The Naxalites

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About the Book A tribute to its namesake, The Naxalites draws inspiration from the Naxalite movement that spread like wildfire in the Calcutta of the seventies, drawing the youth into the mechanics of "Revolution". A fictionalized account of a socio-political phenomenon, the book encompasses various aspects of the Naxalite movement, offering a glimpse into the era of violence and political unrest that has left a lasting impression in the minds of generations that followed.

The book captures the essence of the struggle for existence of the have-nots against the oppression of the haves through life like characters such as the displaced grave-dweller, Amar Kaal, the victimised tribal, Kanu Santhal or the exploited untouchable rickshaw puller, Raghoo. The dilemmas confronted by the youth at the face of revolution finds expression through the eyes of the naive, young Anand. While the intricacies of the constant struggle between the ideology and the individual is best portrayed by the brother-sister duo, Surendra and Ajitha. Each in their attempt to fight a personal demon instill life into the greater cause while giving themselves up to Death.

Written in the form of a novel, the narrative with its cinematic descriptions indeed evokes a moving picture.

About the Author Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (1914-87) was a prolific political commentator, short story writer, novelist, scriptwriter and a film maker who preferred to call himself a communicator. He published 73 books in English, Hindi and Urdu, including an engaging autobiography, and two semi-autobiographical novels, Inquilab and The World is My Village detailing contemporary history. His works have been translated into several Indian and foreign languages. Amongst the earliest of art and socially relevant cinema his films include Saat Hindustani in which he gave a break to Amitabh Bachchan, Faslah with which Shabana Azmi made her debut, and The Naxalite that starred the erstwhile real-life Naxalite, Mithun Chakravorty opposite Smita Patil.

Introduction The journey from a written word to a cinematic experience is full of innumerable circumstantial potholes. That's probably why few have tried to tread the two grounds simultaneously. One such individual in India was Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, a self-confessed communicator of impulses, ideas, and ideologies, simultaneously operating in two mediums: films and writing. A rebel of sorts, he had announced his credo from the hallowed corridors of Aligarh Muslim University when barely after earning a law degree, he straightaway made a beeline for the 'city of dreams'-now called Mumbai. Taking up a job for pittance in Abdullah Brelvi's Bombay Chronicle, he honed his skills as a budding film critic before challenged into writing the script of a film, because he had been finding loopholes in the films he had been reviewing. The challenge resulted in Bombay Talkies' Naya Sansar, starring Ashok Kumar in the role of a journalist, which turned out to be a silver jubilee hit.

**Contents and Sample Pages**