Many of us in Molecular Connections know Namita and have interacted with her. I was pleasantly surprised when Namita mentioned her book based on an agrarian crisis. Namita has a Masters in biochemistry and then she had moved on to learn about software and partner with Cas for managing their project. Namita is also involved with a publication firm People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), where she volunteers for Marathi, Hindi and English translations.
The Long March is a fiction based on Namita’s experience with farmers and interaction with them. The recent marches by farmers all over the country towards the state capitals or New Delhi to make their voices heard come out strongly in this book. Her language is simple. There are many anecdotes on farmers’ suicides, drought, adverse effects due to changing crop patterns imposed by vested interests and big corporate houses. She also brings in social issues like caste equations, muscle and money power, inter-religious relationship, etc. The two lead characters in the book Mallika who recently joined an NGO in the city and Vikram, the young son of a farmer who had committed suicide spearhead a movement to bring together farmers across the country.
Namita also describes vaari, a pilgrimage to Pandharpur, city of Vittala during which Mallika gains spiritual awakening. The tradition of vaari is described well. The book brings in many other characters, like committed and idealistic journalists, social workers, and economically backward city dwellers and their life. Storytelling is an art and for a first time novel, this is a great attempt by Namita. The book is another source for us non-farmers to relate to the issues of agrarian crisis.
