K. S. R. MENON

  1.  What inspired you to write a novel about Middle East terrorism and suitcase nukes?

 

As far as I know, no novel has been published by an Indian expatriate author  based on this kind of a terror plot unfolding in this region, particularly Dubai. This emirate is at the crossroads of East and West and also of opposing ideologies. Something like what is foreseen in the novel is waiting to happen.

 

1. In terms of your work as a journalist, how did that shape the novel?

 

People generalize and tend to see the present conflict as one between say Islam and other religions. But having worked and lived in Dubai, I feel the conflict is between the fundamentalist ideology and progressive, peace loving thought. My life in Dubai makes me choose that perspective.

 

1. Does Desert Hunt suggest a larger Indian role in the discourse on terrorism?

 

India has the second largest Muslim population in the world. Indian Muslims, I believe, are more progressive and their religious belief has been tempered by its evolution within a multicultural and secular society. The democratic India that embraces without any apparent conflict its large Muslim component qualifies to be an effective mediator between the somewhat conservative Islamic world in Asia, the Middle East and Africa and the diametrically opposite Western ideology.

 

1. Just how extensive is India’s prominence in the Middle East?

 

In terms of culture and number of Indians working in the Middle East, India’s influence is extensive but cannot be easily quantified. The people in the Middle East may not have rated India high in recent years because of its poverty but they forget that their oil riches is only half a century old. India is changing, and the oil currency in future may lose its sheen for several reasons. But for all this we cannot blame the people or rulers in the Middle East. It all depends on how India positions itself and molds its foreign policy as its economic status changes. You get only what you ask for.

 

1. Of all the potential locations to set the story in, why did you choose Dubai?

 

Dubai, as I said, is at the crossroads of different civilizations and cultures. Dubai in particular and the UAE in general have extensively been transformed by its current rulers in the last 15 years. Modernity in Dubai and UAE poses the greatest challenge to fundamentalist thought in Islam.  Dubai is home to more than 125 nationalities and is a liberal oasis but that makes it vulnerable to be used by the terrorists. That made Dubai unique.

 

1. How did you ensure the characters and plot lines stay realistic and credible?

 

Many characters have been influenced by what I have seen and experienced during my career as a journalist. What happens in the story often reflects real life situations, giving a reader a feeling “oh, been there, seen that.” This novel is about possibilities.

 

1. Does Desert Hunt exaggerate the threat from Al Qaeda?

 

Al Qaeda, I believe, is down but not out. That is what I wanted to highlight. We have to be on the alert mode always. Their theater is likely to change. Recent newspaper reports in the UAE only confirm my fear.

 

1. Do you believe fiction is more effective in building geopolitical awareness?

 

We have to take terror out of academic discussions and panel debates to the general public. Fiction and cinema do that. When terror strikes, it strikes ordinary people, so they should have a sense of what is happening.

 

1. Bin Laden died in 2011, but Al Qaeda has a key role in the novel’s plot. Why so?

 

People in the West saw terror only after 9/11. India has been bleeding from terror for long. Bin Laden apparently did not have a hand in the spectacular terror attack on Mumbai. A leader died, but not the ideology of terror.

 

1. The book will surely attract Asian readers. But would it appeal to the Western audience?

 

There are about 100,000 British nationals living in the UAE and at least an equal number live in the Arabian Gulf. Dubai was a British outpost earlier. The US is greatly involved in the security of this region because of oil. Millions of Western travelers pass through Dubai. They will identify themselves with the places and people in the novel for sure.

 

1. What were the main challenges in writing Desert Hunt?

 

Even fiction has to strike a fine balance between the imagination and sensitivity of the region, as it is about people. It has to reflect the truth, the prevailing situation, and not one’s prejudices. Keeping that balance was not easy, but I think I have succeeded.

 

 

12               Some have characterized the likelihood of an effective suitcase nuke as highly exaggerated? Do you agree?

 

May be.  But that is quite a possibility and also symbolic. What if the terrorists try something like a biological weapon in a suitcase? Nuke was chosen as Dubai has seen transfer of clandestine nuclear technology.

 

13               Is the general reader interested in security and terrorism, including the threat posed by nuclear weapons?

 

For people in this region – the Middle East and Asia – terrorism is like polluted water or air. They live it every day. For those in London or New York, it may have been a one day issue, for us it is part of life.

 

14                This is your first work of fiction but what else have you written?

 

I had written a Stylebook for journalists in India many years ago at a time when only major newspapers had a style sheet. I have also serialized and published a travelogue in Malayalam which is spoken by about 30 million people in my state Kerala apart from short stories in my mother tongue in leading magazines.

 

 

1. What other books are you planning?

My next book belongs to an entirely different genre but come to think of it, that too has bit of gore and lot of pain and some fun.