‘Most writers are engaged in speaking about the dangers created by the global military industrial complex’

Satish Chapparike's novel Ghandruk is multi-dimensional, exploring themes such as love, longing, infidelity, LGBTQ, geo-politics, corporate culture and family values. At a meet-the-author event, Chapparike discussed the dangers of the global military industrial complex and how it supports unending rule of despots. He argued that religion should preach equality, love and non-violence and lead to behavioural changes. Critics praised the novel's monologue and dialogue-based narrative, but noted concerns about language and inconclusive ending.

“The global military industrial complex is not only destroying environment and manufacturing wars but it is also supporting the unending rule of despots. Most modern writers and intellectuals across the world are engaged in speaking about the dangers this complex creates,” writer and literary journalist Satish Chapparike said in Belagavi on Sunday.

He was responding to a question at a meet-the-author event organised by Sapna Book House in association with Book Brahma, an online platform for discussion on Kannada books.

“Writers across the world have felt that the biggest money-spinning industries in the world are religion, politics, war, drugs and immoral trafficking. These are the ways in which the military industry complex stays alive and relevant,” he said.

“We may think that there is continued violence in some conflict zones in the world like Myanmar, Damascus or other countries with hate crimes and war. However, none of them exist by themselves. They are all engineered. They do not just happen. That is why wide-ranging statements that term one religion as violent and another as peaceful are not rooted in reality. To say that some group is involved in terrorism is to peddle lies. We should realise that all such efforts are engineered. If religion does not preach equality, love and non-violence and lead to behavioural changes among its followers, it is no religion at all. It is just a tool in the hands of the powerful who want their power to continue,” he said.

To a query from a reader, he said that the theme of his novel is a collage of various emotions. “That is because life is a collage of interwoven themes,” he said.

He said that the novel is being translated into five languages, including Malayalam, and that he is working with the translators. His future endeavours include a novel in English and a short story collection, he said.

Writer and critic Balasaheb Lokapur described is latest Kannada novel, Ghandruk, as multi-dimensional and modernistic. He pointed out that apart from eternally relevant themes such as love and longing, the writer has explored other issues such as infidelity, hiking and adventure sports, LGBTQ, geo-politics, corporate culture and urbanism and family values that Indians find it difficult to let go.