Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.
Human life virtually passes in bondage-a man from the bottom strata of the society is subject to exploitation from the elite and the influential. In this largest democracy of the world, a voice from the voiceless is inaudible to the institution called the Government! When they try to raise their voice against the institution, they are dubbed as insurgents, ultras and Naxalites! So is Shambhu-an erstwhile bonded labor, gone through the pain, brutality and torment of the rich and the influential-had to resort to the path of finding power from the barrel of the gun. In his second avatar-he is Flame- the area commander of an ultra group-known for his strategic planning.
If you do not have a father and your mother had to earn her living working as a house maid-you are soon to discover bitter sides of life. This is true for Neema-the wild beauty who was subject to brutality from her childhood days. When she stepped into her youth-she did a mistake by getting physically intimated with one of countless male bees flying around her! She married an old professor Jack London-calculating the loss and the gain in a balance. She is an activist, sympathetic to ultras and the doting mother of a little girl child.
If you think I am in a process of characterization of an emotional drama, then you are wrong, very wrong. It is a thriller by Doctor Kesi titled ‘Rage in the jungle,Raj in the street’-as thrilling a thriller can be. The basic difference with other thrillers with this one is that it also throws light to the darker sides of the mind of the individual-unearthing layers of human emotions. It has ample unpredictability element coupled with suspense at each corner of the story. The story is neatly woven –with three protagonists. I have already introduced two to the readers. The third one will come a little later in the story forgot to mention –Neema had a gang of five. Unwillingly they discovered something- couple in bondage. A short description from the book will reveal how they were being dragged down to a hideout
“Her hair disheveled, eyes swollen, eye balls squeezed. Her lips, though red, whether from lipstick or fresh blood caused of a thoughtless punch on them, no one knew. Her dresses and delicate sandals spoke of sophistry and high bred………another helpless fellow followed her, keeping a distance between them. It is this man, probably her husband who was the real culprit, and she was netted in tow. This man was surrounded by muscled armed men armed with AK 47 s and of course, 303’s,usually the Government law enforcement agency’s major armour.”
And it was the environment that was as silent as death, in the word of the writer-“the whole surrounding was dense, stuffed with mild and sweet scent of the tiny, white flowers in their millions and billions. These young trees were sturdy, straight, rising into the sky like athletic soldiers standing to attention”
I have quoted that wonderful landscape description mainly for two reasons. First, it is intended to illustrate the narrative capacity of the writer-capable of drawing a picture through words. Second to make reader feel the stark contrast between two descriptions-brutal torture being conducted amid lush green!
And following up the trail of the event and afterwards sequence of events lead to some startling revelation by Neema and her gang and here enters our third protagonist –the encounter specialist.
So she was on a trail to an encounter of a terrorist couple(yes encounter was staged) by a mighty placed security buff, an encounter specialist and a very popular public figure too! Sympathetic to the cause for which ultras are fighting for, she musters enough evidence that may prove that the encounter was a staged one-clearly to glorify the encounter specialist Mr. Mattagaj Singh(is the name ironical?) and in doing so puts unconsciously her little family into trouble.
The encounter specialist has some other ideas of punishing the terrorist. The long trial process, the corridors of the court, the dates-he have no faith on them. He has power and can utilise it to its fullest possible extent. in the name of the nation ,any heinous crime against humanity is permitted to him. He may seem as calm and composed as Lord Buddha –but he is no angel of peace.
Sambhu-the tall lanky man who is an absconding bonded labour is in Neema’s gang-now a Maoist ultra-destiny compels him to again come in contact with the arms peddler from whom he had purchased sophisticated guns in exchange of hashish-cultivated to fund terrorist activities.
Is the encounter really a fake one?
Is the encounter specialist is a Dr. Jekyll?
Will Neema be able to strike the encounter specialist with the sword of Nemesis?
Read to know. You will discover more thrill than I have discovered.
It is an absorbing story, neatly woven but I will be happier if the speed of the story telling takes a little faster pace.
I am completely at love with the lengthy trial portion of the story which reminds me some of the classic works of the subject…..
And last but not the least the cover idea is innovative-Lord Buddha is looking at the blood strains and bullet shattered …..
Are there any Tears from the eye of Lord Buddha?
But why I have started with the quotation from Rousseau?
Individual is merely a puppet at the hands of the destiny-and our protagonists are no exception.
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE THRILLER AT
During the course of review of this book we have asked the writer what made him to portray the character of the encounter specialist Buddha’s character as a split personality,to which he replied
“For your benefit, the encounter specialist is a disoriented character, partial to patriotism; he is thoroughly imbued in the extreme definition of patriotism. Fed up with the loopholes etc. of legal process, he devises his drastic solution of Patriotic bigotry. When it comes to patriotism,his intellectual process ceases. That way he is a split personality. “
Read the interview by the writer at
http://www.globalethicsnetwork.org/profiles/blogs/rage-in-the-jungle-raj-on-the-street-by-kailash-tripathi-an
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