Chariot of Life : Liberation War Politics And Sojourn In Jail

Chariot of Life is an autobiographical account of two lives lived by the author, thirty seven years apart. Bangladesh, 1971. The author, a young public servant, is drawn to the vortex of revolution, joins the nonviolent noncooperation movement and later chooses to make the final switch of allegiance by joining the Liberation Army of Bangladesh-a mélange of students, farm boys, activists and assorted members of armed forces—against a savage enemy with superior fire power and no-holds-barred. Along the way, he discovers the tragedies and agonies of a nation fighting for its independence. Even in the thick of war, the author lapses into flashes of humanism-setting free captured collaborators or lamenting the death of enemy soldiers. Victory is finally achieved at an immense cost of blood and tears. Bangladesh, 2008. The author, at the age of 63, becomes the victim of a conspiracy when a military backed civilian coup takes the rein of the country. Refusing to succumb to the machinations of an Orwellian world, he is tormented and traumatized by his persecutors and later incarcerated. This part includes chronicles of inner workings of the prison, its denizens and their sufferings. The author sees the fate of the inmates with empathy and, unwittingly, becomes a part of them. In this disorienting episode, he continues to retain his enduring faith in the triumph of justice against tyranny. Victory in war and freedom from incarceration are beautifully weaved together with a pace and a literary flavor that captivate the readers. It's a story of an abiding faith that prevails at the end.