The Journey of Death. Review on Maut Ka Safar - Surender Mohan Pathak

The Journey of Death

“Maut Ka Safar”: - By Sir Surendra Mohan Pathak

First Indo-China war was happened in 1962. India lost this war to china. But it did not only effect on the Indian country, it affects the Indian people also. Specially, to those Indians who were living their life in China. Indians were humiliated and extorted by Chinese people after the war.

Even today, when we hear about this slogan "Hindi - Chinese are Brothers", felt very odd. If you ask the meaning of this slogan from Indian people, they will use only bitter words for china. India never believes to china and their actions.

In 1966, Sir Surender Mohan Pathak sir penned a novel “Maut ka Safar (The Journey of Death)” in which the above said things were very clearly described. The protagonist of this novel, “Pramod” settled in china due to some circumstantial reason for 7-8 years.

According to novel, he was in before the Indo-China war. Chinese people thought that he is an Indonesian, that’s why he was safe in china. Pramod very well know how Chinese people were behaved to Indian. After war, Indian people were the enemy of Chinese people.

Pramod contacted an American antique collector Mr. Kremer in a hotel of Peking. Mr. Kremer is an American, but he is belonged from India. He was on tour of Peking with specific aim with his daughter Liza and manager William. Kremer comes with purpose to buy a statue of Chao-Koh-Koh, a philosopher of Mig dynasty.

The specialty of statue is its philosophy which was described by the thought that Chao-Koh-Koh was sitting on a donkey facing opposite side. But, the interest of Mr. Kremer in this statue is only of its antiquity.

Pramod takes Mr. Kramer to an old antique dealer of Peking to see the statue of Chao-koh-koh but Mr. Kramer find out it as duplicate. After that, in the hotel room, a Man with the name Mr. Philip liu contacted Mr. Kramer for the statue of Chao-Koh-Koh. Mr. Philip Liu told to Mr. Kramer that the statue is in Ho-Hasen village in custody of his uncle General Wu. Mr. Kramer decided to go Ho-Hasen village with Mr. Philip Liu but Pramod has advice him not to go.

Pramod gave many reasons for his denial like the journey is long and dangerous due to robbers and thieves. But Mr. Liu guarantied about the security to Mr. Kramer. Mr. Kramer asked Pramod to go with them but he denied. But after thinking about the security reason for Mr. Kramer and his daughter, he agreed to go with them.

After this, the journey has started. Pramod with his No.1 (servant) Yaat-to-ho, Mr. Kramer with his daughter Lija and manager William and Mr. Philip started their long and dangerous journey from Peking to Ho-Hasen.

In the end of Novel, you will surely say that Sir Surendra Mohan Pathak jee has justified the title. The travelogue from Peking to Ho-Hasen is very exciting and very well presented. This adventures journey will make feel you more adventures when a Chinese Philip Liu works like a guide.

It is many time repeated in the novel that Chinese are not worthy of trust and it is proved in the novel. The story is presented like a web of spider with adventure and mystery and this give awesome feeling.

This is the first novel in the Pramod series by Sir Surendra Mohan Pathak Sir and it was firstly published in 1966. Sir Surendra Mohan Pathak jee penned 4 novels in this series. But this series not gained the fame like Sunil series.

Sir Surendra Mohan Pathak jee published last novel in this series in 1976. After that, Sir SMP stopped writing using this character. Because, Vimal series got lot of fame till that time and Pathak sir gone forward to penned more novels in Vimal, Sunil, Sudheer and Thriller series. Many readers requested to write again Pramod series but this is not happened ever.

All the characters of the novel, especially, Pramod, William, Liza were very well judged and characterized by the Pathak sir. In a scene of novel, Pramod had shown some Judo-karate skills which reflect one more quality of Pramod. Pramod has a companion cum servant Yat-To-Ho in this novel, like Sunil has Ramakant. Yat-To-Ho is everything for Pramod, from bodyguard to friend. Sir Surendra Mohan Pathak jee, depicted many time how Chinese were sulking from Indians.

This novel is totally fiction but the way Pathak sir presented it, seems fabulous which will not give you space to think that it is a fictional work. In the present era, this book is rare and classic novel. The adventure, thrill and mystery of this novel not faded after 45 years of its publishing.

I recommend you to read this 12th novel of Pathak sir.

Regards,

Rajeev Roshan.

Note: - It may be possible that name was changed because I read this novel long time ago.

I will try to remove the error, if found ASAP.