Poorvapar : Before and After

Ramesh Chandra Shah's is a rare intellect perfectly at home with the tradition and at the same time contemporary enough to engage in a dialogue with the outsider. His insight into the twin worlds of the East and West afford him the unique vantage point of an insider outsider who can raise crucial questions regarding civilization and cultures. This is also well reflected in his present novel Poorvapar wherein he addresses the eternal dilemma of the Indian mind the acceptance or rejection of the world. It is a difficult theme explored in a novel way though the schizophrenic characters of Bansi and Bantu one passionate about life and the other disillusioned from it. Wading through the inevitable self doubt dilemma and self critique the novel arrives at the acquiescence of the unbroken flow of life inherent in the beauty of Karma. As Bantu experiences the dichotomy after all is not so discordant to him I felt there was something of me in Bansi there was a part of me sitting in penance with him in the wilderness. Our paths were different yet both necessary. 248 pp.…