The wonderful thing about H.R.F. Keating’s Inspector Ghote mystery series is that in addition to having the mystery solved you get an education in the culture of India. In this story we learn about some of the differences between Bengalis of Calcutta and the Bombaymen. We also get a travelogue, sense of place being of prime importance in detective fiction. The Botanical Garden, Victoria Memorial, Curzon Park, Kali Temple, the eutrophic lakes and the Marble Palace provide the sets. The character’s names are always great: A.K. Dutt-Dastar, Mr. Bhattacharya, P.V. Bagchi, Commissioner Bhowmick, Gopal Deb, Khokan Roy, and the villain Mr. Tuntunwala who waxes poetic on the subject of corruption:
”(Money)...goes from one person to another. And as it goes it brings power to one person, takes power from another. So, if you want in this life to make yourself safe, then you have to make the money come to you. By any means. Call that corruption, call it business, call it what you are liking to. But get the money to come into your hands, as much of it as you can. As I have got it to come to me. As I have fought with every weapon I could to make it come to me. And it has. And I intend to keep it. And all those who have got it intend the same, make no mistake in that. Do you think that I am shunned in society? Or that any who are known to use the weapon of corruption are shunned? No, if they are the sort who like to belong to clubs, they are welcomed as members. Their daughters are begged for in marriage. Their sons are courted. You know what the effect of all this money changing hands is? Quite simple. The work gets done. The world continues. And without the money going to and fro the world would come to a wretched standstill. A standstill. Without money changing hands. Without corruption as they call it, that Anglo Saxon relic. Yes Inspector. Corruption is necessary. Just that. Necessary.”
In our culture we are hypocritical about corruption while practicing it on a mega scale. See Where Has All the Money Gone?l We look down on the tradition of baksheesh and yet practice it routinely within our own political system from the Coingate scandal in Ohio to Tom DeLay’s payoffs Tom DeLay's payoffs. We look down our nose at the institutionalized corruption in India. The fact is, Ghote could work for any US police agency and come face to face with the Western version of Tuntunwalaji. So, in this well-written and amusing, bittersweet story, our intrepid Inspector Ghote travels reluctantly to Calcutta and discovers Bribery, Corruption Also. Things do not go well but there is a happy ending. Read the entire review here.
Comments