Page 176 - EW November 2023

Books

belief systems that do not elder who accepts that ist, and often it’s circum- can lead to grave repercus-
address abject misery, and even divinity appears to stances that dictate which sions if ground realities are
piety that is an outcome of support generous donors, quality surfaces. This is ignored.
fear rather than anything and on the other hand, highlighted by the irony The language is un-
deeper. Gods and deities of a young passerby who of an abjectly poor village adorned, colloquial, with
seem to be as riddled with scoffs at manipulations in naming itself ‘Ponnur’, populist, even propagan-
angst and perils as the hu- places of worship being meaning ‘land of gold’; an dist overtones woven in,
man beings they purport- proportionate to donations overzealous attention to and the author’s single-
edly ‘created’. Likewise in received. This conventional detail can backfire, while minded, missionary inten-
the story ‘Karuppanasami view is juxtaposed with inadvertent editorial goof- tion to reach the common
Ruminates’, the pantheon an emerging vision of ups sometimes reveal the man is clearly evident. All
of Gods ends up calling for the future, demanding reality behind the façade. the more commendable
a conference to air their change. Anna’s perceptive, Intention and conse- then, that the spirit and
woes and views. compassionate eye is all quences — well-meant and intent of the work has been
Holy sites are not too aware of the pitfalls genuine good initiatives respected by the translator.
immune to commerce, and contradictions sometimes turn sour be- Worth-reading, this
housing exhibition halls intrinsic to the human cause intent has no power collection introduces Anna
where devotees show condition. over outcomes. In ‘Cha- the literary icon to the
equal enthusiasm for In the eponymous ‘Help rubala, the Social Worker’ non-Tamil world, provid-
the sanctum and silk Me With This Tricky Case’, the author displays the ing an in-depth view into
garments being sold by a character questions the sharpness of his vision, the times he lived in, in
a canny businessman. term ‘honest thief’. An seeing through seem- a country newly come to
In ‘The Dodgy Devotee’ oxymoron, yes, but in real ingly genuine work to the independence.
the author offers two life good and bad are not emptiness within. Social RANJITHA ASHOKA (The
viewpoints — of a wise clearly defined. They coex- service is not a game and Book Review)

176 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2023