Kafka in the Reader's Corridor

Kafka in the Reader’s Corridor

B. Murali again…

This time it’s the Kafka in the Court’s corridor

Ordinary men and their ordinary lives give the fodder for writing to Murali and this story too falls on this line.

Anand in his Govardhan’s Travels has dealt with the issue of the snail pace of the Indian courts. The work was not but for the ordinary readers who ve less time at their disposal for a literary work.

Here Murali has touched upon the same issue but with much ease.

Rameshan Nair happened to be an eye witness in a scuffle years back.  The case was registered and the issue forgotten.

But the Indian judiciary system is slow and steady. The summons comes in search of K.P. Rameshan Nair. The hurdles he face even to receive the summons is the core of the story.

The man is not fortunate enough to be inside the court before is story comes to an end..

That may take another few weeks or months.

The interesting twist in the story is the presence of Kafka in the court, the man sipping tea…

We are evoked of the memories of the Trial of Kafka and Kafka and Rameshan Nair sails the same boat and the court..

Murali in the softest of the softest words is but throwing a very powerful issue… Indian judiciary system has been in the trial room many a times – the common men, media and the intellectuals –accusing of the long procedures and the time consumed by a single case. The system is but firm and steady in its stand.

Its easy to empathize with Rameshan Nair, as a citizen of this country we might have experienced the same at some point of our life – in government offices and all the systems associated with it.

The introduction of Kafka brings in the postmodern element..  an author and his work is wonderfully incorporated into another work  - an instance of using intertexuality with ease..

So Murali too has his stands on his “burning” issues and this story is a deviation from author’s normal treading through the “safe zones”