write a short paragraph on suggested readings :
a. THE MARK OF VISHNU
b. THE TRUNK OF GANESHA
Answers
In the story, Gunga Ram is a devotee of Vishnu. Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation. For Gunga Ram, all living things are to be revered and cherished, even dangerous animals.
In the story, science is pitted against superstition. Both are sorely tested, but science wins in the end. The hapless Gunga Ram is attacked and brutally poisoned by the Kala Nag even as he bows his head in obeisance to the cruel god.
In describing the manner of his death, Khuswant Singh is highlighting the irony of Gunga Ram's implicit trust in his beliefs. Far from ensuring him long life, his blind worship has caused him to endure a cruel death. Alas, Vishnu, the one god who is supposed to tip the balance of the forces of good and evil in favor of the good, has chosen not to preserve the life of his seemingly devout supplicant, Gunga Ram