Espionage, Loss and Trauma in Sreekumar Nair’s Interpretations: Scenes Behind 1971 War

Abstract

The research article primarily examines the representation of the emotional and physical turmoil experienced by Ranjith, an Indian Intelligence Officer who went undercover in Lahore during the 1971 war. The novel’s engagement with historical trauma is deepened through depictions of personal loss, collective violence, and religious misogyny. Rather than circumventing the protagonist’s pain, suffering, and memory, the narrative directly traverses them, compelling readers to confront the intensity of trauma. Significantly, the text distinguishes itself from Western aestheticized approaches to trauma representation by offering readers tools to access and engage with the protagonist’s traumatic experiences. To underscore the interaction between the wound and word, the study draws on ideas from the postcolonial reorientation of trauma studies, as articulated by Greg Forter, Stef Craps, and Michael Rothberg.