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Andamanush and Nicobarese: IAS Partha Sarthi launches his fictional ‘travenovel’ in Lucknow
The book is a fictionalised account of his own experiences while travelling through the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
LUCKNOW IAS officer and travel columnist Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma launched his latest book -- ‘An Island Travenovel - Andamanush and Nicobarese’ -- in a grand event at a Lucknow hotel on Sunday. The book is a fictionalised account of his own experiences while travelling through the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
At the event, a panel -- including Nishi Pandey, professor of English and modern European languages at Lucknow University, and Jayant Krishna, CEO of Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology -- discussed Sharma’s latest work. The book, which the author refers to as a ‘travenovel’, revolves around fictional characters and plotlines that narrate the history and present story of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
“The book would not have worked as just a travelogue... We (the general public) know pitifully less about the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” said Sharma at the event. He also spoke of the different indigenous tribes found on the archipelago and the region inhabiting both freedom fighters and hardened criminals.
During the panel session, Jayant Krishna asked Sharma why Andaman and Nicobar Islands hasn’t become as popular with tourists as Goa or Maldives. To this, Sharma said that he couldn’t find any reason for the islands to be lagging in terms of tourist turnover. Sharma also highlighted the little connections that Lucknow has with the islands. He also mentioned the areas there that are christened like certain regions (or localities) in Uttar Pradesh.
The IAS author said that a significant takeaway from his trip to the islands was that there is “no mainland, no island, no mainstream, and no others”. The launch event concluded with an audience interaction with the author and a book signing session.
