Hijab

by Guruprasad Kaginele

Three Indian doctors find themselves practising at a hospital in Amoka, a nondescript town in Minnesota, waiting for their green cards. What is expected to be an easy practice in a backwater town soon turns into a difficult question about identity, immigration and belonging, in this award-winning novel first published in Kannada.  

When a Sanghaali refugee woman refuses to deliver her baby via the Caesarean section despite doctors' advice, her act snowballs into a larger conundrum that brings to light cultural differences that may not be necessarily resolved with reason. As the doctors try to break down whether migrants can leave behind their culture in a new land, the conflict with the Sanghaalis reaches new heights. Reality TV, immigration issues, and racial profiling all converge in this little town that is struggling to adapt to the demographic shifts around it. 

A story about the dystopias that migration induces, Hijab is a powerful fable about one of the most burning issues of our time. How does one conform in a culture that is itself made of remnants from other cultures? Is identity skin-deep, or does it go beyond one's colour? And finally, what does being a migrant truly mean? 

Genres: India

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 21, 2020

Reviews

[That dorky lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

ಕಥೆಗಾರನ ಬಹು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಶಕ್ತಿಯೆಂದರೆ ಓದುಗರಿಗೆ ತಾವು ಓದುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಕಥೆ ಎಂಬ ವಿಷಯ ಮರೆಯುವಂತೆ ಬರೆಯುವ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯ.
ಗುರುಪ್ರಸಾದರ ಬರಹದ ಶೈಲಿ ಸರಳವಾಗಿ, ಸಾರಯುಕ್ತ ವಾಗಿದ್ದು ಓದಲು ಖುಷಿಯೆನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಕಥೆಯ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಘಟನೆಗಳು ಬೇಗನೇ ಜರುಗಿ ಓದುಗರಲ್ಲಿ ಕುತೂಹಲ ರೋಚಕತೆ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸಿದರೂ ಕಡೆಯ ಪುಟಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ರೀತಿಯ ಶಾಂತ,ತಟಸ್ತ ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಗಿದೆ ಎನಿಸಿತು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಹೊರದೇಶ, ಭಿನ್ನವಾದ ಸಂಸೃತಿಗಳ ತಿಕ್ಕಾಟಗಳ ಪರಿಚಯ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟಾಯಿತು. ತಾಯ್ತನದ ಸಂಬ್ರಮವಷ್ಟೇ ಗೊತ್ತಿದ್ದ ನನಗೆ ಅದರ ಇತರೆ ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಆಯಾಮಗಳ ಪರಿಚಯ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಟ್ಟ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ. it's a good read but I'm not sure about reading it again.

[Hari Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

The story is about two Indian doctors practicing medicine in America, waiting for their green card to settle there and fullfil their American dreams. A few medical decisions that they were forced to take in an emergency situation pushes them through a series of unprecedented events, which later skyrocket to gain the national media's attention.

A medical fiction never fails to catch my interest. The life of young Indian doctors who emigrates to United states is not unfamiliar to me, but the dilemmas they face in treating other immigrant patients, who differs considerably in their culture and ethnics was exciting and unheard of.
The book definitely is not a 'medical thriller', as it discuss more about the immigrant's problems and racism than about the medical aspects, and less thrilling than an unrealistic Robin Cook thriller and more like an excerpt from a doctor's professional life.

The book started off well and got to the core issue within first 50 pages but thereafter meandered a bit here and there and introduced a few characters who disappeared without leaving a mark. The author has left a few loose ends and I definitely had more than a few unanswered questions at the end but overall the book was a satisfactory read.

[Amith Kamath · Rating 4 out of 5]

#ಪುಸ್ತಕ_ಪಯಣ_೨೦೨೧

ಕೃತಿ: ಹಿಜಾಬ್

ಲೇಖಕರು: ಗುರುಪ್ರಸಾದ ಕಾಗಿನೆಲೆ

ಪ್ರಕಾಶಕರು: ಅಂಕಿತ ಪುಸ್ತಕ, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು


ಜಗತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ವಲಸೆ ಎಂಬುದು ನಿರಂತರವಾಗಿ ನಡೆಯುವ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆ. ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ವೇತನದಾಸೆಯೋ, ಜೀವನಮಟ್ಟವನ್ನು ಸುಧಾರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲೋ, ತನ್ನ ದೇಶದ ಅರಾಜಕತೆಯಿಂದ ಬೇಸತ್ತು ಅಥವಾ ಸದಾ ಯುದ್ಧ ಭೀತಿಯೋ ಇನ್ನೂ ಹಲವಾರು ಕಾರಣಗಳಿರಬಹುದು. ಆದರೆ ವಲಸೆ ಹೋಗುವುದರಿಂದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳನ್ನೂ ಬಗೆಹರಿಸಬಹುದೇ? ವಲಸೆ ಎಂಬ ಕ್ರಿಯೆ ‌ಉಂಟು ಮಾಡುವ ಪರಿಣಾಮಗಳೇನು? ವಲಸೆ ಹೋದವರು ತಮ್ಮ ಬದುಕನ್ನು ಸುಸ್ಥಿರಗೊಳಿಸಲು ಎದುರಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಸವಾಲುಗಳೇನು? ವಲಸೆಗಾರರು ಎದುರಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ,ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ತಿಕ್ಕಾಟಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ವಿಭಿನ್ನ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯ ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೊಂದಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪಡುವ ಪರಿಪಾಟಲುಗಳೇನು? ಇವೆಲ್ಲಕ್ಕೂ ಉತ್ತರ ಬೇಕಾದರೆ ನೀವು ಹಿಜಾಬ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯನ್ನು ಓದಬೇಕು.


ಅಮೆರಿಕದ ಮಿನೆಸೊಟಾ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಅಮೋಕ ಎಂಬ ಕಾಲ್ಪನಿಕ ಊರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುವ ಕಥೆಯು ಓದುತ್ತಾ ಹೋದಂತೆ ಇದು ಪ್ರಪಂಚದ ಯಾವ ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲೂ ನಡೆಯಬಹುದಾದ ಕಥೆ ಎಂದೆನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ತಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಚಕಾರವಿದ್ದರೂ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೂ ಸಿಸೇರಿಯನ್ ಮೂಲಕ ಮಕ್ಕಳನ್ನು ಪಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ಇಬ್ಬರು ಸೊಮಾಲಿಯಾ ದೇಶದ ಗರ್ಭಿಣಿ ತಾಯಂದಿರ ಅಜ್ಞಾನ ಅಥವಾ ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳು,ಯೋನಿ ಛೇದನದಂತಹ ಕ್ರೂರ ಪದ್ಧತಿ, ತನ್ನದಲ್ಲದ ನೆಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಬದುಕು ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಎದುರಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಅಡೆತಡೆಗಳು,ತನ್ನ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಬೇರುಗಳನ್ನು ಕಡಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪಡಬೇಕಾದ ಬವಣೆ,ವಲಸಿಗರ ಕುರಿತಾಗಿ ಮೂಲ ನಿವಾಸಿಗಳಿಗಿರಬಹುದಾದ ಮನೋಭಾವ, ಮುಗ್ಧ ಜನರ ತಲೆಕೆಡಿಸಿ ತಮ್ಮ ದುರುದ್ದೇಶಪೂರಿತ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು, ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಾಲತಾಣಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ಜನರನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಬೇಳೆಯನ್ನು ಬೇಯಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಹೀಗೆ ಹತ್ತು ಹಲವು ವಿಚಾರಗಳು ಬಹಳ ಸರಳ ನಿರೂಪಣೆಯ ಮೂಲಕ ಚಿತ್ರಿತವಾಗಿವೆ. ವಲಸಿಗರ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರಭಾವ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗುತ್ತಾ ಹೋದಂತೆ ಉಂಟಾಗುವ ಆಂತರಿಕ ಘರ್ಷಣೆಗಳು ಯಾವ ಮಟ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತವೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಸಹ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಅಂಶವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.


ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಕಾಡಿದ ವಿಚಾರವೆಂದರೆ ಭಾರತದ ಹಳ್ಳಿಗಾಡುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇವೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಲು ಹಿಂದೇಟು ಹಾಕುವವರು ವೈದ್ಯಕೀಯ ಸಮುದಾಯ ಅಮೆರಿಕದ ಖಾಯಂ ಪ್ರಜೆಯಾಗಿ ಉಳಿಯಲು ಯಾವುದೇ ಹಿಂದುಳಿದಿರುವ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ,ಎಂತಹುದೇ ವಿಷಮ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಹಿಂಜರಿಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ವಿಚಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಅಳಬೇಕೋ ನಗಬೇಕೋ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ.ವಿದೇಶದ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಯೋ ಅಥವಾ ನಮ್ಮ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನಮಗೆ ಇರುವ ಕೀಳರಿಮೆ ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣವಾಗಿರಬಹುದು.


ನಮ್ಮ ಬಲವಾದ ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳು,ಒಂದು ಸಮುದಾಯದ ಅಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ಹೋಗಲಾಡಿಸಲು ನಮ್ಮಿಂದ ಆಗಬೇಕಾದ ಕೆಲಸಗಳೇನು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಕುರಿತು ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯು ವಿಚಾರಿಸುವಂತೆ ಪ್ರೇರೇಪಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಈವರೆಗೆ ಓದಿದ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಭಿನ್ನ ಮತ್ತು ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಕಥಾವಸ್ತು ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಕೃತಿ


ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ,

ಅಮಿತ್ ಕಾಮತ್

[Areeb Ahmad (Bankrupt_Bookworm) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Those were happy times. We were cruising along, like a ship sailing on a calm sea, like an aircraft flying at thirty thousand feet."

Thank you, Simon and Schuster India for kindly sending this book across. A fairly gripping novel about what happens when cultures and belief systems collide. Peppered with few insights, it is an examination of identity and how it shaped by the places we inhabit and the people we interact with. More than that, it explores the complexities of forced migration.

I had a major issue with the socio-cultural and ethnolinguistic creation of a fictitious nation. Sanghaala generically modelled like a Middle-East Muslim country, doesn't exist. It feels like it was done to bypass an unfairly negative portrayal of an actual nation still it is bogged down by stereotypes: civil wars, terrorist militias and the refugee crisis. While all these are pertinent real-world issues, they appear as tropes in the book. America is projected as some progressive utopia, the light of advancement saving Sanghaalis from the primitive darkness of their homeland. And while I can see Kaginele attempt to dismantle all this, his efforts fall short in the end.

If these characters didn't have Indian names and if the names of the author and translator were hidden from me, I would not have even considered it being written by a Kannadiga. I found it refreshingly unique that the author, a US citizen presumably proficient enough in English, chose to write in his native tongue. But the prose was a letdown. It is filled with Americanisms and awkward in construction, at least in the English translation that I read. The characters themselves are not realized fully and their conversations get erratic, in terms of language and phrase usage.

There are abrupt jumps between characters and places and times, from one chapter to the next. The book has an intriguing premise, don't get me wrong. It's why I read it in the first place. It promises an ethical conundrum that could have been potentially explored with far-reaching implications. But the poor writing just negates its promising qualities. The story begins and ends at random, I felt like Kaginele lost the plot midway and dragged the narrative when he should have just ended it. With a heavy dose of editing and more critical insight into the problems he was trying to enumerate, the book could have really turned out to be amazing.

[Nikita · Rating 4 out of 5]

ಅರ್ಥಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ ಹಾಗು ಸಮಾಜಶಾಸ್ತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ವಲಸೆಯ ಹಲವು  ಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಿದರೂ ಸಹ ಅದರಿಂದ ಉಂಟಾಗಬಹುದಾದ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಆಘಾತದ (culture shock) ಕುರಿತು ನಾನೆಂದೂ ಕಲ್ಪನೆಯೂ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಇಂತಹ ಗಾಢವಾದ ವಿಷಯವನ್ನು ಕಥಾವಸ್ತುವನ್ನಾಗಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡು ಗುರುಪ್ರಸಾದ್ ಕಾಗಿನೆಲೆಯವರು ತಮ್ಮ ಹಿಜಾಬ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ನೈಜವಾಗಿ ಚಿತ್ರಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅಮೆರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಮಿನೆಸೋಟಾ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಅಮೋಕಾ ಎಂಬ ಕಾಲ್ಪನಿಕ ಊರಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುವ ಒಂದು ಘಟನೆಯ ಸುತ್ತ ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಣೆಯಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಮಿನೆಸೋಟಾ ರಾಜ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಬಹಳವಾಗಿ ವಲಸೆ ಬರುವ ಸೊಮಾಲಿ ನಿರಾಶ್ರಿತರು ಹತ್ತು ಸಾವಿರ ಜನಸಂಖ್ಯೆಯಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿರುವ ಅಮೋಕಾ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ನೆಲೆಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಈ ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳಾದ ಡಾ.ಗುರು, ಡಾ.ರಾಧಿಕಾ ಮತ್ತು ಡಾ.ಶ್ರೀಕಾಂತ ಅಮೋಕಾದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಏಕೈಕ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ವಿಶೇಷ ಯೋಜನೆಯಡಿ ಗ್ರೀನ್ ಕಾರ್ಡ್ ಪಡೆಯಲು ವೈದ್ಯರಾಗಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಇಂತಹ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಸೂತಿ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಜ್ಞೆಯಾದ ಡಾ.ರಾಧಿಕಾ ಹಾಗು ಎಮರ್ಜೆನ್ಸಿ ವೈದ್ಯನಾದ ಡಾ.ಗುರು ಇಬ್ಬರು ಸೊಮಾಲಿ ಗರ್ಭಿಣಿಯರಿಗೆ, ಸೊಮಾಲಿ ಸಮುದಾಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಷಿದ್ಧವಾದ ಸಿಸೇರಿಯನ್ ಸೆಕ್ಷನ್ ಮಾಡುವ ಮೂಲಕ ವಿವಾದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಲುಕುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಈ ವಿವಾದಕ್ಕೆ ಪುಷ್ಟಿಕೊಡುವಂತೆ ಸಿಸೇರಿಯನ್ ಸೆಕ್ಷನ್ ಮಾಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡ ಆ ಇಬ್ಬರು ಸೊಮಾಲಿ ಹೆಂಗಸರೂ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆಯು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಮೂಲಕ ಬಾಣಂತಿಯರ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಪ್ರಕರಣಕ್ಕೆ ನಾಂದಿಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಮೋಕಾ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ಶುರುವಾಗುವ ಬಾಣಂತಿಯರ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಸರಣಿ ಕಾಡ್ಗಿಚ್ಚಂತೆ ಹಬ್ಬಿ, ಮಿನೆಸೋಟಾ ರಾಜ್ಯದಾದ್ಯಂತ ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆಯ ಪ್ರಕರಣಗಳು ಬೆಳಕಿಗೆ ಬಂದು ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಾಲತಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಸದ್ದು ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಅಪವಾದ ಜಾಲದಿಂದ ಡಾ.ರಾಧಿಕಾ ಮತ್ತು ಡಾ.ಗುರು ಹೇಗೆ ಪಾರಾಗುತ್ತಾರೆಂಬ ವಿವರಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಕಥೆ ಸಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದು ಮೇಲ್ನೋಟಕ್ಕ�� ಕಾಣಿಸುವ ಕಥೆಯಾದರೆ,  ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಂದೆ ಸಾಗಿದಂತೆ ಜನಾಂಗೀಯ ತರಾತಮ್ಯ-ಪೂರ್ವಾಗ್ರಹಗಳು, ಆತಂಕವಾದ, ಮಾದಕ ವ್ಯಸನ, ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಅನೀತಿ, ಮತಾಂಧತೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಸ್ತ್ರೀ ತಾರತಮ್ಯ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಇನ್ನೂ ಅನೇಕ ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ಬಾಧಿಸುವ ಪಿಡುಗುಗಳನ್ನು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮವಾಗಿ ತೆರೆದಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಕೇಂದ್ರಬಿಂದುವಾದ ಸೊಮಾಲಿ ನಿರಾಶ್ರಿತ ಹಾಗೂ ವಲಸಿಗರು ಎದರಿಸುವ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳನ್ನು ಲೇಖಕರು  ಬಹಳ ಹೃದಯಂಗಮವಾಗಿ ವರ್ಣಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಸೊಮಾಲಿಯಾದ ಆಂತರಿಕ ಕಲಹಗಳಿಂದಾಗುವ ಸಂಕಷ್ಟಗಳು ಒಂದೆಡೆಯಾದರೆ, ಅಮೇರಿಕಾದಂತಹ ದೇಶಗಳಿಗೆ ವಲಸೆ ಹೋದ ಮೇಲೆ ಉಂಟಾಗಬಹುದಾದ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ, ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಹಾಗು ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳು ಹೇಗೆ ಅಸಂಖ್ಯಾತ ಸೊಮಾಲಿ ಕುಟುಂಬಗಳನ್ನು ಕಂಗಾಲು ಮುಾಡುತ್ತವೆ ಎಂಬ ಕಠೋರ ಸತ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಅರಗಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಕಷ್ಟವೇ ಆಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ಒಂದು ನಾಣ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಎರಡು ಮುಖವಿರುವಂತೆ, ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ವಿಷಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಕೋನಗಳಿರುವ ಕಾರಣ ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ಯಾವುದೇ ಪೂರ್ವಗ್ರಹಗಳಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಓದುವುದು ಉತ್ತಮ. ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಡಾ.ಗುರುವಿಗೆ ಪದೇಪದೇ ಕಾಡುವ ಹಲವು ಗಂಭೀರ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು ಓದುಗರಿಗೆ 'Food for Thought' ಎಂಬಂತೆ ಇವೆ.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಅಕಾಡೆಮಿ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ದೊರೆತಿರುವ ಹಿಜಾಬ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್ ಭಾಷೆಗೂ ಸಹ ತರ್ಜುಮೆಯಾಗಿರುವುದು ವಿಶೇಷ.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

ಹಿಜಾಬ್ - ಗುರುಪ್ರಸಾದ ಕಾಗಿನೆಲೆ.
ಇದು ಇವರ ಮೂರನೆಯ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ. ಬಿಳಿಯ ಚಾದರ, ಗುಣ ದ ನಂತರದ್ದು. ವಲಸೆ ಬಂದವರ ಬದುಕಿನ ಹಾಡು ಪಾಡು ಗುರುಪ್ರಸಾದರ ಕತೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಾಯಿ ಭಾವ.
ಅಮೆರಿಕದ ಮಿನೆಸೊಟಾ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಅಮೋಕಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡತೊಡಗಿದ ಡಾಕ್ಟರ್ ಗಳ ಕತೆ, ಈ ಊರಲ್ಲಿ ಸೊಮಾಲಿಯಾದ ವಲಸಿಗರು ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವ ಕಾರಣ ಮತ್ತು ಹಳ್ಳಿಯಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ಬೇರೆ ಡಾಕ್ಟರ್ ಗಳು ಬರದೆ ಐದು ವರ್ಷ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿದರೆ ಗ್ರೀನ್ ಕಾರ್ಡ್ ದೊರೆವ ಭರವಸೆಯಿಂದ ಕತೆಯ ನಿರೂಪಕ ಗುರು ತುರ್ತು ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸಾ ವೈದ್ಯ, ಪ್ರಸೂತಿ ತಜ್ಞೆ ಡಾಕ್ಟರ್ ರಾಧಿಕಾ ಮತ್ತು ಡಾಕ್ಟರ್ ರಜಾಕ್ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಸೊಮಾಲಿಯನ್ ವಲಸಿಗ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಸಮುದಾಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಸೇರಿಯನ್ ಹೆರಿಗೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇರುವ ನಂಬಿಕೆ, ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅನಿವಾರ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಡಾಕ್ಟರ್ ರಾಧಿಕಾ ಮಾಡಬೇಕಾಗಿ ಬಂದ ಸಿಸೇರಿಯನ್ ಹೆರಿಗೆ,ಅದರ ಪರಿಣಾಮಗಳು ಇವನ್ನಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡು ಇಡಿಯ ವಲಸಿಗರ ಕತೆಯನ್ನೂ,ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಬದುಕನ್ನೂ ಚೆಂದವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಆದರೆ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಕೆಲವು ಕಾರಣಗಳಿಂದ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಮೊದಲನೆಯದಾಗಿ ರೋಮಾಂಚಕ ಶೈಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆಯಬಹುದಾದಂತಹ ಕಥಾವಸ್ತು ಹೊಂದಿದ್ದರೂ ಅದನ್ನು ಲೇಖಕರು ಮಾನವೀಯ ನೆಲೆಯಿಂದ ನಿಭಾಯಿಸಿದ ಬಗೆ, ಎರಡನೆಯದು ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಸಮುದಾಯದ (ಇದನ್ನು ಬೇಸರದಿಂದ ಹೇಳಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಅಲ್ಲ.‌ಇಲ್ಲಿನವರಿಗೂ ಅಲ್ಲಿನವರಿಗೂ ಬಹಳ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ ಇದೆ) ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಅದರಿಂದುಂಟಾಗುವ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳ ಎಲ್ಲೂ ತೊಂದರೆಯಾಗದಂತೆ ಹೇಳಿದ ರೀತಿ; ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ತೀರಾ ಹೊಸತಾದ ಕತೆ,ವಲಸಿಗರ ಈ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳೆಲ್ಲ ನಮಗೆ ಅಪರಿಚಿತ .ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಅವೇ ಮಣ್ಣಿನ ,ಜಾತಿ ರಾಜಕೀಯದ, ಅಭದ್ರ ಭಾವದ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳ ಓದಿ ಸಾಕಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಇದನ್ನು ಓದಿ. ಇದೇ ಲೇಖಕರ ಬಿಳಿಯ ಚಾದರ ಬಿಟ್ಟರೆ ಈ ತರಹದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಲ್ಲವೇ ಇಲ್ಲ ಎನ್ನಬಹುದು.
ಕೊಸರು - ಒಂದೇ ಸಿಟ್ಟಿಂಗ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಗಿಸಿದೆ. ನಡುವೆ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ನೋಡದೆ, ಅಡ್ಡಾಗದೆ ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ಹೀಗೊಂದು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ ಹಿಡಿದಿಟ್ಟದ್ದು ಕಡಿಮೆಯೇ!

[Harshita Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kaginele’s book is a powerful narrative exploring identity, immigration, cultures, and nationalities. It was first published in Kannada in 2017 and was awarded Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award 2017. It’s a book impelling you to look at the migration issues and their racial truth through the view of a doctor; the state of the medical profession as opposed to the cultural and religious beliefs of immigrants. It talks about the appalling notions embedded in the society where migration comes in the picture.
Three Indian doctors are living in America, practicing at a hospital in Amoka, a small town in Minnesota, while waiting for their green cards. The things go awry when a doctor performed a cesarean section on a pregnant Sanghaali woman, even when she objected to it. Following this, a strident reaction came from the entire community along with the threat of distressing events. Soon unexpected incidents happen one after another, questioning the cultural differences of immigrants on different land.
Hijab is unlike to books already written on migration, as it tells the perspective of a doctor. Such books are rarely written. The story surely engages the readers’ attention and raises enough curiosity about what will happen to Sanghaali women and the doctors operating on c-sections. A recommended read.

[Kiran Bhat]

An extremely unique experiment in Kannada language writing. If you want to read my full thoughts, do check out this article I have written in the Caravan, comparing and contrasting two very unique Kannada writers, who are connecting the local to the global:

https://caravanmagazine.in/books/kann...

[Srishti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hijab
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Initially written in Kannada this book has been translated to English by Pavan N. Rao.

Amoka is a small town in Minnesota with an approximate population of ten thousand and only thirty doctors. One day a Shanghaali refugee woman, full term into pregnancy, storms into the hospital and from here starts the story of how immigration and cultural beliefs are strongly entwined.

The woman doesn't know English well enough to communicate, she demands that she will only have a lady doctor operate on her, as luck would have it there was no "lady" doctor there at the moment. Somehow the "lady" doctor reaches but now there is another issue. The Shanghaali woman won't have a caesarean section done on her as it is against the beliefs of the Shanghaali religion and was hell bent on having a normal delivery. It would have endangered the life of both the mother and the baby so a C-section was performed on her. But after the baby was delivered the mother is super uninterested in the baby and doesn't even care to hold or feed him. Her husband arrives at the hospital and in enraged tones declares that ,"people will die because of this" .

Three weeks later a Shanghaali woman (the same one who had c-section done) drove from Amoka in broad daylight, even as people around watched, jumped into the Mississippi and committed suicide.

Matters escalate and other deaths are also reported. Cultural differences which can't be solved by reason, reality TV, immigration issues and racial profiling all converge in this little town.

All this might appear to us as a crazy and unrelatable but still in many parts of the world there are people who are going through this.

Keeping it short I'll say this one was a highly interesting and informative read for me. So guys go and check out this book.

[Chaitrali Joshi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting premise and ethical conundrum. But poorly written and it feels like he loses the plot midway.

[Vanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Identity is a tricky concept, one that conceals far more than it reveals. We often define ourselves across multiple categories that are fluid through time. We are never the same from one point to another, yet some of these criteria remain fixed even as others change. I am always a woman, and almost always an Indian. I say almost because I turn into an Argentine when I am watching the football world cup. My point is that even with those categories that are given to us and which we can’t seemingly escape, we always have a choice of adopting/adapting one and shunning the other. These might seem to be arbitrary picks but how we identify ourselves is always a conscious decision, at least at some level. Hijab, written by Guruprasad Kaginele, and translated by Pavan N. Rao, is founded on this slippery concept of identity and how it unfolds in a country that’s a melting pot of cultures, religions, nationalities, class, and peoples. 

The novel begins with three Indian doctors—Guru, Srikantha, and Radhika—practicing in a hospital in Amoka, a small town tucked away in Minnesota, America. They’re only biding their time, waiting for their green cards to arrive to finally start living their own versions of the American dream. Days pass by unremarkably until one day a pregnant Sanghaali woman walks into the hospital and refuses to have a caesarean section, against doctor’s advice. The Sanghaala community forbids its women to have their “bellies cut open” to deliver children. After much back and forth, the woman delivers a healthy baby but there’s backlash against the doctor for performing a C-section. Things take an unexpected grim turn after this, bringing to the fore many questions surrounding not just medical practices in the light of cultural restrictions but also migrant identity, racial profiling, and the thin line that separates reality from illusion. 

This one’s a tough book to review without giving away spoilers. But I’ll tell you to read it for an intriguing story that will compel you to think of identity in broader terms, especially when we talk about migrants. 

[Nairita Bala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Hijab
Author: Guruprasad Kaginele
Translator: Pranav N Rao
Pages: 283
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon Schuster

Rating: 4 stars


Originally written in Kannada, Hijab is a story that speaks about Race, Cultural Threats, Taboos, Fear, Immigration, Racism.

Reading the blurb, the reader will know that this story is told by a medical practitioner residing in a small town of The U of SA, Amoka waiting to get his green card along with his two fellow Indian doctors with same “American Dreams”. Things got abhorrent when a Sanghaali Refugee Woman refuses to deliver baby through Cesarean, even after doctor’s advice and cautions against the complications which the mother or the baby may face. With the refusal and against the will cesarean came many hostile events that are illogical in nature yet threatening to the careers of the doctors.

When I read the review of this particular book in a renowned national print newspaper one Sunday, I was really intrigued to read the book to know how a medical practice connects the multi-layer problems that exists in the society. Through a medical practice the writer brings up the inhomogeneity in the society. How race, colour, citizenship status and even the origin country or simply a name given by parents can become a problem for the privileged class of the society and they cumulatively declare a particular community as enemy.

The translation is lucid and very easy to understand yet at the same time keep the reader on the edge to flip through the pages to know what happens next and why? The series of events that followed the opposed but inevitable cesarean are disturbing and questionable. The events and the people related to the events itself are enough for the reader to continue with the story. Their story is to be told. Why they have shaped undesired to the society, is to be told.

Half-way through the story, one of the major issues reflects, “Racism.” Yes, Racism how it is inside us, Indians, gets light in this story. Even deciding to remain silent knowing things are wrong is a crime. Disgusted by the event when a reader moves forward the second issue is addressed terrorism and its effects on a particular community and the family. How it is easy to single out a community and a family, but it is morally very wrong and against humanity! While the reader adjusts with one unethical event, black life matters hits. Intolerant and presumptuous humans have become over the time and that is not good for the kind. But all these connects one issue that is questioning the consensus of a patient to cesarean. Which is directly connected to terrorism, targeting those serving the humanity.
An issue which may look so easy for us, is a big matter for a particular community and can trigger them to do the worst is unimaginable until you read Hijab.
Though some issues remained unanswered at the end of the story to me, like why the young women are brainwashed and why it is so easy to brain wash a particular community. If I judge critically, poverty and starvation are two main reasons. Being deceived by American dreams these communities hope to get a good future while the completely different reality fuels their unhappiness and it becomes easy for the black sheep to brainwash them and make them enemy of the humanity. Through the narrative this book has illuminated me with knowledge to some extent, positively.
I highly recommend reading this book. To understand and learn.

[Ritika Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of books in this world that exist but only a few of them have the power to make you question things, and ‘Hijab’ by Guruprasad Kaginele is one of them. Hijab is originally written in Kannada and has been translated into English by Pavan N Rao. The book is set around “Amoka”, a small nondescript town in Minnesota. This small town has a lot of migrants from all over the world but especially the migrants of the Sanghaala community from Africa (fictional community).

Three Indian doctors work in the Amoka Hospital waiting for their green cards when in the middle of their usual lives, unexpected series of events entangles them in a controversial situation and throws them into a deep pit of politics. The drama unfolds when a pregnant Sanghaali woman refuses to deliver her baby through C-section against the advice of her doctor because of her cultural and religious beliefs. This act of her brings into light cultural conflicts, religious dogmas, age-old stereotypes, racial prejudices, and the problem to fit in as an immigrant. What might be a sane practice at one place may raise questions at another.

This book tries to show us what may look like the other side of America. It raises uncomfortable questions of migration and integration and what it is like to live with people who have a different cultural identity. It makes us ponder upon what really being a migrant means, how and why one wants to maintain their identity, why one’s identity is so important, can a person’s identity be told by his color or it is beyond that, etc.

Kaginele also won Kannada Sahitya Academy Award 2017 for this book. It examines the issue of gender, religion, culture, medical ethics, and media’s role in today’s world. I found the novel very interesting for how it used medical premises to impart knowledge concerned with migration. It was a fast-paced novel though I found some bits in the book too repetitive, which didn’t hinder my ability to read it because the events kept on getting interesting.

I personally loved reading this book. It was a very fresh plot. It not only taught me how certain stereotypes represent a culture but also how difficult it is to represent a culture without diving into stereotypes. After all, it is us who builds a culture and similarly, it is us who can change or break it.

[Krishnakumar Mohanasundaram · Rating 4 out of 5]

50 pages into the book, you are pulled in. The author doesn't jump around to build a setting, he comes to the issue, the core of the plot, right away and in a well executed set of chapters which gives the book a very strong opening. And as most of those contents seem to be based on some real life experience of the author it ensures a strong touch of 'reality' to it.

So, the reader ventures into the General hospital of the fictious American town of Amoka with its increasing fictious immigrant 'Sanghalese' population - who all migrate from a war torn land fictious land of Sanghala somewhere in Africa - where majority of the female population has undergone gential mutilation as a part of their culture which in turn makes it extremely difficult for them to have a normal delivery when they are pregnant. As the women - based on their beliefs - oppose undergoing Caesarean section - the doctors of the hospital struggle phsyically, mentally, ethically, and are pushed to constantly debate within themselves, within the management and with their medical practices, to do their job, to save lives and in this specific case, to save the mother and the baby.

Rascism, immigration, the inability to be where you belong and to not belong where you end up are all seen, discussed, narrated in the eye of medical personnel which is - as far as I know - a rare insight in this area.

The only drawback is that the narrative seems fractured. It often jumps around once the first 50 pages are done, tries hard and doesn't succeed much when it comes dialogues - at many places you are left to wonder if the characters themselves know what they are talking about or what they are doing. Some how the actions, the doings, the decisions are not convicngly done with the dialogues.

[Pooja Kulkarni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very warm, ironical and thought provoking. Many social issues of large scale, are addressed in this. To name a few; terrorism, racism, immigration and issues pertaining to it. Also how different religious beliefs when clashes can lead to some devastating visuals.

A narration by Dr. Guru who, along with some of his Indian colleagues works at Amoka’s hospital, a town near Minnesota. Everything seems to be fine, when one day an immigrated woman comes to the hospital of her delivery.

It is very warm and cozy read. But be ready for some ‘sitting at the edge’ moments, literally!!! It has the elements of surprise and shock.

Every religion has it’s essence with the teaching of how to be humans or indulge in activities which emphasizes on humanity. But the irony is that today religion is being learnt on a very superficial level. This leads any religion to lose it’s ethos, (but no offense to any religion). It is crucial to understand that one must not completely nullify the religious faith and beliefs but in dire situations, humanity is something that should be uplifted.

I have observed many different cultural references among with certain visuals which seemed very simple and are generally ignored, but has created a very different ambiance and are worth exploring.

[Siddhartha Vaidyanathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes you into the world of Indian doctors in small-town America, laying out the delicate challenges they confront on a daily basis. Also a terrific meditation on immigration, women’s rights, cultural baggage and the sense of alienation one can experience in towns that are so remote from the rest of the country.

[Kurnool Ramesh Babu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrifying tale!

A truly terrifying tale especially for the immigrant medicos in America! It has the power to arrest the dreams of any immigrants particularly medicos seeking 'Haven' and 'Heaven' in America. The only solace is that it is 'claimed' to be only fiction!

[Shabnam Nadiya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Premise was quite interesting, but execution was poor, and the middling translation didn't help.

[Anu Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

powerful

Powerful theme and topic.
Felt that the true spirit got lost a little in the translation!
Still will recommend reading

[Dr Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess this book wasn't translated in a good way. And that may be the underlying reason why the narrative felt disconnected at times. That's the issue with translated books.