Doha-based Indian writer publishes new novel Kendran

Kendran, a novel in English, by Dr Sabu KC has recently been published by Don Books, Kottayam and is being distributed by National Book Stall, Kottayam, Kerala. The book traces the changes in the lives of the people that took place due to the advent of industries, technological innovations, trade and commerce over many years in Thrikkakara in Kanayannoor Taluk of Ernakulam district, in the Indian State of Kerala.

Anil Kumar Vijayan and Lipsy Sabu edited the book. Suresh Kumar did the illustrations, while Anil Vega designed the cover. A review of the book was written by Professor Sunney Tharappan.

Dr Sabu KC, son of KV Chackappan and Mariamma Chackappan, hails from Kangarapady near Thrikkakara in Ernakulam district of Kerala. His family comprises wife Lipsy Sabu, teacher at Ideal Indian School, Doha and daughters Arunima Sabu, Ananya Sabu and Arya Sabu.

Sabu has holds a Masters in Sociology, Masters and Doctorate in Education as well as a postgraduate diploma in Human Resource Management. He has served as a lecturer in India and an Assistant Professor of Education in Eritrea. He also worked with various research and social development projects in different States of India. Sabu was the sub-editor of Central Chronicle newspaper in India. He was the Principal of Noble International Indian School in Doha. Currently Dr Sabu is working with Gulf Times.

The novel takes the reader to the second half of the twentieth century with its main stay of sequential developments that were happening in the society – whether it’s the appearance of a cycle in a remote village in Kanayannur or the arrival of the four wheelers, either to travel or to carry loads on the muddy roads. Dr Sabu brings up some of the finer aspects of the type of people who lived in Kerala in the second half of the twentieth century in his book and incidentally brings up the pictures of the places that these people lived. There is an intelligent dealing with the plot that the book adopts.

The author takes away readers outside Kerala and brings in a wider aspect of the life of Keralites who migrated to Karnataka sometime in the first part of the second half of the twentieth century. This part of the novel brings to the readers the courageous and hardworking nature of the Malayalee and how they overpowered nature and other humans in different places.

Talking about the book, Sunney Tharappan writes; “Kendran, rather intrinsically, challenges the reader to lead to intellectual translocation. The author’s imagination does not run wild into areas that are unknown or that are newly discovered, instead, he takes the reader through the smaller annals of historic developments that had happened in a small place like Kanayannur, unavoidable to remember, that such developments would have happened in different parts of the state of Kerala. His imagination allows him to put his hands on the shoulder of the reader and stand there; sometime face to face and some other times whispering into the reader’s ears; and stand there assuring the reader that what the writer presents before him is genuine, believable and worthy of being observed. There are no subversions that would shock the reader. In fact, the author and the reader run together towards the close of the story. The imaginative input throughout the story is provided with very little of unnecessary”

He further adds; “One of the finest aspects of the novel is the use of language in its narration. There is a natural flow in the use of the language, especially because it is devoid of any pompous show of words so as to impress, and that use helps the reader understand the sequence of events, apart from getting a glimpse of different spectacles of life in the village. The finest in the use of language is a creation of word pictures. The painting of the pictures is done in such a way that it is difficult for any reader to be dissatisfied with the position, the posture, the shape, the colour and the movements of different spectacles that are painted through words in the minds of readers.

The descriptions of incidents, events and episodes also provide the reader with clarity of what happens between and among characters that create the story and the descriptions of the time and place also go well with those spectacles that are to be noted by the reader.”

The author uses some of the Malayalam words, refers to volley ball game, temporary circus, the making of a cinema theatre, the players of card games, the advent of the radio, the village provision shop, the farmers who visit the village centre, the bullock carts, the cycle and the lorry that transports goods; different types of songs, and more than anything else, the type of life that villagers led are all brought to the reader in different pictures. For the advantage of readers that are not familiar with Malayalam, Dr Sabu has included a glossary with the translation of Malayalam words into English. Kendran is available for purchase on Amazon.