‘White Blood’: Nanak Singh’s 1932 novel is a searing critique of the moral corruption in society

White Blood is a translation of Nanak Singh’s famous novel Chitta Lahu, published to great acclaim in 1932. Dilraj Singh Suri’s rendering of this work is graceful for the most part. However, it has some rough edges that could have been smoothed out. In this translation the novel is certainly engaging, if not utterly exceptional.

I found this disconcerting, since this is the translation of a path-breaking work by an eminent Punjabi writer. But the lacklustre editing dims its shine. Even so, the narrative is powerful enough to sustain your attention.

White Blood is a searing critique of the moral corruption hollowing out society. It seems as if the very blood of people has become contaminated. It is devoid of the life force that injects vitality into a community. The male protagonist, Bachan Singh, is a young man with reformist zeal. He wishes to cleanse his community of deep-rooted social ills. The public spirit that propels him might not be fully understood by young readers of today. Though Bachan Singh is a grounded man without sanctimoniousness, some readers might feel that his social intervention borders on interference and reeks of moralism. He objects to a dance performance planned at a wedding because he suspects it would be...

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