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5 days ago
- General
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‘Tiger Lessons': A compelling novel about the shared existence of humans and animals in the forests
'When a hundred lives are lying hungry in the backyard, how can I eat food here?' Gurappa questions his family when they ask him to eat his meal in peace without bothering about the sheep in the pen. Just like other shepherds in his village, Gurappa measures his own happiness by the merry bleatings of his sheep. The fact that he was unable to enjoy his meal while the animals starved was far-fetched for his family. It often earned him a look of disapproval from them. But it reveals Gurappa's character immediately, and along with it, the worldview of this unusual and striking novel. Konda Polam by Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy has been translated into English as Tiger Lessons by Narasimha Kumar from the Telugu. It explores the lives of shepherds, locally known as gollas while their village, situated at the foothills of the Nallamala forests in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, experiences the devastating consequences of famine. The novel captures the ordeals of the gollas during Konda Polam, a practice where shepherds take their flocks to graze deep inside the forests during famine. This period was particularly difficult for shepherds as food and water were scarce. They had to survive on rationed food of hard millet rotis, jaggery, pickles, onions, and rice. As if surviving on rationed food for weeks on end was not enough, the constant anxiety of not having enough water for themselves and their flock increased their hardship. The rustic idiom For someone like me who has lived their entire childhood immersed in nature, over time, I have developed a deep appreciation for the natural world. The dense and detailed description of pastoral life in Tiger Lessons can only be explained by Reddy's true understanding of the Nallamala region. He evocatively portrays the truth of such a life, the communities' resilience, and their ability to withstand environmental shocks while adapting to their new circumstances. Reddy's words have a magical way of climbing into the readers' hearts. I would like to especially mention the exquisite description of the fortitude of shepherds during Konda Polam. Tiger Lessons offers an honest perspective of everyday experiences and emotions of the golla, as well as yaanadi, and sugaali tribes who live in the Nallamala region. In fact, the translation of local Telugu idioms and proverbs adds a layer of richness to the story. It is these unique elements that make this novel a captivating read. The tribesmen's banter and witticisms signify how individuals and groups blend into social structures, systems, or networks, often with long-standing historical or cultural roots. Though a few aspects of the translation might appear unrefined to a sensitive reader, I believe that for a translator who wants to capture realities as they are, he chooses this route to convey unpleasant truths. In this novel, Kumar appears to have rejected an idealised translation style. 'Springs of the Eternal Soul', 'Mead of the Bald Oxen', 'Guy with Crooked Ears', 'Frolic Springs', and 'Pile of Bean Creepers' – the names of places awakened wistfulness in me for a time that is long bygone, and to a land into which I have never stepped into. However, when a novel narrates a life across several pages, its novelty wears off after a while. In Tiger Lessons, while this may be the case, the author introduces surprise elements to keep the story interesting. A disruptive moment comes when the gollas encounter tigers from whom they must defend themselves and their flock. There is another unusual scene featuring the courtship behaviours of a male and a female python. The male follows a trail of scent and mating calls left by the female, eventually copulating in the wilderness. It is impossible for a reader not to be struck by the skill and artistry woven into these descriptions, especially those of the animal kingdom. A hard, merciless world Tiger Lessons also draws attention to social injustices faced by the yaanadi tribe through the lens of true events, where, driven by greed, vested interests commit environmental crimes by exploiting natural resources. The tribe who ekes out living by fishing, hunting, and foraging – wild turmeric, hill pepper, jungle millets, medicinal herbs, and various edible roots get sucked into a world of crime. Reddy writes piercingly about the organised red sandalwood smugglers who thrive in the Nallamala forests. These smugglers cater to a lucrative black market by turning the poor yaanadis into scapegoats. A tribe that possesses only forest survival skills, therefore, becomes easy prey to law enforcement agencies. The realism is deepened by the fact that Reddy grew up only a few miles from the foothills of the Nallamala ranges. Tiger Lessons also reminded me of Man-Eaters of Kumaon, The Temple Tiger, and The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag by Jim Corbett, not in the way that Corbett, a hunter, naturalist, and writer, tracked man-eating tigers and leopards, but more in terms of the writing style. Tiger Lessons encourages patience, persistence, and a deeper appreciation for natural rhythms. Readers will also be inspired to step away from a purely urban or technologically driven existence and reconnect with the natural world, fostering a greater understanding of ecological balance and sustainability. The characters in this book are multifaceted and sometimes they contradict their original personalities. Reddy has captured not just the misgivings of the human heart but also of the animal and plant kingdoms. A profound love for the natural world turns out to be a powerful catalyst for Ravi, the software engineer turned shepherd. After experiencing Konda Polam for the first time, Ravi is inspired to make life-altering decisions towards environmental activism and conservation work. As the translator, Kumar has strived to maintain Reddy's original intent and voice. He displays a strong linguistic and etymological knowledge of the lives he's written about. Tiger Lessons is a rare novel. It gives the reader lessons in various disciplines – geography, anthropology, biology, botany, economics, and agriculture. Not only does it create a richer and more personal experience but it also gives us a unique sensory experience that will be hard to forget long.
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13-06-2025
- Science
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Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy
Translated fiction: A young man trained to be an engineer finds himself herding his family's sheep An excerpt from 'Tiger Lessons', by Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy, translated from the Telugu by Narasimha Kumar. Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy &
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13-06-2025
- Science
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Narasimha Kumar
Translated fiction: A young man trained to be an engineer finds himself herding his family's sheep An excerpt from 'Tiger Lessons', by Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy, translated from the Telugu by Narasimha Kumar. Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy & Narasimha Kumar
New Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Giving voice to marginalised communities: Venkatarama Reddy's 'Kondapolam' now roars in English as 'Tiger Lessons'
KADAPA: S annapureddy Venkatarama Reddy, a retired government school teacher and author from Balarajupalle in Kadapa district, has had a profound impact on Telugu literature. His notable work, the novel Kondapolam, has been translated into English by Narasimha Kumar under the title Tiger Lessons. The translation is set to be officially released on June 3 by Bloomsbury. Born on February 16, 1963 to Lakshmireddy and Chennamma, Reddy's love for literature was cultivated early. His father used to read the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and at a young age, Reddy was handed the Ranganatha Ramayanam, a moment that shape his literary future. As a youth, he delved deep into Indian epics and classical poetry, eventually embracing modern literature during college. Reddy's formal education took him through a website of VR College, Nellore, and a BEd from the Regional College of Education, Mysore. He began his teaching career in 1989 and retired in March 2024 after serving in various schools across Porumamilla, Kashinayana, and Kalasapadu mandal. Since 1987, Reddy has penned over 200 poems, 90 short stories, and 9 novels, many of which have won prestigious awards. His novel Kondapolam, grounded in the real-life struggles of shepherd communities from the Nallamala forest, has not only received literary accolades but was adapted into a critically acclaimed Telugu film directed by Krish Jagarlamudi, starring Vaishnav Tej and Rakul Preet Singh.
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01-06-2025
- General
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June fiction: Six new fiction titles by Indian writers that probe the unseen of everyday life
All information sourced from publishers. Tiger Lessons, Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy, translated from the Telugu by Narasimha Kumar A young man trained to be an engineer finds himself herding his family's sheep up in the hills one summer and trying to survive the jungle. Ravi comes from a golla family but his father and brother have worked to make sure he does not have to live the sheep-herding life. The physical labour is hard on Ravi but the menace of the wild is harder. He is terrified of the forest and its denizens. Sleep eludes him at night, every little sound a tiger lurking nearby, every root or vine a slithering python. He freezes on the spot when a hyena attacks the sheep, offering his neck to the animal without a fight. Everything he knows and believes is violently put to the test when a tiger begins to hunt his herd. Nowhere People, Manoranjan Byapari, translated from the Bengali by Anchita Ghatak Nowhere People chronicles the lives of people living in squatter settlements. They are there and not there. Some have fathers, but no mothers. Some have mothers, but no fathers. And some have neither. And then, some have both, but who are absent from their lives. As if they live only to perish one day. Their only occupation is to somehow stay alive. Some drive rickshaws, some run errands, some collect scrap, some wash glasses at a hooch shop, and some scale fish at the fish market. Many uprooted, penniless, vulnerable people, like rickshaw driver Nobo and his friends, live at the Jadavpur station. It is on this heartless soil that delicate saplings spring sometimes. Nobo's life takes an unexpected turn when he spots an infant abandoned at the station. Although his friends occasionally lend a hand, it falls to Nobo to take care of the baby. This is Nobo's story. The Fantastic Affair of Despair, Doorva Devarshi As a newborn India wails into existence, a silent woman labours away in the cramped copy editorial department of a postcolonial magazine. Her days are fraught with the chauvinism of her male colleagues, sanctioned by the founder, Chief, who fancies himself a revolutionary. In the evenings, she returns to a near-peaceful cohabitation with her widowed, opium-addled landlady. But her monotonous life is suddenly interrupted by an act of extreme violence. Unable to continue living as she had been, the woman enters a self-imposed exile – first in the city of frescoes, and then in a Himalayan dharamshala. Here, she befriends Leela, the pregnant child-bride of an unremarkable godman. Intimately familiar with violence, she notices how it has seeped into every crevice of this valley haunted by the discord between humankind and nature. Even as a fierce storm razes an entire village and a man-eating leopard prowls the ruins by night, political leaders remain occupied with grand ideas of national development, ignoring the victims' plight. All this while, the call of the wild emanating from the heart of the valley grows louder, and she cannot help but embark upon a treacherous trek across the mountainous expanse to answer it. What new twist of fate awaits the woman when she comes face to face with the beast? Cracks in the Wall, Neera Kashyap Cracks in the Wall is a collection of short stories that deal with attempts to heal. It reveals multi-faceted struggles – mental, familial, societal – individuals confront as they navigate their fears, traumas and desires through their lives. It gives readers a window into the tumult that such a process entails, with insightful but often difficult revelations. Be it a working woman in an abusive marriage who finally finds the courage to seek help, a mother who has to choose between the government and rebels to keep her child safe, a wife who must come to terms with lost motherhood or a marriage stifled by megalomania, these stories mirror deep-rooted fractures both at a personal and social level. Death of a Gentleman, Riva Razdan Yuvraaj Khanna is on the brink of the stupendous success he has dreamt about his whole life. His grocery delivery startup has just secured 900 million dollars in valuation, and he is engaged to the beautiful Sanjanaa Gandhi, a doctor from Tony Malabar Hill. And then, the death of his wealthy father disrupts everything. The father who had abandoned him when he was a child. A murder investigation unfolds, throwing the spotlight on Yuvraaj and revealing deep-rooted rivalries and unresolved tensions, laying bare the brutal lengths people will go to in their quest for success and social standing. Saraswati, Gurnaik Johal Centuries ago, the myths say, the holy river Saraswati flowed through what is now Northern India. But when Satnam arrives in his ancestral village for his grandmother's funeral, he is astonished to find water in the long-dry well behind her house. The discovery sets in motion a contentious scheme to unearth the lost river and build a gleaming new city on its banks, and Satnam – adrift from his job, girlfriend and flat back in London – soon finds himself swept up in this ferment of nationalist pride. As the river alters Satnam's course, so it reveals buried ties to six distant relatives scattered across the globe – from an ambitious writer with her eye on legacy to a Kenyan archaeologist to a Bollywood stunt double – who are brought together in a rapidly changing India.
