‘The Dead Know Nothing': An immersive murder mystery with themes of apathy and destruction of nature
''From now on, you are in charge of the lake and the fish.'
'Fisherman Thankachan, the entire lake is yours,' Ouseph shouted.
Thankachan took the oar and rowed away, looking behind as they waved to him. He felt afraid to row the boat but then he saw someone sitting in front with his face turned away from him.
'Who are you?'
The figure did not respond. Thankachan repeated his question.
'I am the one who gave you life and saved you from death.'
Thankachan felt frightened.
'This is your second life. Give meaning to it,' the person said and vanished.'
Delirious and injured after a boat accident, Thankachan recovers to find that life has become grimmer.
Shy and reticent, with a spiritual bent of mind, Thankachan, a young man in his early twenties living on Fathima Island, situated in the Ashtamudi Lake, is disappointed with the way his life has turned out. Having failed in the seminary exams, he seeks to be a graduate, studying English. But when he fails those exams too, he is forced by his family to assist his elder brother Mathappan in fishing. Lurking menacingly in the background of the lives of these fishers, like a predatory shark, is a twin murder committed on Joseph Island a few years ago, in which, Thankachan worries, his brother was in some way involved. Things move to a head when Sammon, convicted in the twin murder case, based on evidence given by Mathappan, returns on parole. At the same time, the islanders discover that rich and influential forces plan to evict the fishers from their ancestral island in order to turn their beloved home into a tourist resort.
Kishore Ram skilfully weaves in themes of identity and belonging, caste discrimination, the ruthless exploitation of the environment, and brotherly love into the plot of a murder mystery to create a rich tapestry of life as lived and experienced by the fishers of Fathima Island in his novel The Dead Know Nothing.
Marakkan forever
'A marakkan can be nobody but a fisherman,' says a character early on in the novel.
This sentiment is echoed by various others, including fishers themselves. Such thoughts drag down Thankachan's efforts at bettering his life and helping his family out of poverty. Thankachan not only encounters countless external obstacles in his attempts to work towards a better life, but his own people also seem to doubt his ability to do well. They believe a fisher should always be a fisher and do a good job fishing, not try to be someone else. Even Jokki, Thankachan's father, while never openly discouraging his younger son, is all praise for his elder one for being a true fisherman.
Despite popular belief to the contrary, Thankachan's caste is well entrenched in his religion. He discovers that his fisher identity is not erased even within the realms of the church and has a lot to do with him failing the seminary exams with corrupt priests conniving to frame him. This identity of his is what prompts the librarian at the Municipal Library to be irritable and unhelpful when Thankachan visits the place. It pursues him when he visits his Nair schoolmate Hari, making him hesitant to enter the house, rendering him uncomfortable and ill at ease even when met with friendliness. It is responsible for the impunity with which the police brutalise the islanders when they protest eviction.
Thankachan had not wanted to become a priest merely for the power and glory of the position. He has a genuine interest in things spiritual and is a serious student of the Bible. Though his attempts are thwarted, he continues to evaluate life and its challenges from a distinctly Biblical perspective, remembering sermons, mulling over passages from the text and showing a remarkable independence in interpreting it. His lack of confidence, his diffidence, disappointment and fear are entirely relatable. So is his love for Mathappan, in whose presence he feels safe and protected and whom he in turn tries to protect.
Enigmatic, shadowy Mathappan is the more interesting of the two brothers. 'When it comes to protecting my family, there is no wrong in my dictionary. Everything I do is right,' declares the protagonist of the popular Malayalam film Drishyam. Echoing somewhat similar sentiments, Mathappan says, 'I had to marry off two sisters, handle your expenses and rebuild the house … I have not cared about a life for myself…' There are no wrongs in his dictionary too, if it means money for providing for his family. These are the pressures that an overwhelmingly patriarchal society places on its males. Mathappan does his best with the cards that life has dealt him.
Fathima Island, the setting of the story, grows on the reader, its humble asbestos-roofed dwellings, its coconut trees, its crabs and rat snakes, its mangroves and the boats moored at its several jetties providing a fitting backdrop to the tale. So too do Joseph Island and Para Island with their relative inaccessibility creating an aura of intrigue and a sense of dark, evil forces being at work. The surrounding lake adds to the mystery, with its octopus-like topography and mysterious depths. The lake changes character: sometimes benign and benevolent, yielding its bounty in a good catch of fish; sometimes sinister, regurgitating half decomposed human corpses that get tangled in the mangroves. A good chunk of action in the novel takes place on the lake, while the characters are out on their routine pre-dawn fishing expeditions.
Mouth-burner and co
A colourful cast of minor characters, endearing in their earthiness, whom one would have encountered in a Basheer or a Thakazhi, populate the tale. Heading them all is Vapolli, the arrack shop owner, called so because of the mouth-burning nature of the illicit brew he sells. Antony Police, the former policeman, wise and practical, who often leads the islanders during the protest against eviction; Kanambu Xavier 'the champion jumper of the diocese who dreamt of conducting an Olympics-style competition on the island' brutalised and found hanging from a mangrove branch; Ouseph, the bard of the island 'an essential presence at marriages and burials' who composes a song to be sung at his own funeral and Egg Anto, collector and seller of eggs, linger.
Though the cast of characters is overwhelmingly male, Thankachan's mother, Tresia – sharp-tongued, resilient, empathetic and eminently practical – is true and believable. But Bushra, the only other female character of importance, is a disappointment. Though she boldly states her desires and acts decisively on them, she seems shallow. She's obviously in a huge dilemma; feeling attracted to a young man while waiting for the one she is wed to, but the reader fails to get a sense of the inner workings of her mind and she seems superficial and lacks depth.
Ram's use of a generous helping of Malayalam words, with a sizeable chunk of them being the choicest expletives in the language, lends credibility to the dialogues and a certain earthy charm to the proceedings, especially to the drunken revelry during group fishing trips and impromptu songwriting sessions in Vapolli's arrack shop. Ram's imperceptible imbibing of these words into the language of the story enriches the fictive universe.
Packaged as a murder mystery, The Dead Know Nothing is immensely topical, discussing questions of identity and belonging; the callous apathy of humans to one another and to the destruction of nature; the broken-down condition of the criminal justice system in India which is of little use to the common man. It finds solace in the resilience of the human spirit. An immersive and evocative read.
Veena Narayan is a writer based in Kochi, Kerala. In January 2025, her short story won The Hindu LFL Short Story Prize.
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Scroll.in
8 hours ago
- Scroll.in
‘The Dead Know Nothing': An immersive murder mystery with themes of apathy and destruction of nature
''From now on, you are in charge of the lake and the fish.' 'Fisherman Thankachan, the entire lake is yours,' Ouseph shouted. Thankachan took the oar and rowed away, looking behind as they waved to him. He felt afraid to row the boat but then he saw someone sitting in front with his face turned away from him. 'Who are you?' The figure did not respond. Thankachan repeated his question. 'I am the one who gave you life and saved you from death.' Thankachan felt frightened. 'This is your second life. Give meaning to it,' the person said and vanished.' Delirious and injured after a boat accident, Thankachan recovers to find that life has become grimmer. Shy and reticent, with a spiritual bent of mind, Thankachan, a young man in his early twenties living on Fathima Island, situated in the Ashtamudi Lake, is disappointed with the way his life has turned out. Having failed in the seminary exams, he seeks to be a graduate, studying English. But when he fails those exams too, he is forced by his family to assist his elder brother Mathappan in fishing. Lurking menacingly in the background of the lives of these fishers, like a predatory shark, is a twin murder committed on Joseph Island a few years ago, in which, Thankachan worries, his brother was in some way involved. Things move to a head when Sammon, convicted in the twin murder case, based on evidence given by Mathappan, returns on parole. At the same time, the islanders discover that rich and influential forces plan to evict the fishers from their ancestral island in order to turn their beloved home into a tourist resort. Kishore Ram skilfully weaves in themes of identity and belonging, caste discrimination, the ruthless exploitation of the environment, and brotherly love into the plot of a murder mystery to create a rich tapestry of life as lived and experienced by the fishers of Fathima Island in his novel The Dead Know Nothing. Marakkan forever 'A marakkan can be nobody but a fisherman,' says a character early on in the novel. This sentiment is echoed by various others, including fishers themselves. Such thoughts drag down Thankachan's efforts at bettering his life and helping his family out of poverty. Thankachan not only encounters countless external obstacles in his attempts to work towards a better life, but his own people also seem to doubt his ability to do well. They believe a fisher should always be a fisher and do a good job fishing, not try to be someone else. Even Jokki, Thankachan's father, while never openly discouraging his younger son, is all praise for his elder one for being a true fisherman. Despite popular belief to the contrary, Thankachan's caste is well entrenched in his religion. He discovers that his fisher identity is not erased even within the realms of the church and has a lot to do with him failing the seminary exams with corrupt priests conniving to frame him. This identity of his is what prompts the librarian at the Municipal Library to be irritable and unhelpful when Thankachan visits the place. It pursues him when he visits his Nair schoolmate Hari, making him hesitant to enter the house, rendering him uncomfortable and ill at ease even when met with friendliness. It is responsible for the impunity with which the police brutalise the islanders when they protest eviction. Thankachan had not wanted to become a priest merely for the power and glory of the position. He has a genuine interest in things spiritual and is a serious student of the Bible. Though his attempts are thwarted, he continues to evaluate life and its challenges from a distinctly Biblical perspective, remembering sermons, mulling over passages from the text and showing a remarkable independence in interpreting it. His lack of confidence, his diffidence, disappointment and fear are entirely relatable. So is his love for Mathappan, in whose presence he feels safe and protected and whom he in turn tries to protect. Enigmatic, shadowy Mathappan is the more interesting of the two brothers. 'When it comes to protecting my family, there is no wrong in my dictionary. Everything I do is right,' declares the protagonist of the popular Malayalam film Drishyam. Echoing somewhat similar sentiments, Mathappan says, 'I had to marry off two sisters, handle your expenses and rebuild the house … I have not cared about a life for myself…' There are no wrongs in his dictionary too, if it means money for providing for his family. These are the pressures that an overwhelmingly patriarchal society places on its males. Mathappan does his best with the cards that life has dealt him. Fathima Island, the setting of the story, grows on the reader, its humble asbestos-roofed dwellings, its coconut trees, its crabs and rat snakes, its mangroves and the boats moored at its several jetties providing a fitting backdrop to the tale. So too do Joseph Island and Para Island with their relative inaccessibility creating an aura of intrigue and a sense of dark, evil forces being at work. The surrounding lake adds to the mystery, with its octopus-like topography and mysterious depths. The lake changes character: sometimes benign and benevolent, yielding its bounty in a good catch of fish; sometimes sinister, regurgitating half decomposed human corpses that get tangled in the mangroves. A good chunk of action in the novel takes place on the lake, while the characters are out on their routine pre-dawn fishing expeditions. Mouth-burner and co A colourful cast of minor characters, endearing in their earthiness, whom one would have encountered in a Basheer or a Thakazhi, populate the tale. Heading them all is Vapolli, the arrack shop owner, called so because of the mouth-burning nature of the illicit brew he sells. Antony Police, the former policeman, wise and practical, who often leads the islanders during the protest against eviction; Kanambu Xavier 'the champion jumper of the diocese who dreamt of conducting an Olympics-style competition on the island' brutalised and found hanging from a mangrove branch; Ouseph, the bard of the island 'an essential presence at marriages and burials' who composes a song to be sung at his own funeral and Egg Anto, collector and seller of eggs, linger. Though the cast of characters is overwhelmingly male, Thankachan's mother, Tresia – sharp-tongued, resilient, empathetic and eminently practical – is true and believable. But Bushra, the only other female character of importance, is a disappointment. Though she boldly states her desires and acts decisively on them, she seems shallow. She's obviously in a huge dilemma; feeling attracted to a young man while waiting for the one she is wed to, but the reader fails to get a sense of the inner workings of her mind and she seems superficial and lacks depth. Ram's use of a generous helping of Malayalam words, with a sizeable chunk of them being the choicest expletives in the language, lends credibility to the dialogues and a certain earthy charm to the proceedings, especially to the drunken revelry during group fishing trips and impromptu songwriting sessions in Vapolli's arrack shop. Ram's imperceptible imbibing of these words into the language of the story enriches the fictive universe. Packaged as a murder mystery, The Dead Know Nothing is immensely topical, discussing questions of identity and belonging; the callous apathy of humans to one another and to the destruction of nature; the broken-down condition of the criminal justice system in India which is of little use to the common man. It finds solace in the resilience of the human spirit. An immersive and evocative read. Veena Narayan is a writer based in Kochi, Kerala. In January 2025, her short story won The Hindu LFL Short Story Prize.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
9 dead in car-truck collision on NH-18; victims were headed to Jharkhand from Bengal's Purulia
Nine people died in a head-on collision on National Highway 18 in West Bengal's Purulia district on Friday morning. The accident, near Namsol Primary School in the Balarampur police station area, involved a car carrying nine passengers and a truck which was reportedly being driven at a high speed. 'We have registered a case of rash driving. The truck driver fled from the spot. We are trying to trace him,' DSP (Headquarters) Nirmal Das told The Indian Express. According to officials, a Bolero car was traveling from Purulia to Jharkhand when it was hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction. The impact completely wrecked the car, and both vehicles reportedly overturned. All nine occupants of the Bolero were rushed to the nearest health centre, where doctors pronounced them dead. The police have taken the truck into custody and have launched an investigation. Eight of the deceased have been identified as Biru Mahato, Ajay Mahato, Vijay Mahato, Swapan Mahato, Gurupad Mahato, Shashank Mahato, Chitta Mahato, Krishna Mahato, all residents of Tilai Tand village in Lakadi under Neemdih police station. The ninth victim, Chandramohan Mahato, was a resident of Raghunathpur, also under Neemdih police station. Sources said they were returning home to Jharkhand after attending a wedding ceremony in Purulia. The accident follows another road accident a day ago in Howrah district. 'Three persons died and several people were injured. A private bus, operating on the Bagnan-Shyambazar route, left the Bagnan bus terminus approaching the Library More on NH-16, and was attempting to move towards the Kolkata-bound lane when it was hit by a Kolaghat-bound truck,' said an official of Howrah. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari took to X on Friday: 'My heart goes out to the families of the victims who tragically lost their lives in the two consecutive horrific road accidents; yesterday in Bagnan; Howrah district and today at Balarampur; Purulia district.' He blamed the 'alarming deterioration of road safety standards in West Bengal under the supervision of the West Bengal police, which falls directly under the purview of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.' Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Insider Trading Siblings Used Lockdown to Make £1 Million
(Bloomberg) -- Before the market opened on Feb. 4, 2020, traders were watching Swiss testing company SGS SA, waiting for its shares to drop. Overnight it had been announced that the Von Finck family were going to sell 2.3 billion francs ($2.8 billion) of their holding. That's a huge chunk of stock for buyers to absorb, and the price fell the most in nearly five years. 'Stay ready,' Janus Henderson Group Plc analyst Redinel Korfuzi wrote in a message to his sister Oerta in their native Albanian, 55 seconds after the bell that day. Two minutes later, from the mutual fund giant's office in Bishopsgate, London, he messaged again: 'Stay ready because we have to close it if needed.' His sister was in the cramped living room of the flat they shared in Marylebone. The day before, she had opened two highly-leveraged short positions. With a little over £10,000 ($13,400) of equity, she had amassed a position with an initial notional volume of more than £150,000, wagering that SGS's stock would fall. With no answer from Oerta, her brother messaged again, and called her, finally getting through at 8:04 a.m. 'Open the platform and stay ready,' he said on WhatsApp shortly after an eight-second call. Finally, his sister responded: 'Gati Ikam' or, in English, 'I have them ready.' The exchange is just one of several that the UK's Financial Conduct Authority argued at a London trial was clear evidence of trading on insider information. On Thursday, a jury at Southwark Crown Court agreed, finding the two guilty of insider dealing and money laundering. Two others, Redinel's personal trainer Rogerio de Aquino, 63, and his partner Dema Almeziad, 40, were acquitted of all charges. At its heart, Redinel's plan was little different to countless other insider trading scandals. As part of his job, he had access to advance information on companies, in this case upcoming large share sales that often lead to price declines when announced. That's what happened with the SGS placing, which Redinel was informed about not long before his sister shorted it. The Korfuzis repeated this trick more than 10 times over the next year or so, continuing as the two worked from home during Covid lockdowns. With the SGS trade, Oerta and her brother made £7,747 in a little over 20 minutes. Before they were stopped by an FCA raid in March 2021, they had made almost £1 million. It was a 'trading club to cheat the market,' according to the prosecution's lawyer, Tom Forster. During the trial, 36-year-old Oerta said she made the trades based on her analysis, without knowing her brother had any insider knowledge. But the jury refused to believe that she was 'subconsciously' influenced by phone conversations across the living room, that she quickly analyzed charts and technical indicators for company names she overheard and placed profitable bets. Redinel, 38, denied involvement in the trades, at one point saying he was too busy saving what he called a 'dying fund' at Janus Henderson. In its case, the FCA presented evidence such as call records, data from phones and laptops, as well as a trove of WhatsApp and Telegram messages. 'Check out the app urgently. Check out the other app,' one of Redinel's translated WhatsApps to his sister said. That was sent less than a minute after he received market sensitive information about a proposed sale of £500 million worth of Hargreaves Lansdown Plc shares in February 2020. Redinel was at Janus Henderson's office at the time and referring to Telegram as the other app, according to the prosecutors. One minute after he got the Hargreaves information, Redinel called Oerta for eight seconds — when the prosecutors say he could've passed on the company's name. Within 15 minutes, Oerta moved money between accounts and began shorting the shares. Other companies traded included vehicle manufacturer Daimler Truck Holding AG, budget airline Jet2 Plc and pharmaceutical firm Dermapharm Holding SE. Janus Henderson wasn't accused of any wrongdoing. 'He was in truth the king of stocks. She the enthusiastic apprentice,' Forster said during the trial. According to prosecutors, British national de Aquino and his Saudi fiance were 'secret proxies' for the trading syndicate and handled 'dirty cash.' Both had pleaded not guilty and maintained they didn't know Redinel had insider information. They didn't testify during the trial. To make the bets, Redinel helped de Aquino and Almeziad open trading accounts. De Aquino had told police that they were 'two idiots' who were hoodwinked by him. Oerta made about £430,000 from the trades, while de Aquino and his girlfriend raked in £135,000. Another trading account controlled by the siblings posted £408,000. The siblings claimed to have never discussed the trading or the massive profits with each other. The prosecution saw it differently. 'The truth is for the residents of Brunswick House there was never going to be enough money,' Forster said. 'Arrogance, pride, entitlement and greed drove them on – and it has ruined them.' More stories like this are available on
