SHAMSUDDIN'S GRAVE
BY
PAROMITA GOSWAMI
BLURB
Latika's wrecked personal front leaves her completely shattered. So when her ailing father reveals his desire to go back home, she doesn't think twice and moves to her hometown. She joins an NGO and comes across a teenager rape victim. Much against her TL, Debjyoti's wish she sets out to trace the girl with Shamsuddin's help. Will she succeed or end up in big trouble?
Shamsuddin, a daily labourer, somehow manages to thrive in the city. Meanwhile, flood devastates his house in the village. His family takes refuge in a relative's place where his wife has a tough time resisting to the advances of her brother-in-law. Can Shamsuddin arrange for an accommodation before it is too late?
Set in Guwahati amid the backdrop of flood and ethnic turmoil, "Shamsuddin's Grave", is the story of migration towards big cities for a better life.
MY REVIEW
No country as multi-cultural, diversified, and as vast as
India can be without its share of issues and problems. One of these issues is, the
issue of immigrants, legal or otherwise. While it’s a challenge for the
government to take all of them into account and provide them with the basic necessities
of life, it’s all the more difficult for the immigrants who had to leave their
homeland and start a new life in an unknown land, where people might or might
not be willing to accept them as their own.
‘Shamsuddin’s grave’ is the story of one such immigrant,
whose family in spite of having migrated to India from Bangladesh many years ago,
was still to be accepted legally. It’s a story about Shamsuddin and the
hardships he had to go through, in order to provide two square meals to his
family and a roof over their heads. It’s a story of survival, humanity,
empathy, and of the various divides that have been evilly running around in our
society for generations.
Based in Guwahati, Assam, ‘Shamsuddin’s grave’ is a story of
many layers. Where on one hand, the writer narrates the protagonist’s story of survival,
on the other hand she also essays in not one but two good-hearted female
characters, who are willing to stand up against the evil of social ostracizing
in their own different ways.
WHAT I LIKED:
The debutant writer, Paromita Goswami, has succeeded in bringing forth the
plight of illegal immigrants. The brilliant plot is also well executed, and
Paromita has managed to pull a string in the reader’s heart.
WHAT I DISLIKED:
If only there was more emphasis laid on proofreading and editing, this would
have been an excellent book. With a number of glaring typos, grammatical errors
and erratic flow right in the first 20 odd pages, I had all but given up on the
book. What kept me going though, and read it to the end, was the plot. I wanted
to know what becomes of the protagonist; and to say that I was surprised would
be under-telling.
Overall, it is a nice, heart-touching book, which is definitely
worth a read. I give Paromita’s book, a 3.5 out of 5.
Disclaimer: I had
received a paperback version of the book from the author, via ‘The Book Club’,
in return of my honest and unbiased review.
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Read an excerpt
Read an excerpt
It was 2.00 a.m. in the morning and Kalapahar woke up to the cries of people. People didn’t know what was going on. There was no electricity and all they heard were the cries of women, children and men for help. Stampede of people running across the roads towards the uphill area shouting for help.
Latika too woke up hearing the cries. She switched on her night lamp but there was no electricity. She stepped down from her bed and landed into knee deep water soaking her pyjamas. Terrified, she reached for the torch on the night table and switched it on. She was traumatized to find her room flooded. The water level almost reached her bed wetting the mattress. She didn’t waste time and waded through the water to check on her father’s room. It was similar situation there too, with the only difference that the old man was sound asleep due to medication. She woke him up and went to check the other rooms.
It was similar sight all around. Dining chairs, gas cylinder, utensils, tables everything floating across the rooms. She turned off all the switches and whatever valuables she could lay her hand upon, she collected in a bag. Then she pulled a chair on top of her father’s bed and made the old man sit on it with the bag. She checked the water level outside through the glass window with the hope of evacuating the house. But it was worse and riskier to wander out with an old man in flood water at night. She knew she could not make it.
Help was unreachable as of now, as everyone was fending for themselves. She heard the neighbors crying for help but no one listened. Even the cell phone network was jammed. She knew she could not do anything but wait. At last she pulled a chair on the bed and sat down beside her father clenching his hands in hers. Both prayed eagerly for all this to be over.
Latika too woke up hearing the cries. She switched on her night lamp but there was no electricity. She stepped down from her bed and landed into knee deep water soaking her pyjamas. Terrified, she reached for the torch on the night table and switched it on. She was traumatized to find her room flooded. The water level almost reached her bed wetting the mattress. She didn’t waste time and waded through the water to check on her father’s room. It was similar situation there too, with the only difference that the old man was sound asleep due to medication. She woke him up and went to check the other rooms.
It was similar sight all around. Dining chairs, gas cylinder, utensils, tables everything floating across the rooms. She turned off all the switches and whatever valuables she could lay her hand upon, she collected in a bag. Then she pulled a chair on top of her father’s bed and made the old man sit on it with the bag. She checked the water level outside through the glass window with the hope of evacuating the house. But it was worse and riskier to wander out with an old man in flood water at night. She knew she could not make it.
Help was unreachable as of now, as everyone was fending for themselves. She heard the neighbors crying for help but no one listened. Even the cell phone network was jammed. She knew she could not do anything but wait. At last she pulled a chair on the bed and sat down beside her father clenching his hands in hers. Both prayed eagerly for all this to be over.
About the author
Paromita Goswami
A nomad at heart and a rebel by choice is the best way to describe her. Paromita Goswami had always believed in making her own path. She says life is full of stories that are waiting to be told.
Author of Shamsuddin’s Grave, published in 2015, an offbeat social drama based on critical social issue, Paromita Goswami loves to write about life and relationships. She has written many short stories for online magazines. Her upcoming works are, Grow Up Messy, is a humorous collection of short stories of a mischievous five year old girl. The book is a ride down the childhood days. It was part of blogging challenge, #atozchallenge2016 and second is The Jungle Series, a collection of short stories #paranormal, based on the jungles of Chhattisgarh.
Besides writing she is also the founder of Raipur Little Minds Book Reading Club that has a major objective of developing the book reading habit in children. She is also the founder of Book Studios that makes book trailer, book covers and banners. Making travel documentary is her other passion.
Paromita is married and lives in Raipur with her family including her pet cat and dogs. She loves to connect with her readers and can be easily traced on all social media sites.
You can stalk her @
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Thank you so much for your fabulous and honest review.
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