On Top of the Old Tak

Book excerpt: Raghu, a poor dalit boy, grew up a product of deprived and impoverished village life in the small town of Rajanagaram in Southern India. Perhaps because he spent his formative years showered with the love and virtuous nature of his parents, he beat all odds, becoming a police officer. Raghu becomes an illustrious officer, despite the crime and corruption-ridden society and policing structure. By the time he lands in Arunachal in the Eastern Himalayas, he finds Arunachal a cauldron of change. The ethnicity and age-old traditions of the tribes are at stake as insurgents work in tandem with Christian missionaries. The social equilibrium is disturbed in this new age. On Top of the Old Tak offers several captivating travelogues, conveying the woes of the common man. On Top of the Old Tak also captures the turmoil of the times as cultures and ideals clash. Raghu’s is a struggle to maintain—and in some cases bring about the return of—virtue in a changing society. This is a story of the fight for emancipation from the forces of corruption. It is a tribute to the honest policemen who sacrifice.