Review | ‘Register me as Kulbhushan’ by Alka Saraogi is about one man’s determination to be seen

Can a displaced person ever find a place they can truly call home, the novel asks. | Photo Credit: Getty Images In Hindi writer Alka Saraogi’s novel, Register Me as Kulbhushan, set against the turmoil of the Bangladesh Liberation War, one story stands out for having more fact than fiction: that of a refugee named Kulbhushan, whose uncertain life is shaped by displacement, memory and the search for identity.Lost in a maze of memories, he seeks to reinvent himself by adopting different names — Bhushan chacha, Kulbhushan Jain and Gopal Chandra Das. Hailing from Kushtia in what was then East Pakistan, he drops ‘Kul’ from his name to marry a Bengali woman in Calcutta. This reinvention of his name, however, raises questions among the elders in the family: “Did the bride’s side change their ancestral name?”Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author Saraogi explores these questions in her novel, translated from Hindi by John Vater. Can reinventing one’s name help reclaim an identity in a new nation? Set in the historic city of Calcutta (now Kolkata), the novel captures a period when survival often demanded the reinvention of identity. At a time when identity is increasingly reduced to official documentation, changing one’s name without a corresponding record can itself become a source of uncertainty and risk.At the heart of the novel is one man’s determination to be officially recognised — a poignant reflection on how identity is shaped, and sometimes constrained, by borders, memory and bureaucracy.The button of forgettingRegister me as Kulbhushan is a novel about the trauma of Partition, a deeply observed account of exile and the fundamental human desire to belong. The protagonist moves through an unfamiliar world with the grace and humility of a refugee, learning to navigate the daily ordeals of displacement. For him, forgetting the immediate past becomes a means of survival. By mentally erasing a painful bygone time, he creates a distance from trauma. The act of “pressing the button of forgetting” — a technique he learns from a childhood friend — helps him endure the suffocating streets and the drudgery of family life.The novel is ultimately the story of a refugee whose self-awareness offers the reader a nuanced understanding of the fractures within society. It raises a profound question: can a displaced person ever find a place they can truly call home? Whether in the Partition of Punjab or Bengal, the scars of communal violence have been etched deeply into collective memory. Partition was not merely the redrawing of national boundaries; it uprooted people from their homes, communities and histories. Its consequences extend beyond geography, becoming a psychological condition that continues to shape the lives of those forced into exile. Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author Alka Saraogi Eight months may seem like a long time since Kulbhushan arrived from Kushtia, yet he is still unsure where to rest his long legs each night. His journey through the inhospitable, dense forests of Dandakaranya adds to his growing understanding of displacement and survival. Ever since he alighted at Sealdah, he has seen refugees sleeping on the floor, their meagre belongings and dirty sheets spread beneath them. Moving through the crowds, he is assailed by the stench of unwashed bodies, piles of refuse and the roar of a heaving multitude. Such scenes become an everyday reality. Translator John Vater Blending fact and fictionThe novel offers multiple perspectives through which to view the world. Within the central narrative are numerous smaller stories, giving the book the texture of a monologue or even an autobiography. Yet, it can also be read as a war narrative, or as an account of communal violence and its aftermath. The novel’s major Muslim character, Mohammad Islam, is long held responsible by Kulbhushan for the threat letter that he believes forced him into exile.Woven into the narrative are stories of people displaced from their homes and countries by divisions of race, caste and community. In this sense, Register Me as Kulbhushan becomes a meditation on the uneasy relationship between truth and falsehood, beauty and ugliness, and the many contradictions that shape society.Author Saraogi has developed an engaging narrative style that seamlessly blends fact and fiction. Her characters carry stories within stories, allowing the novel to unfold through a series of personal experiences and anecdotes. As John Vater, whose translation brings out the richness of the original, observes, the narrative often takes the form of anecdotes or personal experiences. What gradually emerges is the poignant story of a refugee searching for an authentic sense of self while navigating a fractured identity in a region that, despite its political divisions, has historically shared a common cultural and social fabric. Register me as Kulbhushan Alka Saraogi, trs John Vater Penguin₹599The reviewer is an independent writer, researcher and academic. Published - August 29, 2026 09:40 am IST