BY VEENA RAO*
In The Swaraj Spy, Atlanta author Vijay Balan—who has had a career in aerospace and other advanced technologies—seamlessly blends the fast pace of a spy thriller with the introspective depth of historical fiction. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of India’s struggle for independence during World War II, the novel follows the riveting journey of T.P. Kumaran Nair (Kumar), an unsung hero of the first Indian National Army, who was Balan’s grand-uncle.
The Swaraj Spy goes beyond the action, probing into the psyche of Kumar, capturing the inner conflicts, motivations, and resilience that fueled his dangerous mission. The closing chapters, in particular, are a visceral narrative of Nair’s remarkable inner strength that stays with the reader long after the final page.
The novel excels in pacing and character development. Balan crafts Kumar as impulsive, with a penchant for action, while his wife Maalu is a stoic and empathetic figure, navigating her loneliness and pain with a sense of calm and positivity. As Balan says in the interview below, her character offers a poignant counterpoint to Nair’s action-packed life, embodying a quiet strength that resonates deeply with readers.
The vivid settings—spanning Madras, Malabar, Singapore, Malaya, and Burma—bring the 1930s and 1940s to life with striking detail. Drawing from meticulous research, and his travels, Balan transports readers to war-torn jungles and colonial towns and cities, balancing rich descriptions with a momentum that keeps the story moving. His ability to capture both the grand sweep of history and the intimate moments of human experience makes The Swaraj Spy a compelling read, offering a nuanced exploration of an unsung hero’s courage and sacrifice in the hard-won fight for freedom.
Your journey from working on the Space Shuttle to becoming a storyteller is fascinating. What is your story?
Yes, quite a passage! Going to school in Ooty, I had two sets of interests—Physics and Mathematics, and History and English. I owe both interests to wonderful teachers. I was also passionate about the US Space Program—I used to cut out pictures of astronauts from library magazines! That took me to studying engineering in the US and a career in aerospace and other technologies. My interest in history is owed to a teacher, Mr. Fox (a Canadian who was as Indian as the rest of us), who taught me history by acting out scenes—like Shivaji stinging Aurangzeb like a wasp. He had us, little fifth graders, rolling with laughter. That bug-bite stayed with me through the years. Another terrific teacher, Mr. Xavier, nurtured my writing and public speaking. In 2009, I had an epiphany that I had to tell the story of my grand-uncle and the intelligence wing of the first Indian National Army (INA). All those long-sidelined impulses to write came rolling out, and The Swaraj Spy is the result.
You mention in the author’s note that you started writing the book in 2009 when it struck you that your grand-uncle T.P. Kumaran Nair’s story needed to be told. At one point, I wondered if your grand-uncle had left behind a journal (so rich and vivid are the descriptions). What kind of research did you do for the book? And how much of the story is based on family lore?
After that epiphany I mentioned, like most of us, I checked the web to find out about my grand-uncle, T.P. Kumaran Nair. There was nothing. Not only was the trail cold, there was permafrost on it! That set me on a six-and-a-half-year journey of digging. I began with my family, who gave me letters that he had smuggled past wartime censors and had been preserved all these years! Those letters allowed me to get into his head, if you will. While I use history and the war as a backdrop, my book is really about how Kumar and his wife deal with cataclysmic global events far beyond their control; those letters helped immensely in essaying their personal journeys. I also did a lot of networking in India to discover the history of the secret spy school in Penang where Kumar was trained by the Japanese. While that took a lot of time and effort, it led me to British-era documents that revealed much of the unknown story. As a consummate history buff, I read several books and papers on the INA, World War II, and India’s independence struggle.
The Swaraj Spy takes readers on a vivid journey through Madras, Malabar, Singapore, Malaya, and Burma of the 1930s and ’40s, weaving through towns, villages, and jungles. How much of these richly described settings come from your travels and research?
I believe that I have a duty to transport my readers to another place and time to see, hear, and feel what my characters are going through. As such, my writing style is visual. That said, the challenge is to balance description with narrative momentum. My objective was “just enough description to put you there, but also to keep you moving.” I made several visits to India to get a firsthand feel for the places in the story. While I visited Singapore and Malaysia, today’s Singapore is all steel-and-glass. It is nothing like it was back then. So, I spent hours, days, and weeks perhaps, on YouTube looking at colonial Singapore and wartime air raids on that city. Traveling to Burma was too dangerous—especially the part of Myanmar close to the border with Mizoram in India. So, knowing where Kumar had been, and because Myanmar had not changed much from its wartime Burma avatar, I used Google Earth to sit in my study in Atlanta and travel along with Kumar.
How did you balance the action-oriented aspects of a fast-paced spy story with the introspective and emotional depth of Kumar’s journey?
That was an interesting balancing act. It began with deciding the kind of story I wanted to tell. The wonk in me was tempted to delve deeply into geopolitics and war tactics. However, those letters I mentioned earlier pulled me toward a deeper exploration of the human condition. I chose to use the spy story as the gas pedal to set the pace and the larger historical context as the foundation while weaving Kumar’s and Maalu’s introspective and emotional journeys as threads that bind the narrative together. I often tell people that The Swaraj Spy is the intersection of four journeys: Kumar’s physical journey from Calicut to Madras, Singapore, Penang, Burma, and back to India; his transformation from a gung-ho officer to a reflective soul; Maalu’s stoic vigil amidst uncertainty; and India’s tumultuous march to independence.
In the author’s note, you share that you never got the chance to talk to the protagonist’s wife, Maalu, who passed away in 2002. If you could meet her, what would you like to know?
That’s a great question! While Maalu occupies only about ten percent of the word count, many female readers connect deeply with her character. On a deeper level, I’ve juxtaposed Kumar and Maalu as representations of action and predetermination, respectively. Maalu, as the embodiment of predetermination, does not give up but recognizes the limits of what she can change. If I could meet her, I would want to understand her experience of waiting for her perhaps impetuous husband—unlike Kumar, she left no letters to offer insight into her inner world. I’d also want her perspective on Kumar, as a wife knows her husband in ways unknown to the outside world.
During your research to uncover your granduncle’s story, did you discover anything that surprised or shocked you?
I don’t know about being “shocked,” but I did find several things intriguing. The extent of British counter-intelligence, particularly through double agents, was remarkable. Learning that the Japanese often worked at cross-purposes with the INA reinforced the idea that major powers pursue their own agendas, often hidden from view. It’s a dynamic we see even today, echoing Mark Twain’s words: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” On a more personal note, I found it poignant that, while there is a road named after T.P. Kumaran Nair in Calicut, few people know his story—history fades quickly from collective memory.
Many people know about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, but not much about Captain Mohan Singh and the first INA. What challenges did you face while finding material about Mohan Singh for your book?
Indeed, the story of the first INA, spearheaded by Japanese Major Fujiwara and Giani Preetam Singh, who persuaded Captain Mohan Singh of the 14 Punjab battalion to lead it, is little-known. Several thousand captured Indian soldiers celebrated its formation at Farrer Park in Singapore, yet this pivotal moment is often overlooked. Researching this involved extensive networking, reading, and document analysis. The INA’s collapse due to tensions between the Japanese and Indian leadership is a fascinating chapter. Mohan Singh and many leaders were imprisoned by the Japanese, setting the stage for Netaji’s arrival and the revival of the INA. Why the first INA’s story remains buried is a question for scholars. I’ve done my part, but much work remains to illuminate this era.
What are some of the biggest takeaways from the book? What do you want readers to know about your granduncle?
My granduncle was steadfast in his purpose: liberating India from British rule. Yet, as his letters reveal, he was introspective enough to question his lot in life. This duality offers an important insight: while we stay focused on objectives, we must remain attuned to what happens around—and within—us during the journey. On a broader level, history, like human nature, is nuanced. In an era when public discourse often veers into binaries, we must seek the shades of meaning between the lines.
Do you plan to write another book?
The positive feedback from readers and reviewers of The Swaraj Spy has been encouraging. I’m gratified that my pivot from space and technology to writing has resonated. I plan to continue writing in this genre of bringing little-known history to life through evocative storytelling. The strong connection female readers feel with Maalu has planted a seed: perhaps my next book will feature a female protagonist. It’s a daunting challenge, but we’ll see where the journey takes me.
- The Swaraj Spy by Vijay Balan
- Publisher : HarperCollins India (November 2, 2022)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 500 pages
*Veena Rao is the editor-in-chief of NRI Pulse and the author of Purple Lotus.
