Head of gold and feet of clay

This is a powerful satire that employs incisive humour to tackle the hypocrisy of faith and the commercialisation of religion.

In a sleepy Kerala village, three hot-headed atheists play a prank to mock superstition by installing Nireeswaran, literally anti-god. But beyond their wildest imagination, the mutilated idol is soon anointed as a god by the public, attracting hordes of devotees to the spot. It does not take long for miracles to be attributed to Nireeswaran. A lisping boy starts talking, a man wakes up from a coma after 24 years, a jobless youth bags a government job after a prolonged wait, and a prostitute turns ascetic. In a fix, the trio turn against their own creation.

This, in a nutshell, is the plot of Nireeswaran, penned by V J James, the celebrated Malayalam novelist. First published in 2014, the novel, which has won many awards, including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award and the Vayalar award, has seen 13 editions. The work raises questions about blind faith and gives an insight into what spirituality is.

Known for innovative themes, unique characters and a distinctive style, James’ novels take readers into realms that are often unreal where reality and fantasy merge. No two novels of his are alike.

Anti-Clock is a novel depicting the quest for timelessness. Dathapaharam (a rumination on solitude), is about man’s bonding with nature, and the links that attach us to this world. In Nireeswaran, James makes copious use of science and philosophy. Antony, Bhaskaran and Sahir draw up an elaborate plan to create a false deity to prove that belief in God is just a superstition. They have chosen the abode of Nireeswaran carefully. First, they rename the god’s street Abhasa (debauched) street. The spot for consecration has been picked below a peepal and mango tree standing intertwined. They call the tree Athmavu. The trio manages to get Eswaran Embrandiri, a dejected priest, to do the consecration on a new moon night. The idol faces westwards unlike east-facing deities in temples.

A different trajectory

From then on, events take a different trajectory transforming Nireeswaran into an established god. As the number of devotees swells, a prayer group Niprasa emerges as an intermediary to help those seeking Nireeswaran’s blessing. Word spreads that Nireeswaran has miraculous powers. A protection force for Nireeswaran’s safety also emerges. The village witnesses unexpected prosperity. The creators are not amused. The villainous character has acquired a life beyond the control of its creators. Their efforts to destroy the idol boomerang.

Lively characters draw the reader to the novel. The transformation of the boisterous trio with a messianic zeal into objects of derision struggling to survive is depicted deftly. Roberto is a scientist researching smell. He also explores immense possibilities of the mind. He is determined to find a unit for measuring smell. The person who is enlisted to assist him is Janaki, the fallen woman, who has experienced the scent of many men. Villagers find their friendship hard to stomach.

Indrajit who wakes up from a coma after 24 years without ageing finds himself trapped between two worlds. When he emerges from the Rip Van Winkle–like sleep, he develops the skill to read others’ minds. For his self-effacing wife Sudha, the husband becomes a stranger. She wants him back in his old form, asleep. Sumitran, who gets back his speech, turns into a foremost devotee of Nireeswaran. Barber Maniyan, who has prospered due to his proximity to Nireeswaran, Khoshayatra Annamma and her four daughters, Damu, all impress.

Belief and disbelief

The novel is not about atheism but about ritualistic religion. A passage from the work says that “seemingly illogical traditions are often the moral foundations that an individual relies on during difficulties.”

Our society is certainly not ready for irreligion. Can atheism be treated as a religion in itself? ‘’Belief and disbelief are fundamentally the same,’’ Embrandiri tells the rebellious atheists. The commercialisation of religion also comes into sharp focus.

A lot of philosophy and science have crept into Nireeswaran. Engineer-writer James says: ‘’I needed to travel to the interfaces where philosophical depths met the microscopic realms of science.’’ But he doesn’t take science as the last word.

It is humanity that ultimately triumphs. Some readers are bound to treat the heavy dose of philosophy and science as irrelevant to the story; however, the author succeeds in making it readable by the use of simple language.

Ministhy’s translation keeps the spirit of the original work largely intact. But it is doubtful whether it can match the simplicity of the narrative in Malayalam.

An incisive sense of humour permeates the novel. Satire is a powerful weapon in the hands of the novelist to attack a decadent system. An undercurrent of social satire is all-pervasive in this work and it forces the reader to reflect.

The maxim that literature holds a mirror up to life holds good for Nireeswaran.

What we are witnessing in recent times in the name of faith and religion is unnerving enough to numb our conscience, which makes this novel all the more necessary and readworthy.