A Dirge for the Dammed

It begins with a familiar story of displacement. The people of Jambhli have been ousted from their homes with promises of rehabilitation, and compensation in cash and land, to make way for an irrigation project and the construction of a large dam. The Jambhlikars’ anguish at leaving behind everything they have known and resettling among hostile strangers – the beneficiaries of the dam project – and their desperate search for alternative employment, for which they are neither trained nor qualified, are just the beginning of their troubles. In their search for a place to call their own, they must battle petty local politicians, scheming government officials strengthened by exploitative laws and self-serving social workers, and face the ultimate betrayal at the hands of trusted leaders. Yet, even as the fabric of their social structure disintegrates, their courage, faith and innate goodness shine through in the face of unspeakable hardship. Heartbreaking, humane and utterly relevant to our time, this remarkable Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel stands apart in giving a voice to those who pay the price for progress and development, and in vividly encapsulating the struggles of the impoverished against a ruthlessly corporatized world.