Weaving magic with words

Ramendra Kumar (Ramen) is a national award winning author with 25 books to his name. He spins the yarn mainly for the young and the young at heart has come up with his new book ‘And the Jhelum flows’

Born in Hyderabad and settled in Rourkela, Ramen’s works have been published and translated into several Indian and foreign languages and have found a place in anthologies published across the world, including the popular ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ series. His first book for adults, ‘Mohini’ went into its second edition in the very first week of its release.

Ramen also dabbles in satire, poetry, fiction and travelogues. Being an inspirational speaker and storyteller, he is a regular at leading seminars and literary festivals.

Excerpts:
When did the writing bug bite you?
I started writing when I was around seven. I wrote a poem which was quite a stupid one. I showed this little maiden work of genius to my father. He could have chided me - not to waste my time and do my homework.

He could have patted me patronisingly on the head and said “Good effort, but it could be better”. Instead he picked me up and hugged me. He then got my poem typed and framed and hung it in office. If today I am a writer it is because of the support and encouragement I got from my father. He was always there for me with his unconditional love and unobtrusive guidance.

Tell us the journey so far?
During my college days I started dabbling in satire, fiction and poetry. Later after marriage when my daughter was around four I was given the task of telling her stories, to put her to sleep. I started spinning little yarns for her.

I don’t know whether she liked the plot more or my antics, but she lapped up my stories and my confidence grew. Soon it became a tradition which continued even after my son, Aniket, grew up and doubled the size of my audience. I now write in different genres. Whenever, I feel I am going to be afflicted by the dreaded ‘writer’s block’ I shift genres and continue writing.

What do you feel about writing?
I am a writer by passion. Writing to me is like breathing. The gossamer universe of my imagination is my ultimate sanctuary. In this world of words, I am the sculptor, the all-powerful maker who can create at will and provide solace and succour, fun and joy to my audience.

Tell us about your recent book ‘And the Jhelum flows’?
The protagonist of ‘And the Jhelum Flows’ is Kashmir itself. The novel looks at the lost paradise with empathy and concern, shunning easy clichés. It goes beyond the binary division of black and white in which the Kashmir issue is usually depicted and instead shows the various shades of grey in between. It is the story of innocent Kashmiris: the mother who searches for her missing son, the father who dies for his daughter, the young woman killed on the eve of her wedding, the student tortured and driven to suicide, the obsession with revenge, the betrayal of trust, the loss of innocence.

What inspired you to write this book?
I had gone to attend a literature festival in Srinagar a few years ago. After the festival I went on a sightseeing trip. As I roamed around I interacted with Kashmiris across the spectrum. The picture that came across was a set of innocent, beautiful and peace loving people being pulverised by the state and the non-state actors. Some of the stories shook me to the core.

I came back and wrote the book which is dedicated to the average Kashmiri and tells stories of agony and angst, tragedy and turmoil and finally ends on the most important four letter word in today’s fractured times: Hope!

Explain the title and how you came up with it?
The tile is a line from a poem written by Farooq Nazaki, a famous Kashmiri poet: “Mothers wash the bloodstained apparel of the grooms On stream banks,
Bridal wear burns to ash, Bridesmaids cry And the Jhelum flows.” The concluding line, I found, explains perfectly what I was trying to convey about Kashmir.