दस्तक देती हुई इस नई सदी में इसका नाम है बाजारवाद.यह व्यवस्था कच्चे माल की प्राप्ति और नित नए बाजारों के निर्माण के बिना जी नही सकती .यातना,विषमता और अवसाद के बीच यह देते हैं कृतिम उत्सव और उल्लास.सडती लाशों के अम्बार पे ये छिडकते है क्रिश्चियन डिओर,शैनल और अमुआगे क्रिस्टल के इत्र .कटी हुई लहूलुहान गर्दनों में पहनते हैं लंविन की नेकटाइयाँ और मेजोरिका के नेकलेस.टूटी हुई कलाइयों में ये बांधते हैं राडो और रेमण्डवील की घड़ियाँ और चकनाचूर उँगलियों को ये पकड़ाते हैं मोंटब्लांक और वाटरमैन के कलम!”आज भी इंडिया के हज़ारों गाँव में जहाँ पीने का साफ पानी नही पहुँच पाया है,वहाँ पेप्सी और कोक पहुँच चुका है.....”
सिर्फ कथानक और प्रस्तुतीकरण ही आपको बांधे रखने के लिए काफी है.कहीं कहीं आप शायद शब्दों की अतिरेकता,दोहराव और भारीपन से बोझिल हो सकते हैं.पर प्रभाव और प्रवाह में दोहराव भी अलग नही जान पड़ता.
कमलेश्वर का ये उपन्यास कालजयी है,और अपने में अद्भुत,बार बार पढने योग्य.हाँ हलके-फुल्के मनोरंजन तलाशने वाले कुछ निराश हो सकते है....
April 1, 2019
This was a fantastic read. Covered a lot of diversified historical topics. Rendered alternate versions of history from prominent personalities point of view. Digesting all of it was slightly troublesome as I'm not aware of the regular history depicted, and so there were no boundaries for me between actual and alternate versions. Thanks to my reading buddy Sri for deciphering many internal layers and chalking them out for easy consumption :)
What I Loved:
1. First person dialogues of many famous personalities, bringing them all together in the same courtroom [From Babar to Aurangzeb, Lord Mountbatten to Jinnah, Mythological figures from Egypt, Greece, Sumeria... whole lot of characters!!!]
2. Tightly packed and delivers multiple heavy punches.
3. Passionately written. The Urdu mixed prose is slightly heavy yet magical.
4. Personification of behavior, places and what not - like Indian tehzeeb, Ganga river, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
5. There is an explosive open letter in the 3rd chapter. Had me hooked right from the beginning.
But then there are way too many things discussed, condoned and accused, which caused focus shift at many instances.
In a nutshell, you don't come across such brilliant art forms often. This is a must re-read kind of stuff.
What I Loved:
1. First person dialogues of many famous personalities, bringing them all together in the same courtroom [From Babar to Aurangzeb, Lord Mountbatten to Jinnah, Mythological figures from Egypt, Greece, Sumeria... whole lot of characters!!!]
2. Tightly packed and delivers multiple heavy punches.
3. Passionately written. The Urdu mixed prose is slightly heavy yet magical.
4. Personification of behavior, places and what not - like Indian tehzeeb, Ganga river, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
5. There is an explosive open letter in the 3rd chapter. Had me hooked right from the beginning.
But then there are way too many things discussed, condoned and accused, which caused focus shift at many instances.
In a nutshell, you don't come across such brilliant art forms often. This is a must re-read kind of stuff.
June 15, 2017
একটা বই যেখানে প্রচুর ঐতিহাসিক চরিত্র থাকবে, আপনি তাদেরকে ডেকে আনতে পারবেন মর্জিমত, যখন যারে ইচ্ছা, এরকম একটা উপন্যাস কি আমরা সবাই লিখতে চাই না? কিন্তু কারুর কি হয় সেই সাহস!
বড় বুকের পাটা লাগে এটা করতে। যদি ভজঘট হয়ে যায় ইত্যাদি। কমলেশ্বর করে দেখিয়েছেন।
এই বইয়ের কিছু জায়গা অবিস্মরণীয়, যেমন দারাশিকোর কাটা মাথা থালায় করে বওয়া হচ্ছে, বা গিলগামেশের প্রসঙ্গ। সমস্যা হচ্ছে কি, এই জায়গাগুলো আমার ভালো লাগার একটা কারণ হচ্ছে এরকম, দারাশিকোর ভাই অরঙ্গজেব এখানে ঝামেলা হবার পেছনে দায়ী, হ্যাঁ, নিঃসন্দেহে, কিন্তু জয়সিংহ বা যশবন্ত সিংহ এসে যখন বলে যে তখনকার যুগকে এখনকার যুগ দিয়ে মাপতে যাবেন না, তখন ভাইয়ে ভাইয়ে যুদ্ধ কোনো নৈতিক ফয়সালার জায়গা থাকলেও সেটা একটু ফিকে হয়ে আসে। অরঙ্গজেব এখানে খারাপ, কিন্তু তার মধ্যেও ত অনেক রঙের পোচ আছে।
সমস্যা কই? সমস্যা হইলো, মাউন্টব্যাটেন বা এর্নান্দো কর্তেজ নিয়ে কথা বলার সময় তিনি এদের সম্পূর্ণ একপেশে রকমের নোংরা বলে বাতলেছেন। এদের চরিত্রে কোনো রদবদল নাই, এরা সাম্রাজ্যবাদের পুঙ্গবসকল ইত্যাদি। এই বই পড়ে ইতিহাসের অনেক এদিক সেদিক জানা গেলো, কিন্তু উপন্যাস হিসেবে ঐ অংশে এসে কেমন নাজুক হয়ে যায় পুরা বইটা। চরিত্রগুলি দারা-র সময়ে, বা বাবুরের স���য়ে, সে তুলনায় দাঁড়াইছিলো অনেকখানি। একটা উপন্যাসে তার চরিত্রগুলির ত খাড়াইতে হবে ঠিকঠাক।
আরেকটা ব্যাপার হচ্ছে এই গল্পের ভেতর অনেকগুলি ছোটো ছোটো 'ফিকশনাল' গল্প আছে, যেগুলো দেশভাগ ঘিরে, তবে ঐতিহাসিক চরিত্র-নির্ভর নয়। এর একটা দুইটা দুর্বিষহ রকমের বাজে, একটা দুইটা বেশ ভালো। বাজেগুলির একটায় একটা সঙ্গমদৃশ্য আছে, আজেবাজে রকমের, আমার শরীরে তুমি মর্ত্যের বায়ু হয়ে মিশে যাও জাতীয় কথাবার্তা-ওলা।
বা একটা বাক্যই আছে এরকম, 'সে সত্য কথাটাই বলে দিলো তখন। মেয়েরা যখন মিথ্যা বলে তখন তাদের সুন্দর দেখায়। কিন্তু মেয়েরা যখন সত্য বলে তখন তাদের আরো সুন্দর দেখায়।'
ও খোদা।
এর মানে এই না যে এই বইয়ে ভালো কিছু নাই। ভারতবর্ষের ইতিহাস নিয়ে এমন একটা ডালমুট পাকানোর জন্য কমলেশ্বরকে সাধুবাদ। কাঁকড় থাকলেও, এই ডালমুট জায়গায় জায়গায় সুস্বাদুই, নিঃসন্দেহে। কিন্তু এই ডালমুট কোনো মোগলাই খানা হয়ে উঠে নাই। বাধ্যবাধকতা নাই, জানি।
পড়তে পারেন। সহজপাচ্য, দ্রুত পড়বার মত।
বড় বুকের পাটা লাগে এটা করতে। যদি ভজঘট হয়ে যায় ইত্যাদি। কমলেশ্বর করে দেখিয়েছেন।
এই বইয়ের কিছু জায়গা অবিস্মরণীয়, যেমন দারাশিকোর কাটা মাথা থালায় করে বওয়া হচ্ছে, বা গিলগামেশের প্রসঙ্গ। সমস্যা হচ্ছে কি, এই জায়গাগুলো আমার ভালো লাগার একটা কারণ হচ্ছে এরকম, দারাশিকোর ভাই অরঙ্গজেব এখানে ঝামেলা হবার পেছনে দায়ী, হ্যাঁ, নিঃসন্দেহে, কিন্তু জয়সিংহ বা যশবন্ত সিংহ এসে যখন বলে যে তখনকার যুগকে এখনকার যুগ দিয়ে মাপতে যাবেন না, তখন ভাইয়ে ভাইয়ে যুদ্ধ কোনো নৈতিক ফয়সালার জায়গা থাকলেও সেটা একটু ফিকে হয়ে আসে। অরঙ্গজেব এখানে খারাপ, কিন্তু তার মধ্যেও ত অনেক রঙের পোচ আছে।
সমস্যা কই? সমস্যা হইলো, মাউন্টব্যাটেন বা এর্নান্দো কর্তেজ নিয়ে কথা বলার সময় তিনি এদের সম্পূর্ণ একপেশে রকমের নোংরা বলে বাতলেছেন। এদের চরিত্রে কোনো রদবদল নাই, এরা সাম্রাজ্যবাদের পুঙ্গবসকল ইত্যাদি। এই বই পড়ে ইতিহাসের অনেক এদিক সেদিক জানা গেলো, কিন্তু উপন্যাস হিসেবে ঐ অংশে এসে কেমন নাজুক হয়ে যায় পুরা বইটা। চরিত্রগুলি দারা-র সময়ে, বা বাবুরের স���য়ে, সে তুলনায় দাঁড়াইছিলো অনেকখানি। একটা উপন্যাসে তার চরিত্রগুলির ত খাড়াইতে হবে ঠিকঠাক।
আরেকটা ব্যাপার হচ্ছে এই গল্পের ভেতর অনেকগুলি ছোটো ছোটো 'ফিকশনাল' গল্প আছে, যেগুলো দেশভাগ ঘিরে, তবে ঐতিহাসিক চরিত্র-নির্ভর নয়। এর একটা দুইটা দুর্বিষহ রকমের বাজে, একটা দুইটা বেশ ভালো। বাজেগুলির একটায় একটা সঙ্গমদৃশ্য আছে, আজেবাজে রকমের, আমার শরীরে তুমি মর্ত্যের বায়ু হয়ে মিশে যাও জাতীয় কথাবার্তা-ওলা।
বা একটা বাক্যই আছে এরকম, 'সে সত্য কথাটাই বলে দিলো তখন। মেয়েরা যখন মিথ্যা বলে তখন তাদের সুন্দর দেখায়। কিন্তু মেয়েরা যখন সত্য বলে তখন তাদের আরো সুন্দর দেখায়।'
ও খোদা।
এর মানে এই না যে এই বইয়ে ভালো কিছু নাই। ভারতবর্ষের ইতিহাস নিয়ে এমন একটা ডালমুট পাকানোর জন্য কমলেশ্বরকে সাধুবাদ। কাঁকড় থাকলেও, এই ডালমুট জায়গায় জায়গায় সুস্বাদুই, নিঃসন্দেহে। কিন্তু এই ডালমুট কোনো মোগলাই খানা হয়ে উঠে নাই। বাধ্যবাধকতা নাই, জানি।
পড়তে পারেন। সহজপাচ্য, দ্রুত পড়বার মত।
May 3, 2020
This is a classic Hindi language novel, drawing comparisons with European and Hindi mythology, which unfortunately made little sense to me as I have been brought up in the Islamic culture, but the bits of the novel which were based on history were highly engaging. I loved the concept of using an author as a judge because authors are judging history when they pen it down on. But I found it hard to digest the author's very one-sided view of history especially when he had the luxury of inviting all its main characters to his court. Mountbatten refused to answer any questions, while the other main players in Pakistan like Jinnah, Nehru and Gandhi were never called to his court.
Also, the 'goras' were blamed for the creation of all Pakistan's in the world, examples randomly picked hundreds of years before the creation of the author's protagonist motif of Pakistan. So if Cortez was responsible for creating many Pakistan's in the Aztec kingdom than for me the idea was always there, so instead of using Pakistan as a motif, the author should have picked up some other partition like Sykes-Picok division of the Middle East right after the first WW? And that is why I feel the author has gone the extra mile to prove that Pakistan was a Conservative English plot to make sure India never challenged the might of England. The weakness of the author's argument was evident during the questioning of Mountbatten when a number of seeping accusations were made without waiting for any answers from the English.
The strength of the author is clearly his storytelling ability. Its a pity he chose to stop engaging more freely into story telling instead of presenting history in a much prejudicial manner.
Also, the 'goras' were blamed for the creation of all Pakistan's in the world, examples randomly picked hundreds of years before the creation of the author's protagonist motif of Pakistan. So if Cortez was responsible for creating many Pakistan's in the Aztec kingdom than for me the idea was always there, so instead of using Pakistan as a motif, the author should have picked up some other partition like Sykes-Picok division of the Middle East right after the first WW? And that is why I feel the author has gone the extra mile to prove that Pakistan was a Conservative English plot to make sure India never challenged the might of England. The weakness of the author's argument was evident during the questioning of Mountbatten when a number of seeping accusations were made without waiting for any answers from the English.
The strength of the author is clearly his storytelling ability. Its a pity he chose to stop engaging more freely into story telling instead of presenting history in a much prejudicial manner.
November 17, 2023
The English translated version of this book, happened to be one of the best historical fiction books I had ever read.
Now, that I have listened to the audible version of the original Hindi, thanks to the brilliant narration by
Uplaksh Kochhar, this gets into the list of the best audio book I have ever listened to.
I love books where the historian / author synthesizes information from various sources and provides a pattern that was unseen or overlooked before. That's why I had loved Yuval Noah Harari's ‘Sapiens’ or Jared Diamond's 'Guns, Germs and Steel' and many similar books. Kamleshwar goes little further and provides his synthesis on the pattern of partitions in history (Kitne Pakistan??, you see) in a form of fantasized fiction, where the dividing lines between eras, people, events and ideas are blurred.
Every sentence you read, every character you meet, every event you get to know, you will exclaim ----Brilliant!, and would be left awed with the author's encompassing historical knowledge.
Kamleshwarji, you wrote one of my favourite movies 'Chhoti Si Baat', and now this..…. What a genius you were !!!
Now, that I have listened to the audible version of the original Hindi, thanks to the brilliant narration by
Uplaksh Kochhar, this gets into the list of the best audio book I have ever listened to.
I love books where the historian / author synthesizes information from various sources and provides a pattern that was unseen or overlooked before. That's why I had loved Yuval Noah Harari's ‘Sapiens’ or Jared Diamond's 'Guns, Germs and Steel' and many similar books. Kamleshwar goes little further and provides his synthesis on the pattern of partitions in history (Kitne Pakistan??, you see) in a form of fantasized fiction, where the dividing lines between eras, people, events and ideas are blurred.
Every sentence you read, every character you meet, every event you get to know, you will exclaim ----Brilliant!, and would be left awed with the author's encompassing historical knowledge.
Kamleshwarji, you wrote one of my favourite movies 'Chhoti Si Baat', and now this..…. What a genius you were !!!
June 25, 2017
Boring.
November 24, 2020
Very boring.
November 22, 2020
Boring took 2 and half year to complete. Book was too big too many characters and writer lost control on the actual theme.
September 16, 2024
An Insight on the biased & disgraceful writing on the glorious history of the World's Ancient most Civilization and the Country which even after breaking into pieces by looters and invaders, still carrying its culture and traditions proudly.
There is one thing about this book; it is nowhere close to the title it carries. Concept was so much different and except explaining the theme, which it should, it was roaming all around the things that meant to demean the Hinduism and Right wing thought process specifically.
The sole purpose of this book is to defame the practices of Hinduism and the glory of our country, which was invaded and spoiled/destroyed to the dust by the ‘Muslim Looters’. Instead of mentioning the assaults and killing done by those cannibalized-vengeance seeking rulers, he was hailing all of them throughout the book. There was a ruler from Mughal period who took throne by coup and killing his siblings and jailed his father but instead of showing his character in real, there was the guilty trip going on in his name on the said matter and there were voices from killed families who were searching the meaning of life.
Since starting in this book, author revealed his true nature of Anti-Nationalism and Anti-Hinduism. Firstly, he mentioned his biased hate for some big faces of Indian politics in his prologue without any logical facts. JUST HATE. Secondly, Rather than understanding nation’s priorities to make us all safe he in favor of Congress party highlighted their anguish in his words on the process of making India Nuclear power without which in today’s scenario, we as a nation, would have stood nowhere and our enemy neighbors like China and Pakistan would have eaten us all with a gulp by now. But writers can never be soldiers or leaders. They can only write their emotions instead of changing the world for real to make it better.
He spewed venom for the ‘sect of people’ who tried to get their worship place “back” from another sect of people. People who by no means keeping it under the impact of the killings did in history and ruining of that same history of India by building structures over the worship places of the very indigenous people, Hindus, to be specific. They Destroyed history by extincting of our knowledge by burning of the manuscripts which was maintained in the largest ever library of its time or of any time in the history of this world, which was consisting of around 900 million books. There were no consideration of the facts that rest all cults of this world, including the cult of Hinduism, were mostly converted and they are still not true to this nation. This is because they have been brutally converted in the manner to hate the place they live in and can’t accept the humans other that the ones who follow their suit of hate, anger, biasing, brutality, forced polygamy and assaults on their women, in the name of their religious traits.
Beggar is going to Mosque and church for financial blessings but not to Temples showing how people of Hindu culture are ignorant of donations and helping others.
He mentioned that people from a town, Fatehgarh,were bad and raped a girl. However, the most corrupt area of India, now a district, which was named after the first messenger of Allah, NUH, prominently dense with converted Rajput Muslims, was ironically so good. This district is at the lowest in the list of all the factors combined, which defines the status of districts among all in the state and nation. But author Kamleshwar put intertwined half facts with his biased thoughts so cunningly that readers would camouflaged themselves in believing that this is not fiction but non-fictitious factual history. Belonging to the former place, I can tell that no a single case ever recorded in the history of the town for such dirty incidences until this novel was written. On the other hand, there were uncountable incidences of brutal murders and rapes been reported and even made to fade away unreported from the district of nuh, ever since the population of Nuh converted from Rajput to Muslims. And mentioning that they didn’t want to go to Pakistan was complete a play with history in the name of literature writing. At the time of Independence of India in 1947, when Pakistan was formed by demand of Muslims and forced partition of India by British, all from Nuh (then Mewat region) wanted to leave for the Pakistan, the place chosen on the basis of Islam only. However, Gandhi made them stay here and hence the destruction of the place and its culture. For Kamleshwar, Pakistan was more safer than a clean Hindu town of Fatehgarh from then United Provinces ( now UP). What a Mockery....???
Muslims mentioned to be the majoritarian martyrs from 1857 revolution of the first Rebellion for Independence meaning no other Indian being part of it. Muslims from Rampur were good, however, now a days, it is one of the most Muslim populated region and produced more goons and rioter till date in India.
Originally Muslim, converted fake Hindu J.L. Nehru was titled as idealist, seriously? What the hell!!
Undefined altered History can only be read by the ones who follow Gandhi, Jesus and Socrates because for the factual data, there was not a single example of Swami Vivekananda, Subhas Chandra Bose and like-wise. Reference given from the book, which was not readily available for fact-check, “Feathers and Stones”. This specific book was as hateful and biased as the one we’re reading now in which it’s references are in. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most prominent worship place of Hindus and historically depicted as the one, which was originally created by Lord Shiva to stay, to whom it was dedicated later as a tribute to him. The city in which this temple lies, Varanasi, a derivative of originally, ‘Benaras’, was settled by Lord Shiva. And author referenced here that in the rooms meant for living by saints under this temple used for raping a Hindu Queen and was saved by a Muslim ruler was all fake information and resultant of a disturbed sycophantic mindset. Aurangzeb destroyed the temple structure and never been rebuilt by him again but his actions were justified by author unnecessarily to show him in good light however, for real, following on another Islamic invader Alauddin Khalji, he was the brutal most Mughal in the complete history. He killed more Hindus than any Mughal looter, converted them and made to and himself raped nth number of Hindu women.
Over to that, forced conversion was justified by telling that even if whole America would convert from Christianity to Islam, still it would remain no less America. I would like to counter him and his crumbled mindset here with the factual reference to the Iran, which was once Persia, Arab was once tribal, Iraq was Mesopotamia, Byzantine (previously Roman empire) became Turkey, Egypt was not Islamic earlier to Arab conquest of 639AD, Pakistan & Afghanistan were once Hindu and later Buddhist places. Moreover, such so many examples are here but he would like the Indian Hindus to accept Islam and become Islamic nation and justified with fake info that India will anyway remain India only.
Through given conversations, Veer Savarkar was pointed-out as nationalist and not Hindu, even when in the conversation, he was stating about consciousness of India and by no means would any dominance of Pakistan be bore when it was already partitioned. But here also he was pointed out the same recitation which was keep repeating by Congress party and its leaders since Nehru hated V. D. Savarkar and made sure that latter didn’t get bail from jail by British which he got for fighting for the Independence of India. Whereas, Nehru was enjoying the spilled pieces by British to be their puppet.
Salma’s Grandparents depicted to be moving for Pakistan for the safety of their descendants, meaning which India was not safe for Muslims and they could be assaulted, if stayed back. However, the reality proved different and even at the time when this book was written it was pretty clear that Muslims are very safe here in India but still author mentioned such fiction incidents and put forth like it is a realistic fiction.
His mentioning of breaking of Soviet Union and Yugoslavia’s killing of Bosnian Muslim even when those were also converted and running same agenda/racket of conversion in Yugoslavia too & Israel against Palestine is all waste of history and none of it was truth. Israel faced migration forcefully in prehistorical times much before the name Palestine came into existence but this whole world was and is still in process of destroying because of this single religion, still author chose to hail it all over his book. Repeatedly, trying to prove that Muslims are good by depicting that Genghis Khan wasn’t Muslim showed author’s dirty and biased mindset. Why Genghis Khan started destroying world after being converted to Islam? Why even after brutal murders and assaults while conversion of Hindus to Muslim, the converted Muslim started telling their ancestry to Babur and Timur? More than 650 million of Hindus killed in the history until time since the first invasion of Islam on the land of Hindus, India but no one ever connected their ancestry with happiness or in trouble to said Muslim looters. Why only then this specific DNA which was weak and got converted sooner or later to Islam behaved that ways? But no light on that matter rather author chose to highlight the converted Muslims in India as prime most victims.
Hinduism had been criticized again and again at many instances and that too very often, almost on every single page, once or twice. Hindus believed that first ever human took birth from the mind of God Brahma and that was the level of science in Hinduism that first human was defined in religious scriptures to be of the brain cell structure so that he will make things in this world run with conscience but still author defamed Hinduism by telling that it couldn’t be possible. He seemed to be influenced more from the idiotism of Ambedkar, who gave theory that all sections other than the upper class in India (which was actually created by British and by no means based on the old tradition system of society in India) were traumatized because they were dominated by Upper class of society, mainly Brahmins. He entitled Upanishads as the result of assaults by Brahmins on lower class defined by British, selective malpractices, divine faith. However, on contrary Upanishads are the explanations of the Vedas and Vedas are the theory on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices, meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge & worship without harm to this world which gave us everything. Therefore, every part of nature is respectable and taken care by worshipping in Hinduism to avoid its misuse. He wanted Hindus to forcibly accept the changes of world which are not even good, for the world and must not remain intact with their own cultural teaching which made this world flourish even before any other religion or tradition came into existence, but Hinduism.
He criticized Mohan Rakesh, Upendranath Ashk & Bhisham Sahni, writers who put forth the reality of Partition with honesty but hailed Saadat Hasan Manto because he was Muslim and only put Sikhs and Hindus in bad light while writing about India-Pakistan partition. He said it is wrong to blame the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh even when they were responsible for the partition of the land, which gave them everything to live only because they wanted to live with the brethrens of their religion only. Means you can divide the land by taking your rights but to oppose that is wrong as he mentioned about the case of Bosnia. What a crumbled mindset this author had. For him only the upper class citizens of the civilizations were the prime most reason for the declining of their values and traditions. Be it in India or Egypt or Sumeria.
Author tried to prove that it was not Babur but his commander went to Ayodhya to build Babri Mosque over Lord Ram’s temple by destructing it; and even glorified him by saying that he was emperor who do not go everywhere himself but his subordinates go there. However, for real, Babur was just a looter. What about the pages that were intentionally tore-off from the book based on the life of Babur, Baburnama ? And even if Babur didn’t ever go to Ayodhya, did it mean temple wasn’t destroyed on his orders? Waste. The whole story of living in Agra and not moving towards Mathura himself but Ayodhya was a fake theory. Chinese travelers mentioned too much in their travel logs, already. It was not Tuslidas who made Ram as Lord Ram, but he had written ‘Ram Charit Manas’ only because he wanted to simplify the language of ‘Ramayan’ written originally by ‘Saint Valmiki’. Lord Ram was in the hearts of Hindus and Temple devoted to him was already destroyed. So, to let people relive their Lord’s human Journey yet again, that too in a language which was known to many people he wrote 'Ram Charit manas'; unlike for those, who could read, speak and write Sanskrit, which was already side-lined by the time as under Islamic rule it was barely used as a language of general conversations. This was the reason why he used that dialect, which also was the part of the same Lipi (Script) from which Hindi also extracted, ‘Awadhi’. Awadhi is the language of Awadh, that historical region which is now Ayodhya in today's time, as the Apabhraṃśa, which is derived from the same language basis on the norms as in earlier times.
Mahant Awaidhnath following a separate sect won’t make him Non-Hindu or even of Ashok Singhal was Jain, didn’t mean he wasn’t Hindu. In this way author tried to made readers believe that Jains are not Hindus and that, in hinduism, the followers of different or multiple sects, based on the seperate worship methods they adapted, couldn’t be Hindu. He (author) was such a cunning anti Hindu element.
For author, every single place where Muslims have been treated in their very own manner of Brutality, the way they themselves have been behaving with others, is wrong. In addition, every single person who killed or assault Muslims, is wrong; be it in Kosovo, Serbia or Yugoslavia or any other place of the world. He explained the stories of Hindu scriptures in very bad light. If he weren’t skilled enough of decode the reasoning behind, he shouldn’t have touched the matter but his hate for his own religion, which he born in, is beyond self radical fundamentalism. He connected the lust of Greek Gods’ to the valuable moral folklores of Hindu ancient literature to prove his perception towards Hindus. It shown how his thinking was completely dipped in hate, jealousy and anguish. Aryana was never a place and Aryans were the indigenous part of Bharat-Varsh, which was spreaded from today’s Indonesia upto Turkey. But yet again, that dissolved theory of 'Aryans came to India', was only made up story by British to create differences between Indians from different geographical areas, specifically people of Northern and Southern parts. Using their skin color which actually was the part of their DNA based on their living areas, they divided Indians, specially Hindus. Both Aryan and Dravidian races are natives of Bharat Varsh and only differences in their DNA is because of the lifestyle which deeply affected by the geographical topography the resided in since eras. Whole African continent was once connected to Indian Subcontinent and hence the kind of DNA of the people living nearby Equator. This was all when there was Tethys river dividing the separate inner plates of earth. Rest people from the cold-hilly areas of Himalayas are wheatish to whitish in color than Dravidians therefore, they developed different helixes in DNA; but British used this basic reality to rule over whole Indian Subcontinent.
Such a novels must be banned which are diverting the readers from facts to a stereotypical fictitious perspective, which further dilute the mindset of common people from knowing the reality and very cleverly made them to consider these psychic dissolving of factual dates with wrong theory as subjective certitude. Such are the types of writers who always tend their nations to go in defamation and always created chaos among normal citizens of the country to start riots. Never knew Kamleshwar was also among the league of anti-nationals along with Ramchandra Guha, Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib. But thanks to the people, who Kamleshwar criticized in his prologue by names not as author but as a bribed journalist, that the books written by these fake, biased and anti-national writers are waning now. Readers now started choosing real history over the perspective put forth earlier which was targeted to make believe that worst people in history of India were meant to be hailed. This was all done under politics of swooning a particular sector of the nation for their votes against majoritarian community of India. Hence, these people with ill mentality raised to a level from where they could spoil and still are deteriorating the values of nationalist society. They kind of forcibly hypnotized the generations to believe that only Heroes from the history of our Nation, were Islamic rulers, that too specially Mughals, who never built anything at the places they lived in or came from but here they became alleged architects of nation.
I read many books with biased thought on various topics but never been any book such bad to a point where hate the Author and simultaneously felt myself wasted for reading their illogical and paradoxical catachresis on factual history. It was in complete, a metaphorical malapropatic solecism of literature.
Complete review with Hindi Translation (हिंदी अनुवाद) : Wordpress
My amazon review
रामदरश मिश्र जी की पंक्ति :
"बनाया है मैंने ये घर धीरे-धीरे,
खुले मेरे ख़्वाबों के पर धीरे-धीरे।
किसी को गिराया न ख़ुद को उछाला,
कटा ज़िंदगी का सफ़र धीरे-धीरे।
जहाँ आप पहुँचे छ्लांगे लगाकर,
वहाँ मैं भी आया मगर धीरे-धीरे।"
There is one thing about this book; it is nowhere close to the title it carries. Concept was so much different and except explaining the theme, which it should, it was roaming all around the things that meant to demean the Hinduism and Right wing thought process specifically.
The sole purpose of this book is to defame the practices of Hinduism and the glory of our country, which was invaded and spoiled/destroyed to the dust by the ‘Muslim Looters’. Instead of mentioning the assaults and killing done by those cannibalized-vengeance seeking rulers, he was hailing all of them throughout the book. There was a ruler from Mughal period who took throne by coup and killing his siblings and jailed his father but instead of showing his character in real, there was the guilty trip going on in his name on the said matter and there were voices from killed families who were searching the meaning of life.
Since starting in this book, author revealed his true nature of Anti-Nationalism and Anti-Hinduism. Firstly, he mentioned his biased hate for some big faces of Indian politics in his prologue without any logical facts. JUST HATE. Secondly, Rather than understanding nation’s priorities to make us all safe he in favor of Congress party highlighted their anguish in his words on the process of making India Nuclear power without which in today’s scenario, we as a nation, would have stood nowhere and our enemy neighbors like China and Pakistan would have eaten us all with a gulp by now. But writers can never be soldiers or leaders. They can only write their emotions instead of changing the world for real to make it better.
He spewed venom for the ‘sect of people’ who tried to get their worship place “back” from another sect of people. People who by no means keeping it under the impact of the killings did in history and ruining of that same history of India by building structures over the worship places of the very indigenous people, Hindus, to be specific. They Destroyed history by extincting of our knowledge by burning of the manuscripts which was maintained in the largest ever library of its time or of any time in the history of this world, which was consisting of around 900 million books. There were no consideration of the facts that rest all cults of this world, including the cult of Hinduism, were mostly converted and they are still not true to this nation. This is because they have been brutally converted in the manner to hate the place they live in and can’t accept the humans other that the ones who follow their suit of hate, anger, biasing, brutality, forced polygamy and assaults on their women, in the name of their religious traits.
Beggar is going to Mosque and church for financial blessings but not to Temples showing how people of Hindu culture are ignorant of donations and helping others.
He mentioned that people from a town, Fatehgarh,were bad and raped a girl. However, the most corrupt area of India, now a district, which was named after the first messenger of Allah, NUH, prominently dense with converted Rajput Muslims, was ironically so good. This district is at the lowest in the list of all the factors combined, which defines the status of districts among all in the state and nation. But author Kamleshwar put intertwined half facts with his biased thoughts so cunningly that readers would camouflaged themselves in believing that this is not fiction but non-fictitious factual history. Belonging to the former place, I can tell that no a single case ever recorded in the history of the town for such dirty incidences until this novel was written. On the other hand, there were uncountable incidences of brutal murders and rapes been reported and even made to fade away unreported from the district of nuh, ever since the population of Nuh converted from Rajput to Muslims. And mentioning that they didn’t want to go to Pakistan was complete a play with history in the name of literature writing. At the time of Independence of India in 1947, when Pakistan was formed by demand of Muslims and forced partition of India by British, all from Nuh (then Mewat region) wanted to leave for the Pakistan, the place chosen on the basis of Islam only. However, Gandhi made them stay here and hence the destruction of the place and its culture. For Kamleshwar, Pakistan was more safer than a clean Hindu town of Fatehgarh from then United Provinces ( now UP). What a Mockery....???
Muslims mentioned to be the majoritarian martyrs from 1857 revolution of the first Rebellion for Independence meaning no other Indian being part of it. Muslims from Rampur were good, however, now a days, it is one of the most Muslim populated region and produced more goons and rioter till date in India.
Originally Muslim, converted fake Hindu J.L. Nehru was titled as idealist, seriously? What the hell!!
Undefined altered History can only be read by the ones who follow Gandhi, Jesus and Socrates because for the factual data, there was not a single example of Swami Vivekananda, Subhas Chandra Bose and like-wise. Reference given from the book, which was not readily available for fact-check, “Feathers and Stones”. This specific book was as hateful and biased as the one we’re reading now in which it’s references are in. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most prominent worship place of Hindus and historically depicted as the one, which was originally created by Lord Shiva to stay, to whom it was dedicated later as a tribute to him. The city in which this temple lies, Varanasi, a derivative of originally, ‘Benaras’, was settled by Lord Shiva. And author referenced here that in the rooms meant for living by saints under this temple used for raping a Hindu Queen and was saved by a Muslim ruler was all fake information and resultant of a disturbed sycophantic mindset. Aurangzeb destroyed the temple structure and never been rebuilt by him again but his actions were justified by author unnecessarily to show him in good light however, for real, following on another Islamic invader Alauddin Khalji, he was the brutal most Mughal in the complete history. He killed more Hindus than any Mughal looter, converted them and made to and himself raped nth number of Hindu women.
Over to that, forced conversion was justified by telling that even if whole America would convert from Christianity to Islam, still it would remain no less America. I would like to counter him and his crumbled mindset here with the factual reference to the Iran, which was once Persia, Arab was once tribal, Iraq was Mesopotamia, Byzantine (previously Roman empire) became Turkey, Egypt was not Islamic earlier to Arab conquest of 639AD, Pakistan & Afghanistan were once Hindu and later Buddhist places. Moreover, such so many examples are here but he would like the Indian Hindus to accept Islam and become Islamic nation and justified with fake info that India will anyway remain India only.
Through given conversations, Veer Savarkar was pointed-out as nationalist and not Hindu, even when in the conversation, he was stating about consciousness of India and by no means would any dominance of Pakistan be bore when it was already partitioned. But here also he was pointed out the same recitation which was keep repeating by Congress party and its leaders since Nehru hated V. D. Savarkar and made sure that latter didn’t get bail from jail by British which he got for fighting for the Independence of India. Whereas, Nehru was enjoying the spilled pieces by British to be their puppet.
Salma’s Grandparents depicted to be moving for Pakistan for the safety of their descendants, meaning which India was not safe for Muslims and they could be assaulted, if stayed back. However, the reality proved different and even at the time when this book was written it was pretty clear that Muslims are very safe here in India but still author mentioned such fiction incidents and put forth like it is a realistic fiction.
His mentioning of breaking of Soviet Union and Yugoslavia’s killing of Bosnian Muslim even when those were also converted and running same agenda/racket of conversion in Yugoslavia too & Israel against Palestine is all waste of history and none of it was truth. Israel faced migration forcefully in prehistorical times much before the name Palestine came into existence but this whole world was and is still in process of destroying because of this single religion, still author chose to hail it all over his book. Repeatedly, trying to prove that Muslims are good by depicting that Genghis Khan wasn’t Muslim showed author’s dirty and biased mindset. Why Genghis Khan started destroying world after being converted to Islam? Why even after brutal murders and assaults while conversion of Hindus to Muslim, the converted Muslim started telling their ancestry to Babur and Timur? More than 650 million of Hindus killed in the history until time since the first invasion of Islam on the land of Hindus, India but no one ever connected their ancestry with happiness or in trouble to said Muslim looters. Why only then this specific DNA which was weak and got converted sooner or later to Islam behaved that ways? But no light on that matter rather author chose to highlight the converted Muslims in India as prime most victims.
Hinduism had been criticized again and again at many instances and that too very often, almost on every single page, once or twice. Hindus believed that first ever human took birth from the mind of God Brahma and that was the level of science in Hinduism that first human was defined in religious scriptures to be of the brain cell structure so that he will make things in this world run with conscience but still author defamed Hinduism by telling that it couldn’t be possible. He seemed to be influenced more from the idiotism of Ambedkar, who gave theory that all sections other than the upper class in India (which was actually created by British and by no means based on the old tradition system of society in India) were traumatized because they were dominated by Upper class of society, mainly Brahmins. He entitled Upanishads as the result of assaults by Brahmins on lower class defined by British, selective malpractices, divine faith. However, on contrary Upanishads are the explanations of the Vedas and Vedas are the theory on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices, meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge & worship without harm to this world which gave us everything. Therefore, every part of nature is respectable and taken care by worshipping in Hinduism to avoid its misuse. He wanted Hindus to forcibly accept the changes of world which are not even good, for the world and must not remain intact with their own cultural teaching which made this world flourish even before any other religion or tradition came into existence, but Hinduism.
He criticized Mohan Rakesh, Upendranath Ashk & Bhisham Sahni, writers who put forth the reality of Partition with honesty but hailed Saadat Hasan Manto because he was Muslim and only put Sikhs and Hindus in bad light while writing about India-Pakistan partition. He said it is wrong to blame the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh even when they were responsible for the partition of the land, which gave them everything to live only because they wanted to live with the brethrens of their religion only. Means you can divide the land by taking your rights but to oppose that is wrong as he mentioned about the case of Bosnia. What a crumbled mindset this author had. For him only the upper class citizens of the civilizations were the prime most reason for the declining of their values and traditions. Be it in India or Egypt or Sumeria.
Author tried to prove that it was not Babur but his commander went to Ayodhya to build Babri Mosque over Lord Ram’s temple by destructing it; and even glorified him by saying that he was emperor who do not go everywhere himself but his subordinates go there. However, for real, Babur was just a looter. What about the pages that were intentionally tore-off from the book based on the life of Babur, Baburnama ? And even if Babur didn’t ever go to Ayodhya, did it mean temple wasn’t destroyed on his orders? Waste. The whole story of living in Agra and not moving towards Mathura himself but Ayodhya was a fake theory. Chinese travelers mentioned too much in their travel logs, already. It was not Tuslidas who made Ram as Lord Ram, but he had written ‘Ram Charit Manas’ only because he wanted to simplify the language of ‘Ramayan’ written originally by ‘Saint Valmiki’. Lord Ram was in the hearts of Hindus and Temple devoted to him was already destroyed. So, to let people relive their Lord’s human Journey yet again, that too in a language which was known to many people he wrote 'Ram Charit manas'; unlike for those, who could read, speak and write Sanskrit, which was already side-lined by the time as under Islamic rule it was barely used as a language of general conversations. This was the reason why he used that dialect, which also was the part of the same Lipi (Script) from which Hindi also extracted, ‘Awadhi’. Awadhi is the language of Awadh, that historical region which is now Ayodhya in today's time, as the Apabhraṃśa, which is derived from the same language basis on the norms as in earlier times.
Mahant Awaidhnath following a separate sect won’t make him Non-Hindu or even of Ashok Singhal was Jain, didn’t mean he wasn’t Hindu. In this way author tried to made readers believe that Jains are not Hindus and that, in hinduism, the followers of different or multiple sects, based on the seperate worship methods they adapted, couldn’t be Hindu. He (author) was such a cunning anti Hindu element.
For author, every single place where Muslims have been treated in their very own manner of Brutality, the way they themselves have been behaving with others, is wrong. In addition, every single person who killed or assault Muslims, is wrong; be it in Kosovo, Serbia or Yugoslavia or any other place of the world. He explained the stories of Hindu scriptures in very bad light. If he weren’t skilled enough of decode the reasoning behind, he shouldn’t have touched the matter but his hate for his own religion, which he born in, is beyond self radical fundamentalism. He connected the lust of Greek Gods’ to the valuable moral folklores of Hindu ancient literature to prove his perception towards Hindus. It shown how his thinking was completely dipped in hate, jealousy and anguish. Aryana was never a place and Aryans were the indigenous part of Bharat-Varsh, which was spreaded from today’s Indonesia upto Turkey. But yet again, that dissolved theory of 'Aryans came to India', was only made up story by British to create differences between Indians from different geographical areas, specifically people of Northern and Southern parts. Using their skin color which actually was the part of their DNA based on their living areas, they divided Indians, specially Hindus. Both Aryan and Dravidian races are natives of Bharat Varsh and only differences in their DNA is because of the lifestyle which deeply affected by the geographical topography the resided in since eras. Whole African continent was once connected to Indian Subcontinent and hence the kind of DNA of the people living nearby Equator. This was all when there was Tethys river dividing the separate inner plates of earth. Rest people from the cold-hilly areas of Himalayas are wheatish to whitish in color than Dravidians therefore, they developed different helixes in DNA; but British used this basic reality to rule over whole Indian Subcontinent.
Such a novels must be banned which are diverting the readers from facts to a stereotypical fictitious perspective, which further dilute the mindset of common people from knowing the reality and very cleverly made them to consider these psychic dissolving of factual dates with wrong theory as subjective certitude. Such are the types of writers who always tend their nations to go in defamation and always created chaos among normal citizens of the country to start riots. Never knew Kamleshwar was also among the league of anti-nationals along with Ramchandra Guha, Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib. But thanks to the people, who Kamleshwar criticized in his prologue by names not as author but as a bribed journalist, that the books written by these fake, biased and anti-national writers are waning now. Readers now started choosing real history over the perspective put forth earlier which was targeted to make believe that worst people in history of India were meant to be hailed. This was all done under politics of swooning a particular sector of the nation for their votes against majoritarian community of India. Hence, these people with ill mentality raised to a level from where they could spoil and still are deteriorating the values of nationalist society. They kind of forcibly hypnotized the generations to believe that only Heroes from the history of our Nation, were Islamic rulers, that too specially Mughals, who never built anything at the places they lived in or came from but here they became alleged architects of nation.
I read many books with biased thought on various topics but never been any book such bad to a point where hate the Author and simultaneously felt myself wasted for reading their illogical and paradoxical catachresis on factual history. It was in complete, a metaphorical malapropatic solecism of literature.
Complete review with Hindi Translation (हिंदी अनुवाद) : Wordpress
My amazon review
June 1, 2017
There is a famous sh'er by Indian poet Muzaffar Razmi -
"Ye jabr bhi dekha hai taarikh ki
nazron ne , lamhon ne khata ki
thi , sadiyon ne sazaa paayi..."
Meaning - History has been a witness to this tragedy that mistakes of moments have brought sufferings to mankind for millennia .
This book by Kamleshwar is an account of study of all those moments in the history of humankind because of which the centuries till the present day is getting punishment . Somewhere I read a review of this book and the reviewer complained that the book is very monotonous . But when I read the book I found the book is not monotonous but it is history and the human lust for power and control which is monotonous . The book rips-off the "glorious" history and introduces us with the hard hitting "gruesome" history which is written by the blood of countless human beings . The author successfully proves that the Pakistan created in 1947 was not only "Pakistan" ever created . It is a tradition in the human history to create a "Pakistan" in every era .
The author has done a tremendous amount of research and the best thing about the novel is it has no structure , just the unbiased court of conscience which is shared by "Adeebs" of each and every civilisation and era beyond the boundaries of time .
A Hard Hitting Eye Opener.
5 Stars .
"Ye jabr bhi dekha hai taarikh ki
nazron ne , lamhon ne khata ki
thi , sadiyon ne sazaa paayi..."
Meaning - History has been a witness to this tragedy that mistakes of moments have brought sufferings to mankind for millennia .
This book by Kamleshwar is an account of study of all those moments in the history of humankind because of which the centuries till the present day is getting punishment . Somewhere I read a review of this book and the reviewer complained that the book is very monotonous . But when I read the book I found the book is not monotonous but it is history and the human lust for power and control which is monotonous . The book rips-off the "glorious" history and introduces us with the hard hitting "gruesome" history which is written by the blood of countless human beings . The author successfully proves that the Pakistan created in 1947 was not only "Pakistan" ever created . It is a tradition in the human history to create a "Pakistan" in every era .
The author has done a tremendous amount of research and the best thing about the novel is it has no structure , just the unbiased court of conscience which is shared by "Adeebs" of each and every civilisation and era beyond the boundaries of time .
A Hard Hitting Eye Opener.
5 Stars .
August 7, 2020
Poor quality despite good theme.
There was no need of sexual descriptions which shows perversion of the writer.
Writer has written a wrong fact that Hydrogen Bomb was exploded in Nagasaki. Hydrogen Bomb was first exploded much later. This information could have
been obtained from Wikipedia.
These mistakes put a question mark on the credibility of other data. Indian Army has been insulted in describing rape of a woman before her paralysed husband.
Scandalous averments have also been made unnecessarily against Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. I am surprised how such a book could get Academy Award?
There was no need of sexual descriptions which shows perversion of the writer.
Writer has written a wrong fact that Hydrogen Bomb was exploded in Nagasaki. Hydrogen Bomb was first exploded much later. This information could have
been obtained from Wikipedia.
These mistakes put a question mark on the credibility of other data. Indian Army has been insulted in describing rape of a woman before her paralysed husband.
Scandalous averments have also been made unnecessarily against Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. I am surprised how such a book could get Academy Award?
September 12, 2019
"तकसीम न होता तो पूरी कायनात बहुत खूबसूरत होती।"
कमलेश्वर साहित्य जगत् की एक हस्ती हैं और इनका ये किताब इनके नाम से भी एक कदम आगे पहुँचा है।
इतिहास का गहन अध्ययन के बाद ही ये उपन्यास लिखा गया है। और इतिहास तो विजेताओं द्वारा लिखा जाता है, और फिर उसे विभिन्न वाद से जुड़े स्कॉलर अपने वाद के अनुसार ढाल लेते हैं।
ये पुस्तक भी unbiased नहीं है।
पुस्तक की थीम है --- पाकिस्तान क्यों बनते हैं (यानि भूभाग का बंटवारा क्यों होता है) और बनने का क्या नुकसान होता है।
इस नॉवेल में इतिहास में दर्ज सबसे पुरानी सभ्यताओं से लेकर आधुनिक सभ्यता के नेताओं और आक्रांताओ से लेकर विभिन्न सभ्यताओं में पूजनीय देवताओं की प्रचलित कहानी को एक अदीब की अदालत समय की कसौटी पर जांचती है।
हिंदुस्तान की सार्वजानिक ढोल जिसे कोई भी पीट सकता है, वो है --- हिन्दू धर्म। तो लेखक ने भी इसे खुल कर बजाया है। कई विवादित तथ्यों और कहानियों को अपना नैरे���िव सेट करने के लिए उद्धरित की गई हैं। राजनीतिक गलियारे में प्रचलित सेकुलरिज्म और गंगा-जमुनी तहजीब के पक्ष में तथ्य रखे गए हैं। औरंगजेब और जिन्ना साहब तक को धार्मिक कट्टरता के आरोप से बरी कर दिया गया है। बाबर से लेकर औरंगजेब तक को अयोध्या का मंदिर तोड़ने के आरोप से बरी करते हुए कहते हैं --- बादशाह बाबर के काल में राम नाम का कोई हिन्दू भगवान था ही नहीं। राम को भगवान बनाने वाला तुलसीदास उस समय छोटा बच्चा था और किसी गली में खेल रहा होगा। बाबर कभी अयोध्या गया ही नहीं। अयोध्या वाली मस्जिद तो खाली पड़ी जमीन में इब्राहिम लोधी ने बनवाया था और बाद में बाबर के किसी चमचे ने उस मंदिर का नाम "बाबरी" रख दिया जैसे अभी सडक़ों/बिल्डिंगों का नाम नेताओं के नाम पर उनके चमचे रख देते हैं।
अंग्रेजों और पश्चिमी सभ्यता को सबसे बड़े विलन के रूप में दिखाया गया है।
जो भी हो, "पाकिस्तानों" के बनने का कारण और उससे होनेवाली तबाही को बहुत सही ढंग से बताया गया है।
साथ में एक प्रेम कहानी भी चलती है। इस कहानी के माध्यम से भी लेखक ने आधुनिकता और नारीवाद का परचम लहराने की कोशिश करते हुए कहते हैं --- "वर्जित प्यार ही असली प्यार होता है .... जिस प्यार में वर्जना नहीं, वह वेश्या वृत्ति है, पर वह वृत्ति समाज द्वारा स्वीकृत है।"
सन् 2003 में साहित्य अकादमी पुरस्कार से सम्मानित इस उपन्यास को हर व्यक्ति को एक बार पढ़ना ही चाहिए।
कमलेश्वर साहित्य जगत् की एक हस्ती हैं और इनका ये किताब इनके नाम से भी एक कदम आगे पहुँचा है।
इतिहास का गहन अध्ययन के बाद ही ये उपन्यास लिखा गया है। और इतिहास तो विजेताओं द्वारा लिखा जाता है, और फिर उसे विभिन्न वाद से जुड़े स्कॉलर अपने वाद के अनुसार ढाल लेते हैं।
ये पुस्तक भी unbiased नहीं है।
पुस्तक की थीम है --- पाकिस्तान क्यों बनते हैं (यानि भूभाग का बंटवारा क्यों होता है) और बनने का क्या नुकसान होता है।
इस नॉवेल में इतिहास में दर्ज सबसे पुरानी सभ्यताओं से लेकर आधुनिक सभ्यता के नेताओं और आक्रांताओ से लेकर विभिन्न सभ्यताओं में पूजनीय देवताओं की प्रचलित कहानी को एक अदीब की अदालत समय की कसौटी पर जांचती है।
हिंदुस्तान की सार्वजानिक ढोल जिसे कोई भी पीट सकता है, वो है --- हिन्दू धर्म। तो लेखक ने भी इसे खुल कर बजाया है। कई विवादित तथ्यों और कहानियों को अपना नैरे���िव सेट करने के लिए उद्धरित की गई हैं। राजनीतिक गलियारे में प्रचलित सेकुलरिज्म और गंगा-जमुनी तहजीब के पक्ष में तथ्य रखे गए हैं। औरंगजेब और जिन्ना साहब तक को धार्मिक कट्टरता के आरोप से बरी कर दिया गया है। बाबर से लेकर औरंगजेब तक को अयोध्या का मंदिर तोड़ने के आरोप से बरी करते हुए कहते हैं --- बादशाह बाबर के काल में राम नाम का कोई हिन्दू भगवान था ही नहीं। राम को भगवान बनाने वाला तुलसीदास उस समय छोटा बच्चा था और किसी गली में खेल रहा होगा। बाबर कभी अयोध्या गया ही नहीं। अयोध्या वाली मस्जिद तो खाली पड़ी जमीन में इब्राहिम लोधी ने बनवाया था और बाद में बाबर के किसी चमचे ने उस मंदिर का नाम "बाबरी" रख दिया जैसे अभी सडक़ों/बिल्डिंगों का नाम नेताओं के नाम पर उनके चमचे रख देते हैं।
अंग्रेजों और पश्चिमी सभ्यता को सबसे बड़े विलन के रूप में दिखाया गया है।
जो भी हो, "पाकिस्तानों" के बनने का कारण और उससे होनेवाली तबाही को बहुत सही ढंग से बताया गया है।
साथ में एक प्रेम कहानी भी चलती है। इस कहानी के माध्यम से भी लेखक ने आधुनिकता और नारीवाद का परचम लहराने की कोशिश करते हुए कहते हैं --- "वर्जित प्यार ही असली प्यार होता है .... जिस प्यार में वर्जना नहीं, वह वेश्या वृत्ति है, पर वह वृत्ति समाज द्वारा स्वीकृत है।"
सन् 2003 में साहित्य अकादमी पुरस्कार से सम्मानित इस उपन्यास को हर व्यक्ति को एक बार पढ़ना ही चाहिए।
April 25, 2016
A very interesting experiment and spell binding in places, overall I found it too dramatic and preachy. The device of having multiple scholars, historical figures and others present in a court that spans across time and space is quite interesting. The court moves from century to century and city to city, tracing the threads of history, trying to untangle them. Questions are raised, some are answered, others are not. Overall, it is not a bad introduction to the historical process for someone who is not familiar with it.
The love story of the protagonist was distracting. I got the point of it by the end but still feel that the book would not have lost much by leaving it out. By the 100 page mark, I was almost bored but decided to go on and it did get better. The part dealing with Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh is the strongest.
The love story of the protagonist was distracting. I got the point of it by the end but still feel that the book would not have lost much by leaving it out. By the 100 page mark, I was almost bored but decided to go on and it did get better. The part dealing with Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh is the strongest.
January 21, 2018
अदीब की वक्त की अदालत से निकली एक कालजई रचना। This book sets a new benchmark in modern Hindi literature and announces the advent of magic realism in hindi story telling.
The reader is taken on a temporal and spatial ride with each page extracting confessions from tyrants throughout the ages. The book discusses the contemporary events through the lens of past and future.
In the end, it leaves the reader on a hopeful note that how much so ever powerful the evil becomes; in the end it is simple acts of human love for another human and तहजीब (tehjib) developed over centuries of evolution- that will always triumph. A Gandhi will always be born to heal the wounds of the world given by a Hitler.
The reader is taken on a temporal and spatial ride with each page extracting confessions from tyrants throughout the ages. The book discusses the contemporary events through the lens of past and future.
In the end, it leaves the reader on a hopeful note that how much so ever powerful the evil becomes; in the end it is simple acts of human love for another human and तहजीब (tehjib) developed over centuries of evolution- that will always triumph. A Gandhi will always be born to heal the wounds of the world given by a Hitler.
March 28, 2018
अगर वर्तमान अदीब बन कर मानवता की अदालत लगाये,तब कितने पाकिस्तान जैसा उपन्यास सामने आता है। पाकिस्तान को एक नफरत का प्रतीक दर्शाया गया है । लेखक का शोध कार्य बेहतरीन है और लेखन शैली अनोखी है। हास्य,पीड़ा,रहस्य इत्यादि का समागम इसमें है।यह उपन्यास न सिर्फ इतिहास का नया नज़रिया पेश करता , अपितु कई कठिन प्रश्न भी पूछता है। इनमें सबसे बड़ा सवाल यह है कि आखिर कितने पाकिस्तान बनने है?कब तक मानवता शर्मिंदा होगी?यह लड़ाई कब रूकेगी?
उत्तर पाने का दायित्व पाठक पर छोड़ दिया गया है।
मैं इस कालजयी उपन्यास को पाँच में से पाँच अंक दूँगा ।
उत्तर पाने का दायित्व पाठक पर छोड़ दिया गया है।
मैं इस कालजयी उपन्यास को पाँच में से पाँच अंक दूँगा ।
August 17, 2012
I recommend this book for all Hindi speaking people. This book contains the essence of what the current world is suffering from. Breaking of masses, countries, just on the basis of religion is not good. In a very humorous but insightful way, the author asks very subtle question of When will this maniac aspiration of people to create new Pakistans stop? When will we understand the quote that we are listening to from our childhood.... "United we stand, divided we fall!"
February 28, 2014
The book traces the violence the mankind is witnessing in this globalised era. A philosophical book on contemporary violence.
October 13, 2021
If you hate hindutva this book is for you.
The book starts with a love story but is cutshort by the creation of pakistan. We then hear the news of kargil war, Adeeb dashes a stinking letter to the prime minister Vajpai and we are hinted to the fact that congress has for the first time lost the mandate, Bjp is in the center, and evil is set loose because of the crimes committed by the Hindus. Nawaz Sharif’s statement is accepted at face value that all this is Indian government’s inner doing and pakistan is given a clean chit.
His peon Mahmood then tells him that Indians are suffering because of the evil deeds committed by lord Rama under the evil influence of brahmins. He then narrates the story of Shambuk.
Adeeb the hero of the story is then visited by an old man to collect his tears to analyse in his laboratory. The author then traces The origins of your Arya’s and their gods who are traced to Kosovo, the gods are the real evil ones, and out of their lust for women and hatered comes evil to oppress man. One man challenges their hegemony, he is the saviour Gilgamesh.
The essence of Gilgamesh enters adeeb and he finds himself as a judge who tries to solve the evil of ramjanambhoomi and babri masjid. Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad Babur is woken from his grave in a cosmic trail. His confession is weighed by his daughters confession and the British officer’s confession and he is given a clean chit. In the whole novel the needle of the magnetic compass always points towards the RSS and hindutva forces.
The novel ends with the Legendary now blind Kabir reminding adeeb about the root of evil that was set upon earth with the rath yatra from somenath all the way to babri masjid and now he is forced to undertake a peace mission/padyatra to pokhran to plant trees that can absorb the poison that the BJP/RSS is about to explode in the form of a nuclear device.
The book uses magic realism but appears more akin to a highly biased pamphlet by someone who has read a lot of Congress journals and now wants to vomit it all in a hurry without caring to develop and give it a shape.
Scattered fragments, events, journalistic reportage and recollection are stitched to give it a form and illusion of a novel. There are some brilliance here and there.
Don’t expect much now that the the truth is out on babrimasjid, it settled which makes the author’s efforts appear quixotic at best.
The book starts with a love story but is cutshort by the creation of pakistan. We then hear the news of kargil war, Adeeb dashes a stinking letter to the prime minister Vajpai and we are hinted to the fact that congress has for the first time lost the mandate, Bjp is in the center, and evil is set loose because of the crimes committed by the Hindus. Nawaz Sharif’s statement is accepted at face value that all this is Indian government’s inner doing and pakistan is given a clean chit.
His peon Mahmood then tells him that Indians are suffering because of the evil deeds committed by lord Rama under the evil influence of brahmins. He then narrates the story of Shambuk.
Adeeb the hero of the story is then visited by an old man to collect his tears to analyse in his laboratory. The author then traces The origins of your Arya’s and their gods who are traced to Kosovo, the gods are the real evil ones, and out of their lust for women and hatered comes evil to oppress man. One man challenges their hegemony, he is the saviour Gilgamesh.
The essence of Gilgamesh enters adeeb and he finds himself as a judge who tries to solve the evil of ramjanambhoomi and babri masjid. Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad Babur is woken from his grave in a cosmic trail. His confession is weighed by his daughters confession and the British officer’s confession and he is given a clean chit. In the whole novel the needle of the magnetic compass always points towards the RSS and hindutva forces.
The novel ends with the Legendary now blind Kabir reminding adeeb about the root of evil that was set upon earth with the rath yatra from somenath all the way to babri masjid and now he is forced to undertake a peace mission/padyatra to pokhran to plant trees that can absorb the poison that the BJP/RSS is about to explode in the form of a nuclear device.
The book uses magic realism but appears more akin to a highly biased pamphlet by someone who has read a lot of Congress journals and now wants to vomit it all in a hurry without caring to develop and give it a shape.
Scattered fragments, events, journalistic reportage and recollection are stitched to give it a form and illusion of a novel. There are some brilliance here and there.
Don’t expect much now that the the truth is out on babrimasjid, it settled which makes the author’s efforts appear quixotic at best.
October 10, 2022
Quit halfway. Quite boring!
December 26, 2020
कहानी शुरू होती है ‘अदीब’ की कई कहानियों में से एक कहानी से। यह कहानियां अदीब पूरा नहीं जी पाता है क्यूंकी उसे एक बहुत ज़रूरी काम सौंपा गया है। उसे इतिहास के ज़ुल्मों पर न्याय का फैसला सुना कर, आने वाले भविष्य को उन गलत कामो से बचाना है। उसे पहचन करनी है की कहाँ-कहाँ पाकिस्तान बना और किसने बनाया ये पाकिस्तान।
यहाँ पाकिस्तान कोई देश नहीं, यह वह सरहद खींच के बनाया हुआ ऐसा हिस्सा है जो दूसरे हिस्से के खिलाफ है। जो दूसरे हिस्से से खुद को अलग और ऊँचा मानता है, जिसके कारण वह अपने ही दूसरे हिस्से को नुक्सान पहुंचाता है। ‘पाकिस्तान’ यहाँ वह सब है जिसको इसलिए बनाया गया है क्यूंकि वह अपनी अलग निशानी छोड़ना चाहते है इसलिए क्यूंकि अब उनको अपने से हर अलग चीज़ से गृह्णा और नफरत है।
इस किताब में तीन निजी कहानियां है और बाकि अलग अलग दुनिया के हिस्सों की कहानियां है। जो निजी कहानियां है वह सब हिंदुस्तानी लोगो की है, कैसे उनके धर्म ने हिन्दुस्तानियों को एक दूसरे से भिन्न होने पर मज़बूर कर दिया, कैसे अब हिन्दुस्तानियों ने अपने ही घर में नफरत की दीवारे खड़ी कर ली मजहब के नाम पर और कैसे दीवारों को गिरने से बचाने के लिए, उन दीवारों को गृह्णा से सींच कर और बुलंद बनाया गया और कैसे इन दीवारों ने बिच के फासलो को बस बढ़ाया है।
इसमें कैसे मुस्लिम और हिन्दुओं का विभाजन किया गया और किन हालात में, इसका विवरण किया गया है। बाबर, औरंगज़ेब, जिन्ना, ब्रिटिश राज आदि पर लगाए गए इल्ज़ामो को बड़ी होशियारी और समझ से इंसाफ़ी और नाइंसाफी के दा���रे में डाला गया। हर साजिश, हर गलति, हर सही इरादे से लिए गए कदम को और हर पछतावे को बड़े विस्तार से नापा गया।
उसके बाद दुनिया के कई देशो और धर्मो के बारे में बड़ी अन्वेषण कर, बेहतरीन दृढ़ कथन फरमाए गए। जापान, चीन, अफ़ग़ानिस्तान, रूस, फ्रांस, इटली, अमेरिका, अफ्रीका, अरब, सोवियत यूनियन, ऑस्ट्रेलिया, बोस्निआ आदि देशो के इतिहास के बारे में लिखा गया। साथ ही हिटलर जैसे नेता और आइंस्टीन जैसे कई वैज्ञानिको के बारे में विस्तार से विचार विमर्श किया गया।
आज यह किताब पढ़के ऐसा लग रहा है की अगर इसे ना पढ़ती तो जीवन में एक महत्वपूर्ण कार्य मेरा छूट जाता। इसे पढ़कर अपनी सोच धारा किस प्रकार बनाई जाए, कैसे सही गलत का फैसला किया जाए, इतिहास को कैसे पढ़ा जाए, कैसे अनदेखे को देखा जाए और कैसे जो सामने पड़ा है उसे नज़रअंदाज़ न किआ जाए का ज्ञान मिलता है।
शायद ही ऐसा कोई विषय हो जो इस किताब ने ना छुआ हो, कोई ऐसा विवाद हो जो अनेक सोच के तर्कों बिना सम्पूर्ण कहा गया हो या ऐसी कोई भावना हो जिससे बचा गया हो। यह एक कहानी ही अपने अंदर सारी कहानिओं को समां लेती है। यह एक कहानी ही अधूरी होकर भी पूरी है।
इसे न पढ़ने की गलती न की जाए। जिन्हे हिंदी उपन्यास पढ़ने की आदत नहीं, वह इसे हिंदी में ना पढ़े, इस उपन्यास में इस्तमाल हुई हिंदी थोड़ी कठिन है। पर पेंगुइन इंडिया ने इसी किताब को ‘पार्टिशन्स’ नाम से ट्रांसलेट किआ है। पेंगुइन पे पूरा विस्वास किआ जा सकता है और उस ट्रांसलेशन को बेझिझक पढ़ा जा सकता है। वैसे भी इस किताब में ऐसा कुछ नहीं जो भाषा बदल जाने से संपूर्ण रूप में ग्रहण नहीं किया जा सकता। इसे आराम से अपनी मन पसंदिता भाषा में पढ़ें। जहाँ तक मुझे खबर है, यह उपन्यास पंजाबी में भी ट्रांसलेटेड है।
कर,
१. चरित्रचित्रण- ४.४ /५
२. ग्रंथन – ५ /५
३. प्रवाह- ४.९ /५
४. विचार- ५ /५
५. वर्णन- ४.५ /५
सम्मिलित कर- ४.८ /५
यहाँ पाकिस्तान कोई देश नहीं, यह वह सरहद खींच के बनाया हुआ ऐसा हिस्सा है जो दूसरे हिस्से के खिलाफ है। जो दूसरे हिस्से से खुद को अलग और ऊँचा मानता है, जिसके कारण वह अपने ही दूसरे हिस्से को नुक्सान पहुंचाता है। ‘पाकिस्तान’ यहाँ वह सब है जिसको इसलिए बनाया गया है क्यूंकि वह अपनी अलग निशानी छोड़ना चाहते है इसलिए क्यूंकि अब उनको अपने से हर अलग चीज़ से गृह्णा और नफरत है।
इस किताब में तीन निजी कहानियां है और बाकि अलग अलग दुनिया के हिस्सों की कहानियां है। जो निजी कहानियां है वह सब हिंदुस्तानी लोगो की है, कैसे उनके धर्म ने हिन्दुस्तानियों को एक दूसरे से भिन्न होने पर मज़बूर कर दिया, कैसे अब हिन्दुस्तानियों ने अपने ही घर में नफरत की दीवारे खड़ी कर ली मजहब के नाम पर और कैसे दीवारों को गिरने से बचाने के लिए, उन दीवारों को गृह्णा से सींच कर और बुलंद बनाया गया और कैसे इन दीवारों ने बिच के फासलो को बस बढ़ाया है।
इसमें कैसे मुस्लिम और हिन्दुओं का विभाजन किया गया और किन हालात में, इसका विवरण किया गया है। बाबर, औरंगज़ेब, जिन्ना, ब्रिटिश राज आदि पर लगाए गए इल्ज़ामो को बड़ी होशियारी और समझ से इंसाफ़ी और नाइंसाफी के दा���रे में डाला गया। हर साजिश, हर गलति, हर सही इरादे से लिए गए कदम को और हर पछतावे को बड़े विस्तार से नापा गया।
उसके बाद दुनिया के कई देशो और धर्मो के बारे में बड़ी अन्वेषण कर, बेहतरीन दृढ़ कथन फरमाए गए। जापान, चीन, अफ़ग़ानिस्तान, रूस, फ्रांस, इटली, अमेरिका, अफ्रीका, अरब, सोवियत यूनियन, ऑस्ट्रेलिया, बोस्निआ आदि देशो के इतिहास के बारे में लिखा गया। साथ ही हिटलर जैसे नेता और आइंस्टीन जैसे कई वैज्ञानिको के बारे में विस्तार से विचार विमर्श किया गया।
आज यह किताब पढ़के ऐसा लग रहा है की अगर इसे ना पढ़ती तो जीवन में एक महत्वपूर्ण कार्य मेरा छूट जाता। इसे पढ़कर अपनी सोच धारा किस प्रकार बनाई जाए, कैसे सही गलत का फैसला किया जाए, इतिहास को कैसे पढ़ा जाए, कैसे अनदेखे को देखा जाए और कैसे जो सामने पड़ा है उसे नज़रअंदाज़ न किआ जाए का ज्ञान मिलता है।
शायद ही ऐसा कोई विषय हो जो इस किताब ने ना छुआ हो, कोई ऐसा विवाद हो जो अनेक सोच के तर्कों बिना सम्पूर्ण कहा गया हो या ऐसी कोई भावना हो जिससे बचा गया हो। यह एक कहानी ही अपने अंदर सारी कहानिओं को समां लेती है। यह एक कहानी ही अधूरी होकर भी पूरी है।
इसे न पढ़ने की गलती न की जाए। जिन्हे हिंदी उपन्यास पढ़ने की आदत नहीं, वह इसे हिंदी में ना पढ़े, इस उपन्यास में इस्तमाल हुई हिंदी थोड़ी कठिन है। पर पेंगुइन इंडिया ने इसी किताब को ‘पार्टिशन्स’ नाम से ट्रांसलेट किआ है। पेंगुइन पे पूरा विस्वास किआ जा सकता है और उस ट्रांसलेशन को बेझिझक पढ़ा जा सकता है। वैसे भी इस किताब में ऐसा कुछ नहीं जो भाषा बदल जाने से संपूर्ण रूप में ग्रहण नहीं किया जा सकता। इसे आराम से अपनी मन पसंदिता भाषा में पढ़ें। जहाँ तक मुझे खबर है, यह उपन्यास पंजाबी में भी ट्रांसलेटेड है।
कर,
१. चरित्रचित्रण- ४.४ /५
२. ग्रंथन – ५ /५
३. प्रवाह- ४.९ /५
४. विचार- ५ /५
५. वर्णन- ४.५ /५
सम्मिलित कर- ४.८ /५
January 22, 2020
सदियों से मानवों द्वारा मानवता का बलात्कार हो रहा है। यह किताब मानवता की उसी पीड़ा की चीखों को मुर्दों के कानो तक पहुंचाने के लिए लिखी गई है, जो उसके साथ सदियों से हो अत्याचारों से उत्पन्न हुई है। इतिहास की कोख में पल रहे नाजायज़ झूठ के बारे में अपनी सोच को एक मुकम्मल समझ प्रदान करने के लिए यह किताब को जरूर पढ़ी जानी चाहिए।
December 26, 2016
'कितने पाकिस्तान' कमलेश्वर का लिखा हुआ एक प्रयोगवादी उपन्यास है। इस उपन्यास को 2003 के साहित्य अकादमी पुरस्कार से नवाज़ा गया था। यह उपन्यास बाकी उपन्यासों से कई मामलों में अलग है। पहला, इसमें सामान्य घटनायें, जैसे उपन्यासों में होती हैं, नहीं हैं, बल्कि ऐतिहासिक घटनाओं का लेखक के नज़रिये से वर्णन है। दूसरा, पात्र बहुत कम हैं। ऐसा कहना भी सर्वथा उचित ही होगा कि मुख्य पात्र समय है क्योंकि सारा कथानक उसी के इर्दगिर्द घूमता है। उपन्यास में सदियों से चले आ रही हिंसा और मारकाट के प्रति गहरा क्षोभ है। पात्रों की इस कमी को इतिहास के प्रसिद्ध व्यक्तियों को कटघरे में लाकर दूर किया गया है।
कहानी का संचालन एक पात्र अदीब करता है। जैसा कि नाम से अंदाज़ा लगाया जा सकता है कि अदीब एक साहित्यकार या बुद्धिजीवी है जिसे अपनी जिम्मेदारियों का अहसास है और उसे लगता है कि अनेक वर्गों में जनता को बाँटकर फायदा उठाया जा रहा है। अदीब को लगता है कि ऐसे समय में लेखकों, पत्रकारों और अन्य बुद्धिजीवियों को कुछ करना पड़ेगा। अदीब अगर नायक है तो सलमा को नायिका कहा जा सकता है लेकिन कथानक में उसे स्थान कम ही मिला है। सलमा के माध्यम से कमलेश्वर ने कृत्रिम सीमाओं को लेकर निराशा व्यक्त की है। अदीब और सलमा के वार्तालाप के माध्यम से लेखक ने समाज के नियमों में खुद को ढाल न पाने वाले लोगों की चिंता दिखायी है। कहानी में एक और पात्र है जिसे अर्दली के नाम से पुकारा गया है। यह एक मजबूत पात्र है जिसने जगह जगह पर लोगों के दोगलेपन को उजागर किया है।
अगर उपन्यास का सार निकालने की कोशिश की जाए तो यही आयेगा कि सदियों से चली आ रही विभाजन की परम्परा बंद हो और मनुष्य एक मनुष्य की तरह जीवित रह सके। धर्म के नाम पर, भगवान के नाम पर, जाति के नाम पर, विचारधारा के नाम पर, भाषा के नाम पर और वर्ण के नाम पर विभाजन अब बंद होने चाहिये। कमलेश्वर ने अपनी बात को पुख्ता तरीके से रखने के लिये सम-सामायिक घटनाओं का उल्लेख किया है जैसे कोसोवो, पूर्वी तिमोर, सोमालिया, कश्मीर आदि जगहों पर हो रहे आंदोलन और प्रतिहिंसा। इसके मूल में जाने की लेखक ने कोशिश की है तो पाया है कि कहीं न कहीं किसी अन्य ताकत ने ये पहचान के संकट खड़े किये और फिर उसके बाद जब जनता विभाजित हो गयी तो उसका फायदा उठाया, वरना कोई कारण नहीं है कि दो अलग पहचान के लोग साथ नहीं रह सकते।
इतिहास जैसा हम जानते हैं और जैसा हमें पढ़ाया जाता है उसके प्रति भी कमलेश्वर ने अपनी राय दी है। मसलन अयोध्या जन्म-भूमि और बाबरी मस्ज़िद के विवाद के पीछे जो कारण बताया जाता है और जो अब राजनीतिक हो गया है उसको कमलेश्वर ने झूठ कहा है। मुगलकालीन कई अभिलेखों और पत्रों को उद्धृत करके यह बताने की कोशिश की गई है कि बाबरी मस्ज़िद की प्रचलित कहानी सही नहीं है। अगर यह सत्य है तो यह एक रुचिकर बात है कि इतिहासकारों का ध्यान अभी तक इस ओर क्यों नहीं गया और अगर गया भी है तो यह विचार मुख्यधारा में क्यों नहीं आ पाये। कमलेश्वर ने यह बताने की कोशिश की है जनता को बाँटकर रखने से उन पर नियंत्रण करना कितना आसान हो जाता है। अगर कोई शासक लोगों को साथ लेकर चल नहीं पाता है तो वह धर्म का सहारा लेकर शासन करना चाहता है। कमलेश्वर ने यह बात दाराशिकोह और औरंगज़ेब के बीच खींचतान को केंद्र में रखकर दिखाया है।
उपन्यास में वामपंथी विचारधारा के तत्व देखने को मिलते हैं और पश्चिम की व्यवस्थाओं के प्रति गुस्सा देखने को मिलता है। इसका कारण यह भी हो सकता है कि सामंतवादी विचारधारा को भारत में लाने के बाद यहाँ जनता की स्थिति ख़राब ही हुई है। पूँजीवाद और उसके द्वारा लायी गयी व्यवस्थाओं के प्रति कमलेश्वर का रुख बहुत उत्साही नहीं रहा है। साथ ही साथ धर्म के उपदेशकों को समस्या का एक भाग माना गया है, जैसा कि हमने औरंगज़ेब के प्रसंग में और अन्य जगहों पर देखा है। इस उपन्यास में एक सन्देश है जिसे लोग आत्मसात करने में कहाँ तक सफल रहेंगे यह तो नहीं कहा जा सकता है, लेकिन इतिहास से सीखने को काफी कुछ है यह दिखता है।
जैसा की पुस्तक की भूमिका में कमलेश्वर ने ख्याति-प्राप्त लेखकों की प्रतिक्रियाओं का हवाला देते हुये लिखा है कि इसे उपन्यास के एक प्रचलित ढांचे में देखने में बहुत दिक्कत हुई। लेकिन प्रयोगवाद की यही तो एक पहचान होती है कि एक प्रयोग पहचानी जा चुकी परम्पराओं से भिन्न होता है। एक लेखक ने पुस्तक की समीक्षा करते हुये इसकी शब्दावली को आसानी से ग्रहण करने वाला बताया है और जैनेन्द्र की भाषा से तुलना करते हुये इस समाज के ज्यादा करीब पाया है। मैंने जैनेन्द्र को तो अभी तक नहीं पढ़ा है लेकिन ‘कितने पाकिस्तान’ जरूर बोलचाल की हिंदी का प्रयोग करता है जिसमें उर्दू के शब्द भी हैं और तत्सम भी। जो भी भाषा अपने विचारों को व्यक्त कर जाये वही उचित होती है।
http://www.yayawar.in/2016/12/book-re...
कहानी का संचालन एक पात्र अदीब करता है। जैसा कि नाम से अंदाज़ा लगाया जा सकता है कि अदीब एक साहित्यकार या बुद्धिजीवी है जिसे अपनी जिम्मेदारियों का अहसास है और उसे लगता है कि अनेक वर्गों में जनता को बाँटकर फायदा उठाया जा रहा है। अदीब को लगता है कि ऐसे समय में लेखकों, पत्रकारों और अन्य बुद्धिजीवियों को कुछ करना पड़ेगा। अदीब अगर नायक है तो सलमा को नायिका कहा जा सकता है लेकिन कथानक में उसे स्थान कम ही मिला है। सलमा के माध्यम से कमलेश्वर ने कृत्रिम सीमाओं को लेकर निराशा व्यक्त की है। अदीब और सलमा के वार्तालाप के माध्यम से लेखक ने समाज के नियमों में खुद को ढाल न पाने वाले लोगों की चिंता दिखायी है। कहानी में एक और पात्र है जिसे अर्दली के नाम से पुकारा गया है। यह एक मजबूत पात्र है जिसने जगह जगह पर लोगों के दोगलेपन को उजागर किया है।
अगर उपन्यास का सार निकालने की कोशिश की जाए तो यही आयेगा कि सदियों से चली आ रही विभाजन की परम्परा बंद हो और मनुष्य एक मनुष्य की तरह जीवित रह सके। धर्म के नाम पर, भगवान के नाम पर, जाति के नाम पर, विचारधारा के नाम पर, भाषा के नाम पर और वर्ण के नाम पर विभाजन अब बंद होने चाहिये। कमलेश्वर ने अपनी बात को पुख्ता तरीके से रखने के लिये सम-सामायिक घटनाओं का उल्लेख किया है जैसे कोसोवो, पूर्वी तिमोर, सोमालिया, कश्मीर आदि जगहों पर हो रहे आंदोलन और प्रतिहिंसा। इसके मूल में जाने की लेखक ने कोशिश की है तो पाया है कि कहीं न कहीं किसी अन्य ताकत ने ये पहचान के संकट खड़े किये और फिर उसके बाद जब जनता विभाजित हो गयी तो उसका फायदा उठाया, वरना कोई कारण नहीं है कि दो अलग पहचान के लोग साथ नहीं रह सकते।
इतिहास जैसा हम जानते हैं और जैसा हमें पढ़ाया जाता है उसके प्रति भी कमलेश्वर ने अपनी राय दी है। मसलन अयोध्या जन्म-भूमि और बाबरी मस्ज़िद के विवाद के पीछे जो कारण बताया जाता है और जो अब राजनीतिक हो गया है उसको कमलेश्वर ने झूठ कहा है। मुगलकालीन कई अभिलेखों और पत्रों को उद्धृत करके यह बताने की कोशिश की गई है कि बाबरी मस्ज़िद की प्रचलित कहानी सही नहीं है। अगर यह सत्य है तो यह एक रुचिकर बात है कि इतिहासकारों का ध्यान अभी तक इस ओर क्यों नहीं गया और अगर गया भी है तो यह विचार मुख्यधारा में क्यों नहीं आ पाये। कमलेश्वर ने यह बताने की कोशिश की है जनता को बाँटकर रखने से उन पर नियंत्रण करना कितना आसान हो जाता है। अगर कोई शासक लोगों को साथ लेकर चल नहीं पाता है तो वह धर्म का सहारा लेकर शासन करना चाहता है। कमलेश्वर ने यह बात दाराशिकोह और औरंगज़ेब के बीच खींचतान को केंद्र में रखकर दिखाया है।
उपन्यास में वामपंथी विचारधारा के तत्व देखने को मिलते हैं और पश्चिम की व्यवस्थाओं के प्रति गुस्सा देखने को मिलता है। इसका कारण यह भी हो सकता है कि सामंतवादी विचारधारा को भारत में लाने के बाद यहाँ जनता की स्थिति ख़राब ही हुई है। पूँजीवाद और उसके द्वारा लायी गयी व्यवस्थाओं के प्रति कमलेश्वर का रुख बहुत उत्साही नहीं रहा है। साथ ही साथ धर्म के उपदेशकों को समस्या का एक भाग माना गया है, जैसा कि हमने औरंगज़ेब के प्रसंग में और अन्य जगहों पर देखा है। इस उपन्यास में एक सन्देश है जिसे लोग आत्मसात करने में कहाँ तक सफल रहेंगे यह तो नहीं कहा जा सकता है, लेकिन इतिहास से सीखने को काफी कुछ है यह दिखता है।
जैसा की पुस्तक की भूमिका में कमलेश्वर ने ख्याति-प्राप्त लेखकों की प्रतिक्रियाओं का हवाला देते हुये लिखा है कि इसे उपन्यास के एक प्रचलित ढांचे में देखने में बहुत दिक्कत हुई। लेकिन प्रयोगवाद की यही तो एक पहचान होती है कि एक प्रयोग पहचानी जा चुकी परम्पराओं से भिन्न होता है। एक लेखक ने पुस्तक की समीक्षा करते हुये इसकी शब्दावली को आसानी से ग्रहण करने वाला बताया है और जैनेन्द्र की भाषा से तुलना करते हुये इस समाज के ज्यादा करीब पाया है। मैंने जैनेन्द्र को तो अभी तक नहीं पढ़ा है लेकिन ‘कितने पाकिस्तान’ जरूर बोलचाल की हिंदी का प्रयोग करता है जिसमें उर्दू के शब्द भी हैं और तत्सम भी। जो भी भाषा अपने विचारों को व्यक्त कर जाये वही उचित होती है।
http://www.yayawar.in/2016/12/book-re...
February 5, 2013
बेहतरीन उपन्यास । ज्वलंत प्रश्नो के उत्तर ढूढने की कोशिश की है , तर्क तो बेमिसाल है ।
April 9, 2020
I don’t think I can review this one. This is a book that can only be penned by a genius. My humble applause.
November 17, 2025
Kitne Pakistan by Kamleshwar — A Landmark Work That Refuses to Leave You
Kitne Pakistan is one of those rare books that does not just tell a story — it reopens history, interrogates memory, and compels you to rethink everything you thought you knew. I finished reading it, yet I still feel like I’m reading it. It lingers, it echoes, and it challenges.
Kamleshwar undertakes something monumental here: weaving together multiple time periods, cultures, beliefs, conflicts, and civilizations — from the Partition of India to the Holocaust, from the Spanish Inquisition to the Bangladesh War, from Gandhi to Godse, from Aurangzeb to Hitler. And what’s remarkable is not just the scope — it’s how seamlessly he does it. Every voice has its prejudice, every viewpoint its shadow, and Kamleshwar gives space to all of them.
This isn’t just a novel — it’s a courtroom of history, where the witnesses are emperors, dictators, refugees, intellectuals, killers, and ordinary people. It forces you to ask: Where does violence begin? Who divides us? How do identities get fractured again and again? And could it all have been different?
In a world that still feels as divided as ever — Kitne Pakistan is painfully relevant. It makes you wonder not just what happened, but what could have been, and what still can be.
A remarkable book. One that expands the very definition of what literature can do.
Kitne Pakistan is one of those rare books that does not just tell a story — it reopens history, interrogates memory, and compels you to rethink everything you thought you knew. I finished reading it, yet I still feel like I’m reading it. It lingers, it echoes, and it challenges.
Kamleshwar undertakes something monumental here: weaving together multiple time periods, cultures, beliefs, conflicts, and civilizations — from the Partition of India to the Holocaust, from the Spanish Inquisition to the Bangladesh War, from Gandhi to Godse, from Aurangzeb to Hitler. And what’s remarkable is not just the scope — it’s how seamlessly he does it. Every voice has its prejudice, every viewpoint its shadow, and Kamleshwar gives space to all of them.
This isn’t just a novel — it’s a courtroom of history, where the witnesses are emperors, dictators, refugees, intellectuals, killers, and ordinary people. It forces you to ask: Where does violence begin? Who divides us? How do identities get fractured again and again? And could it all have been different?
In a world that still feels as divided as ever — Kitne Pakistan is painfully relevant. It makes you wonder not just what happened, but what could have been, and what still can be.
A remarkable book. One that expands the very definition of what literature can do.
November 21, 2023
Some books are not about the stories they tell but the way stories are told. This book is a philosophical-fictional analysis of human nature, war and their depictions in texts. It also dissects the role of the narrator, historians, and readers in disseminating and absorbing the events of the past.
One of the most beautiful aspects of the book is its writing itself. The presentation and the use of Hindustani tongues made me aware of the levels of written language that can be found in books. You can express the same sentiments brutally or beautifully depending on the writer's skill and understanding of the subject matter/setting.
The book might be a tough choice for the casual or younger reader due to its language and content. But for a seasoned reader, it is definitely a thought-provoking and satisfactory read.
One of the most beautiful aspects of the book is its writing itself. The presentation and the use of Hindustani tongues made me aware of the levels of written language that can be found in books. You can express the same sentiments brutally or beautifully depending on the writer's skill and understanding of the subject matter/setting.
The book might be a tough choice for the casual or younger reader due to its language and content. But for a seasoned reader, it is definitely a thought-provoking and satisfactory read.
April 2, 2017
One of the best book on partition of India and Pakistan as this book not only deals with the facts combined with a story line but it gives you a holistic idea of what are the consequences of partition and incidents of past which made the path to bifurcate India.
November 18, 2019
Marvellous!! Best Hindi novel of the year that I read.
June 3, 2021
Hats off to Mr. Kamaleshwar for writing such a wonderful book. The amount of research that writer had done is just incredible. The way writer has linked all the historical events towards common theme is brilliant. In starting you will feel that too much stories, too much events are confusing you, but as the book progresses you will start to love it. A must read book🤘
In the end you will definitely question yourself that "aur kitne Pakistan? "
In the end you will definitely question yourself that "aur kitne Pakistan? "
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews