P K Dash

Kathapur Tales P K Dash

'India does not live in its towns but in its villages, ' wrote Mahatma Gandhi in Young India. But where does a village live? In its people, where else? That's why Kathapur narrates her story through the stories of her people. She's the ever-ready teller of tales, the indefatigable grandmother with her repository of never-ending stories. She is the author, director, producer, and curator of the spectacle of life. But for this particular story, she has drawn upon her recollection of the years not long after India's independence. She was an altogether different person then. No electricity. No pucca road. No piped water-supply. No hand-pump for drinking water. You might think that Kathapur was a little village devoid of the basic amenities of life. You'd be factual, and yet wrong. Kathapur was endowed with all the resources and facilities that its residents needed for fulfilling themselves. They had enough land, water, and forests; and worked hard in all seasons to enjoy the fruits of the earth, and their sweat and toil. Life was tough, but full of joy. Everyone had a house. Kathapur had a Primary School, a Middle English School, a Sub-Post Office. It had several temples. A Kabiraj, and a dai for the health needs of the villagers. What else did a village need?What is this book about? A Tale of a Village? A memoir? An autobiography? A sentimental story of three motherless children? It is all those, and more. Who may read and enjoy this story? Those who have lived in a village. And those who haven't