Murali Ranganathan’s translation of Nariman Karkaria’s journals reveal a man who filled his life with adventure
British troops at the Battle of Somme. Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons
He would never know what wanderlust or YOLO meant, but Nariman Karkaria lived and sought adventure in a way that would turn Instagrammers green with envy. Murali Ranganathan’s translation of Karkaria’s Gujarati diaries, titled The First World War Adventures of Nariman Karkaria, is a revealing read. From training as a young ‘andhiyaru’ (Parsi priest) in Navsari and stowing away to Hong Kong, and then to London via Turkey, Scandinavia and Russia, is a journey that staggers belief.
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Author Murali Ranganathan
Karkaria would also go on to participate in World War I as part of the British 24th Middlesex Regiment, a Tommy as he describes it, and fight at the Somme and Jerusalem. Ranganathan’s translation does well to hold the dry wit in the retelling of Karkaria’s Gujarati journals. The gripping story is filled with funny price comparisons, cultural observations and even personal bias that add to its authenticity. The World War I battles are engrossing as Karkaria goes through the details of life in the trenches and starvation with a factual fidelity. Despite the brutality of the Somme, and the war on the Eastern front in Jerusalem, the narration also describes some monumental sights in detail to nullify the malaise of war. In his introduction, Ranganathan describes that the discovery of Karkaria’s journals are just as incredible as their content, saying, “Karkaria’s story is best read in his own words.” Yet for those with little knowledge of Gujarati, or access to the archive, this translation would suffice.
Title: The First World War Adventures of Nariman Karkaria
Author: Nariman Karkaria and Murali Ranganathan
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Harper Collins India
Cost: Rs 599
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