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culture
Book review

n the hustle and bustle of Delhi’s very own “Yeh pakshi yaha khud nahi n 1984, I was residing in New Carrying on the fight
Delhi, it’s a real pleasure aaey, humney inhey bulaya hai Delhi and have seen the bar-
when you stop by where Trafalgar square (these birds have not come baric and horrifying hound-
a crowd has gathered here on their own but I have ing. Rightfully described as a against 1984 injustice
ing of Sikhs during the riot-
Ito feed pigeons and invited them here). He added
other birds. In the middle of In a city where no one has the time to sit that during the last 40 years I genocide, the ghastly target-
busy Daryaganj, where many the birds here have increased ing of Sikhs had continued for days Writer Vikram Kapur writes yet again on the anti-Sikh
Delhites saunter lazily on back and relax, it is interesting to find many from a few to many. at a stretch with the cops stand -
Sunday afternoons looking feeding grain to pigeons with smiles on Shiv Singh’s work begins ing as mute spectators, as though genocide that rattled New Delhi over two decades
for excellent bargain and sale their faces, Kulsum mustafa writes early as birds are early risers. they’d been well directed by the top ago, keeping memories of an abhorrent tragedy alive,
on books of every variety, you He arrives when dawn breaks brass to let an entire community be
find Delhi’s own Trafalgar and the birds are already hounded, looted and killed. Humra QuraisHi writes
Square. Daryaganj is in the Soon, he noticed a pigeon they left they slipped a coin there waiting for him, happily Though decades have passed,
walled city; the dariya here circling close by. It came near in his hand. Within an hour pecking on leftover grain there’s no closure; Justice is still
refers to River Yamuna. and started pecking at the Shiv had collected a handful from the previous day. From 5 awaited. It’s only through a few ‘The AssAssinA-
Not an up market area, and grains. The bird was so hungry of coins. He went back home am to 5 pm, Shiv is busy hand- writers and activists that focus re- Tions - A novel
certainly not complying at all that it was not intimidated by happy and content. That night ing out plateful of grains for mains on the haunting tragedy of 1984’
to Prime Minister Narendra human presence. he and his family had a full these winged visitors. of 1984. And one of the writers is by Vikram kapur
Modi’s Swatch Bharat Mission, An idea clicked in Shiv’s meal, purchased from those Shiv Kumar claims to be Vikram Kapur who has been writ- Speaking Tiger
it is indeed an extraordinary mind — to become a facilita- coins. ing ever so persistently on the 1984 211 pp; 299
sight that one encounters tor between man and nature. In the years that followed It is more than riots and the aftermath.
here in the mundane canvas He purchased a little more his business grew. He realised In 2002, he wrote a novel Time
of urban life. gram and and lured the birds the generosity of people, even heartwarming is a Fire based on the pogrom and
In kiosks created through with fists full of grains, throw- the poorest of them partici- to find birds in 2016, he had edited an anthology
jute matting and plastic ing some on the ground. Soon pated willingly in this ritual titled 1984 in Memory and Imagina- pluralist India is based and without
sheets, one can see a stack a few birds came down and and happily shelled out a few making their tion (Amaryllis). He is now out with which it cannot succeed. That, how-
of stainless steel plates filled started eating it. The next coins to feed the birds. Soon way into Delhi’s a novel titled The Assassinations: A ever, is not possible unless we rise
with seven different grains. morning, Shiv was at the same some of his family members novel of 1984 (Speaking Tiger). above the baseness seen in 1984 and
Each plate costs 10. Of course, place again with a packet full joined the business. Today congested His new novel is a well-crafted embrace the humaneness to which
you have to return the plates of grains for the birds. there are at least five from his Daryaganj story that centres around a Sikh Ghalib refers. Certainly India needs
after feeding the birds. These Some passers by stopped tribe sitting around the area and a Hindu family, in the back - just as generous a dose of it now as it
plates are regularly replen- and asked him if they could selling the grain plates. for a feed by drop of the surcharged communal did in 1984.”
ished from grain-filled gunny also feed the birds like him. Talking about the bird kind people atmosphere of 1984. As the violence To further quote Vikram from his
bags kept alongside. Hun- Shiv happily agreed. When feeding business, Shiv said, had spread out, not just forms were beard, and visiting the gurudwara earlier book on the anti — Sikh riots
dreds of pigeons can be seen hacked but also emotions and much regularly, where he learns about the — “The tragedy of 1984 is not behind
pecking merrily at the grains the oldest in this trade. But more along the strain. The injus- militancy in Punjab. Matters come us…to this day struggle goes on to
thrown into the shallow pit from 1970 three-four more tices had affected and dented the to a head a few months later, when deliver justice to the victims of the
created especially for the kiosks have come up. Business very lives of hundreds of innocents. prime minister Indira Gandhi is mass murder following the assas-
purpose. is brisk and people generous; The central character in this novel, assassinated and anti-Sikh riots sination. Rather than entering the
Shiv Singh, who sells these each earns anything between to quote from it, “Prem Kohli, the break out all over Delhi, as Prem is garbage heap of history, the ‘corpse’
grain-filled plates, is in his 300 to 400 daily. handsome, ambitious son of a Sikh caught up in a vortex of violence and of 1984 continues to show signs of
late fifties and sits alongside In the city where the honk- refugee has the world at his feet. hate that threatens to engulf all of life. It has become a testament to the
on a raised platform where ing of innumerable vehicles A glittering career ahead, and he their lives…” Nobel Prize- winning American au-
hundreds of birds feed on constantly reverberates, it is has just got engaged to his college When Vikram is asked why he, as thor William Faulkner’s words: ‘The
grain being thrown by people. welcome to find chirpy birds girlfriend, Deepa, overcoming her a Hindu, feels so very strongly about past is never dead. It isn’t even past.’”
Shiv was a teenager when he making their way into this father’s reservations about Hindus the anti — Sikh riots, he minces no Yes, its about time for a collective
came to this city in search of congested area and flying and Sikhs intermarrying. But, while words — “The celebrated Urdu poet, cry for justice. In fact, each time a
employment. While he never in for a feed. Every soul that Deepa remains occupied with their Mirza Ghalib, wrote: ‘Lest we forget:/ riot or pogrom is made to take place
found a job, he managed to feeds them somewhere deep marriage plans, the Indian Army It is easy to be human, very hard to by the ruling political mafia against
create one for himself. down hopes that when they enters the Golden Temple. Prem be humane.’ The events of 1984 are, if any community, there’s to be col-
He recalled the story of fly back, their bellies full, they cannot contain his rising anger at nothing, a testimony to human base- lective outcry for justice. After all,
how, hungry and tired, he will remember to thank them the desecration of the shrine and at ness where the desire for revenge humans are killed and ruptured and
bought some roasted gram in heaven. the people around him who shrug it and an obsession with narrow reli- tortured!
and was eating it when some off as ‘teaching a lesson’ to the Sikhs. gious identities trumped the egali-
fell down on the ground. letters@tehelka.com He begins growing out his hair and tarianism on which a democratic, letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 28 february 2018 60 www.Tehelka.com Tehelka / 28 february 2018 61 www.Tehelka.com

60 Kulsum.indd 3 12/02/18 3:55 PM 61 Book Review.indd 3 12/02/18 3:57 PM