Janedra Sundut
| Janedra Sundut | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||
|
Janedra Sundut is a former professor of geology and Senator-for-Life in the Qalustani Senate.
Best known for being the person to introduce Zanwar Qal to the People’s Hand rebel group, Sundut was also a noted atheist writer during a time when atheism was illegal in the Vranith Empire. Some of atheistic writings were discovered and linked to both him and Zanwar Qal. He spent twenty-eight years in Fort Zevrag military prison.
In 2001, when the Qalustani Rebellion took place, Sundut was released from prison and appointed Senator-for-Life by President Qal. He speaks with a notable Southwestern Qalustani accent, and is regarded with great affection by the Qalustani people.
Politically, he is a reformer, and although officially an Independent Senator he votes with the Democratic Socialist Party more often than not. The most famous bill he has championed was the Business and Trade Act 2002, which effectively ended free enterprise in Qalustan.
Biography
Janedra Alanži Sundut was born in the fortified town of Gubhež in the Jauen Province of what was then the Vranith Empire. His father was a sergeant in the town guard and a strict member of the Vrani Orthodox Church. The young Janedra rebelled against his father a great deal, but performed very well in school. He had a passion for geology from a very young age, and moving in scientific circles allowed him to come into contact with other atheists.
He studied at the University of Luntat and graduated first in his class in 1941. He later became a professor of geology, and taught Zanwar Qal between 1971 and 1973.
Sundut was a prolific writer on both geology and atheism. One of his atheist pamphlets, Xobhli (The Cannon), was discovered at the home of one of his friends. Under torture, the friend confessed that Sundut had written it. There was an anecdote in the pamphlet which mentioned a student, but certain details revealed that the student was Zanwar Qal.
At the trial, Qal was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, while Sundut received a life sentence. They were both sent to Fort Zevrag, where they communicated by means of a system of coded messages. Both would pretend to be asleep, and would fake night terrors, thrashing around in their beds and screaming the coded messages so that they echoed around the prison. In fifteen years, the guards never realised what the two men were doing.
After Qal left, Sundut was completely cut off. He became increasingly depressed and even attempted to commit suicide twice, one in 1995 and then again in 1996, but was prevented by guards both times.
Between 1998 and 1999, Sundut wrote a book called The Sword Turned (Qalustani: ež-Uerqon Samed), a novel about atheism. Its protagonist, who many have claimed is based on Zanwar Qal, seeks to avenge the rape and murder of his sister, who is said to symbolize Qalustan, by a corrupt priest. The book was an instant bestseller and has been called “The Great Qalustani Novel”.
