Ahimsa was inspired by the experiences of the author's own grandparents in India. And because of that, author Supriya Kelkr draws upon the memories of her family–as well as the real-life history of India–to tell the story of India in the 1900s.
Ahimsa tells the story of a young girl named Anjali. Anjali is a bright girl, but she is worried when a call is made to families to send one person to join Gandhi's movement of ahimsa, or non-violence. Gandhi's movement was founded to free India and remove British power and rule in the country. And Gandhi needed followers to make the change happen.
Initially, Anjali thinks that her father will be the one who volunteers to join the movement, thus putting his life in danger. But Anjali is surprised and confused when she learns that her mother, not her father, will be joining the movement. When her mother joins the movement, there are immediate consequences for the entire family. They must give up some of the finer things they own, like foreign-made clothes, and start to lead a cheaper and more humble life. In fact, they start to meet with a lower caste–a massive social moray in Indian society.
Eventually, Anjali's mother is arrested and imprisoned. Anjali, in turn, takes up her mother's mantle and continues on her journey of non-violence. To that end, the novel is about the unbreakable bonds of family and familial interests. Despite the danger she puts herself in, Anjali decides to proceed in her mother's business – because of family bonds, and because of Anjali's feelings of obligation.
Because this is a historical fiction novel, Ahimsa is an exploration of India's past and its history–much of it rife with violence and exploitation. The novel is also a commentary on the British empire, which controlled India for quite a long time. Separately, the novel explores themes of integrity, breaking social norms to be more successful in what you are trying to accomplish, and passing the mantle through multiple generations.
