ସତୀପ୍ରଥା ପରି ଏକ ଘୃଣ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଥା ବିଷୟରେ କିଏ ବା ଅବଗତ ନୁହଁନ୍ତି! ସମାଜରୁ ଏହି କୁପ୍ରଥା ଉଚ୍ଛେଦ କରିବାରେ ମୁଖ୍ୟ ପୁରୋଧା ସାଜିଥିବା ରାଜା ରାମମୋହନଙ୍କ ଭାଉଜଙ୍କ ସତୀ ହେବା ଘଟଣାର ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା ମୋତେ ବିସ୍ମିତ କରିଥିଲା। ସ୍ୱାମୀଙ୍କ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ପରେ ଅଲୋକାମଞ୍ଜରୀଙ୍କୁ ସତୀ ହେବା ପାଇଁ ଚିତାରେ ବସାଇଦିଆ ଯାଇଥିଲା। ଚିତାରେ ଅଗ୍ନିସଂଯୋଗ ପରେ ଲୋକମାନେ ସେଠାରୁ ଚାଲି ଆସିଥିଲେ। ଅଲୋକାମଞ୍ଜରୀ ନିଜକୁ ନିଆଁ ମୁହଁରୁ ବଞ୍ଚାଇ ଅଧାଜଳା ଅର୍ଦ୍ଧଉଲଗ୍ନ ଅବସ୍ଥାରେ ଏକ ବୁଦା ମୂଳରେ ଆତ୍ମଗୋପନ କରିଥିଲେ। କିନ୍ତୁ ସକାଳେ ତାଙ୍କୁ ଜୀବିତ ଥିବା ଦେଖିପାରି ଲୋକମାନେ ପୁଣି ଥରେ ନେଇ ତାଙ୍କୁ ଚିତାରେ ଜାଳି ଦେଇଥିଲେ। ଏପରି ଘଟଣା ମାନବତା ପ୍ରତି ଏକ ଶକ୍ତ ପ୍ରହାର ଅଟେ। ଏହି ଲୋମହର୍ଷଣ ଘଟଣାରେ ବ୍ୟଥିତ ରାମମୋହନ ସତୀପ୍ରଥା ଉଚ୍ଛେଦ ପାଇଁ ଆପ୍ରାଣ ଉଦ୍ୟମ କରିଥିଲେ। ଲେଖକ ଇତିହାସର ଏହି ବାସ୍ତବ ଚରିତ୍ର ସହ ଉପନ୍ୟାସର ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଚରିତ୍ର ସାବିତ୍ରୀ କୁଅଁରକୁ ତୁଳନା କରିଛନ୍ତି। ସେ କିନ୍ତୁ ଅଲୋକାମଞ୍ଜରୀଙ୍କ ପରି ସମାଜ ଓ ଅନ୍ଧବିଶ୍ୱାସ ଆଗରେ ହାରି ନ ଯାଇ ବଞ୍ଚିବା ପାଇଁ ସଂଘର୍ଷ କରିଛି। କିନ୍ତୁ ତାକୁ ତା ନିଜ ବାପାମାଆ ମଧ୍ୟ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବାକୁ ରାଜି ହୁଅନ୍ତିନି। ଏପରି ଅନେକ ଘଟଣା ଓ ଚରିତ୍ରର ନିଖୁଣ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା ଉପନ୍ୟାସକୁ ସୁଖପାଠ୍ୟ କରି ଗଢ଼ିତୋଳିଛି।

କିଛି ଘଟଣାବଳୀ ଓ ପ୍ରଥାକୁ ଲେଖକ ଯେପରି ବୈଜ୍ଞାନିକ ତର୍କ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ଉପସ୍ଥାପିତ କରିଛନ୍ତି ତାହା ଖୁବ୍ ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ। କହିବାକୁ ଗଲେ, ଏହି ତଥ୍ୟ ଗୁଡିକ ହିଁ ମୋତେ ବହିଟିକୁ ଅନୁବାଦ କରିବା ପାଇଁ ପ୍ରେରିତ କରିଛନ୍ତି କହିଲେ ଅତ୍ୟୁକ୍ତି ହେବନାହିଁ। ଆମର ଦୈବୀପୀଠଗୁଡ଼ିକ ବିଷୟରେ ସବିଶେଷ ଜାଣିବା ତାହା ପୁଣି ଏକ ବୈଜ୍ଞାନିକ ତର୍କ ଦେଇ… ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ରୂପେ ପାଠକକୁ ଏକ ନୂତନ ଅନୁଭୂତି ଦିଏ।

Nachiketa, the caption of the novel, follows the ideal, protagonist of Kathopnishad. Nachiketa was a truth seeker youth who exposed the deceit of his father, Vajasrava, a famous sage of the Vedic age. The father being publicly insulted reacted and cursed the boy to die instantly. The boy died instantly. But when his soul met Yama, the Lord of death, he refused to admit him in his realm. He asked him to return to life. But the boy refused to come back before acquiring the true knowledge about Life and death. He was blessed with the knowledge he sought and returned back to life as a learned person.

The present novel Nachiketa follows the same ideal of the Kathopanishad. Here, Nachiketa is used as a symbol to represent three aspirant scholars of an Indian University, named Ravenshaw College, situated in the city of Cuttack, Odisha, India.

It is in the aftermath of the Indian Independence when the British bequeathed the powers to the Democratically elected Government of India, on 15 August 1947. The Government of India formed its Govt in Delhi and the provincial Govts started functioning in their own provincial Headquarters, as per constitutional provision.

In the province of Odisha, the provincial Government took oath of the office and started functioning with their Legislative Assembly housed in the premises of the State’s premiere education institution, Ravenshaw College, Cuttack. Now, all of a sudden, the character of that historic educational institution of learning turned into shambles and instead of the wise heads, the Academicians and Deans, the college campus buzzed with Ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly and politicians of all varieties, Congress, Communists, and Socialists etc.

During that period, three bright scholars, Bibhuprasad, Natabar, and Manmohan were doing their pre doctoral research in the department of Chemistry of that college. Until then they looked at their alma mater, Ravenshaw College at par with Cambridge and Oxford Universities of London and dreamed of Nobel Prizes in their chosen

areas of research and studies. But alas! One fine morning they discovered their beloved university turning into the citadel of active politics!

Politicization of education is the poison that killed the whole spirit of knowledge and wisdom for which India was once famous as a country of sages, since the Vedic times, over thousands of years. But the politicians, that inherited the powers from the British for the Governance of India, allowed the rot to spread and India was pushed to the third world category of nations for that single mistake of the politicians who inherited powers from the British in 1947.

The novel is a saga of the desperation of the youths of India, particularly, after the country became independent.