Book Review: Dr. Atulya Misra’s ‘Testimony By Fire’

Testimony By Fire is a gripping fiction inspired by a major forest fire that occurred in the Kurangani hills of Tamil Nadu's Theni region in March 2018, killing many women trekkers. Dr. Atulya Misra was then serving as the Revenue Secretary, and the Tamil Nadu government appointed him to head the inquiry commission. The incident was an eye-opener for the IAS officer, and based on his own experience, Dr. Misra crafts a searing journey through the climate-ravaged soul of a nation in Testimony By Fire.

“I came to know a lot about forest fires and learnt what leads to the problem and the precautions required while trekking in the wilderness.” Dr. Atulya Misra reflects. “Moving through the forest, when you actually traverse the elephant corridor where there are no roads, just a few pathways and dense flora and fauna, one gets to understand the forest ecology.”

Part environmental elegy, part political meditation, Testimony By Fire draws its strength from the quiet resilience of its characters and the haunted beauty of its landscapes. In an India scorched by climate change and cracked by social inequity, Dr. Misra paints each character in shades of grey, highlighting a facet of resistance, grief, and hope.

At the centre is Ranjeeth, not just a man, but a metaphor. A former Indian president, once a symbol of power, disappears, only to return barefoot and speechless, walking across a broken land without a title, a flag, or an agenda—only the burden of silently bearing witness. Each step is a quiet rebellion to reclaim our Earth. Each pause, a prayer for forgiveness.

The characters are created based on people who were part of the forest fire tragedy, often transitioning between real and fictional. Based on the survival of a girl trekker with the help of a local tribal boy, the character of Radha is fleshed out. His tale is one of survival and dignity in a country that too often sees tribal lives as disposable. He contrasts sharply with politicians and planners who measure progress in roads and mines, not rivers and forests. We also meet a gritty, passionate ecotourism guide from the hills, who wins a civilian award for fighting for survivors.

He is accompanied by a figure, the “pardoned one”, a prophet-like figure immune to destruction yet burdened by memory. Like an Indian Odysseus with no homecoming, he travels like a bard, simply recording facts and leaving the audience to decide. Created on the lines of Vinoba Bhave, he walks through the ruins of the Chambal Valley, and through his eyes, the readers get a perspective of the Mumbai Dharavi slum, mining issues in Goa, the situation of fishermen in coastal areas, and so on. As he walks through Chandni Chowk and looks at temples, churches, and gurdwaras dating centuries back, he realises that religion is not actually at war.

Dr. Misra connects these disparate geographies, reminding us that these aren’t isolated crises—they’re connected symptoms of the same systemic rot. Testimony By Fire is both literal and metaphorical. It devours forests, slums, and agricultural land, but it also burns through layers of apathy and denial.” Emphasised Dr. Misra.

The novel isn’t just a story; it’s a civic responsibility wrapped in fiction. In its closing pages, Testimony By Fire doesn’t offer catharsis. There is no great transformation, no resolution—only a question left smouldering in the reader’s heart: Who will speak for the Earth, if not us?

About the Author:

Dr. Atulya Misra, IAS of the 1988 batch, in his distinguished career has held key positions and chaired prominent institutions, including Chennai Port Trust, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Titan Industries and Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited.

An alumnus of The Scindia School, Hindu College and TERI University, Dr. Misra also attended the Universities of Texas and Yale, IDS Sussex and UNU Tokyo. He holds a doctorate on carbon footprints from Anna University. A committed environmentalist and policy thinker, he has published extensively in scientific journals and continues to advocate for sustainable development.

Testimony By Fire is his third book, following Oxygen Manifesto—a bestseller and Green Lit Fest Honour Book award winner—and Vultures of Paradise. His writing is noted for its clarity, conviction and deep engagement with social, economic and environmental issues.