Amitav Ghosh’s Countdown: A Travelogue into the Heart of South Asia's Nuclear Summer

Abstract

Amitav Ghosh, a man of versatile genius, ranks with Mulk Raj Anand and R.K. Narayan. His fame rests on his sharp and penetrating sensitivity in depicting the human travelogue at microcosmic as well as epic scale. Ghosh's training as an anthropologist has been an important formative factor in his books. Travelling comes naturally to him. As such much of what he has written is travel based but this is a pure travelogue by him. Present paper is an attempt at exploring the Pokhran Psyche from the point of view of South Asia’s nuclear summer. 'Countdown', a travelogue deals with a panorama of things – the author's visit to Pokharan, Pakistan and Siachen; his conversation with many people in India – their grief and sorrow, their horrendous and horrifying experience regarding the nuclear explosion; the compulsions behind South Asia Nuclearisation; a mild satire on the arrogance and dominance of politics which seldom cares for the peace and prosperity of the people and above all, the social, political, economic and religious drawbacks of Pakistan.