O P Sharma
Tile of the book – Kalapa ( a novel in Dogri)
Author / Translater Chuni Lal Sharma
Year of publication – 2023
Publisher – Highbrow Publications, Bari Brahmana, Jammu
This 256-pages book entitiled ‘Klapa’ is Dogri translation by Chuni Lal Sharma, a reputed broadcaster (retd) of AIR, Jammu of Dr. Damodar Khadse’s famous Hindi novel ‘Khidkiyan’. This new book has recently been published and is now available in the market. The story-line of the novel runs as follows.
Becoming alone, feeling lonely or putting someone in the dark of loneliness has become common practice in contemporary materialistic society everywhere in the world today. Problem of loneliness can be seen more or less in all age-groups but the elderly persons are much more sufferers of this problem due to various reasons. The “cage of loneliness” is, in fact, a dark cave for some people as they do not find the way to come out of it. Many people fall into the trap of psychosomatic disorders.
Main Theme
‘Kalapa’ is full of many social concerns; mainly the problem of loneliness which is very well projected and solution also sought. Loneliness is commonly observed among oldies, especially who lose their life partners or become alone or left by their sons and daughters due to their jobs at distant places. Similarly, the women who are deserted, divorced or deceived by their partners or become untimely widows also suffer from many social and psychological problems and have to live a burden-some life.
The main character of this novel, is Professor Arun Prakash while his wife Prof Astha is appointed as Vice Chancellor of a newly formed Women University and has to struggle day and night to establish the varsity as an ideal seat of learning. She works very hard to get the campus constructed over the barren land and becomes successful in her mission despite many odds. But at inaugural function itself she suffers a massive heart attack and dies while delivering welcome address. Prof. Arun Prakash plays the role of both mother and father to bring up his adolescent son and daughter.
Facing the Problem
But when he retires from service, he feels alone as his both children are settled abroad. In solitude, he starts publishing a magazine and tries to bring out the people left in the darkness of loneliness. He visits his daughter, who is settled in USA, and studies the plight of some of the Indian broken families residing there. He gives vent to the feelings of those who have fallen alone and living a burden-some life.
Prof. Arun Prakash makes his missions to bring out the people from the “darkness of solitude” by his efforts as counselor, consultant and the editor. The novel also presents the comparative study of the Indian and Western value system, behavior pattern and life style. As such the novel ‘Kalapa’ is full of social, sociological, psychological and philosophical concerns.
Some women characters in the novel are the examples of dedication and devotion, who bring up and educate their children single handedly. But when the children are established in their life, sometimes they ignore their mothers. Even their daughters care least for their mothers Nagama and Asha at their settlements in USA. They do not mix up emotionally with them. As a result such ladies feel themselves alone while living with their daughters under the same roof.
But unlike Sapna and Khayati, Nishtha, the daughter of Arun Prakash calls her father from Indore to stay with her in USA. Nishtha’s husband Vaibhav also takes care to make the stay of his father-in-law comfortable and memorable. Nishtha and Vaibhav often take him for outings, sightseeing and do every effort to make him happy. Arun Prakash, on his return to Indore, works more vigorously for his magazine and helps the people who are in the state of depression despair and destitute.
Sakshi, a prominent character, is a Professor of Hindi Literature in Bhopal also comes across Arun Prakash by virtue of his magazine. She is also under the stress due to her family circumstances, but gets relief after finding suitable place in the publications of the magazine. She is a widow and her children are also settled at distant destinations.
Prof. Arun Prakash and Prof Sakshi help each other at different literary and social platforms as good friends. They develop heart to heart relationship but always remained physically distant. Arun Prakash even ignores the suggestion of his all -weather friend Surajkant to get into marriage relationship with Sakshi by saying that his motive is to uplift and empower the women and not to achieve his self comforts.
This 256-page book contains 31 chapters. Every chapter reveals some story but every story revolves around the main plot and the main character Arun Prakash. Among these stories we find some of the couples in America, those are rolling in wealth but do not want to become parents. There are some people who do not want to look after their children properly; leave them in crèches or in the hands of caretakers because they have either no time for children or they do not want to sacrifice their conforts for their children. In this way the novel presents a mirror of the materialistic society particularly in the West.\
Clear Message
For problem of “loneliness among old people”, the novel gives clear-cut message that in social life most of the problems can be solved within the families itself by mutual understanding or with the help of close friends. But the positive thinking and constructive approach is always essential. This is the loud and clear message of the novel ‘KALAPA’.
The translation of the novel by Mr Sharma is done in proper Dogri tone and diction and this book is useful for Dogri lovers and readers. It is also a valuable addition to the repository of Dogri language and its literature.
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