B.A. (Hons.

) English – Semester V DSE-1

Literature for Children and Young Adults Study Material

Unit-2
a) Upendrakishore Roychoudhury, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne
b) Sulaiman Ahmad, Amar Aiyaar: King of Tricksters
c) Paro Anand, No Guns at My Son's Funeral

Edited by: Dr. Neeta Gupta

Department of English

SCHOOL OF OPEN LEARNING

University of Delhi
 Discipline Specific Elective (DSE-1)
Literature for Children and Young Adults

Unit-2

Edited by:
Dr. Neeta Gupta
School of Open Learning
University of Delhi
Delhi-110007

SCHOOL OF OPEN LEARNING

UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
5, Cavalry Lane, Delhi-110007
 Discipline Specific Elective (DSE-1)
Literature for Children and Young Adults

Unit-2

Contents

Lesson Title Pg. No.

No.

Introduction : Young Adult Fiction and Crossover Phenomena 01

a) Upendrakishore Roychowdhury, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne 05

b) Sulaiman Ahmad, Amar Aiyaar: King of Tricksters 13

c) Paro Anand, No Guns at My Son's Funeral 18

Prepared by:
Dr. Madhulika Nirmal

SCHOOL OF OPEN LEARNING

UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
5, Cavalry Lane, Delhi-110007
 Unit-2

Introduction : Young Adult Fiction and Crossover Phenomena

Dr. Madhulika Nirmal

1. What is Crossover Phenomena?

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking were written to engage
children into the world of animated chess, hopping rabbit, Red Queen, inverted spaces etc. It
was a trip to the fantasy land that took children far and wide into dreams and imagination.
Much later, it was observed that more than children, adults started enjoying and reciprocating
to the literature that was meant for kids. Alice became the spot of Victorian civilisation and
was tutored to become a ‘miniature adult’. In recent decades, a similar phenomenon was
observed with the introduction of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Adult and child
audiences, both engaged themselves with the world of Hogwarts, the life of muggles and the
soul-sucking dementors. This category of Young Adult (YA) fiction was seen as a ‘crossover
phenomenon’ where the audiences got mixed up.
The sanguivorous world of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series was greatly appreciated by
children who drowned in the high school romance of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. The
series equally attracted adults, especially forty-year-old moms who formed a social group-
Twilight Moms, with its elements of horror and realistic genre. Therefore, the readership of
crossover literature is certainly broader than those it was originally intended for. The line that
demarcates literature for being kids-friendly or otherwise gets mixed up in Young Adult
literature (YAL) and narratives become available for everyone equally.
It is often observed that the crossover literature cannot be confined to a particular genre
and therefore it is a hybrid genre. As Beckett notes:
While adult fiction has remained very compartmentalized (literary fiction, romance,
mystery, science fiction, and so forth), children’s literature has been pushing at the
boundaries for many years. Crossover works often challenge borderlines of all sorts,
crossing traditional generic boundaries as well as conventional age boundaries. In
1995, Ursula Le Guin observed that “the genres are all merging” (2005, p 259).
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the famous The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has
recently gained a new position amongst young adults. The text was intended to engage
children with the world of mystery, case solving and morals while the adults got tutored on
the importance of friendship, Dr Watson’s scientific experiments and military experiences
and the relationship between Irene Adler and the protagonist. This afresh attention has
allowed writers to view YAL in a balanced light and encourage them to see teen books as
more than mere high school romances and teenage issues. Today the crossover phenomenon
literature market is one of the biggest around and respected authors like John Grisham,
Agatha Christie and James Patterson occupy the shelves of the YA fiction sections.

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2. Teens and Young Adults: Where to draw a line?
During the sixties and seventies, teenage life comprised of first-love, prom nights and
sophomore experiences. Therefore, the targeted YA age range was 12-18 years. But in recent
times, age has become less of a factor due to the global exposure of the individuals and the
variety of themes available to the masses. As Rachel Falconer aptly in her essay “Young
Adult Fiction and the Crossover Phenomenon” observes:
Being on the “edge” of adulthood in the twenty-first century is a more daunting
experience than previously . . . Teenagers can become arrested in pre-adulthood,
failing to secure jobs, mortgages or university degrees, or having taken the first step,
may fall back into dependence on their parents. (92)
The everyday themes of high school drama of the seventies have now given way to the
unnatural world of fantasy and paranormal romance. The new age literature now offers ample
fodder to adult readers by including a multitude of problems like deeper character analysis
and situational events. The blooming of this phenomenon and the blurring of the age-specific
line has given YA readers a secure spot in the market where writers, librarians and publishers
notice them.
Check your progress:
1. What has caused the adults to crossover the children literary world?
2. Why is crossover phenomena called a ‘hybrid’ phenomena?
3. Characteristics of YAL
3.1 Naming the text or branding:
One of the biggest challenges that the authors of young adult literature face are using
appropriate words to title their novels/stories. The publisher and the author have to keep
in mind the audience while naming. With the emergence of the crossover culture, the
branding needs to cater to both, young and adults.
For example, Mark Haddon, the popular children’s author wanted to use Curious
Incident instead of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time as the title of his
book. The publisher posited a concern since the former catered more to the YA
audience than the kids. Henceforth, the latter became a choice as it covered both the
audiences in mind.
3.2 The element of Realism:
The books that are written for children usually capture the fantastical and science
fictional world to ensure readership. However, in the contemporary crossover
phenomena, certain aspects of the narrative suit the adults as well.
For example:
a) In Paro Anand’s No Guns at My Son’s Funeral, the YA understands the political
nuances of the novels. It is not the story of a fourteen-year-old Kashmiri boy who

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 sets out on an adventure to become a ‘freedom fighter’. An adult reader
understands the political situation of the Valley and the oscillating lives of the
Kashmiris between the Army and the terrorists.
b) The Twilight Saga, even though extensively captures the fantastical element of a
love triangle between a vampire, a wolf and a human being, offers much more.
The fact that it is set in the present contemporary times with believable
technologies and professionals like doctors and teachers, makes it equally
palatable for the YA.
3.3 Protagonist:
The age of the protagonist plays a very vital role in deciding the audience of a book,
particularly in YAL. As Falconer notes:
In all the generic and stylistic variety that constitutes young adult fiction, there are
at least one, or possibly two, relatively constant features: the central protagonist,
who may also be the text's first-person narrator, is between 11 and 19 years of age,
and the text's addressee, or implied reader, is assumed to be of a similar age. (90-l)
However, as witnessed in the case of Paro Anand and Sulaiman Ahmad’s Amar Aiyaar: The
King of Tricksters, the biological age of the protagonists does not necessarily determine their
intellectual and emotional age. Anand’s Aftab is emotionally young in comparison to the
teenaged boys of his age, while intellectually he seems to be an adult trying to prove his
worth. Thus, age merely becomes a number and other factors like social, political, economic,
psychologic etc plays a vital role.
3.4 Characterisation:
Paro’s Akram was neither good nor bad. He was a victim of the circumstances and was
governed by the lack of guidance and care. It becomes imperative to understand that
unlike the children’s fiction, the characters in a YAL are neither black nor white. They
are complex, cryptic and abstruse. Hence, the emotional quotient plays a vital role in
adult fiction as the characters evoke sympathy or antipathy rather than falling into the
categories of being good or bad.
Additionally, the reader constantly looks for similarities and relatability with the
characters and therefore an identification with a similar age group or background
engages the audience better.
3.5 Plot
As compared to children’s book, YAL has more complex plots, thus compelling the
adults to crossover in order to engage with the text. Multiple characters, parallel and
inter-woven storylines, simultaneous events and plot within the plot techniques forms
the backbone of the adult narratives. In Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, though the story line
is very linear, the parallel stories of Goopy and Bagha complicates the narrative by
progressing together at the same time. Similarly, the use of flashbacks in Paro’s

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 Akram’s life gives an intricate structure to the story. Thus the ‘flash-forwards’ (where
episodes keep on shifting from past to present and then back) in the story line demands
an adult reader to understand the complexities of the narrative.
4. Check your Progress
1. How does the publisher or the author ensure the reader’s engagement? What roles does
the title of the novel plays in choosing the reader?
2. Genres like fantasy and science fiction are very specific to children’s literature.
Elaborate any three factors that forms the foundation of YAL.
5. Works Cited
Ahmad, Sulaiman. Amar Ayyar: King of Tricksters. New Delhi: Hachette India, 2012.
Anand, Paro. No Guns at My Son’s Funeral (2005). New Delhi: Roli Books, 2020.
Beckett, S. Crossover fiction: Global and historical perspectives. New York, NY: Routledge,
2009.
Falconer, R. (2009). The Crossover Novel: Contemporary children's fiction and its adult
readership. New York, NY: Routledge.
- ‘Young Adult Fiction and the Crossover Phenomena’, in The Routledge Companion to
Children's Literature, ed. David Rudd New York: Routledge, 2010. Pp. 87-97

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 Unit-2(a)

‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’

Upendrakishore Roychoudhury

2. Author
He was born as Kamodaranjan Roy in 1863 and was adopted and renamed by his father’s
relative five years later as Upendrakishore Roychoudhury. He was an artist and a taleteller
who introduced the reader to a world of magic and Bengali folktales. The characters are
realistic and represent the society of the time. He extensively contributed to the Sakha, a very
renowned juvenile magazine. Being an artist, he painted fine drawings for his folktales, short
stories, rhymes and mythological tales. Apart from his unmatchable contribution to the world
of literature, Upendrakishore Roychoudhury invented dio-type and ray-print processes while
researching and experimenting with printing. Satyajit Ray, the celebrated author, director,
lyricist, illustrator and filmmaker is the grandson of Upendrakishore Roychoudhury. Goopy
Gyne Bagha Byne opens up a world of forest, kingdom, ghosts, humour and magic; thus,
making children its popular audience.
3. Learning Objectives
The primary objective is to critically understand the plot and the underlying themes of the
short story ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ by Upendrakishore Roychoudhury. Originally written
as children’s fiction, the story highlights the importance of friendship (like Narayan’s Swami
and Friends), adventures (as seen in Tom Sawyer), trust and believing in self. However,
through a critical and thematic reading of the text, we would learn to locate the short story as
Young Adult literature (YAL) rather than merely a narrative created to entertain the kids.
After going through this lesson, the students will be able to:
 Critically appreciate the story ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ and socially explore the
narrative.
 Have a deeper understanding of the Young Adult Literature genre.
 Comment on the art of imagination and folklore.
4. Detailed Summary
The story with its two primary characters can be read as a series of fortunate and unfortunate
events placed together to form a conclusive ending. The characters do not share extraordinary
lives but live on mere fate while believing in themselves and the magical gifts granted to
them. Therefore, it becomes important to episodically analyse the situations in the story
4.1 Protagonists
Goopy Kyne, the son of Kanu Kyne. Goopy sang only one song but no one in the whole
village sang any, so he was called Goopy Gyne (Gyne is Bangla means singer). Even though

5
Goopy was the only singer in the village, he sang horribly. His bad singing would drive the
customers away from his father’s grocery shop and all the cows ran away from the fields. To
put an end to Goopy’s unmelodious talent, Kanu Kyne along with the villagers chased him
away into the forest. In the forest, Goopy started practising his song even harder.
In a nearby village, there lived a drummer. While playing his drum, he used to roar like a
tiger and fiercely play on the instrument. Therefore, he was called Bagha Byne (tiger-like
drummer). The villagers were very proud of Bagha’s talent and used to encourage him. Since
Bagha played the drum with so much passion throughout the day, by the evening the drum
would break. His father, Panchu Pyne, would buy him a new drum every morning to help him
continue playing. Eventually, Panchu couldn’t afford to buy new drums every day and thus,
the villagers stepped in to help. They collected the money and bought a huge and very sturdy
drum made from buffalo hide. Elated Bagha played the big drum day and night for forty-five
days.
Panchu and the whole of the village started feeling dizzy with the noise of the drum and
requested Bagha to leave the village. Disheartened yet determined Bagha went from one
village to another but was driven out soon from everywhere. Thus, Bagha too went to the
forest to practice in peace.
Hence, Goopy and Bagha started practising in the different corners of the same forest.
Since they could hear each other, both thought that the jungle had a ‘Terrible Beast’. Goopy’s
incessant bellowing scared Bagha, while Bagha’s unstoppable beats terrified Goopy. Both
decided to leave the forest for the fear of the beast. They met each other on the way and learnt
the truth about the ‘Terrible Beast’. They both got scared listening to each other’s music.
Thus, they formed a duo where one would sing and the other would play the drum.
4.2 The magical wishes
Happy in each other’s company, both decided to visit the king to showcase their talent and
hoped to get his kingdom and daughter as the reward of their talent. While on their way on a
boat, they started singing as usual and the fellow passengers jumped into the river, causing
the boat to turn upside down to save themselves from the torture. Goopy and Bagha floated
away into a dark scary jungle. They both were so afraid of the darkness and the dense thicket
that they both started singing, thinking that they would soon be eaten up by the wild animals.
Both of them got so engrossed in their performances that they didn’t notice that a group
of ghosts has turned around them as an audience. The ghosts enjoyed the music thoroughly
and offered to grant Goopy and Bagha wishes. Passionate about their talent, both wanted to
please people with music. The ghosts granted, “Once you start singing, no one will be able to
move before your song is over.” (12) Goopy further asked for enough food and decent clothes
and the ghosts gave them a magical bag and said, “whenever you want something to eat or a
new set of clothes, just put your hand into the bag.” (12) Happy with the simple-minded duo,
the ghosts gave them each a pair of magical shoes that would take them wherever they
wished to go.

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4.3 The imprisoned ‘ghosts’ and their drum
Goopy and Bagha bade farewell to the ghosts and with their magical shoes, reached the
King’s chamber. They were immediately arrested, Bagha’s drum confiscated, and put into jail
for breaking into the palace for three days. On the third day, their fates would be decided. By
using the powers given by the ghosts, Goopy and Bagha dressed as rich princes reached the
palace’s garden. The king warmly welcomed the courteous looking men and offered the best
room for their stay. The following day the gentlemen were invited to witness the court’s
proceeding regarding Goopy and Bagha’s case. To everyone’s surprise, the prisoners were
not there and it was collectively established that the duo was a ghostly pair as they
disappeared into the thin air and also, they had shown up mysteriously in the king’s chambers
earlier too. Unable to react, both Goopy and Bagha, dressed as princes witnessed the drama
silently, until a member of the court began talking about the drum. They all wanted to burn
the ghostly drum but Bagha created a ruckus by ‘wailing loudly and tossing about the floor’
to divert their attention from his beloved drum. A physician was called to attend to Bagha and
the duo were shifted to their palatial room.
Later, the king and the chief of guards discussed the suspicious nature of their guests and
both agreed that their guests were the two ghosts. Therefore, arrangements were made to shift
Goopy and Bagha to the king’s country home and it was decided that the guards would burn
them both along with the drum in that very house. After an eventful night, the duo escaped
and reached the forest where they had met for the first time.
Check your progress:
1. Comment on the lives of Goopy and Bagha? What makes them extraordinary?
2. Why does Bagha create a scene in the court when he learns about his drums future?
3. What is the significance of returning to the forest after the adventure?
4.4 King of Halla
To celebrate the special place, they both started singing and playing the drum for the night.
At the same time, the robbers had looted the king’s treasury and captured his two sons from
the neighbouring kingdom of Halla. As the robbers were escaping from the forest, they heard
the song and drum and froze into immobility (as per the wish granted by the ghosts). When
the music stopped in the morning, the king’s men came and arrested the robbers easily. The
captured princes told their father about the melodious song and the beats and how Goopy and
Bagha’s performance helped them catch the robbers. They endlessly praised the wonderful
music and the king agreed to employ them with a salary of five hundred rupees. The word
‘Halla’ means noise. Therefore, the king of Halla and his sons appreciated the noise that
Goopy and Bagha together create!
4.5 The final episode
For many months, life seemed smoother for the duo. But one day they learnt that the King of
Shundi was planning to attack and capture the kingdom of Halla. The king of Shundi was the

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same ruler who had imprisoned Goopy and Bagha earlier and wanted to kill them thinking
that they were ghosts. After much persuasion, the king of Halla allowed the duo to help him
with the inevitable war. Thus, both left for Shundi and roamed about the city for many days,
collecting information.
They noticed that the people of Shundi were offering prayers to make the war a success.
Both, Goopy and Bagha, came up with a plan to help the kingdom of Halla. They made all
the arrangements, kept their magical shoes ready and held the magic bag tightly. When the
people of Shundi were offering prayers, the duo asked the magical bag to produce the pots of
the most delicious sweets. They started dropping the pots in the courtyard and all the people,
hesitantly yet eagerly started devouring the sweets. Everybody thought that the gods were so
happy with their devotion that they were being rewarded with such a sweet gesture. When the
king of Shundi got the news, he too rushed to the site to witness the mysterious event. But,
when he reached all the pots were empty and he waited for the next day. The next day too, a
similar miracle happened. This time, the king, after eating the sweets began dancing with joy,
while Goopy and Bagha dressed in heavy ornaments floated down in the courtyard with their
magical shoes. They wanted to embrace the king for his devotion and thus took him by his
arms and rose into the sky. The people of Shundi saw the disappearance of their king and
believed that he had been escorted to the heavens.
Thus, Goopy and Bagha presented the captured king of Shundi to the king of Halla.
Elated and grateful, the king of Halla took away the kingdom of Shundi and profusely
thanked the duo. He married his two daughters to both talented men and presented them half
of Shundi.
Check your progress:
1. Why were the duo accepted and welcomed to the kingdom of Halla?
2. How was the war awerted?
3. How was the king of Shundi brought to the kingdom of Halla?
5. Critical Analyses
Unusual to the genre of YAL, we are not told the ages of the two men in the story. Though, it
is certain that they are jobless and young enough to be suitable for the marriage market.
Goopy seems to be the decision-maker, while Bagha is the follower and is very possessive
about his drum. Let us critically analyse the story from YAL perspective:
5.1 Absence of the female characters
From the banishment from the villages to meeting the ghosts to visiting and escaping Shundi
to settling down in Halla, the short story seems to be devoid of the female characters. We are
told that Goopy’s father (Kanu Kyne) ran a grocery shop while Bagha’s father (Panchu Pyne)
provided drums for his son. Nowhere do we witness their mothers, sisters or aunts sharing a
space in the story! There are only three faint episodes where women are mentioned: first,

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even before they set out on their adventure, they are hopeful of meeting the king and
returning with ‘a bride’ along with the kingdom, second, where we learn that Bagha’s parents
have died and, the third, where the King of Halla marries off his daughters to the duo. It is
interesting to note that women are seen in society as either dead or as goods to be shared
along with the land. The short story very effectively showcases a society where women can
neither speak nor act. The fact that the women hold no power in deciding life-changing
events like banishing their child or marrying someone without knowing (or being treated as
mere goods) is problematic.
A famous Bangla proverb highlights the traditional material goal of ‘half a kingdom and
a princess’ and Upendrakishore Roychoudhury adheres to it depicting the condition of the
women during those times and the final closure of the story. None of the kings has queens
even though major events take place in their lives and kingdom. Thus shutting out of the
female characters question the status of women and also demands an explanation on the genre
of children’s literature.
This deliberate exclusion of females from the text also points to a stereotypical
understanding that only the lives of boys are adventurous because they form the greater
portion of the sex ratio and therefore, also forms a major part of the readership. Also, it is
witnessed that Goopy and Bagha both sever all the familial ties before setting out for the
forest. In an Indian setting, no woman can be seen doing so because of her societal position
and the burden of her duties.
5.2 Class Consciousness
In children’s literature, the stories are weaved in such a manner that everything ends well.
Most of the narratives deal with the themes of good vs evil, right vs wrong and also poor vs
elite. ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ for an adult reader categorically highlights the class issues
present in society. At the beginning of the story when Goopy and Bagha formed their musical
team and wanted to impress the king with their skills, it becomes clear that they expected to
earn half of the kingdom and earn his “daughter as a bride”. (7) They thought that the only
way to vertically climb the social ladder is through the prospect of marriage.
It is already mentioned that the very thought of having a secured and sorted future made
the duo happy. Therefore, as adult readers, we notice how realistic and conscious the issue of
class belonging is. Both Goopy and Bagha belonged to the lower economical classes of the
society and therefore the urge to earn a better position seemed obvious. Additionally, with
their collected skill, the thought of impressing the king and winning his daughters as prizes
became a believable plan.
Thus, the story completes the full circle when the duo marries the princesses, exactly the
way they had imagined.
5.3 A balance of reality and fantasy: YAL
As mentioned in the introduction to the unit, what makes adult readers indulge in children's
writings is the blend of reality with fantasy. ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ has a whole episode

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on the ghosts and the magical powers they gift to the duo. However unbelievable and out-of-
place this may seem, the story concludes with the two plebian men finding a perfect spot for
themselves in a world where they were misfits. The fantasy genre is a part of YAL and in the
case of Roychoudhury’s story, the entire structure would collapse if we were to remove
fantasy to keep the narrative more practical and adult-friendly. Nonetheless, the element of
folklore forms the major part of children’s fiction. The events of exile and banishment into
the forest are not new to the readers. From Ramayana to Mahabharata, the theme of living in
a forest is a metaphor for finding the self. Here too, Goopy and Bagha found their self-worth.
5.4 Search for Self in the mundane setting
As mentioned in the previous point, the episode with the ghosts balances the elements of
reality with fiction. Young Adult Literature gives its readers ample opportunities to react and
rethink. In the story, we learn about the boons given to the socially dejected Goopy and
Bagha. The three rewards are as follows:
a. Gift of music and acceptance from the world
b. Unlimited supply of food and drinks
c. Magical shoes to travel unhindered from any place or situation.
Surprisingly, these are the essentials to lead a peaceful life. Man’s search for acceptance is a
continuous one. As adults, we learn not to judge and understand the circumstances of others.
Thus, Goopy and Bagha wished for a world where the people listened to them and did not
beat them up just because their talent was not up to the mark. Similarly, food is a necessity
and therefore, the duo asked the ghosts to provide them with the same. Lastly, uninterrupted
access is what as human beings, we all crave for. Therefore, in the characters of Goopy and
Bagha, Upendrakishore Roychoudhury highlighted the basic essences of human beings and
the modes to survive the world.
5.5 War and Peace
The world today has been reduced to the idea of war and capturing. For a young reader, as
reflected in the various media channels, it seems that war is the only possible solution for all
the transborder issues. The children and young adults are alike made to believe in the defence
forces and only a strong army of trained men is required to win wars. Goopy Gyne Bagha
Byne offers a very different yet humane way of dealing with political issues.
Towards the end of the story, we see how the King of Shundi was adamant about
attacking the kingdom of Halla. Goopy and Bagha stepped up to help the king win the war.
With their simple yet very intelligent strategy, they were able to bring the King of Shundi to
Halla’s court. Before executing their plan, both men carefully observed the Kingdom of
Shundi and their preparations for the upcoming attack. They learned that the people of
Shundi are offering prayers to God to help them win over the Kingdom of Halla. The duo,
with the fitting use of their magical wishes, asked the ghosts to prepare the most delicious
sweets to lure the Shundi people and the king. They dropped the sweets in the temple

10
courtyard and everyone was so amazed by the delectable confection that they believed Goopy
and Bagha to be Gods who have responded to their prayers and have descended to take their
king with them. The people along with the king were almost hypnotized with the
mouthwatering sweets and the spectacle created by both men. The people of Shundi
wholeheartedly offered their beloved king to the gods. Later, the King of Halla didn’t kill him
but only took away his kingdom.
The theme of war is beautifully depicted in the story. What amazes an adult reader is
how without shedding a single drop of blood or massacring innocent people or causing an
economical imbalance in the kingdoms, the war was won. Upendrakishore Roychoudhury
brilliantly offers a priceless lesson to both, children and young adults. It is widely accepted
that if the younger generation is taught the right lessons, the world could become a better and
peaceful place to flourish. Today, the power play has blinded everyone and the people have
become bloodthirsty for land, money, resources, position etc. Through Goopy and Bagha’s
tactful plan, we learn that war is an inevitable part of civilization and existence, but peace is
by choice. As human beings, we can always choose to not participate in activities that can
cause people harm and sorrow.
Young adult literature has the onus of making the readers sensitive towards their fellow
beings. The funny story for children becomes a lesson for the adults when it helps them
understand how the resources around us can be used to our benefit without putting others at
risk. Goopy and Bagha helped the King of Halla by ‘tastefully’ bringing the King of Shundi
to the court. The duo’s magical powers are no less than what we have today in this
globalizing world. Thus, the story beautifully highlights the theme of war and peace as
important life lessons for all.
5.6 Check your progress:
1. What makes this short story be categorised as YAL and not merely children’s
literature?
2. Thematically, the story talks about life. Elaborate on the ghost episode to highlight the
same.
3. What role does fantasy play in YAL?
4. Critically analyse the theme of war and peace as it is dealt with in the story.
5. Comment on the female characters of the text.
6. Summing Up
‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ paints a picture of a society that represents its times. The absence
of the female characters questions the position of women and the abundance of men in the
pages highlights the sad truth about society. The genre of YAL is devoid of any age range
therefore, a story like this has a different impact on its readers based on their ages. For a
child, the dream-like sequence of the events will ultimately result in a happy ending with the

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banished men gaining kingdom and wives. While for an adult audience, the text deciphers the
meaning of life and its struggles. With the theme of ghosts, we are reminded of our quests
and what we need as human beings -- acceptance.

Works cited:
Das Gupta, Chidananada. “Ray and Tagore” In Sight and Sound (London), Winter 1966-67.
Erik Barnouw. ‘Lives of a Bengal Filmmaker: Satyajit Ray of Calcutta’ in The Quarterly
Journal of the Library of Congress. Vol. 38, No. 2 (SPRING 1981), pp. 60-77
[https://www.jstor.org/stable/29781890]
Roychoudhury, Upendrakishore. Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and other stories (2004). Puffin
Classics: Haryana. 2015

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 Unit-2(b)
Amar Aiyaar: King of Tricksters
Retold by Sulaiman Ahmad

1. Author
Amar Aiyaar: King of Tricksters is a small section of Dastaan-e-Ameer Hamza retold by
Sulaiman Ahmad. The folklore culture and the oral tradition of storytelling is a way of
resurrecting diminishing traditions. Sulaiman applies his knowledge of Persian, Urdu and
English literature from his post-graduating years to recreate the story of Hamza’s close
confidante and faithful friend, Amar. As mentioned earlier, Aiyaari means trickery and Amar
was famously known as ‘Amar Aiyaar’: the king of tricksters. Sulaiman Ahmad hence
focuses his reading on the Aiyaari element of the dastans.
2. Learning Objectives
Amar Aiyaar introduces the readers to an Eastern world of storytelling. The art of oral
tradition is as old as civilisation and every culture has its specific way of gifting this tradition
to the next generation. Sulaiman Ahmad has retold Amar’s stories as they have flowed
through the centuries. With a deeper critical analysis of the stories, the students will be able
to:
 Understand the tradition of storytelling in the East. The concepts of Dastan, Dastango
and Danstangoi will be highlighted in the unit.
 Locate the Oral tradition and its development through the narrative.
 Learn the seamless way in which fantasy and realism work together to capture young
adult readership.
3. Background
The tradition of storytelling is ages old and encourages people to imagine situations,
introduce characters and weave magic around existing stories. Since listening and narrating
are as old as human civilization, the stories too evolve along with the societies. They become
glorified and the characters keep on getting refined as per the narrator.
In the Eastern world,’ a story is a dastan and go means to narrate, thus the storyteller is
called a Dastango and the tradition is known as Dastangoi. Dastango follows a unique
structure in telling the story while ensuring that the audience is fully impacted. A dastan is
foundationally a tale, a story or a collection of events. It is very different from the Western
concept of storytelling which seems to be too linear or ‘right’. It is believed that since
dastangoi is a verbal narration, the majority of the population that indulged in such
storytelling were illiterate. Schooling in olden times was a rare phenomenon and the masses
relied on the stories, poems and narratives in the oral form. Therefore, the stories travelled
from one person to another, accepting changes and recreating events. However, this is not to

13
state that the oral tradition was only specific to the easterners. Literary masterpieces like
Virgil’s Aeneid from Rome and Homer’s Odyssey are examples of this verbal tradition.
Ramayana and Mahabharata with their moral teachings of good and evil have also been a
part of this tradition. Dastangoi reached greater heights in the Mughal and post-Mughal
period giving rise to the dastans of Tilism.
As with any literature, dastan too represents the social and cultural order of its time. The
imaginary land of stories has four peculiar elements: razm (battles), bazm (assemblies), tilism
(sorcery) and aiyaari (trickery). Mostly a combination of two or three elements forms a
narrative. Aiyaari, therefore, becomes Sulaiman Ahmad’s choice from the epic of Dastaan-e-
Ameer Hamza. Ameer Hamza celebrates the courageous deeds of Prophet Muhammad’s
uncle, Hamza. The story originated in Arabia in the 7th century and since then, it has travelled
a very long journey where the stories became localised and the entire legend turned fictional.
The dastan finally reached India between the 11th and 14th Centuries and found its respectable
spot in the court of Emperor Akbar.
3.1 Check your progress:
1. What are the features of Dastangoi?
2. What are the elements of Dastan? Which one is Sulaiman Ahmad retelling in his
work?
4. Summary:
4.1 Chapters 1-6
The first six chapters introduce us to the major characters. Shahenshah Naushervan, the
emperor of Persia, has his terrain far and wide. His palace and courts were magnificent and
were designed intricately. He had two wazirs or ministers, Buzurjmehr and Bakhtak, who’d
help him govern his empire. Buzurjmehr was a good advisor and made continuous attempts
to guide the king faithfully and honourably. Bakhtak, on the other hand, was a true villain. He
was selfish and scheming and always gave wrong advice to the king. Buzurjmehr was aware
of Bakhtak’s nature and therefore tried his best to encourage the emperor to work positively
for his subjects (in ‘The transformation of Shahenshah Naushervan’).
Once Naushervan had a strange dream and after Buzurjmehr’s calculations deliberations,
the dream was deciphered. It was prophesized that a ‘raider called Hashsham will attack the
capital city and will take over the throne and the crown.’ But, a great warrior from Mecca
named Hamza will come to the king’s rescue and restore the throne and crown to Naushervan
(in ‘Naushervan has a strange dream’). On hearing the interpretation, a search for Hamza was
carried out. After intense astrological calculations, it was foretold that on the day Hamza was
born, two other boys too would be born. Those two would remain faithful and loyal to Hamza
forever and would protect him on his adventures. Hamza was born to the family of Khwaja
Abdul Mutallib, chief of the tribes of Mecca. The second boy was born to a close attendant of
Khwaja Mutallib and Buzurjmehr named him Muqbil Wafadar. He would grow up to become

14
the finest archer of his time. The third boy was born to a poor camel driver whose wife died
during childbirth. When Buzurjmehr saw the poor motherless boy, his happiness knew no
bounds. He announced that,
the boy who will humble the greatest emperors. All will bow low before him,
trembling at the thought of his dagger’s sharpness, and pay him allegiance. He alone
will conquer impregnable forts that have fazed valiant fighters and colossal armies.
He will be a close confidante and faithful friend of Hamza, and the tricksters of the
world will call him their king! (8, in ‘Buzurjmehr goes to Mecca’)
The boy was thus named Amar. All three boys were entrusted to Adiya Bano for their
care and upbringing. All the essential arrangements for their welfare were done and
the infants were left to grow together in the nurse’s home (in ‘Bringing up the
Children’).
Chapter 5, ‘Amar’s Childhood’ highlights Amar’s trickery even before he turns five.
According to an old custom in Arabia, young boys were sent to the desert to learn the
ways of life. The harsh, nomadic lifestyle prepared the children for the outside. Later,
when the kids reached the age of five, they were sent off to the pre-school, maktab,
where a Maulvi educated them. It was a place of elementary education and the
knowledge of alphabets was rendered there. The Maulvi Sahib was aware of Hamza
and Muqbil’s noble backgrounds and Amar’s poor lineage. Therefore, he started
treating the children in a biased manner. Amar understood his teacher's unwarranted
behaviour and from there on, started scheming plans to torture the Maulvi. On various
occasions, Amar asked questions from the Maulvi that would put the teacher in an
embarrassing position. He was then beaten up for his disobedience but Hamza always
came to Amar’s rescue (in ‘Amar begins his education’).
4.2 Chapters 51, 67-68
‘A cure for Hamza’ narrates Hamza’s near-death experience and how his childhood friends,
Muqbil and Amar, could provide a cure for the deadly poison. On learning Hamza’s critical
condition and that the antidote is available in a faraway land, Amar began panicking and
crying. When he told Muqbil about their friend’s condition, Muqbil paid no attention and
seemed bored with the conversation. Amar lost his temper and started beating Muqbil for his
indifference. When the third blow landed on Muqbil, the truth about his indifference came
out. The antidote for Hamza’s poison was sewn into Hamza’s side and Buzurjmehr had made
Muqbil promise not to reveal the secret until Amar beats him at least three times. Thus, the
two loyal friends helped Hamaz to survive the poison by providing the antidote- Zahr Mohra.
Both chapters, 67 and 68, highlight Amar’s journey through Tilism (world of magic). He
was a miser and the world of magic offered no money. He was upset that he had to part with
a piece of bread that he had, instead of using his tricks and tactics to fill his belly (in ‘Back to
the Tricksters’). In ‘The magical city’, Amar disguised himself as a sorcerer to trick the
people. The city was beautifully decorated with jewels, gems and expensive items. But to

15
Amar’s surprise, the entire city was empty. There were neither customers nor shopkeepers.
Grabbing the golden opportunity, Amar picked up jewels from an empty show. A small
puppet appeared from nowhere and demanded him to put back the jewels. This continued at
every shop and eventually, Amar was shoo-ed in the same way. He left the city defeated, now
disguised as a street singer.
4.3 Check your progress:
1. Trace the character of Amar in the first six chapters of the novel.
2. Comment on Naushervan’s wazirs and their importance.
5. Analysis
The sole purpose of a dastango is to provide engagement and entertainment through stories to
the common people. In doing so, a dastango uses fantasy, magic, realism and imagination in
the stories. Unlike elite literature, popular literature doesn’t aim at providing redemptive
powers. Popular literature is designed to keep the masses entertained by providing tales and
retelling stories with twists and turns.
5.1 Amar the king of tricksters:
Since it was prophesized, that Amar would become the best trickster, he started showing the
traits very early:
a. as an infant when Amar was suckling Buzurjmehr’s finger, the child slipped the ring
into his mouth so effortlessly that nobody got to know. Later, when Buzurjmehr
offered sherbet to him, the ring was found.
b. On another occasion, Amar pushed Hamza and Muqbil away from the bed to suck all
of Adiya Bano’s milk.
c. While at maktab, Amar, aged five years, ridiculed Maulvi sahib by counter
questioning his knowledge.
Amar is a very complex character. He has the qualities of a hero, friend, confidante on one
hand, yet on the other hand, his mischievous and dubious personification makes it hard to
believe him. Along with trickery, he indulges in sorcery and other tilismi activities to
fascinate people around him. This fluid quality of Amar’s is necessary to keep the plot
moving straight.
5.2 Themes:
5.2.1 Trickery
Mental awareness, cleverness, attentiveness and wakefulness are important qualities of
healthy youth. Though most of the Persian tales gyrate around wars, battles, physical strength
and weaponry; the display of an active mind is also a celebrated quality. Amar through his
continuous demonstration of mischief and alertness highlights this trait in multiple instances.
The recent developments in the literary world have caused a sudden mix of children and
young adult readership. As detailed in the introduction to the unit, Sulaiman Ahmad’s text
can now be read as a YAL.

16
The trickster and trickery have been a part of Persian literary tradition for a long time. The
aiyaar is seen as searching for a comfortable life. In that quest, the tricksters are often seen as
notorious creatures ready to bamboozle the people around. ‘In magical city’, Amar is shown
grabbing jewels without permission and is readily policed by the puppet.
5.2.2 Good vs Evil
Shahenshah Naushervan’s wazirs represent the two parts of the human psyche. It is believed
that every human being is governed by both, good and bad deeds. In the character of
Bakhtak, we are introduced to the evil side where treachery, meanness and villainy rests.
While in Buzurjmehr, our good, sensible and disciplined side rests. It is up to the individual
to embrace either of the qualities and lead a life accordingly. A balanced blend of both traits
keeps the machinery moving.
5.2.3 Wit and Humour:
Amar is a character created to amuse the common man. Therefore, wit and humour come
naturally to him. Like Hamza, he is not trapped in moral codes and can use language and
situations to his advantage. Born to a camel driver, Amar enjoys the liberty to play offensive
pranks to the royalties. Whereas Hamza and Muqbil on the other hand are defined by their
nobility and lineage.
Check your progress:
a. What makes Amar a perfect aiyaar?
b. Fantasy is an important element of YAL. Comment based on the reading of Sulaiman
Ahmad’s text.
6. Summing up
Dastaan-e-Ameer Hamza is pertinent to our ever expanding, globalising world. It maintains
the Arabia-Persian tradition of Dastan and Dastangoi while providing the young readers with
enough fodder to absorb the masterpiece. Ahmad’s attempt to re-tell and revive the tradition
of imagination, magic and reality amalgamates seamlessly with the readers while stimulating
the elements of YAL.
Works cited:
Ahmad, Sulaiman. Amar Aiyaar: King of Tricksters. Hachette India: New Delhi. 2012.
Farooqi, Musharraf. ‘The Simourgh-Feather Guide to the Poetics of Dastane Amir Hamza
Sahibqiran’ The Annual of Urdu Studies. Vol 15 (2000). Pp 19-67.
Lakhnawi, Ghalib and Abdullah Bilgrami. The Adventures of Amir Hamza: Lord of the
Auspicious Planetary Conjunction. Translated by Musharraf Ali Farooqi. New York: Modern
Library. 2007.

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 Unit-2(c)

No Guns at My Son’s Funeral

Paro Anand

1. About the Author

Born in 1957, Paro Anand is renowned for her literary contributions to children and young
adults. She has written, novels, plays and short stories and won the Sahitya Akademi Bal
Sahitya Puruskar in 2017 for her anthology Wild Child and Other Stories. Anand, in one of
her interviews recollects that she started writing for the young Indian adults and children
when she realised that only very archaic and western scripts were available to the Indian
students for adaptation and performance. Violence, communal hatred, terrorism, failure,
sexual abuse and being different are the topics that Anand experiments with, therefore
making her writings welcoming for the young audience.
2. Learning Objectives
The primary objective is to critically analyse the prescribed novel and locate it in the young
and children’s literature section. Through an intensive thematic reading of the text, many
observations will surface in the following sections. Students will be able to place other texts
by Paro Anand and other authors like her in a similar light. The backdrop against which No
Guns at My Son’s Funeral was composed has been recognised as very crucial one since it
charts the emergence of terrorism and its impact on young minds in the valley. After going
through this lesson, the students will be able to:
 Develop a deeper understanding of the novel No Gun’s at My Son’s Funeral.
 Identify main themes, characters and motifs within the text.
 Locate the importance of Paro Anand as a novelist vis-à-vis young and children’s
literature (refer to the introduction to the Unit).
 Comprehend the emerging genre and locate it in mainstream literature.
3. Short Summary
3.1 Kashmir: heaven or hell?
The story is set in Kashmir and predominantly addresses the issue of terrorism. Baramulla, a
northern Kashmiri town forms the centre of the story. Apart from Muslims, the quaint
townhouses have a significant population of Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits. The story revolves
around a teenaged boy, Aftab when militancy was spreading its roots in the region. Aftab
belongs to a middle-class Kashmiri family with his parents, elder sister – Shazia and a
younger brother Amir. His father is a school teacher in the same school where Aftab studies.
Aftab is a member of a secret group where they call themselves freedom fighters, while
others label them as Atankvadis (terrorists). The secret group comprises Akram, the leader
and a firangi, an Afghan, Feroze (another Firangi), Javed and Imram (both Kashmiris). All

18
the members undergo physical training, are narrated stories of freedom and plan strategies to
disrupt the functioning of the state. To attend these training and planning sessions, little Aftab
sneaks out of his house in the late hours and misses his school. Paro Anand aptly points out
that the terrorists mislead the young children by glorifying the concept of the holy war
against the nonbelievers and anti-nationals. The constant political imbalance in the valley
further pushes these children into believing such stories. We notice Aftab arguing and
snapping at his mother when she blames the firangis for turning their beautiful, safe and
heaven-like Kashmir into the valley of death. He says, “they are not firangis, they are our
own. They are our real brothers. They are helping us...” (17)
3.2 The burden on the young shoulders:
Aftab’s Ammi and Abbu disapprove of his sudden disappearances as, like many other
parents, they too are aware of the dangers lurking in the valley. The inhabitants of the town
are fully aware of the vulnerable lives they live. The Firangis would lure the young boys to
become terrorists, and young girls to become their brides. Like many others, Aftab too is
tempted by the freedom and revolutionary tales narrated by Akram and other members of the
secret group. These terrorist groups strategically cajole young minds by letting them know
that they were the chosen ones and the freedom of their homeland lies on their young but
trustworthy shoulders. Once when Aftab asked about Feroze’s shaky hands, Akram very
tactfully tells Aftab that he (Akram) needs someone to depend on in the time of need and that
only Aftab is the sensible one. This assertion and trust in a child’s mind cement the concept
of holy war for the child.
3.3 Self-check Questions
1. How are the children made to believe that they are the chosen ones?
2. What is the reaction of Aftab’s mother towards firangis and how does Aftab
responds?
3. What is the role of the political imbalance in pushing the young children into the arms
of the terrorists?
3.4 Akram’s death and the loss of a guiding figure for Aftab
The commanding officer of the Indian Army stationed at Baramulla, Major Ramneeq was
tipped off about Aftab’s possible involvement with the atankvadis. Aftab is interrogated and
with his childlike defences, is allowed to leave. But, Major Ramneeq keeps Aftab under
surveillance after the episode. What follows next is an array of incidents: a bomb blast in the
cantonment area, an army aggressively searching for the terrorists, Feroze’s arrest, Akram’s
running away along with his group and finally, the suicide bomb blast set off by Aftab in the
market. Akram and Aftab are shown to be directionless and their tragic ends highlight the
lack of guidance in the children. Between the freedom and saving the homeland, these
children have compromised their innocence and have gone far enough to lose the ability to
choose what is right.
Akram’s sudden death renders Aftab in utmost pain and agony. Akram was an idol
whose wishes were Aftab’s command. Throughout the text, it is only Akram’s assurance and

19
pride that matters to Aftab. In the fit of anger and responsibility, Aftab sets a blast in the
marketplace. The violent deaths in the valley shake up everyone.
3.5 The end:
The story ends with Aftab and his Sikh friend, Angad’s death and their mothers mourning
their deaths. The entire town is shaken up by the blast set off by Aftab and many people lose
their loved ones. Shazia loses her lover and her brother in the violent attack. The last chapter
highlights the sorrowful and shock-stricken states of the families who have lost their
members and the impact the incident has on Aftab’s mother. Baramulla witnesses’ death like
never before. The young men on the streets are moving with their guns and carrying the dead
bodies while shooting open fire in the air. The sound of the bullets stirs and frightens Aftab’s
mother and she rushes out shouting, “There will be no guns at my son’s funeral.”
3.6 Afterword:
Paro Dedicates the Afterword to Shazia’s psyche and the impact terrorist activities have on
the general public. Shazia is cradling a baby she has from Akram. After losing her child’s
father and her brother, she now understands the cost of blind faith in the unlawful doctrines.
She ponders over the haunting thought that “will he (baby) follow his father’s footsteps?” and
like Aftab’s mother, Shazia too asserts, “there will be no guns at my son’s funeral”. (172)
3.7 Self-check Questions:
1. Why is Aftab affected deeply by Akram’s death?
2. What causes Shazia to assert that “there will be no guns at my son’s funeral”?
3. Trace Aftab’s journey from an innocent teenager to a wannabe militant.
4. Analysis
4.1 Introduction
Adolescence is a stage in human development when the child starts becoming an adult. It is a
phase where anxiety, confusion, rebellion, hope etc all become concentrated in an individual
and play a vital role in shaping up the adult that the child now is. It is a multi-structural stage
where the young child becomes aware of his/her surroundings, choices, culture, issues and
concerns. Young Adult (YA) literature attempts to cater to the concerns of such adolescent
adults through the protagonist’s life and challenges. The genre analyses the role of young
adults and elaborates them based on their social and familial experiences.
In India, the adolescent protagonists are seen in the narratives of R K Narayan and
Ruskin Bond through Swami and Rusty. Both the characters portray the lives of common
Indian young boys; their exciting experiences of playing with friends, summer holidays and
strict guardians. Apart from the collective growing up experiences, many young adult novels
explore the themes of gender, sexual abuse, communalism, infanticide etc. For example,
Ranjit Lal’s Faces in the Water (2010) explores and critiques the question of female
infanticide in India through the eyes of Gurmi, a fifteen years old boy.

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4.2 Young Minds: Life With-in and With-out
Paro Anand’s No Guns at my Son’s Funeral impacts the readers because it deals with a little
boy of fourteen years of age who is leading a double life. What bothers the readers is the fact
that Aftab’s is a face that we see every day in our routine. A bubbly teenager whose life is
about cricket and getting a chance to bat, family and friends and waiting for Ammi’s morning
tea and picking up hints that she’s upset. The night holds secrets where Aftab is no longer a
boy protected with family, friends and cricket. It’s a life where he is encouraged with the
speeches of revolution and azaadi and is taught to remain physically fit. The impact of these
meetings is so powerful that it seems that Aftab almost worships Akram. He is awed by
Akram’s scars and continuously aims to do something ‘sensational’ to make Akram proud.
What Aftab fails to realise is that the exciting life of Akram is dangerous.
Unlike ‘Swami’ and ‘Rusty’, Aftab’s childhood witnesses what many dread to see. Life
is full of curfews, uncertainties, military and terrorist interference, bloodshed, loss of lives
and a yearning for freedom.
It is to be noted that the lack of direction and proper counselling often lead astray the
young kids. Aftab, Akram and Shazia are all victims of a society where empathy, guidance,
care and compassion are missing. Aftab is impressed by the false nationalistic notions sold to
him by Akram. The vicious circle of violence leaves nobody unharmed and Akram seems to
have forgotten that. The heroic villain himself meets a tragic death and his blind follower
comes after him. The constant need to create an identity and worth keep them all attached to
the mission of Azaadi and takes children away from the right path.
4.3 Young Adult Literature: the Crossover Phenomena
The novel aptly highlights the issues of terrorism, political unrest and lives of the Kashmiris
between the firangis and the army. For children, the story offers many relatable characters.
For example, the relationship between Aftab and his mother is just like any other mother-
child relationship; the episodes of friendship and communal harmony are realistically painted.
Even Angad’s conversation with Shazia is portrayed in the most natural ways. Yet, for the
adult reader, the narrative offers a plethora of concerns. The dangerous ways in which
terrorists can recruit small children is spine chilling. The episodes where Aftab curtains his
absences into the darkness for his meetings and training render us speechless. The extent to
which innocent minds can be corrupted and made to tell lies to their own families is
constantly surfaced.
4.4 Young Adult Literature:
The story at length talks about the lives of Kashmiris. Aftab readily lies to his family about
Akram and his involvement with the terrorist group. As a result, the families are left to moan
about the deaths of their young ‘freedom fighters’ who die as terrorists along with many other
innocent people. The perpetual state of hopelessness, lurking danger, untimely curfews, the
threat to lives and atrocities faced in the name of terrorism is constantly highlighted in the

21
text. Aftab’s Ammi, Abbu, sister, the halwai and everyone else seem to have known the
unguarded lives the young children live. The only fear that Kashmiris had was about their
people joining the terrorist groups or getting interrogated by the army.
Though Anand presents a fictionalised account of the happenings of the valley, the
reader effectively understands the multidimensionality of the events; the identification of a
vulnerable boy, creation of a terrorist, political and Afghani influence, capturing and
conditioning young minds, functioning and formation of secret atanki groups, eventual
alienation of communal groups and mass migration of Kashmiri Pandits from their land,
establishment and interference of army in everyday life and the horrendous and culminating
impact of terrorism on the lives of people irrespective of the communities. The text offers
multiple instances of the crossover phenomena. The adult reader understands the gravity of
the situation featured in the novel.
4.5 Language:
Paro Anand, through her story, experiments with a language that can be understood by both,
children and adults. The conversations between Aftab and his family are a mix of Hindi and
English languages. His mother constantly refers to him as ‘beta’ and says “Allah Khair kare”
all the time. The interaction between Akram and Feroze has been left in Hindi to heighten
their responses to the recruits:
‘So Aftab, kahan ho bhai, Jhelum mein dubkee laga rahe ho kya?’ (6)
‘Shabba khair, feroze Bhai, Akram Bhai’ (8)
‘Ladka acha hai, kaam ka hoga’….. ‘Par abhi chota hai, abhi toh chuuza hi hai’ (8)
The use of ‘chuuza’ will tickle the children, but an adult reader gets the true essence behind
the use of such words. The lack of respect and warmth in the dialogues between the terrorists
sets the tone of the narrative.
Thematically, the text captures the events that are reeled on the news channels, reported
in the newspapers and presented every time on the election manifesto: Kashmir and the
problem of terrorism. She brings life in flesh and blood, gives names and faces to the
nameless and faceless individuals of the montage. The skilful presentation and the
approachable language connect the readers to the characters and events happening in
Kashmir.
4.6 Self-check Questions
1. Critically analyse the text with special reference to young adult fiction.
2. Comment on the ending of the story. What nature of the human beings does the
ending highlight?
5. Characters
5.1 Aftab:
In Aftab, Anand paints the picture of a regular Kashmiri kid who leads a very average life.
The continuous engagement with the army, militancy and surveillance snatches the innocence

22
of childhood from the children. A boy as young as Aftab is ready to join a terrorist group to
prove his worth and sensationalise the calm valley. He compares Akram to Hrithik in Fiza
with “AK47…”. The readers are constantly reminded of the childhood fantasies and the fact
that these kids who are lured into terrorism lack the basic understanding of right and wrong.
These young adults fail to see the tragedies that lie beyond the glittering world of “money,
martial arts and weapon” (2).
The mirage of being a ‘freedom fighter’ and a revolutionary pushes Aftab to be
continuously involved in activities that would make Akram proud. Additionally, Aftab’s
teenaged sister, Shazia is also lured by Akram and joins the military group. The children are
tempted by the speeches and the ‘heroic’ tales narrated by the likes of Akram. Words like the
hero, freedom fighters, Azaadi and Jannat are used extensively to entice the young minds and
to make them believe how important their contribution is to the cause. The text highlights the
vulnerability of the lives of children with sheer transparency.
5.2 Akram
Akram is depicted as a convincing villain. He is fierce, raw, smokes a cigarette and is
confident. He has all the qualities of a true leader and has an enigmatic persona. The details
with which Aftab observes Akram speak volumes about how influential he is. He talks about
Jannat and being a martyr with his deceptive and cunning trait. Since the debates of Kashmir
and terrorism were common, he effectively weaves his dialogues around them and
successfully brainwashes the young recruits. Akram is handsome and yet dangerous, a perfect
combination that most villainous characters enjoy in literature. The image of Akram is so
gloriously painted that the young children like Aftab and Shazia look up to him as some hero
who is sent to liberate them from their compromised lives. The blind faith and the complete
brainwash that these children are subjected to often results in tragic ends, in this case; Aftab’s
death. In Akram, we have a ruthless, self-centred motive driven villain, who can stoop down
to any extent to make sure that his bloodshed objectives are met. For him, Aftab is merely a
stepping stone to reach his goals. Akram’s scheming and plotting self is surfaced in the very
first chapter where he is discussing the recruits with Feroze and says,
One should never wait till these new recruits are old enough to
start thinking for themselves. Then they lose courage, once they
know what the dangers ahead of them are. You have to use them
while their dreams are bigger than their knowledge. While
they’re still hypnotized by its romance, by the likes of you and
me. (9)
5.3 Self-check Questions
1. Compare the character of Akram and Aftab.
6. Summing up
In a simpler sense, No Guns at My Son’s Funeral is a story of a terrorist in making. It
captures all the nuances and events that engross readers of all ages, especially Young Adults.

23
The story, however wrenching, leaves the readers with a ray of hope. In the end, Aftab’s
mother and Shazia both assert, ‘No guns at my son’s funeral’. We learn that adults, as the
mother, are aware of the dark end that awaits at the end of the road to terrorism. While the
younger ones, like Shazia, have learnt lessons the harder way and now realise the truths of the
hypnotic world of the atakvaadis. It is very typical of Paro Anand’s style to provide the
readers with faith and a dream for a better tomorrow that “there will be time to heal”.

Works Cited:
Anand, Paro. No Guns at My Son’s Funeral (2005). New Delhi: Roli Books, 2020. Print.
Rachel Falconer, ‘Young Adult Fiction and the Crossover Phenomena’, in The Routledge
Companion to Children's Literature, ed. David Rudd (New York: Routledge, 2010) pp. 87-97
Chater, P. Crossing the Boundary Fence. Harare: Quest Publishing, 1988.
Tagwirei C. ‘Fictions, Nation- building and Ideologies of Belonging in Children’s
Literature’ in Children’s Literature in Education 44(1): 2013. Pp. 44– 56.

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