Fractured Freedom: A Prison Memoir is a memoir by Kobad Ghandy. The book mainly concerns his imprisonment of over a decade following accusations of being a member of the politburo of the Communist Party of India. The book is divided into three parts: "Motivation and Drive Behind Action", "A Decade in India's Prisons", and "Contemplation and Consideration of Justification". The book was published on 16 March 2021 in English by Roli Books.[1][2] A Marathi translation was released soon after.
 | |
| Author | Kobad Ghandy |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Memoir |
| Publisher | Roli Books |
Publication date | 16 March 2021 |
| Publication place | India |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 316 |
| ISBN | 978-8194969167 |
Critical reception
editEnglish edition
editGhandy's memoir was met with critical acclaim. Mahmood Farooqui of the Hindustan Times wrote:
"The importance of this memoir and of being Kobad lies in shedding privilege, in adopting poverty and struggle, in choosing the right life, in suffering wrongs for it, and yet remaining steadfast. Fractured Freedom is a moral lesson for modern India, which both the Left and the Right would do well to heed".[3]
Asim Ali of The Telegraph wrote:
"This is a sincere and lucid book, mercifully free of intellectual jargon or literary pretensions. It is also deeply moving at times, particularly when Ghandy writes about his wife. Whatever one makes of Ghandy's ideas, there are some important insights to be gleaned from his dramatic life".[4]
Marathi edition
editSukumar Shidore of Loksatta wrote, "as the content of the book is multi-dimensional, it is hoped that the discerning reader will delve into its various aspects".[5] Milind Champanerkar of The Wire wrote that "considering the singular images of 'gunmen, burakhadhari', it seems that this book can provide a lot of insight into reality, breaking through the myths about the extreme left".[6]
Controversy
editThe Government of Maharashtra withdrew a literature award it had given the Marathi translation of the memoir, citing objections that the book "promotes [the] violence of Naxalism".[7][failed verification] This initiated a strong reaction in the Marathi literary community, with awardees of the same competition Anand Karandikar[8] and Shared Baviskar[9] returning their rewards to the government. As a further sign of solidarity with Ghandy, several members of the jury that selects award-winning books resigned from the committee.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Why I am a communist: Activist Kobad Ghandy on ideology and Utopia". Scroll.in. 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Read an excerpt from Kobad Ghandy's Fractured Freedom, a stirring narrative of his activism and incarceration". Firstpost. 22 March 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Review: Fractured Freedom - A Prison Memoir by Kobad Ghandy". Hindustan Times. 16 April 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Honest reflections". The Telegraph. 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "एका नक्षलवाद्याचे अध्यात्म." Loksatta (in Marathi). 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "अतिडाव्याच्या मनातील परिवेदनेबाबत अंतर्दृष्टी देणारं 'फ्रॅक्चर्ड फ्रीडम'". The Wire (in Marathi). 16 January 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Maharashtra government scraps award, and jury, for Kobad Ghandy's book translation". The Times of India. 13 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Row over Kobad Ghandy book: Author Anand Karandikar to return Maharashtra govt award". The New Indian Express. 13 December 2022. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
- ^ "Row over Kobad Ghandy book: Marathi writer Sharad Baviskar returns award in protest". The New Indian Express. 14 December 2022. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
- ^ "Kobad Ghandy book row: Chief of Maharashtra govt.'s language advisory panel, 4 members of literary board resign as protest". The Hindu. 14 December 2022. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.