Nilotpal Mrinal: De facto modernus-conservare writer

      It is said writers are narcissists. The lines they write are based on their familiarity but they deem these lines are penned for first time. If we go in details, the idealism of the writers starts flaunting.

      As everyone knows that the idealism in many fields has no survival, but they hold it as a badge of honour. In its counterpart, realism contains some elements of endurance, but unfortunately, it does not get more attention.

     Idealism is extremely dangerous. It follows optimism and tends to destroy everything if we are careless. A similar line is in the novel ‘Dark Horse’ written by Nilotpal Mrinal as readers know, not necessary to mention here. The novel gets many applauds even critics praises, but this novel is about the overrated genre of civil services preparation and struggling of lower-middle-class aspirants. 

(Picture from social media)

     This blog is not subject of analysing the novel but encloses the makeover of this modernus-conservare writer Nilotpal Mrinal. 

Routes ended with a new beginning

     Seats are limited, and aspirants are enough so everyone cannot secure rank in the civil services exam. It is a fact. One who is not shortlisted is either less productive guy or highly creative chap. List of failures in the UPSC is not limited. Shankar Devarajan is such a man who successfully ran an institute after collapsing all his attempts. Mrinal is another. He may be a big inspiration for lower-middle-class candidates, especially who is from Hindi speaking belt. 

     Mrinal is not a sole survivor artistic man, but he has been gained popularity even after not achieving his primary goal. In many interviews and talks, he mocked the UPSC preparation and said that I was a Hockey player but I used to play Cricket. I needed a hockey stick and I could find it after final attempt failing. 

     Anyone can easily predict that it was only a justification of failing and the guy has a long way to go for getting a mature way of speaking. The writer will have to fix the UPSC delusion out and renovate the idea ‘I am everything’ of preparation time. The time of UPSC has gone far away and the writer should get rid of it otherwise it always happens that grapes are sour.

     Being failed in competitive exam is not a blot, it is a way of growing and the writer finely improved his writing skills and language ability to express his feeling that triggered writing a book which got Sahitya Academy Youth Award. It opened a new way for him.

  

His first novel I read: No scope of literary creativity

     2-3 years ago, I had heard his poetry named ‘Bachapan’ randomly in YouTube that was shot in a UPSC friendly room. It was fabulous composing that struck me and forced the dormant string of my heart to live and hooked up the rope between the gaps of ages.

     I looked for him on Google and found another marvellous composing- ‘Dunia Aisi Hua Karti Thi’. It hit me again and forced to realize that the writer has a good comprehension of Indian conservatism and he will promote these values.

     During R&D, I got a little information about the ‘Dark Horse’ and purchased it. When I stood up from my reading table most of the pages I had read in a single sitting. I concluded that it is true for civil services aspirants that are mentioned, but the book is away from literature. Even after I can appreciate his efforts because many failed aspirants get ruined but he survived. If you want to go in detail you can read it on your choice. This novel is of different genre and discrete writing style-New Type Hindi.

Becoming patrons of Gamacha, but is it good in modern society?

      As per The print report, After Delhi restaurant refused to allow him in with Gamacha, he started Gamacha revolution based on that it was discrimination. A social media campaign followed and Gamacha was trending soon.

     Many from UP and Bihar supported the campaign and people started posting images sporting Gamachas. On next day, AAP leader Dilip Pandey visited the same restaurant carrying a Gamacha. Popular singer Deepak Thakur also shared images with Gamacha.

     It was a new form of identity exaggeration but not new for the UPSC aspirant turned writer Mrinal, who is being always favoured wearing Gamacha. In many shows, talks, interviews and random wandering, Gamacha prevails on all his clothes. It is not a stereotype but reflects the image of doing something new in this globalised society.

     This is India and there are many streams of living, ideas, religions and identities here. Anyone who propagates any type of design can get espousal. Wearing Gamacha is one of them. Nothing is impossible for Neck-down invisible community and everything can trend on social media. Trending has become a fashion now. 

Mrinal: De facto modernus-conservare writer 

     As you know Dark Horse is based on the real-life experiences of students who live in Mukherjee Nagar and prepare for UPSC exams that is why this novel catches the attention of these aspirants especially who is from Hindi speaking belt. It is a major drawback of the writer that he has still to come out of these experiences. 

     So the novel is liked well and is being still enjoyed by these aspirants. This book and its author get recognizance in this highly over-obsessed section. It is not awful because every writer sets its target audience and with time he unfolds hidden arts. 

     On many occasions, he mocked the UPSC preparation but he should take in; it was the UPSC preparation that gave him the nerve to write a book. It was not possible if he did not prepare this exam or cleared it, he would not be here where he is. Preparing exam is a catalyst; getting (un)success is another matter, that gives a way of decoupage one’s life. 

     He fancies recuperating the ancient values, identity and culture of Bihar and UP in this modernized society. How much he is succeeding History will attest to.

In conclusion 

     His wearing style of Gamacha, speaking Hindi, the novel and the composed poetry comprise of the age-old Indian way of life that confirm his conservative modes but at the same time, he supports women’s right, SC&ST’s empowerment and modern liberal ideas like faith in individual liberty, democracy, rights and universal dogmas of citizenship, secularism and promoting scientific temper. 

     All the above are enough to institute him in the genre of this writing. India is in the period of transition where villages are dangling between the modernism and the conservatism. So the writers like Mrinal store these canons because their preliminary value built before the watershed year of 2000 and the late value building has been getting influences of modern ages after 2000 with the coming of the information technology, smartphones and easy access of new-age creed.