========================================================================

IMMIGRANT NOVEL : An Understanding of Mankind

Lino Leitao

========================================================================

*Appeared in The Asian Tribune (Canada)

August 15, 1980, page 4

Immigrant is the second novel of Mr. Gill. It is a biographical story of a student from India, named Reghu who comes to Canada to upgrade his educational level.

Mr. Gill handles the story in Immigrant with magnificently brutal frankness and brings to light the various prejudices the Canadian society has about the new immigrants. This sounds as a factual record of the writer=s experiences in Canada. If that is so, the novel stands as a document of social value. Mr. Gill has spotted the personality behind the immigrants without any pretense.

By accentuating only one side of the story, Mr. Gill has looked at the speck in Canada=s eye while he has ignored the log that is in India=s eye. Mr. Gill who comes from India, knows well the prevalent prejudices that are in India=s caste ridden society. If Mr. Gill were to expose both sides of a coin, then Immigrant would have read like George Orwell=s story: ADown and Out in Paris and London.@ I think, Mr. Gill realizes this flaw and as such conveys the message through Immigrant that the better understanding of mankind can be achieved by rooting out ignorance. To Mr. Gill ignorance is the root of all prejudices among mankind.

====================================================================