"Perumal Murugan the writer is dead," wrote Perumal Murugan after the targeted hate he received from the right wing forced him to quit his job and fear for his life. But how can a writer not write? Or as he puts it, "How long can an untold story rest in deep slumber within the dormant seed? I am fearful of writing about humans; even more fearful of writing about gods… let me write about animals." He chooses to write about goats, or more particularly about a tiny black female goat called Poonachi.
Poonachi is the smallest goat the old man has ever seen- a gift from a giant of a man who wanted only a "kind hearted man" to have her. The old man, and his wife are themselves struggling to survive, but they take on the responsibility of the black goat. They do not have anything to feed her, and even after several weeks, she remains as small as a new born. She may be tiny, but she if feisty and she forms a bond with the old woman and talks to her constantly though she doesn't know how much the old woman understands.
Poonachi is the story of a black goat, but somewhere along the line, you start to think of her as a spirited young woman. A young girl who ignores dangers because she is fascinated by the world. A young woman who falls in love, and holds the memory of her lover in her heart even when she is forced to mate with an older, more acceptable partner. A young mother struggling to look after her children, yet distraught when the kids are snatched away. A lovelorn woman who meets her lover again and enjoys a few moments of bliss. Poonachi is the victim of circumstances just like a human in identical circumstances would be, and through her experiences and thoughts, the author delivers a scathing commentary on the twin evils of gender and poverty.
Comparisons to "Animal Farm" are inevitable, but Poonachi is a very different book. Both are allegorical and political, but there is empathy and emotion in Poonachi which is missing in Animal Farm. The book speaks of hunger and greed. It speaks of betrayal and cruelty. But people do bad things not because they are bad, but because they are left with little choice. When a human is struggling to stay alive, can you really blame them for slaughtering their goat? It is this sense of helplessness that remains long after you finish the book.
In the introduction, the author says he is "deeply familiar" with goats, he clearly is. I was awestruck by the description of the plants and trees- you can almost feel the landscape, see the plants from the perspective of a tiny goat and taste the stalks and leaves the little goat munches. Perumal Murugan is one of the foremost writers of our time, and this might be his best book!
