Review By Sunaina Luthra

On May 21st, 1991, it was a routine school day; I was 12 years old. Now I am not! I still carry the memory of that day; newspapers flooded with gruesome images of mutilated bodies and limbs strewn like discarded toys and the calculating gaze of a suicide bomber driven by hate and violence. She was a trained member of the banned Sri-Lankan Tamil separatist rebel organization-LTTE. The book opened a can of worms perspiring the memory in broken chards.
It was a despondent chapter of the Indian political circle, and an outrageous seethe for the entire country; the incumbent Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated! The intention is not to start a polemic but to understand its significanceto dive deep into the narrative of the book ‘Brotherless Night’ by V.V Ganeshananthan.
Sashi kuliethiren is an aspiring doctor from the culturally rich city, Jaffna. The emergence of LTTE leaves the city clogged with hatred and political insinuation, and her family is a part of the fractured sunlight. Buddhism came into the forefront by the Sinhalese ethnic group; the shift in power marginalized the Tamil minority. To add more pollen to the air, the SriLankan limited Tamil presence in government jobs fueling ethnic discrimination and resentment. What rose from the ashes was the intoxicating fumes of the LTTE to fight the discriminatory policies against SriLankan Tamils.
LTTE became the sore tooth that one could not help pressing. Violence became the weapon to attack government offices, policemen and local politicians, and the ineluctable clashes with the armed forces. Who were these people? What made them hold the hammer to nip the nail in the wall? They became self-proclaimed warriors from living sonorously on an innocent turf. Their gentle footsteps gave way to the relentless march of boots, tender minds hardened by forced conscription and gentle hands became adept atusing ammunitions.
Jaffna too gradually comes under the ripper’s edge. Sashi is left meddling in the chaos when she loses her eldest sibling Niranjan to the ignominious riots. The remaining three brothers find ‘hope’ in the dexterity of circumstances. Her brothers Seelan and Dayalan clandestinely disappear one day to join Tamil Tigers forging a path fueled by unrelenting quest for Tamil justice througharmed struggle. The younger Aran views LTTE violence as senseless and a casus belli for upgrading humanity.
V.V Ganeshananthan’s ‘Brotherless Night’ is a work of historical fiction that illustrates how political violence devastates families and communities. It’s also a story of ‘individual persual’ to adapt to the ‘matter of conscious’. As the civil war progresses in Jaffna, Sashi finds a new association in her childhood friend K, now a high-ranking militant. She wants to protect K and her brothers, and therefore becomes a medic at the field hospital for Tigers whilesteadfastly pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor by continuing with her studies. The arrival of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka marks a turning point in the political landscape, as they step in to mediate between the Tigers and the state. Now people have choices to make and so does Sashi; to continue to work as a Medical Representative or document human rights violations by teaming with her college professor Anjali and her husband. Thechoices made against the backdrop of war and upheaval has a lasting impact on families, relationships and identities for years to come. The book meticulously covers key historical events such as the rise of LTTE, references of its leader Prabhakaran and the finale of the war in 2009.
TAKE AWAY
Winner of Women’s Prize for Fiction 2024 ‘Brotherless Night’is surely an unforgettable read.
2 Responses
Was Gone was the book that got me into the thrillers. Have read all her other books
fantastic blog!