CHITRALEKHAKO CHAURASI: the book that lands in controversy

 

CHITRALEKHAKO CHAURASI
the book that lands in controversy

Chitralekhako Chaurasi is a Nepali translation of LAND WHERE I FLEE. Originally, the novel was written in English and published in London in 2014. Finally, the Nepali translation of the book was launched in 2023 for Nepali readers. 

Prajwal Parajuly is a Nepali-origin Indian author who lives in India. He has woven the entire story around an 84-year-old woman, Chitralekha. During her young age, Chitralekha was involved in the garment business and earned an impressive fortune. She lived a good life, but it was full of challenges, obstacles, and competition. She faced many vicissitudes of life and finally established herself as a successful female entrepreneur.  

Chitralekha made an announcement in the family to celebrate her 84th birthday by following religious rituals. Everyone in the village was invited to the grand puja. Her three grandchildren living abroad agreed to attend the puja. Chitralekha’s three grandchildren: Mansha, Augustya, and Bhagvati, are the lead characters in the novel. But to everyone’s surprise, in the last moment, Chitralekha’s fourth grandson, who was not invited but arrived to attend the puja. Thus, he was mostly treated as an unwanted guest.  

Bhagwati, one of the grandchildren of Chitralekha, came all the way from the USA to attend her grandmother’s 84th grand puja celebration. After spending over a decade in the USA, Bhagwati returns home for the first time, but Chitralekha never accepted Bhagwati. It was because Chitralekha had been married to a lower-caste boy, and Chitralekha never accepted this relationship.  

Chitralekha never liked Bhagwati. Bhagwati always tried her best to win her grandmother’s favor, but she could not win her heart. One time, out of frustration and anger, even Chitralekha blamed Bhagwati for stealing some jewelry. The author’s next character is Augutsya, who lives in the US and is a practicing cancer specialist. He is also present in the grand 84th puja of his grandmother Chitralekha. He is shown to be gay in the novel and has sexual relations with men. The introduction of this character is completely unwanted and does not fit in the story either. Augutsya, being a cancer specialist, has been portrayed as a wayward, careless, and wanton character who takes no interest in his profession.  

The author’s characterization can be questioned. He writes that Chitralekha never accepted Bhagwati because she got married to a lower-caste man. Similarly, Augustya, who is a cancer specialist in the US, is shown as a gay man who is always thinking of having a sexual relationship with men. This is an example of negative characterization. The character of Augustya also gives the wrong message about Nepalese doctors to the world. A cancer specialist and gay, as shown by the character of Nepali doctor Augustya, is something unnatural and bizarre in the context of Nepali society.  

Mansha, the granddaughter of Chitralekha, lives in London. She got married to Himal, who is a former diplomat’s son. The way the author has portrayed Mansha’s character is also awkward and unacceptable. Mansha has completed her Ph.D. from Oxford University. Even after completing a Ph.D. from Oxford University, Mansa is forced by her husband’s family to leave her job and take care of her ailing father-in-law.  

This is also an example of extremely negative characterization. It is simply unacceptable to think that a woman who completes a Ph.D. from Oxford University but under family pressure ends up working as a caretaker in London. This character gives the wrong message about Nepali people’s mentality. Later, to everyone’s surprise, an Oxford Ph.D. holder, Mansa, decides to stay in Gongtok to take care of her grandmother, Chitralekha.  

Chitralekha Neupane is the lead character of the novel. But the author has not presented Chitralekha as a woman of sublime character. It is expected that the main character of the novel should be the embodiment of virtue. But it is not like that. Chitralekha was always cruel to her employees, a chain smoker, a miser, and a selfish woman. 

After reading the novel, it seems that the readers are watching Ekta Kapoor’s TV serials rather than reading a book. Thus, I found the author’s characterization has maligned Nepal and Nepalese people’s identities in the eyes of foreign communities. Most characters in the novels are engaged in plotting conspiracies. In reality, Nepali society is not like that. This is the wrong presentation of Nepali people abroad.  

The author has also presented a fourth character in the novel. And he is also a negative character. He is Rutwa, an unwelcome guest in the family. Chitralekha never liked Rutwa. Rutwa introduces himself as a writer. He is shown that for monetary gain and settling personal vendettas, he would stoop any low. Even he would not mind tarnishing his own grandmother Chitralekha’s image for monetary gain. Moreover, without understanding the sentiments of several Gurkhas living in the region, Rutwa writes against the Gorkhaland movement. As a result, agitated hilly Gurkhas set Chitralekha’s garment factory on fire. 

The author has presented Rutwa as a morally degraded writer who is always ready to trade anything for money or personal benefits. Therefore, this character has tarnished the image of Nepali writers in the eyes of the international community.  

Prasanti is the only positive character in the novel. She belongs to a third gender. Chitralekha convinced Prasanti, and she agreed to live with Chitralekha. Prasanti is happy, as she does not have a family to take care of. Being a person of neutral gender, Prasanti was free most of the time. In the end, the author has given the message to its readers that life could be better if one lives alone, like Prasanti. This gives the wrong message to society. In Nepali society, marriage establishes a social bond and the beginning of a new life for the married couple.  

In many places, the author writes that he does not like Kathmandu for its dirty slums and garbage mismanagement. He did not see the good sides of Kathmandu. His strong dislike for Kathmandu is reflected in many places in the novel. Such a biased description of Kathmandu can leave Nepalese readers unhappy and insulted. In addition, according to the author, those Nepalese who are living abroad are not happy, and they have no love for their country either.  

The author has introduced upper- and lower-caste subjects in his novel. According to the author, Chitralekha did not like one of her granddaughters only because she got married to a lower-caste Nepali youth. On the other hand, the author has lavishly adored a third-gender character. He has proved through her character that one can live happily only if the person does not fall prey to marriage.  

The only part of the novel that I would like to appreciate is its language. The quality of the language in both the English and Nepali versions is brilliant. The wording is simple, lucid, and easy to understand. I am a great fan of his beautiful language. I wrote a full-length book review of his first novel, Gurkha’s Daughter. In that book review, I did not make a single critical comment about the book. However, I vastly disagree with his second book, “Land where I flee.” 

After finishing the reading of Chitralekhako Chaurasi, if readers contemplate what they have learned from the book, they will find the author has presented Nepali culture and Nepali people in a wrong manner. Foreigners, including Indians, will get all the wrong messages about Nepal and Nepali people, its culture, and the general attitudes of the people of Nepal.  

I hope the author will pay attention to this, and next time he writes another book, he should not insult Nepal and Nepali people.  

LB Thapa is the editor and publisher of The Hemingway Post, a literary magazine. He can be reached at writerlbthapa@gmail.com

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