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Bijo Francis, Advocate, Kerala,
India
Varier,
T V Eachara, Memories of a father, Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong
Kong, China, May 2004, ISBN 962-8314-23-8,
116pp.
Torture and
disappearances have occurred in many places and at many times. They have
happened before, are happening now, and will happen in the future. What makes
Memories of a father by Professor T V Eachara Varier such a valuable book
is that in narrating the struggle and agony of his family after the arrest and
disappearance of his son, it captures the universality of these events with
uncommon beauty and openness. This book explores the tragedy of every
disappearance through the deeply personal loss of one family, giving it a
purpose and relevance that goes far beyond the specific events it describes some
28 years ago, in Kerala, southern India.
Professor
Varier’s son was arrested on 29 February 1976, and was later tortured to death
in police custody, although his body was never recovered. He was just one of
many young men who disappeared during a period of dark repression in India, a
time when emergency regulations permitted state security agents a free hand to
kidnap, torture and kill. Professor Varier paints a dreadful picture of this
time, revealing the total failure of the rule of law, and how the ‘elected’
representatives of the largest democracy in the world used their authority to
commit gross atrocities. He describes the brutal torture practiced by the
police, and tells the stories of some survivors of the camp from which his son
did not emerge. He relates his own visit to the camp, and offers a bleak insight
into how the police conducted their dark operations outside the law. He relates
the torturous and ultimately futile route he followed through India’s government
offices and courts in his attempts to obtain the truth. The Supreme Court ruling
on the case is contained as an appendix.
Feelings of
agony, sorrow, confusion and helplessness permeate the pages. Reading the book,
one senses the emotional roller-coaster ride still being experienced by this
father, questioning what was done to his son and justifying his surges of anger
towards certain persons, particularly among the police, and the system as a
whole. This emotional experience, as a father, husband, teacher, and ultimately
destitute victim of torture, is the backbone of the book. The lingering
expectations of the family and uncertainty associated with the never-ending
search for the disappeared is also successfully communicated. At some points,
Professor Varier expresses appreciation for the political opposition in Kerala
during the emergency period. It is only natural for someone to be thankful to
those who offer some small support or word of concern during a time of
loneliness and desperation. History proved, however, that those persons with
whom the author sympathises were capable of the same kind of atrocities when
they gained power later.
The
importance of this book lies not in its description of a single disappearance
and murder in a small state of India almost three decades ago; it is rather in
its capturing of an unending social crisis that others fail to voice. Public
language today denies the emotions and thoughts of victims and their families.
As a result, most persons suffering serious human rights violations fail to
speak out. Instead, they carry their pain to the grave. With this book,
Professor Varier is breaking the silence. No matter how many years have passed,
his wounds are as deep and as fresh as on that terrible day in 1976. Memories
of a father challenges the deliberate silence and ignorance that cloak mass
disappearances, torture and murder. By publishing the English translation, the
Asian Human Rights Commission (Hong Kong) and Jananeethi (Kerala) have done a
great service. The work of the translator, Neelan, is truly remarkable in
communicating the meaning of phrases and idioms from the original Malayalam
without awkwardness or loss of clarity. All in all, Memories of a father
is a rich and deeply meaningful book that should be read by anyone trying to
grasp the experience of torture and disappearance, whether as a direct victim, a
relative or friend, or simply a fellow human being.
Posted on 2004-07-05
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