Indira Parthasarathy’s The River of Blood (Kuruthipunal) was published in Tamil in 1975, he is a scholar, creative writer, literary critic, cultural historian and thinker, he is an author of nine plays.
The River of Blood into English, The novel is based on the Keezhavenmani carnage of 1967 in which 42 Harijans were burnt to death in the landlord and
peasant clashes. To the agrarian problem, tinged with untouchability, Indira gives a psychological dimension which is unique aspect of the action; he
also beautifully highlighted political aspects and corruption in the modern society.
The River of Blood is a story of revolt against oppression; Indira Parthasarathy narrates many incidents in the novel. The capitalist and landlords suppress laboures, poor harijans and tribes in India but tribal leaders and communists revolt against oppression.
Parthasarathy portraits Indian police department, they would not give justice to common people and they are always in favor of landlords and capitalist.
Parthasarathy talked about neo-colonist, Indian laws are helping to rich only, and poor people always suffer. He strongly comments exploitation in India, he said. “These brown sahibs are worse than the white sahibs and we have to keep within their laws and fight them the best. We can” (Parthasarthy 180), everybody talks of justice, law, democracy but nobody helps, everyone exploits. Parthasarathy speaks of the leaders, leadership come from the villages under genuine village leadership but city leaders are likely to be phony.
The great revaluation should take place in villages and that should be led by villagers. The city people struggled for only increase the wages and they called it a struggle and revolution. One who struggles for permanent changes is called a revolution; temporary struggle is not called a revolution.

A powerful Tamil Novel. Kuruthi Punal is based on the dalit struggle against upper caste, culminating in a climax that depicts the burning of dalits in kezhvenmani, an obscure village in Thanjavur ( a tragic real incident).
I particularly liked the satire style. Politics & politicians are ripped apart even though they don't play a big part in the novel. It was panned by many for not highlighting the true nature of the struggle (In the novel - it paints personal vendetta as against social upheaval) The author, Indira Parthasarathy justifies that ..it is a novel based on the incident & it does not have to follow the original. Whatever, only very few mainstream novels dare to take sides on a very tragic gruesome incident. Kudos for that.