Hang woman: Everyone Loves a Good Hanging

K R Meera is a well known writer in Malayalam literature. The former Malayala manorama journalist penned several books which gained much popularity among Malayalam literature world. She won several awards including kerala sahithya academy award for her famous novel Aarachar (hang woman) . The novel translated into english as well as in Tamil. The English version was done by J Devika . After the much acclaimed popularity of, Aarachar Meera engaged herself into latest novel ‘’ sooryane aninja sthree’’.

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Few days before one of my friend gifted me the book Aarachar. For that book I was waiting for a long time. From the very first moment I started to read.  The book is about executioners of India. The main protagonist chetana is the younger daughter of executioner Fanifooshan Gridha Mallik. Chetana is a strong determined lady with immense courage, who struggled to inherit her profession. Fortunately or unfortunately she becomes the first hang woman of India. The twenty-two year old girl accepts the challenge of being a hang woman. One of the main reasons that forced her to do so is her long lineage of executioners.  Chetana learned building of gallows, from womb itself. It shows she has the lineage of her legends.

Although she earned high distinction in plus two, her poor living condition became a barren for studies. But within her education she learned to be strong and talks in a different manner which attracts others, maybe she earned that quality from her father. Fanifooshan talks well before camera, because he knew how to market his rare job opportunities.

Chetana became the hangwoman of Yatheemdra Nath Banergy. The story talks about the period of execution, and the different incidents chetana has faced. Inbetween this tough time, Sanjeev Kumar Mithra a media person comes into her life as a saviour. But actually he did all favours on her with a particular motive. Those days chetana come in contact with current issues around her.  In actual meaning she becomes the part of society.

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The story is narrated by the central character Chetana herself. It goes through the mental stress and struggle of Chetana, at mean time it talks about death, suicide, its good and bad deeds, death penalty etc. Like we said Chetana is a strong lady, although she is not at all educated, she is capable of forming opinion about things happening around. When Maruthi Prasad Yadav (shop owner where she had worked for two months) tried to molest her, she responds immediately. When Sanjeev ( media person, with him her father had agreement )  did same thing with her initially she reciprocates. But gradually she fell in love with the same person. Once her dhakuma (grandmother) says like this – ‘’a man can love woman only when she loves him, but a woman loves man in his hatred too’’. The relation of Chetana, and Sanjeev is somewhat like that.

The story is about women power. The book is not written in a feminist viewpoint. The protagonist Chetana is one among us. But the story is not told by anyone before. Aarachar is enough worth to read, it will force you to think about happenings around us.

ATHULYA B S