Neelesh Raghuvan-shi’s Shahar se Das Kilometre (2022) is at once a nostalgic ode and an indictment of the present. Raghuvanshi’s second novel comprises vignettes of rural and semi-urban life. An eclectic blend of various genres and themes, the hybrid and non-linear text keeps the reader engaged. The language incorporates the dialect with standardized Hindi that highlights its rootedness in the socio-political context of Madhya Pradesh. At the same time, it echoes the universal pathos that emanates from the voices of the marginalized as it depicts the lives of those at the periphery.
October 2023, volume 47, No 10