In the world of philosophy, we often treat faith and logic as two ends of the battlefield. But in Nireeswaran, the critically acclaimed novel by V.J. James (translated from Malayalam by Ministhy S.), these two forces collide in a brilliant amalgamation of social satire and irony.
The story follows a trio of staunch village atheists: Antony, Bhaskaran and Sahir. Mockingly dubbed the “Abhasa Sangha” (the fellowship of the debauched), they decide to launch the ultimate protest against local superstition. Their plan? To consecrate a dismembered idol as an “anti-God” named Nireeswaran (Eswaran being God). By elevating a symbol of nothingness, they hope to expose the absurdity of the divine.
The universe however, has a keen sense of humour. What begins as a prank to dismantle faith quickly spirals out of control when genuine miracles start occurring. A man wakes from a 24-year coma, a worker bypasses impossible bureaucracy to land a job and a local prostitute undergoes a spiritual transformation, becoming a saintly herald for this new “fake” God. To the trio’s horror, their experiment in rationalism starts providing the very emotional healing they sought to debunk.
The true beauty of this read lies in its exploration of duality. James suggests that extreme belief and radical scepticism are simply two sides of the same coin. The boys’ obsession with “un-faith” becomes its own kind of religion, complete with its own rigid rituals and dogmatic fervour. They become just as “devout” in their denial as the villagers are in their prayer.
As the lines between mockery and miracles blur, the novel poses a haunting question: Are these wonders real, or is the human craving for hope so powerful that it can breathe life into a stone?
One standout quote captures this perfectly: “Both belief and disbelief are fundamentally the same! The intensity of belief the devotee has in the existence of god is of the same magnitude as the belief a disbeliever has in the non-existence of god.”
Nireeswaran is a deeply intellectual book that remains grounded, funny and profoundly human. It challenges us to look past the labels of “theist” or “atheist” and see the naked truth underneath. If you’re looking for a story that will make you question your own certainties while keeping you glued to the page, this is it.
Nireeswaran by V.J. James is available on Amazon Singapore.
