Sumit Agarwal is prescient. The recent events in the country – be it the ‘Surgical Strike’ against Pakistan or the ‘Demonetization Drive’ finds its way in the novel ‘The Four Patriots’, way before they actually happened. Even if you don’t take this book as a blueprint for the development of the nation, it is a clarion call to all the youngsters out there that change is possible. If one man’s imagination can predict so much that’s happening in the country, think what can the collective minds of the youth be able to do if their passions are fired up?
‘The Four Patriots’ doesn’t ask you to be an all-out rebel, nor does it prescribe social media activism. It tells the story of 4 guys who participate in the democratic process, start from the bottom, roll up their sleeves & get their hands dirty, and are ideal enough to effect rapid change and pragmatic enough to avoid pitfalls. If I describe you the premise of this book, you would definitely start comparing it with ‘Rang de Basanti’. While RDB was a spectacular movie – it was a story of rebels. And because rebels clash with the system, it is difficult to effect a change in the system. If we were all to become rebels, then the country would erupt in chaos and anarchy. Today, Arvind Kejriwal is a politician – and he is taken much more seriously than Anna Hazare. This is not to dilute the missionary zeal in all of us – we protest as the citizens of the country, as is our right. Nation erupted when ‘Nirbhaya’ happened. We protested in numbers, the politicians took notice. Nation erupted when the previous government was inundated with the ABC of corruption charges. We voted in numbers, and a government was booted out.
But could we have done more? Can we be the change we want to see in the country? Sumit Agarwal has followed in the footsteps of our beloved former President Abdul Kalam, and ‘The Four Patriots’ is an effort to inspire the youth of the country. It is of course a drop in the ocean, but every drop counts. Imagine, how glorious it would be if India once again becomes ‘Sone ki chidiya’? It is POSSIBLE.
The timing of the book couldn’t be more right. The nation is gripped in a patriotic fervor; we are trying to define our collective identity as a nation. Are we an open-minded nation that embraces all faiths? Is it necessary to stand for the national anthem? Serious discussions and debates are going on about the ‘Right to speech’ and people taking offense. How should we calibrate our relationship with Pakistan and China? Will demonetization bleed the black economy?
I found Mr. Agarwal’s writing style to be quite interesting. He would leave a couple of Easter eggs in the very beginning, and they would all hatch as the plot thickens. So pages turn automatically. You are eager to know what happens next with the Quadro. The writing is confident, we are personally invested in the fate of the four protagonists, and their characters are well-sketched out. And they all come with their catchphrases – from Varun’s inspired ‘Jhakaas’ to Salman’s ‘Usko Prasad chahiye, dena padega!’, from Raghav’s ‘Be evil to some if you have to, for the greater good’ to Aditya’s ‘Ab dekhna nahin, karna hai’.
The plot is engrossing. The writing is fluid. Romance is in the air. And the message is crystal clear: Ab dekhna nahin……karna hai.
Other Details:
Copyright: Sumit Agarwal
Published By: Rupa Publications India
ISBN: 978-8129142047
Genre: Fiction | Patriotism
You can order a copy of the book from Amazon and Flipkart
Alienman 