Title: The Secret Diary of Kasturba
Author: Neelima Dalmia Adhar
Publisher: Tranquebar Press
Review:
A fictionalized “memoir,” Neelima Dalmia Adhar’s ‘The Secret
Diary of Kasturba’ derives its facts from the lives of Mahatma Gandhi, his wife
Kastur, and their sons. It is written in the first person and includes invented
thoughts and dialogue that may or may not bear resemblance to real life. The
book essentially voices Kastur’s feelings about her life with her husband.
Through this book we get a glimpse into the life of the otherwise overshadowed
figure who was sacrificed at the altar of greater good.
Numerous books have been written about the legendary Mahatma
Gandhi, the man who freed India, but nothing substantial has ever been written about
the woman who shared his successes and failures. Known simply as “Ba” (Mother)
to millions of people in India, she is truly the forgotten woman whom history
has side-lined mercilessly. She was the woman who shared Gandhi’s love, his
sorrows, his triumphs and his tragedies. She was the one who stood by his side
even when imprisoned alongside him on several occasions. She overcame many
obstacles as she gave up a life of wealth for one of utter poverty. She
was forced into celibacy, a decision that was not conferred with her by her
cherished husband.
The book starts with Kastur fighting an already lost battle
with death. Hers is a fate sealed by the dictates of an otherwise stringent
husband. The chronology then shifts to the beginning. We are gradually
introduced to the Kapadia household where Kastur was born to the governor of
Porbandar. She is shown to grow up in the pages with an alacrity that is short
lived. She gradually speaks from her heart about the different facets of her
life — losing her first-born, an often difficult marriage, her husband’s immersion
in politics and its consequences on their family, their troubled sons, and,
most importantly, her own desires and hopes.
Usually Gandhi biographers write about the legends that we
have come to associate with the name. Neelima’s story is that of a human, riddled
with one too many flaws. We are shown the tantrums of a husband and the failures
of a father. As such it is not the same man that we’ve learned to expect but
someone as seen through the eyes of his wife.
Neelima’s writing is crisp and comes effortlessly. Her
narrative whips up a vivid imagery, albeit a lengthy, one which renders the
reading experience a tad boring. The book could have been easily accommodated in
just half of its present length. The biggest drawback of this book is the
narrator’s omnipresence. It has come out more as story about Gandhi than a
journal of Kastur’s. None of what makes up this book is new; some of it is
blinkered, some is extraneous; but enough of it is vivid to impress upon
latecomers the role of the woman behind the force that is known as the Mahatma.
However, it should be read for what it is — a work of fiction rather than a historical
study.
About the Author:
When Neelima Dalmia Adhar wrote Father Dearest: The Life and
Times of R.K. Dalmia in 2003, she was on the bestseller list and labelled a
daredevil “family chronicler” who had exposed some fiercely-guarded secrets.
She then wrote a novel, Merchants of Death in 2007 to be established as a
mistress of the genre.
Educated in a convent school and a reputed college in Delhi, she has a Master’s
in Psychology with a specialization in “personality.” Her first and only job
was to teach Psychology to undergraduate students of Delhi University.
A passionate “people-watcher,” she is drawn to oddities and thrives on writing
about personalities and human behaviour, from the quirky to the mysterious to
the bizarre, a subject she does chillingly close to the bone.
She lives in Delhi with her husband, children and two grandchildren.
Buy link:
* I received a review copy
from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
** Picture courtesy:
Amazon.in
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