Nanga Rukh

By O.P. Sharma ‘Sarathi’
Translated into English as Churning of the City by Shivanath

Nanga Rukh is an unusual novel, written in the form of a sequence of situations, laying bare the psyche of the city and the city dweller. The composition as it emerges shows the city divided between the dark half – the poor, neglected, exploited and the brighter half – automatic machines replacing human workers. This composition raises some fundamental questions about the human situation. The style is also interesting and engaging, with short, clipped sentences, interspersed dialogues, brisk movement of lines, a tongue-in-cheek stance and telling, effective strokes in the shape of naive comments and uncomfortable questions which strengthen and deepen the awareness of the changing face and values of the city. It received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979.

About the Author
O. P. Sharma ‘Sarathi’ was a Dogri poet, short-story writer and novelist. Of his three collections of poetries, two of short stories and five novels, Nanga Rukh (novel) has received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979 and Resham de Keede has received the Jammu and Kashmir Academy award.