At the core of the uprising is a mysterious young woman, clad in a scarlet hijab, whose fierce intelligence and quiet courage become central to the movement for justice.
Kochi (Kerala) [India], August 25: Suresh U. Kumar’s debut historical fiction novel titled ‘Girl in The Scarlet Hijab’ is a sweeping political-historical drama set in Cochin, Kerala, a city that found itself in turmoil after an assassination attempt on a revered socialist leader T K Karunakaran in 1981.
TK Karunakaran himself is referred to as Vaikom Karnan in the book. This is part of the interplay between fact and fiction in the book; Vaikom Karnan, a revered name in Kerala, believed to be the renowned writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The chaos, post the failed hit, ignites a student-led revolution against political corruption and systemic oppression.
In this context, author Suresh U Kumar asks, “Isn’t it ironic that the youth is more enamored with a 70-year-old man, someone who has never held a position of political power, than the hundreds of powerful politicians trying to win them over?”
On the face of it, the book is a tribute to his home state of Kerala. An entire community of youth were inspired by Gandhi’s visit to Kerala in 1925- for the famous Vaikom Satyagraha- to fight against discrimination in temple access to lower class Hindus. Author Suresh U Kumar’s experiences as a child and youth have translated into a deep connection with his country and his home state; impelling him to write this book. He grew up in Cochin, living there for 27 years before he moved to the US and became a prominent executive, entrepreneur, professor and now author.
Image Caption: Author Suresh U Kumar
On a deeper level, the book is also a tribute to the irreverence of youth! In a plot that traverses from the 1940s all the way to the 1980s, fictional characters meet real ones. The core idea is that a small group of people can always stand up to enemies far more powerful than themselves, if they are willing to fight and die for their values.
At the core of the uprising is a mysterious young woman, clad in a scarlet hijab, whose fierce intelligence and quiet courage become central to the movement for justice. Kumar’s narrative dives deep into the complexities of revolutions, weaving together themes of resistance, identity, generational dialogue, and ideological inheritance. His evocative prose balances the urgency of street protests and conspiratorial meetings with moments of quiet introspection. Another character in the book, Vasudev Panicker, is Karnan’s close friend and comrade. Vasu’s track is that he once fought under Subhas Chandra Bose as part of the Indian National Army (INA) and his character acts as a bridge between history and memory, revolution and reconciliation.
Readers will resonate with the central question the novel asks- what becomes of the revolutionary once the war is over? In Karnan and Vasu’s lives, we see the price of integrity in a world increasingly shaped by compromise. As parties jockey for power and historical memory fades, Girl in Scarlet Hijab is a useful reminder for us to honor those who lived bravely and died with a twinge of despair held close to their heart. Check out this vast and creditable debut effort by the author.