‘The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao’: A clever reimagination of the Ramayana that terrifies and evokes pity

Do gods feel regret, a sense of failure, or fear when they see the monstrosity they have set into motion? Are they infallible, do they pay for their shortcomings, or do their lives ever end in tragedy? The answers depend on what (or who) you think god is. Organised religion has done a spectacular job of making god human.

Think about it – yes, god is supposed to have superpowers and hordes of loyal followers, but just like you and me, god’s existence is full of challenges. There are bad guys to defeat and teach lessons, good guys to reward and be grateful for, existential doubts about one’s purpose, and the desire – however small – to be remembered. These absurdities of life have bogged down mortals and they haven’t spared the gods either.

Lindsay Pereira’s latest novel, The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao, is about the failings of gods and their fanatic believers who very easily turn into blood-hungry mobs. Now in his 70s, retired postman Valmiki Rao remembers the Mumbai riots of 1992-93 – the fiery months of madness that the grand metropolis of Mumbai seems to have so conveniently forgotten. But people like him – those cornered into dilapidated chawls, fighting over shared...

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