Ifoto: Yase-Australia.
Ebomini bethu kuhlala kukho incwadi ekhethekileyo, jonga ukuba kutheni siyifumene ngomzuzu othile kwaye sichaza ubukho bethu, kuba ibali layo linxibelelana nathi ngokungafaniyo nelinye, kuba lisenza sihambe kwaye samkele into engaziwayo. Kwimeko yam, loo ncwadi injalo UThixo wezinto ezincinci, nguArundhati Roy, eyaxela ibhaso leNcwadi ngencwadi yayo ngo-1997, yathengisa iikopi ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezisi-8 yaza yaguqulelwa ngeelwimi ezingama-42. Kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini kamva, kodwa ngaphandle kokushiya i-India, URoy upapasha incwadi yakhe entsha, Icandelo loMphathiswa Wolonwabo Olugqibeleleyo.
UArundhati Roy: ukungxamiseka nangonaphakade
Nangona u-Arundhati Roy ethathe iminyaka emine ukubhala inoveli yakhe yokuqala (ngo-1992 ukuya ku-1996), ngaphezu kwesihlandlo esinye uye weva kusithiwa ebebhala ubomi bakhe bonke. Kungenxa yokuba ngaphandle kobunyani bobunyani kunye nokungaqheleki okukhohlise iNtshona, UThixo wezinto ezincinci ungaphezulu kwayo yonke imifanekiso yosapho lwamaSyria-lamaKrestu asuka kweleenjiko yaseKerala apho umbhali ahlawula khona amava akhe, nangona oku kuya thatha iminyaka engama-35 ulindile. Kwaye ngoku, ngama-20 emva kwamabhaso amaninzi kunye nempumelelo, xa sineendaba zezinto ezintsha eyenye yazo Ababhali abadumileyo baseIndiya (kwaye banesazela).
Kwaye kukuba kule minyaka ingama-20 idlulileyo uRoy ebephila ngokuntywiliselwa kwezinye iiprojekthi ezifanayo, ngakumbi amatshantliziyo: ukugxekwa kweemvavanyo zenyukliya ezenziwa ngurhulumente wase-Indiya kwiphondo lase Rajasthan (ekhokelele ekuphelisweni kweNgcinga, enye yeencoko zakhe ezininzi), amaxwebhu malunga ne-Maoist guerrillas, ukugxekwa kobuzwe bamaHindu, ukukhuselwa kwamalungelo amabhinqa kwilizwe elingalinganiyo kunye neengxelo malunga necala elimnyama likaGandhi i-blisters phakathi kwamacandelo amaninzi aseNdiya. Kodwa akukho namnye, nkqu arhente yakhe zoncwadi, weva ukuba inoveli yombhali waqalisa ukupheka inoveli entsha.
"Andazi ukuba ndiqale nini ukuyibhala, ndiyathetha, inomdla kakhulu," uqinisekisile uRoy. Guardian Kutshanje, nangona ibicacile maxa onke ukuba "akafuni uTHIXO wezinto ezincinci 2".
Incwadi entsha ka-Arundhati Roy, Icandelo loMphathiswa Wolonwabo Olugqithisileyo, lingena kwihlabathi iikrisimesi, ezo zijongwa njenge abantu besini sesithathu, ngaphambili babethandwa ngenxa yobume babo njengabacebisi bookumkani abakhulu kodwa okwangoku bacinezelwe kwi-Indian subcontinent apho amalungelo e-LGBT angazinziswanga ngokupheleleyo. Umlinganiswa ophambili, u-Anjum, ngumfazi oguqukayo othi, emva kokuhlala kwindawo yama-hijras phakathi kwendlala e-Old Delhi, athathe isigqibo sokuhlala emangcwabeni kwaye aqale apho ukuqala kwendawo yokuhlala apho bonke abantu abancinci baseIndiya belingana: Ukusuka kwabanye abantu be-transgender ukuya kwabo baziwa njengabangenakuthintelwa, elona qondo lisezantsi lenkqubo eyaziwayo ye-caste yelizwe lase-Asia, inika igalari yabalinganiswa abamibalabala kunye nobugqwesileyo obonisa umdla kaRoy nothando lwakhe ngeIndiya, elo lizwe limele her «umlambo wobumbano».
Kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini kamva, inoveli yesibini ka-Arundhati Roy izakupapashwa nge-6 kaJuni, ngelixa izakufika eSpain ngo-Okthobha ukusuka e-Anagrama. Iminyaka engamashumi amabini ekhokelela kumbuzo wokuba i-autoa iya kuva uninzi lwayo kwiinyanga ezizayo: Kutheni le nto kukho incwadi engeyonyani kwaye lonke eli xesha lenoveli entsha?
"Kuba umahluko phakathi kwentsomi kunye neentsomi kukuba okokuqala kubiza ukungxamiseka, kunye nephakade lesibini," uRoy uza kumxelela.