Written in Malayalam, a language spoken mostly in the Indian state of Kerala, the novel Zîn is the story of a journey from Kerala to the ruined streets of Amed. It is also a search for humanity beyond borders, politics and hatred.

The author of the novel, Haritha Savithri, speaks candidly about her encounter with the Kurdish issue, the screams she heard at a demonstration in Barcelona and the destruction she witnessed in Amed.

Savithri's novel, Zîn, has also been translated into English. This interview bears witness to the fact that literature can be a bridge and inspire social change.

Zîn was awarded the "Academy Award for Best Novel of the Year" by the Kerala government.

Can you tell us about yourself and how your journey into literature began? 

I was a freelance journalist writing articles for Indian periodicals. When the Kurdish issue came to my attention, I was doing research at the University of Barcelona. I had to read about patriarchal societies similar to those in India and Kurdish society captured my attention. As I read, my interest turned to the human rights issues they face. It was at a time when Turkey was unleashing a brutal offensive in Afrin. There was a demonstration in Barcelona against it led by some human rights organizations. While participating in it, I met a Kurdish woman. Most of what she said was about the genocide that took place in the Kurdish-majority regions of Turkey in 2015-16. Even as a person living in Europe and following the news closely, I was shocked to see that this issue had gone unnoticed. It was an example of how injustice and violence perpetrated by governments are hidden from the eyes of the world. The similarities with some of the events in Kashmir also disturbed me. I felt like I had to write about this issue. But I didn’t want to believe the information available on the internet. I could only trust my eyes and my brain. I flew to Diyarbakir. For a month, I traveled even to the remotest villages, stayed with families, spoke to the victims. I was shocked to see the atrocities committed by a government to a minority which belongs to the same country. After returning, I wrote several political articles based on the human rights issues that Kurds face and the similarities with the situation in India. But I was skeptical about how much they would reach ordinary readers. So I decided to write a docu-fiction about the Kurdish issue based on the Turkish government's military operation in Kurdish-majority areas in 2015-16. That's how the novel Zîn was born and I became a novelist.

You often address social issues and human rights in your works. Is there a particular reason for it?

As an individual, I have fulfilled my responsibility towards my family. But as a human being, I still have a responsibility towards humanity. Sometimes I feel very weak. But with the little strength left in my body and mind, I try to support my fellow beings as best I can. I believe that all human beings have the same rights on this earth. We are not to be divided or made enemies by the lines drawn by politicians on maps. No human being is better than another because he was born in a certain region, has a different skin color, or has better material conditions. I believe that it is my duty to help those who are oppressed.

How do you connect the story of Sita, the protagonist of the novel, with the Kurdish issue?

There are many similarities between the political and social structures in India and Turkey. The growing right-wing politics and politicians who use religion to seize power and divide people are following the same pattern in both countries. In India, Hindu extremists are using mythology and epics to bring back worn out customs in order to keep society, especially women, under their control. As an Indian woman, it was my need to tell the situation of my country along with the story of Kurds. In most of Indian Hindu families, girls are raised to follow the obedience, tolerance and sacrifice of the mythological character Sita in life. But mothers do not tell their children the other side of the story of Sita turning into a rebel when her tolerance reaches its limit. By the end of the novel, Sita is coming out of her suffering and reveals her strength as a woman. All patriarchal societies will have to face retaliatory Sitas. The Kurdish women's organization YPG is an example of that.

Zîn is a very political novel and touches on a sensitive issue in today's world. Was it challenging for you to write such a story?

Until my trip to Diyarbakir, I had never seen war, violence, or its aftermath. During the first days of my visit, I stayed in a hotel in Sur. From the top floor of the hotel, I could see parts of the destroyed city. In the first days, I had no friends there. The huge iron fences that covered parts of the destroyed city, the bullet holes, the soldiers searching each face suspiciously, the pitiful faces of Syrian families seeking shelter on the sides of the scorched roads... This was all new to me. Soon I made friends. Mothers who had lost their children, those waiting for their spouses, the families of those who had been imprisoned... Everyone had a story to tell. The pain and despair in their eyes drove me to a deep sense of guilt. I often bowed my head, thinking about how privileged I was living while my fellow humans were in such a pit of pain. That journey was a realization of my duties. A journalist boarded the plane on an investigative mission, but she returned to Barcelona as a human devastated by the suffering of her fellow humans. Until then, such issues had only been news to me. From then, everything became personal. After that journey, I became the homeless and oppressed. I began to feel like their tears were flowing through my eyes. The trauma of that journey prevented me from writing for months. When I started writing the novel, the characters came to life, and each of them had an identity. Each of them lived, loved, died, and fought inside me. It wasn't easy.

In your novel, you describe the difficulties faced by different cultures, identities and ethnic groups. Do you think literature can build a bridge between societies?

I believe that literature can do that. Literature can encourage readers to be understanding and listen to the voice of others. It can help us understand the suffering, exploitation, and oppression of others, and make us aware of the need to stand together. I am not ignoring the fact that like in every field, propaganda exists in literature also. But, if writers use their talents to do good for society and to speak the truth, literature can certainly unite humanity and make a difference in the world.

You create a strong female figure through the character of Sita. What is the most important message you want to convey through her story?

Through Sita, I tried to remind women of the power that lies within them. All patriarchal societies try to instill in women the idea that they are second-class citizens, weaker than men, and that they should be obeyed. Kurdish women have shattered that preconception. Indian women still need to become aware of the power that lies within them.

What kind of reactions did you receive after Zîn was published? How were Kurdish readers or people living in the region affected by the novel?

Only a very small number of Kurds have read Zîn so far. Language remains an obstacle. But those who have read it have become very emotional and expressed their heartfelt gratitude. I have made it clear to them that there is no need for that. This is a huge injustice hidden from the eyes of the world. My only goal is to draw the world's attention to it. I consider it my duty.

Love and resistance are intertwined in the novel. What was the main message you wanted to convey while constructing the relationship between Sita and Devran?

I tried to say that borders are not an obstacle to love. How do borders, governments, laws, and armies come into play in the love between a man and a woman, or in the relationships between humans? Why do we have borders? Why do we alienate our fellow beings? What do we gain through such actions? What is the relevance of achievements in the ephemeral life gained through alienating others? If the relationships depicted in this novel have prompted at least one reader to think in that way, then I will be satisfied as a writer.

Do you think Zîn only appeals to a certain geography or does it present a universal narrative?

The suffering of minorities is present in every country. If we look closely, we can see minorities being oppressed to varying degrees everywhere. The story of the conqueror and the conquered has been there since the beginning of the human race. The story of the exploiters is not new. The greed and selfishness of the rulers have caused rivers of blood to flow in the world. But there have always been those who have held on and those who have fought back. There have always been those who have refused to surrender. In the meantime, they may have lost wars and lost many things that they loved. But their fighting spirit will last as long as humans exist on this earth. Therefore, this novel is not only the story of the Kurds, but also a homage to the resistance of minorities around the world.

Did you face any censorship or pressure because of the political and social messages of the novel?

In the beginning, I faced various types of attacks and threats through social media because my writings contain content that is offensive to the far-right and religious extremists. Apart from that, I have not had any major problems. I was born and raised in the state of Kerala in South India. This is the first place in the world where a communist government came into power through voting. A place with 100 percent literacy. A place where every village has more than one library. I write in Malayalam, the language of the people of Kerala. Translations come later. These people are my first readers. Their civic, social and humanitarian convictions are different. That is why my writings and I are accepted in the state of Kerala. Readers feel pain for the suffering of the Kurds and unite with their struggle. They respect my efforts. You can understand the support I received when Zîn received the Kerala Government's Academy Award for the best novel of the year.

Zîn has been translated into English but not yet into Kurdish. Is there any effort to translate the novel into Kurdish?

I often talk about this with my Kurdish friends. It has been my dream since the beginning to have Kurds read Zîn in their native language. But my efforts have not been successful so far.

How has Zîn been received by the general readership? Are you pleased with the reception your novel has received?

Despite being the first novel by a novice writer, Zîn has received a great reception. Politically enlightened readers understand the parallels with the political situation prevailing in India and Turkey, and they discuss it. They also realize that such problems do not affect only one region or one group and that these things can happen at any time and anywhere. They also declare solidarity with the suffering factions of humanity. Some readers have told me that this novel makes them think about the future of the country with fear and makes them more cautious in their political decisions.

What do you think about the Kurdish women's struggle for freedom? How do you evaluate the resistance of Kurdish women in Rojava against ISIS? What do you think this struggle means in terms of women's freedom and social transformation?

I believe that the YPJ is the most powerful women's movement in the world. They have become a role model for women all over the world by eliminating the authority of terrorists like ISIS. It is amazing that this armed group of women has emerged from a patriarchal society. The YPJ is showing the world that no force or barrier can stop women who have recognized their power. Instead of being limited to the label of just an armed group, they are making social and political interventions and bringing about successful changes. The story of this women's movement should definitely be a subject of study in educational institutions around the world. It will increase women's self-confidence and help make the world a better place.

Are you working on a new novel or literary project in the near future?

My second novel, Qurban, will be released in Malayalam in early March 2025. This novel is based on the corrupt judicial system in Turkey. But as usual, I have tried to give it an international dimension. It contains hints and warnings about the judiciary in India, which is following the path of Turkey and is already under the grip of the religious government. This novel reminds the readers how careful every citizen needs to be in his political choices. Qurban received a much better reception than Zîn when it was serialized in the newspaper Deshabhimani Weekly, the publication of the Communist Party of Kerala. This book, published by Mathrubhumi Books, will be available in bookstores in Kerala from March. The story takes place in Istanbul, the traveller’s paradise. Just as behind every castle there are sewers and slums, this city also has a dark side. Helpless people, those who work hard to earn their daily bread live and die there also, unnoticed by anyone. When the legal system and administration are stained, such people are the first victims. They do not realize that they have been swallowed even when they reach the darkness inside the belly of the python. Qurban is the story of such a man. He is everywhere in the world. One of the ordinary people you meet in the slums and in the dirty verandas of government hospitals. The one who smells of sweat. The one who wears dirty, broken clothes in the street. We can see him walking with a weary head in Istanbul, Delhi, Tehran, and Beirut. We can clearly hear the heavy footsteps of the hunters who are rushing after the scent of that man's blood and the hungry snuffing of their dogs. We just have to listen.

Finally, is there a message you would like to convey to your readers and followers?

A land where every human being has equal rights. Have you ever thought about something like that? I may be a dreamer, an impractical fool, dreaming of a world without conflict and borders. But when each of you begin to see that dream and start working, talking, and living for it, this world will slowly start becoming a better place.

About the novel Zîn

Zîn is a novel that blends a personal love story with a political backdrop. Sita, an Indian citizen and a student at the University of Barcelona, goes to Amed to find her missing Kurdish lover Devran. However, here she falls right into the middle of Turkey's oppressive policies against the Kurds.

The novel tells the story of the heavy state oppression carried out against the Kurdish movement in Turkey in 2015-2016. Sita, who learns that Devran and his family are being targeted by the state on "terrorism charges", finds herself in a dangerous political conflict while searching for her lover. When Sita, who is detained and tortured by Turkish security forces, is tried to be rescued, many people are dragged into this conflict.

The novel deals not only with individual drama, but also with the oppressive policies of states, the oppression that minority communities are subjected to and how this is perceived internationally. It shows how governments try to destroy dissident communities by portraying them as a "threat" and how individual It reveals how even emotions can become politicized in such a conflicting environment.

The book was published in Malayalam in India on 5 November 2023. The English translation was published by Vintage Books on 27 February 2024, and it is 416 pages long.

Awards received by the author

2022: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for her travelogue Murivettavarude Pathakal.

2023: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel Zîn.

2024: Kadammanitta Award given by the Kerala State Library Council for Zîn.

Source: Yeni Özgür Politika newspaper