Kupwara Codes book review: This fast-paced military fiction by Manik M Jolly is more than chest-thumping patriotism
The retired Major draws from his own experience to set the stage for a larger plot about Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir in this fictional tale.
Right off the bat, one is confronted with a sinister plot unfolding. A young YouTuber-influencer, Sayema Haider, is recruited by a Pakistani general to destroy the core of India. As the scene is set, the reader is transported to Kashmir where the recently commissioned Lt Deepak Lathwal is under the wing of the legendary hunter of the first battalion of the Fourth Gorkha Rifles, Maj Danny Deka of Majuli. These protagonists, with the help of the regiment, are successful in thwarting a band of terrorists — setting a fitting tone for this action-packed military fiction thriller.
Kupwara Codes, the first in a trilogy titled The Gorkha Garrison series, does not take too long to dive into the plot of our heroes, who are catapulted into a high-stakes mission to decode a complicated encrypted note by Code Man, a master terrorist who has been wreaking havoc on India. Though he is killed in the first showdown, this code informs the entirety of the book. The plot is gripping and the action sequences practically leap off the pages.
This novel is especially compelling in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. Not falling into the trappings of chest-thumping patriotism, the narrative does not shy away from naming the flaws in the system. The difference between autocracy and bureaucracy, discipline and sycophancy are painstakingly (if unsubtly) fleshed out.
The unrest prevalent in Kashmir is also highlighted via episodic searches through the villages where natives, at the call of an army man, must vacate their own homes.
Collateral damage — both civilian and armed — is presented in a sensitive way. On one hand, a Kashmiri villager spends the night in a community hall as terrorists lurk in one of the homes; on the other, members of a martyred officer must offer their condolences to his family. Here, sacrifice goes beyond its archetypical or symbolic notion, and the reader is confronted with the stark reality of death — the cold finality that lies behind the decorated supreme sacrifice.
In no uncertain terms, author Maj Manik M Jolly (Retd) — self-admittedly writing from his own lived on-field experiences in his debut work — exposes Pakistan-funded terrorism on Indian soil. Its intelligence unit, ISI, also finds mention. As do war-profiteering tradespersons complicit in emboldening and enabling terror outfits, while subverting the narrative if and when caught: by the Army for spying/ sedition or terrorist outfits for embezzlement. The latter also informs the backstory of Sayema, whose ideological transformation from a London resident and content creator into a terror-funding extremist might not be depicted on the pages, but does leave one seething with rage. The character functions in the backdrop for the most part, but is suggested to be a looming (and major) threat in the sequel.
Though highly dramatised and often dripping with clichés, Kupwara Codes offers an insight into the lives of our soldiers that beyond the scope of civilian imagination of simply chasing and gunning down terrorists. At its heart, it offers a deeper look at what constitutes an Army man — courage, camaraderie, strength, servitude, disillusionment, sacrifice, accountability, and an unfaltering love for the nation.
Title: Kupwara Codes: Book I of The Gorkha Garrison Series
Author: Maj Manik M Jolly (Retd)
Publisher: Harper Fiction
Price: ₹299
