BOOK REVIEW: “TEARS OF A FATHER” EXPOSES TEARS OF A COMMUNITY

Thakur Ranjit Singh, Auckland, New Zealand

Former Member of Parliament from Ba, Satendra Singh has many achievements, but basically he is a very private family person. So much that when he wrote his first fiction ‘Tears of a Father’ he wrote it under a quasi, literary or as he calls it, poetic name of STAN.

The Book - TEARS OF A FATHER - a very readable short book with very enthralling fiction very much close to the heart of those from Fiji and looks like reality. A very pertinent book that relates to all Fiji Indian migrants all around the globe. A must reading for all as it is more about tears of a community that needs to put its house in order.

I always had a feeling, this Rarawai Wala Chora (the kid from Rarawai, Golflinks, Ba Fiji), Satendra would do something greater. One thing he never told me was that he was writing a fiction and what I never told him is that I would do a review of that book. So we both are even now.

His life has been full of experience and adventures. He has been a childhood singer- I sang ‘Goa’s duet...”do diwaane dil ke…” in Radio Fiji’s Mehfil programme in 1965 with him. He was a school orator and debater, an accomplished MC, an event organiser, a radio announcer, Ramayan parcharak, film Actor (heard of ‘Love in Ba?”), a bank officer with Westpac and had audacity to tell his boss to “stick his job” upon the Bank’s show of insensitivity towards his culture. He has also been a secondary school teacher, a Farm Advisor with FSC, a community leader, a Member of Parliament in Chaudhry’s Labour Party, a business proprietor and many more.

The Satendra Singh Royal Family photo of yesteryear, with wife, Shanti Devi Singh, three daughters and only son. With support of a loving family he has been able to achieve much, and will continue writing more books. 

Satendra Singh have had an illustrious career in his life. Indeed, somebody with these skills was expected to irrigate the community with his fountain of wisdom. He was expected to do what nobody else in Bansi clan dared do or has done - to secretly become an author of fiction, ek kalpit lekhak.

He is my “langotiya yaar’, a childhood friend, and hence readers may assume I will just paint a shiny picture of him and his book. Right? Wrong. If I ever again go to Calgary or meet him, I have quite a few confusing questions.

Firstly, why a nickname, or poetic name of author? Satendra is such a beautiful name. Okay agreed, but why an English name?  Why Stan? Stan? Why obsession of our people in Canada with Anglicised or English names? Why not Bansi, Bhlolai, Beni, Bhondu (even Bode) or some Girmitiya name? Why not some religious name? Vidur, Sanjay, Sudama, Vishwamitra or even my nickname, Shukni? And from which angle the cover photo looks like a rustic villager father Mahesh from Benai, Ba? It looks like a munda Sahib. 

Saten and Shanti Devi Singh - the school-days lovers who became partners in marriage. Shanti (left) has been the pillar of support for the family and an inspiration for the author. Here they are seen together at Radio launch and promotion of the book in Fiji.

And if the names in Ba are real, why the fictional name of Czekeland? Where is it? Why not Calgary, Edmonton, Christchurch, Melbourne, Manukau, Brisbane or any other city our people have gone to? This is because the plot covers events which is universal to virtually all cities Fiji Indian have migrated to, because they have gone with their excess luggage from Fiji.

Now to the real review. The plot is remarkable, and very relevant to Fiji Indian migrants in any city. The mind of the author has taken dive into ocean of thoughts and came up with pearls that comprise the plot and story line.

I think the title of the book should have been “Tears of a Community” This is because Satendra very ably weaves out the trip of Mahesh from dusty, rustic rural Benai, Ba to this fictional place which could well be my Auckland, Melbourne or even Calgary. While telling tales of the village, he also touches on many forms of dysfunction in our community, despite us being so religious - both in Fiji and in our adopted country overseas. 

It tells of trials and tribulations of this father in his this overseas country and his efforts to adjust to the new environment and the following adventure in a new environment. It touches on very deep hypocrisy - pakahand in our people. We appear to be very religious or have high positions in community, but basically remain chandaal - the villain, a Ravan, who portrays to be Ram. This book is also about some two-faced people.

It very ably exposes the sores that our involvement and politics of religion, Mandali and Mandir entail. We Fiji Indians have a habit of migrating with our poking stick, koche waala danda, and create kachkach or controversies in all religious places. The author very ably weaves the religious politics, our another vice of Ojhai, or witchcraft and to drug problems, westernised culture and elder abuse, the old dhong of caste system and even touches on remarriage of widow, vidhwa vivah. 

Most remarkable, he has guts to touch on the taboo subject on inter racial and inter-religious marriage. The story line very ably weaves all these into an ending plot where all come together up happily in the end, like some black and white Hindi movies of 1960s. In places, it explodes in emotions and you could feel tears oozing up in your eyes. Indeed this plots ends happily, after some violent encounters, but teaching us a great deal about how we need to improve our families –and community.

One problem with Fiji Indian community is that we are extremely poor readers. Many have not read any books in years. (My friend Jimmy Khan tells me he has bought the book but has not read it!) Thankfully, this is a small and relatively thin book of just some 133 pages, is not very frightening, and can be easily completed within a day. This is a huge contribution by Satendra (or Stan?) to encourage a non-reading Fiji Indian community to start reading.

Satendra Singh (right) with Mohinesh Sharma of Radio Fiji during official launch of the book. Nur Jahan was also involved in the official launch with Radio Fiji team. The event was coordinated by a long-term friend and well-wisher and Fiji coordinator, Pundit Manoj Sharma.

While in Fiji in July 2019, I bought this book from R. C Bali shop and started reading it on my flight to Auckland from Nadi. Hence, it is a history that reading for this review commenced some five miles above earth, while flying in Fiji Airways Airbus 330 that also flies to Los Angeles and San Francisco. The read is so easy and interesting that I completed half the book in the air.

 “Tears of a Father” exposes us Fiji Indians to our past and we would be able to relate to and relive in our similar experience while back in Fiji, or in your adopted country. Reading this book gives you a feeling of nostalgia – homesickness, old memories, purani yaadein and takes you back to those dusty villages in Ba.

I congratulate Satendra for his exemplary achievement that I cannot match - in his skills of story-telling, and pouring his very vast knowledge and his own experience of life into this book. His work is not only interesting, easy-reading and entertaining, but is an excellent beacon – patth pradarshak , a guide, direction and lesson for our people in how to improve and live a better life, in unity and harmony, adjusting in a newly-adopted country. 

I wish Satendra all the best and hope the next venture will surpass the excellence seen in this book. I may also wish to encourage him to write some old memories of short stories, non-fiction of our childhood in Rarawai like an encounter with Bacchu Lal, playing soccer in Golflinks while grazing cattle, Lacchi dari on pakar tree, fagua with Rarawai Bhaujis, Ram Naumi and other short stories that may rekindle memories of our childhood.

Is this Stan? Satendra Singh, author of Tears of a Father.

Tears of a Father is a must reading for those wishing to go back in time to Fiji, get to read a not-too intimidating short book with easy , interesting and entertaining reading on a subject they all can relate to. 

A highly recommended reading of tears which to the end dries out with eruption of smiles - with many lessons.

Happy reading.

[Thakur Ranjit Singh is a media commentator, a community-worker and journalist. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand and runs his blog, FIJI PUNDIT. Among many things, they also have a common grandfather – Girmitiya Aaja Bansi. E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz]