Book: Freedom Lost in Rights

Author: Smriti Kumar Sinha

Translated by: Ramlal Sinha

Category: Fiction. Translation, Latest Releases Books, Short stories Books, Thornbird Books

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Niyogi Books

Pages: 203

My Rating: 4/5 *

Buy the Book: Amazon | Niyogi Books

About the Book:

Freedom Lost in Rights is Smriti Kumar Sinha’s second short stories collection which digs deep into the heart of the lives of people from Bishnupriya Manipuri community. This collection of poignant stories offers readers an enriching and fulfilling experience with their different flavours. Quoting an excerpt from the blurb: “As the characters struggle with notions of belonging and identity, the endangered language holds them together with equal parts hope and pathos.”

On the other hand, Ramlal Sinha’s translation is a treat to readers as he elegantly did his translation from the original work of the author. The tenderness of the translation shines through the stories and moulds them with a lyrical tryst that enhances the charm and beauty of the Bishnupriya Manipuri world.

Author Bio:

Smriti Kumar Sinha is a renowned short story writer in Bishnupriya Manipuri. This is a little-known language from the indigenous North-East India. So far, Smriti Kumar Sinha has published three collections. Currently working as a Professor of Computer Science at Tezpur University, Assam, he has been actively working for over the last three decades, dedicating himself to the development, recognition, and publicity of minor and endangered languages of the region.

Book Cover:

The book cover of Freedom Lost in Rights is one of the best covers I have come across in 2024. The background color of the book cover is aptly chosen as White reflects the other elements profoundly. The Indian National Flag on the above adds a sense of unity in diversity to the theme of the book. The other elements of the book cover add another level of beauty to the design.

Designed by Maithili Doshi, this book cover offers readers a sense of calmness, inclusion, and harmony. I appreciate the designer’s choice of colors, shades, and elements, as well as the arrangement of the design elements in a perfect fashion.

Writing Style:

The writing style of the stories is simple yet graceful – something that makes a book reader-friendly, impactful, and unforgettable. While reading the stories, readers will not feel a jerk at any point. The subtle storytelling offers an enriching reading experience. Additionally, the lively portrayal of the characters in such a short span and adding vivid imagery uplift the reading experience to another level. Overall, the writing style of the book Freedom Lost in Rights is smooth, engaging, and thought-provoking.

Structure of the Book:

The book consists of eleven short stories that encompass the themes of love, caste discrimination, friendship, poverty, affection, innocence, nature, spirituality, and many more such themes. But the most beautiful theme of this book is Independence.

The author has done a commendable job of portraying the stories of mundane things in a profound, emotional, and thought-provoking way. Therefore, the short stories in Freedom Lost in Rights offer you a collection of tales that explore themes like identity, tradition, culture, and complexities of life.

What I Loved the Most:

Apart from the writing style of the book, I loved the way author Smriti Kumar Sinha has picked the themes of these stories.

Sometimes the stories make you fall in love with the beauty of love, sometimes they make you admire nature and Mother Earth. Sometimes the stories make you smile with the portrayal of childlike innocence, and sometimes the stories make you wonder about the true meaning of Independence.

A Glimpse of the Book:

Of this collection of stories, some of them stole my heart as it felt like I was floating with words and thoughts. The stories that will stay with me long are: Grass or Land, The Lid, Gidei’s Bangles, Democracy, Akhanda-Prajna: A Love Story, and Independence.

In the story Grass or Land, the friendship between Badan and Minu brings tears. How two innocent souls prioritize their friendship beyond everything else, is the core theme of this story. It is another heart-touching story in this book.

In the story The Lid, the all preparation and excitement to attend to the guest, Mama, is shown beautifully, with every minute detail of a household where poverty is another name of their everyday struggle.

Gidei’s Bangles is a story where you read about the little boy Thun Thun’s innocence wherein his elder sister Shanti’s sacrifice to fulfill her little brother’s wish. It reminds you of those sacrifices that remain unacknowledged but the one who did it knows how difficult sometimes it feels even breaking your treasured bangles.

In the story Akhanda-Prajna: A Love Story, readers will get to see different shades of a lover. Sometimes finding beauty of nature in his beloved’s reflection, sometimes finding love in his beloved’s eyes. Sometimes he is the survivor, sometimes he is the cheerleader, sometimes a guide, a philosopher, and sometimes a protector. The sweet tale between Akhanda and Prajna will leave readers speechless. I wish this one story to be extended into a novel someday. Though titled as a love story, this story tells you much more beyond love.

I don’t want to reveal more about the stories. Let readers grab their copies and experience the surprises on their own.

The X-factor:

I appreciate the author’s description of the sounds of different objects with different words.

For example, “He knocks on Prajna’s door with a firm hand – rattarrattat.”

“Chooo chooo… the train is whistling.”

“Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong goes the warning bell…”

“The thudding music of the putal-pata – dok dok tok tok…”

“The train of life snakes through – clackety-clack, clackety-clack.”

“…the bangle breaks and so does her heart – creak…creak…creak…”

“…the rhythm of her life is lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub…”

“…she works like a printing machine – khatkhatang, khatkhatang, khatkhatang…”

Also, the author has done a commendable job in structuring the book. Arranging the stories in a perfect manner even makes the reading experience more fulfilling.

A Quote to Remember:

“In Prajna’s eyes, Akhanda witnesses the enchanting beauty of Mother Nature up close. For him, her eyes are the manifestation of Love itself.”

– From ‘Freedom Lost in Rights’ by Smriti Kumar Sinha

My Recommendation:

If you want to read a book that offers you short stories of different flavors, blended with the unique combination of regional cultures and societal struggles, then this book is for you. If you want to read a collection of short stories that offers you a light read yet leaves you pondering deeply even after finishing reading the book, then Freedom Lost in Rights is definitely for you. I strongly recommend this book to readers who love reading short stories written in a simple language yet graceful style.

Additionally, you will get a chance to enrich your vocabulary with some beautiful regional words. Also, you will have a glimpse of their culture and customs.

Grab the book on a December morning, and delve into reading the stories wearing the soft Sun.

(This review has been written as part of the Blogchatter Book Review Program. I received the review copy for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.)