An Ode to India’s Changing Landscapes: Book Review of “Marginlands” by Arati Kumar-Rao
A poignant yet poetic plea for threatened landscapes
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“I wonder how much longer we have before unseen lands disappear into the maw of progress.”
Arati Kumar-Rao’s Marginlands: Indian Landscapes on the Brink, recently shortlisted for both the Tata Lit Live! Award and the Attagalatta Prize for 2023, opens in lands that resemble the colour of caramel. Chattar Singh and other inhabitants have mastered the art of survival in the Thar Desert. They can discern hints of moisture in dunes, they can locate water and build beris (percolation wells) and make sure they do not overuse it. These desert dwellers ‘lack’ any written documentation or technology like Google Maps; their sole knowledge repository is the land itself. They are one with the land. But as change seems inevitable, years later the once beautiful landscape has turned dry, barren, cracked and haunting. The inhabitants themselves now barely recognize the lands, as the next generation will their heritage. The people are left to mourn the death of a culture, as their heritage and knowledge fade into oblivion.
Kumar-Rao fearlessly unravels the truth behind the changes and unmasks the organisations involved. In the first section, she talks about the 1985 incident involving limestone quarries following which about 68 per cent of Jaisalmer was designated as wasteland. The land became unsuitable for vegetation, and without any forests there, became the government’s first choice for “open cast mining and deep hole blasts.” The impact on the locals was devastating, with traditional beris and khadeens being destroyed in the process. In 2015, the government introduced the ‘Indira Gandhi Nahar Project’ which promised to transform the desert area into an agriculturally productive area. Unfortunately, the promised benefits never materialized. The section ends, with a stirring image of Chattar Singh, gazing at the sky and lamenting those who chose to remain blind to what lay before them.
Marginlands is a poignant yet poetic plea for landscapes threatened by unwanted interventions, a lament for both the lands and their marginalized inhabitants. The book is characterized by bold storytelling and striking monochromatic illustrations, leaving behind an indelible mark on the minds of the readers. Divided into five different parts, it takes the readers on a profound journey from deserts to mountains, river basins to plateaus, and from distant lands to home. It offers personal perspectives that go beyond mere attempts of education while also not treading the aggressive path of agitation.
From Thar, Arati then takes us to Ganga. This section begins with a traditional folktale involving the teli (oil seller) and the maali (gardener). Tarikul bhai is introduced and in his story, echoes the struggles of thousands of others like him, who are living under constant threat of losing their homes to the river. The Farakka barrage and dams force the river to change its course and continue displacing communities. As, Tarikul bhai says, “Raat ko zamindar, savere ko bhikhari” (“Landlord one night, beggar the next”). Whether it is Tarikul bhai, or the character of Rabha bibi, who has lost her children due to the lack of hospitals or transportation, each character takes us closer and deeper to the daunting realities and struggles faced by them.
The author’s slow journalism engages her readers, provoking emotions and fostering awareness. She delves into the impact of development on marine life, addressing the reduced dolphin population, the scarcity of hilsa fish, and the plight of the fisherman and their tribes. As she states,
“Whichever side of the net you are on, you are at loss.”
From the “tiger-widows” of the Sundarbans to the lesser-known threat of dogs in Ladakh, the book covers it all. Nothing in the book is predictable; each encounter surprises and resonates deeply.
Kumar-Rao concludes with the section named “The Sound of the Cities,” where we find ourselves back at home, understanding how casual spraying harms the ants and bees. As she concludes, she urges the readers to listen to the sounds around them, making them conscious of the effects of noise pollution. She urges the readers to look up from their phones, remove their headphones and listen to the world around them. From floods to landslides, tigers to glaciers, humans to insects, the book touches it all. The book includes various anecdotes from folktales and Indian mythology to make its point understood, which displays the author’s passion for communicating with her readers. Marginlands is a unique blend of fiction and non-fiction serving as a thought-provoking reminder of a world teetering on the precipice, harmed by unnecessary and ineffective government schemes. Along with its numerous illustrations and photographs, which paint a profound portrait of a jeopardized world, Marginlands also instils hope for a brighter tomorrow.
This review was written by Srujani Mishra in exchange for a PR copy from Pan Macmillan and Arati Kumar-Rao.
