Author, Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri in conversation with Bano Haralu at The White Owl in Chümoukedima on April 24. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Chümoukedima | April 25
Former Indian diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri enthralled the select audience at The White Owl, as she narrated stories of feisty young women who defy the constricting patriarchal traditions in the tumultuous period of modern Indian history.
An initiative of The Write Circle, held on April 24, Bano Haralu, an eminent journalist and conservationist moderated the literary session as they delved on Puri’s debut novel, ‘Swallowing the Sun,’ a historical fiction which covers a period from 1918 to 1950.
This is The Write Circle’s second event in Nagaland, which aims to widen the spectrum of English literature in the city. It was organised by Ehsaas Women of Dimapur—Viketuno Rio and Abokali Jimomi, Prabha Khaitan Foundation in association with Zone Niathu by The Park and supported by Shree Cement Limited.
Described by critics as a ‘lyrical prose,’ the book is an epic feat of remembering and storytelling by the former United Nations Ambassador, inspired by her early years of growing up in a literary environment. The audience, an intimate group was drawn to the author’s narrative of how she was influenced by her parents’ love for literature and tales from the Greek and Hindu mythology. “My parents, they used to be hungry for literature,” Puri said, even as she recalled how her parents made sure they read.
She was particularly inspired to write the novel from the 148 love letters written by her father. It took Puri nearly 22 years to birth a complete novel, a ‘coming-of-age saga,’ which was inspired by her parents who were ‘extraordinary people of their generation’ and represents the people of ‘British-ruled India.’
Haralu pulled out narratives from the book of how the women characters exuded Puri’s own feisty and strong-headed nature. It was her parents that stirred her to believe ‘that only if you dare can miracles happen.’
The story is told through the eyes of its young heroine, Malati. As a young girl, Malati fights and defeats the school bully of her village in Maharashtra. From then on, backed by her progressive father, she and her sister Kamala constantly push the societal boundaries and go on to become the first women in their family to go to college.
They both end up in Bombay (now Mumbai), which was a hotbed of political ferment, where, even as she is whirled along by the current and excitement of the battle for Independence. The novel depicts the small and big aspects of everyday life—love, loss, failure, and compromise.
Imaginative, compelling, and exquisitely told, ‘Swallowing the Sun’ is one of the most memorable debut novels in recent years.
While the book covers only the first five decades of the 20th century, Puri noted the reader today will recognise Malati and other stellar men and women characters ‘who populate in all of us.’
Puri has been an Indian Foreign Service diplomat for 28 years. She served in leadership positions at the United Nations for 15 years, most recently as its Assistant Secretary General. She is also the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights, among others.
Following the discussion, the author distributed autographed copies of her book to the invited attendees.
