Dada Comrade

Book excerpt: Partly autobiographical and Yashpal's first novel, Dada Comrade is an extraordinary book, fast-paced and philosophical by turn. It tells the story of a young revolutionary, Harish, who, towards the end of the 1930s, is expelled from his revolutionary party, which also plans to kill him as he knows too much. Meanwhile, he and Shailbala, a member of the party and the daughter of a wealthy Lahore industrialist, develop a romantic relationship. An unusual heroine, Shailbala is outspoken about sexual freedom and constantly challenges others about their patriarchal mindsets. As Harish escapes the party's clutches and organizes the railway workers of Lahore into striking en masse, he is framed by the British government that leads to his trial. Shailbala, on the other hand, confronts her father and decides to keep the child conceived with Harish. She finds a new ally in this decision-Dada, the ageing leader of Harish's revolutionary party who had earlier condemned him. Raising questions about the means to achieve freedom and equality, as well as about desire, marriage and birth control, Dada Comrade was far ahead of its time and heralded the arrival of a literary genius. Translated seamlessly and including a scholarly introduction by Simona Sawhney, it will resonate with and compel today's readers to examine their ideals and values.