'Oh Snap, I'm in JNU!' by Kev Nayak - Book Review

It is not every day that a book comes, about a university that has fed people’s fantasy for as long as they remember. It is about a university that enjoys a near sacrosanct status, like an impenetrable fort, its students shrouded with a bizarre aura, painting them almost like mythological characters, placing them higher than lesser mortals. And then, this great book that reveals the ages-old old hidden secret - that the university is just like any other institutions, with its share of great philosophy, its glorious and not so glorious history, upside down geography, multi-hued social fabric, a melting pot of all Indian cultures etc.

That its students are like any others, with their share of weaknesses and strengths. That this University too is not really different from other universities and colleges in India. The book also narrates in great detail about the temperament of the university, about its undying spirit, which does not kneel down, no matter what – the positivity remains there like a fort. That is the reason why the university and its students enjoyed almost mythical status in the minds of Indians. And coming from an insider, we tend to believe every word of it, despite being author’s frivolous natured writing. JNU is the University in question and the audacious book I referred above is Kev Nayak’s 'Oh Snap, I'm in JNU!'.

The book is a great attempt to conjure up a frivolous atmosphere before the readers turn pages.  It encourages eruption of serious thoughts in readers while they read the book. Kev Nayak, an ex-student of the university, spent his time in JNU, one of the premier institutions in the country, often hailed as Harvard of the East. The book unfolds like a historical chronicle of his life in this august university. He picks tit-bits from around him and creates a master story, about a bunch of students from JNU and their time in the campus. He presents JNU, as transparent manner as possible; in black and white to the readers.

He masterly narrates situations that are as real as the can get and as fictional as they actually appear. Life at JNU looks greatly funny and dead serious at the same time. It is about the abundance of joyousness and unfathomable grief simultaneously that JNU brings in the life of its students. It is about seeing a few winners but more of martyrs.  The book is about JNU as we know and JNU as it is. It is not only a page turner but is an interesting read throughout. The flip side is that it gets little dragging at few places but survives the mid-book hiccups and turns out to be quite a pleasant affair for a 186 pages long book.