The ever after of Ashwin Rao – novel by Padma Viswanathan

I read this novel after having liked Padma Viswanathan’s translation of a Brazilian novel “Sao Bernardo”.

“The ever after of Ashwin Rao” is about the familiar issues of cultural challenges and adjustment of Indians in the west pulled by their old Indian roots and pushed by the western culture. Ashwin Rao, the psychiatrist, goes to Canada to interview the families of the victims of the Air India crash from the bombs placed in the aircraft by Sikh extremists. Ashwin, who had lived in Canada earlier, spends most of his time with the Tamil Brahmin family of Prof Sethuraman who help another professor Venkat who lost his son and wife in the crash. In facing the tragedy, both the professors renew and intensify their faith in Shivasakthi a guru in India. The children of Sethuraman, born in Canada, have adopted seamlessly to the Canadian way of life while respecting the Indian mindset and traditions of their parents. But Venkat drives his wife and son crazy with his strict and stubborn patriarchal domination and control. Ashwin himself continues as a bachelor unable to decide and commit to the love offered by a Canadian woman and later the interest shown by an Indian widow.

Padma has connected the story to the Golden temple incident and the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi following the assassination of Mrs Indira Gandhi as the events which hurt Sikh sentiments, build up extremism and the bombing of the plane. Padma’s detached points of view on these tragic political events of India give a fresh outsider’s perspective different from the standard patriotic Indian narrative and the criticism of foreigners. Padma has not dared to dive deep into the Indian socio-political issues, given her own limited understanding. She has, however, dug up deep into Canadian issues such as racial discrimination and indifference to the bombing. Her comments on Indo-Canadian duality and dilemmas are authoritative and profound. She is even more authentic in the portrayal of the spiritual Tamil Brahmin characters confronted by Canadian materialism. She has used many typical Tamil Brahmin expressions to give authenticity to her characters. 

Padma’s talents as a creative writer and imaginative story teller come out clearly in this interesting and enjoyable novel.