Odisha News Times News Of Odisha For Odisha
By Dr. Kanak Hota,Chicago
In this bleak moment when mankind reels under the threat of an epidemic that refuses to subside, and natural disasters like flood, fire, and storm threaten in tandem our very existence, there couldn’t have been a more appropriate time for the appearance of a colossally optimistic novel, After the Deluge (Black Eagle Books, USA)a translation of Jnanpith laureate Dr. Pratibha Ray’s award-winning Odia novelMagnamati (2004). Translated into English by Prof. Prafulla Kumar Mohanty, the book is written in the backdrop of the nineteen ninety-nine super cyclone that ravaged vast coastal areas of Odishain massive inundation and wrought havoc in the lives of people who depend on the sea and the soil beyond, for their very existence. But the novel, like any timeless work of art, transcends the local and becomes a universal tale of hope and regeneration in the face of unspeakable human tragedy. Flood has been a recurrent symbol in cultures across the world -be it in the MaschyaPurana or the episode of Noah’s Ark in the Bible to say the least. Ray’s book is a modern epic that uses flood to tell an awe-inspiring tale of man’s struggle and his triumph in the battle against nature.
.Besides being a panoramic depiction of the insurmountable, brute forces of nature – darkness, wind, and water, After the Deluge is also attributed to the indomitable human spirit which ultimately triumphs over death, loss, and devastation. In this epic battle of man versus nature, man obviously is a fragile agent, and nature as an adversary is a dark, destructive, and disproportionately mightier force. Ray is a visionary; like a fortune-teller, she knows what awaits the destitute. These humblest of human beings who have lost homes loved ones, and livelihoods face a tomorrow that is absolutely dark. But they must gather themselves and rise from the submerged earth. Once the storm subsides, they reckon their loss, bury those who succumbed to the devouring wind and the surge and think of their journey ahead. Hungry, lost, and at a loss for words to describe their sorrow -these human beings walk through acres and acres of ruined rice fields, pan groves, and vegetation. They swim the water suffused with the stench of human and animal carcasses, just to announce to the rest of the world that they are alive. The fishermen amongst them get ready to go back to the sea. Life ordains and these folks follow. The book records their lore, dialects, rituals, and practices. From the name of the varieties of fishes found in those rivers and the sea to the names of rice cultivated in the area, Ray becomes the keeper of their history. She links water with boundless freedom, love, and human connectedness.
After the Deluge therefore is a timeless testament of the lives of the folks it depicts so vividly. Pratibha Ray’s characters are stakeholders in a saga of loss and hope. She cautions that the deluge in areas of Jagatsinghpur, the arena of her theatre was not the last or the final one but the human beings who braved the disaster without giving up and renewed their vows to take on life’s challenges headlong, epitomize exceptional grit and heroism.
About the Author
Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1645602036/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1…
Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/1645602036/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1…
About BLACK EAGLE BOOKS: Satya Pattanaik, Director, Black Eagle Books, (Dublin, Ohio) is a reputed poet and translator. Collaborating with like-minded friends, he founded BLACK EAGLE BOOKS on 1 April 2019 with the goal of propagating Indian literature globally and bringing out-of-print books back to business. He believes in the global presence of each literary work; he advocates editing and translation. He has a dream – to see an Odia writer getting the Nobel award in the next 10-15-20 years. He is willing to collaborate with such dreamers to make this happen. He has a goal of publishing 500 books in a span of five year
