Book reviews from Bhikaji

The Red Wrath

by Hatef Mokhtar

The Red Wrath by Hatef Mokhtar chronicles the peaceful reign of Sardar Daoud Khan who was the president of Afghanistan from 1973 – 1978. A brief account of his presidency: he introduced a progressive stance for Afghanistan in terms of its international relations and domestic policies. Today, on the pages of history, he is synonymous with his initiatives for women’s rights and their emancipation and the two five-year modernization plans which augmented the Afghan labor force. The promise towards solidarity, peace and security echoed across the nation. He was idolized and the reader can note a trace of it in this book. However not all was hunky dory.The murder of Mir Akbar Khyber, a leader of the Parcham, a segment of the People’s Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (PDPA) gave way to the start of a political game. He was assassinated in a coup and Nur Muhammad Taraki from the PDPA came to power. The Red Wrath traces the emotions felt by the villagers of Shir Abad in the Balkh Province of Afghanistan. Their leader was no more. The prophesy of one of the characters in the book, Zulfikar Khan that “Afghanistan will end up as a chessboard, a mere game between the West and the Soviets. And our people will have to pay with their lives” held true until the 21st century.This book is not a mere chronicler of events. It shows the battle and bid for power in Afghanistan by the Communists only to be quelled by the erstwhile Soviet Union. And this is where the title of the book The Red Wrath is derived (the devastation caused by the Soviet invasion). This is the outcome of all the pain and the havoc that is wreaked until this day. To have a lucid understanding of what ails Afghanistan, this is the book to read.