Very often, a movie, song or book will come right out of the
blue, striking a discordant note at some level within us, simply because it
resonates with the mood at that moment. The newest volume that promises to do
just that is ‘Raw Earth’ by journalist and author
Alexandre Moniz Barbosa. A tale of two brothers – a Chief Minister and an
Archbishop – who clash over policy matters in Goa, this book (despite being a
work of fiction) is bound to raise many questions, and a few eyebrows in the
process.
A compelling story set in contemporary Goa, the connivance
between politicians and industry, and the watchdog role the Church plays in
this tiny western state, the plot follows a host of issues highly prevalent in
the current day scenario of the state’s affairs. Rev Ignatius Mascarenhas, the
Archbishop of Goa, is
disturbed by the environmental devastation caused by mining operations in the state. He is all the more
distraught by the general apathy of the government and the industry to the
effect this sector has on the lives of the people. Adding insult to injury, his
brother, the Chief Minister, Francis Mascarenhas, decides to initiate the
process to lift the reserved status of a forest in Goa. This move is one that
will categorically open up the forest area to the mining industry. As such,
Ignatius steps in to prevent this from happening. The two brothers clash,
leading to an unnerved Chief Minister wavering in his decision. This in turn
results in the self-appointed leader of the mining consortium deciding that for
the industry to survive in Goa, one of the brothers has to die.
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Speaking on the development of the book, and the ideology
that has gone into its creation, Alexandre says, “The germ of an idea first manifested
itself approximately 10 years ago, and it took me approximately 6-7 years to
work on an outline for the plot. As is the case with most writers, I think that
the story just kept developing as I was writing it. In 2012, I revised the plot once more and no
sooner had I done that, the mining ban was imposed. At this juncture, I stopped
writing, as I felt that the plot-line may have lost some of its emphasis and
validity. However, as developments emerged in the state, I felt that the climate suited the
release of a book which had these key points to focus on. I got back to
writing, and completed the book in 2014.”
Given that the novel has been ready to be published for a
while now, it begs the question as to why the wait for it to hit shelves; this is far from
Alexandre’s first foray into writing. ‘Raw Earth’ is
his fourth book, and his second novel, following his former volume, ‘Touched by
the Toe’. However, the author feels that there are still aspects of writing in
Goa and the thought processes that are associated with it, that need reworking
if the industry is to flourish. “Very often, Goan writing is dismissed as
‘local’ or limited to a smaller audience. This is, in my opinion, not true at
all. For instance, we grew up reading about little towns in America, or the
British countryside. It had no relation to us, whatsoever. However, we still
identified with the writing at some level. I think this perception causes
larger publishing houses to take a step back, which in turn limits the exposure
of Goan writers. While this book was ready in 2014, I sent it across to
publishers, having received either negative or no response if not for the
automated reply that indicated that someone would get in touch with me, which
didn’t happen. Fortunately, we have publishers like Broadway and Cinnamon Teal
that are not afraid to represent the local community and through them, the
writers from the state find a platform,” he explains.
Having approached Broadway in November, Alexandre has had
his books ready to make their way to the shelf in a matter of merely 3 months.
However, the time spent in the creation of the volume was infinitely longer.
“Finding the time to write is always a huge hurdle. Finishing up this project
took a total of 3 years, when it could easily have been just a year in
totality. I think that discipline is a requirement too; but if all of it comes
together, the end result can speak for itself, and it is a boon to Goan writing
to have more writers out there,” he believes.
Of course, the 193 page-long socio-political novella is a
work of fiction, and touches on much that irks the state at the moment. One
cannot help but wonder whether there may be ire directed towards the author, by
the ‘powers that be’, who often mistake much in the written sphere to be
directed at them. “I’m open to any kind of response, though I’m honestly
uncertain of what to expect, in this case. I think that it will make for interesting
reading, but I suppose time will tell,” he concludes with a grin.
