Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely; this is true
under dictatorship, totalitarianism and fundamentalism, and democracy as
well. Slavery, bondage, suppression and discrimination follow when
absolute power corrupts. Perhaps, an Abraham Lincoln could legally put
an end to the physical slavery, but its manifestation in various other
forms related to race, including color and caste, culture, language,
religion, nationality and political system remains a threat to man's
spirit of freedom. The nineteen month-long Emergency declared in India
in 1975 would be relatively an insignificant event in the political
history of the world's largest democracy. But, when The Haunted Man,
allegorically presents the agony of the people, gasping for breath under
its heavy yoke, the subject gains universality. Through dozens of
symbolic episodes and references picked up from the world of
literature-scape, Alexander Raju's novel unravels the severity of such
physical and psychological suppressions of the helpless masses and,
thereby, not only creates awareness among freedom-loving peoples but
also tenders a warning to the whole world.
About the Author:
Born on April 1st, 1952, in Kerala State of India, Alexander Raju
studied in St. Peter's Primary School, Vazhoor, St. Paul's High School,
Vazhoor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally and Baselius College,
Kottayam. He began his career as a freelance journalist as early as
1974, after completing his higher studies in the Universities of Kerala
and Saugar, Madhya Pradesh. Touring almost every nook and corner of
India, he acquired a firsthand knowledge of the Indian ways of life
among various ethnic groups who differed totally in their culture,
religion and language. When Sikkim became the twenty-second State of
India, he joined the staff of Sikkim Express as one of its sub-editors
and later became the editor of Bullet, a newsweekly published from
Gangtok. He was one among the three-member team that launched Dainik
Aawaz, the first Nepali News-daily of India.
Returning to his native state of Kerala, he worked as a lawyer for a
short while. In 1981, he joined the faculty of English at Baselius
College, Kottayam, his own alma mater, as a lecturer. Since 1990, he has
been serving as a registered Research Guide in Mahatma Gandhi
University, Kerala, India. Currently he is Professor of English in Bahir
Dar University, Ethiopia.
Alexander Raju, an Indian English critic, poet, novelist and short story
writer, has many books to his credit. Ripples and Pebbles (1989),
Sprouts of Indignation (2003) and Magic Chasm (2007) are collections
of his poems. His first novel The Haunted Man came out in 1997.
Candles on the Altar (1985) and Many Faces of Adam (1991) are
collections of his short stories. The Psycho-Social Interface in
British Fiction (2000) is a critical work.
