Antharam

Wandering. Pathinathan's novel is focused in this single word. This wandering unfolds in the
novel as the migration from Sri Lanka to Tamil Nadu and the struggles one undergoes in refugee
camps. The sufferings experienced by the characters of this novel are manifold. The pain of the
humiliation meted out by those who give shelter (?) and the longing for sufficient food are some
of the untold stories of refugees' lives. Pathinathan, who tells about the miseries of the
refugees, does not shy away from exposing the cunningness of these people. Pathinathan
exposes the reality of these men and women exploiting and deceiving each other. The novel
gives a compelling picture of the Sri Lankan Tamil refugee camp.