The Sound of Water

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‘In this dark and remorseless world, there are no winners or losers. There are only survivors...’ Loosely based on the disastrous flooding of the Bagdighi colliery (now in Jharkhand) in 2001, which trapped and killed dozens of miners, Sanjay Bahadur recreates the eventful hours of a disaster in this fast-paced and intriguing narrative that moves between the real and the surreal. Raimoti, an old miner, trapped hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth, struggles to save himself and his fellow miners. Meanwhile, the officials from the mining company and the government, more concerned about their careers, launch a ‘rescue operation’ of their own. And Madho, Raimoti’s brother, and his wife Dolly eagerly anticipate compensation. The Sound of Water is a searing fictional exposé of the conditions of mining in India. The story is as much an exposition of despairing minds as it is about the high voltage drama of a mining accident. But pitted against constant fear of death, mindnumbing work, greed and the establishment’s apathy is the power of spiritual strength and conviction that enables one to survive the odds.

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Sanjay Bahadur after completing his graduation from Elphinstone College, Mumbai, and master’s in Economics from the University of Mumbai joined the Indian Revenue Service in 1989. During 2000-04 he worked as a Director in the Ministry of Coal, which gave him the opportunity to observe mining operations and lives of miners at close quarters. He spent 2004-05 in the United Kingdom and acquired an MBA in Public Service from the University of Birmingham in Merit Class. For two years, 2006-07, he was posted as the Additional Commissioner of Income Tax in Goa (where he added finishing touches to The Sound of Water). At present, he is stationed in Delhi. He has travelled extensively through Europe and in India and has also trekked in the Western Ghats and the Himalayas, including a solo trek in the Gangotri region. He enjoys reading, music and cooking.