Shukdeb Sen

Innocence Shukdeb Sen

I based my book Innocence on the Partition of India in 1947. Innocence follows Shukumar, the male protagonist. He grew up in a repressed society like India, in which open sexuality is taboo and kept hidden. However, in Western culture, it is accepted and embraced as a natural human characteristic. So, when he settled in Europe, coming into contact with open sexual expression had a dramatic impact. This gave the illusion of sexual freedom and gratification that led to social decadence and 'Hell'. Shukumar plunges himself into the inferno to taste Hell and encounters death but survives. Kakoli-the female protagonist who was gang raped by the Moslem goondas during riots and dumped into a ditch escaped death. The author talks about the human animalistic passion for killing and thirst for blood that has stained the psyche of humanity. Shukumar and Kakoli struggled to survive and beat all the odds stacked against them. They turned their misfortune into a powerful guiding spirit that created a new beginning filled with hope. This new beginning was filled with a belief that humanity can overcome all the tragedies and sufferings that came into their lives. Their story is a tale of innocence!