Dr. N. K. Neb, Associate Professor, Department of English, DAV College Jalandhar, presenting his debut novel ‘The Flooded Desert’, to Dr. S. K. Arora, Principal, DAV College, Jalandhar.
On this occasion, Dr. S.K. Arora, Principal, DAV College, Jalandhar congratulated Prof. Neb for writing a wonderful novel. Expressing his joy over this great achievement of Prof. Neb, he said that it was a matter of honour and pride for the college to have a talented writer like him as a member of the faculty. Sharing his views he expressed his delight over the fact that apart from writing a novel Dr. Neb has been constantly engaged in literary activities for more than a decade. He has single handedly brought out 32 issues of Pragati’s English Journal (a bi-annual literary journal) and organized a number of national seminars. He is the first in the history of the English Department of the college to start a literary journal, write full length books on English poetry, fiction and literary criticism. The present novel is, no doubt, a land mark in his career and it is a significant achievement for the college also. Dr. Neb’s The Flooded Deseret is his historic achievement. It is the first novel written by any member of the English Department of the College since its inception. Principal Dr. S.K. Arora wished him more creative and successful future and expressed the hope that Prof. Neb will further excel in his creative writings and add more to the glory of the college.
Talking about his novel, Prof. Neb explained that The Flooded Desert is a story of a middle class woman Devika. Set against the trouble torn days in the Punjab during 1980s the novel explores the cultural history of contemporary India in general and the Punjab in particular. It presents how the recent developments have impacted life of the people and brought a shift in moral and ethical values. The novel highlights the problems faced by women in traditional Indian society and the way new developments have changed the circumstances and women’s outlook. The novel shows how the people who earlier had a hold in family and society feel helpless and destabilized in the changed scenario. The charm of life abroad and the way people make frantic and sometimes even strange attempts to settle abroad forms another aspect of the novel. Not only this, the burning issue concerning pseudo saints and the way they exploit people in the name of religion also finds expression in this novel.
Prof. Neb expressed the hope that the novel written in a simple style and providing evocative details along with the presentation of certain social issues from new perspectives will be appreciated by the readers.