Enmakaje (novel) explained
Enmakaje is a Malayalam language novel written by Ambikasuthan Mangad based on the life of the people in Enmakaje, a village in Kasargod affected by the Endosulfan disaster in Kerala. Ambikasuthan Mangad, a professor of Malayalam at Nehru Arts and Science College, wrote the novel after directly visiting the areas affected by Endosulfan.[1] This is his debut novel. The novel is used as a textbook in seven universities.[2] The book brought attention to the plight of the pesticide victims.[3] The novel has been published in 17 editions in Malayalam and has been translated into English, Tamil and Kannada.[2] An upcoming Hindi translation is being published by the Hindi Prachar Sabha on the organization's 100th anniversary.[4]
Background
The novel depicts the challenges faced by the people of Enmakaje, a village at Karnataka border in Kasargod district of Kerala, due to the lethal chemical Endosulfan used by a plantation corporation in 5,000-hectare cashew plantation in the village.
Plot
A couple named Neelakantan and Devayani live on a hill inside a forest. After living in self-induced isolation for six years, They are coming to the place named Swarga which literally means heaven.[5] There they see an unusual environment with children and calves with deformed bodies, ponds with no fish and a sky with no birds, and realize that Swarga is no heaven at all.[5] Devayani decides to bring home a child named Pareekshit, who has never walked in his 7 years of life, who has grey hair and sores all over his body due to pesticide poisoning.[6] Through this child, which the couple later adopts, the horror of endosulfan poisoning unfolds before readers.[6] The couple later joins the struggle against the pesticide.[7]
Translations
J. Devika translated novel Enmakaje into English with the name Swarga.[3] The novel is named after Swarga, the name of a place in Enmakaje village affected by the pesticide.[8] The Tamil translation was done by Sirpi Palasupramaniyam.[9]
Notes and References
- Web site: 'എന്മകജെ' പാരിസ്ഥിതിക ദുരന്തത്തിന്റെ നേര്സാക്ഷ്യം . en-gb . 2019-03-01 . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195428/https://www.dcbooks.com/enmakaje-novel-by-ambikasuthan-mangad.html . live .
- News: Anantharaman . Latha . 'It is not just art but an act of protest' . The Hindu . 2017-04-29 . en-IN . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195813/https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/it-is-not-just-art-but-an-act-of-protest/article18302952.ece . live .
- News: Nair . Aparna . Paradise lost . The Hindu . 2017-05-11 . en-IN . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195544/https://www.thehindu.com/books/on-swarga-english-translation-of-ambikasuthan-mangads-malayalam-novel-enmakaje/article18418925.ece . live .
- Web site: മീങ്ങോത്ത് . മുരളി . എൻമകജെ ഒരു ഉത്തരമല്ല, കുറെ ചോദ്യങ്ങൾ ചോദിക്കാനുള്ള ശ്രമമാണ് - മലയാളനാട് വെബ്ബ് ജേർണൽ . malayalanatu.com . 25 July 2018 . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205431/https://malayalanatu.com/archives/6154 . live .
- News: Malayalam author Ambikasuthan Mangad's new novel 'Swarga' is a reminder for us of our mindless crimes against humanity . The Financial Express . 2017-08-06 . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195336/https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/malayalam-author-ambikasuthan-mangads-new-novel-swarga-is-a-reminder-for-us-of-our-mindless-crimes-against-humanity/796178/ . live .
- News: 'Swarga' Draws on Mythical Tales to Depict Kerala's Struggle Against Endosulfan Spraying . The Wire . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195245/https://thewire.in/books/swarga-book-review . live .
- News: Dark Eden . The Indian Express . 2017-08-12 . en . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195403/https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/dark-eden-swaraga-ecocide-in-kerala/ . live .
- News: ഇത് സ്വർഗം ശപിച്ചവർക്കുള്ള ഭൂമിയോ? . ManoramaOnline . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195155/https://www.manoramaonline.com/literature/bookreview/2017/05/18/enmakaje.html . live .
- Book: En̲makaje : Malaiyāḷac cūl̲aliyal nāval . 2013 . Kavitā Papḷikēṣan̲ . Cen̲n̲ai . 9788183453363 . 1. patippu.
