Art & Culture
Manreet Sodhi Someshwar on her book, “The Long Walk Home”
By Sahar Adil
Published: August 10 2009
Manreeth was recently in town to promote her new book , “The Long Walk Home”, at Olive Beach In Bangalore. MyBangalore got her response on her book and her inspirations.
The Long walk Home
The book was launched at the London Book Fair on April 21, 2009. Is the first and only fictional examination of the tumultuous 20th-century history of Punjab. The narrative arc starts with pre-partition Punjab, through partition, the linguistic division of Punjab, the Indo-Pak wars, Green revolution, the Khalistan movement, to the present.
Tell us about how you decided to tell the story of Punjab?
Though I am an avid reader, I read Khushwant Singh's 'Train to Pakistan ' a little late in life, in my twenties. The book taught me more about the partition of Punjab than my accumulated history lessons. I grew up in the border town of Ferozepur where a picnic was an outing to the banks of Sutlej - across the river was Pakistan, and entertaining guests meant a drive to the border to witness 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony at twilight. Weaned on an unintentioned diet of Pakistan TV (whose reception was better than that of DD Amritsar) and stories from undivided Punjab , I lived through the era of 'Sikh militancy'. When I first started to write, in early 2001, India was on an economic ascendancy, the country's mood was buoyant, and the era of Punjab 's engagement with religious fundamentalism had been buried. The subject had not even been dealt with in fiction. Perhaps because I had grown up during that particular phase, it was still very vivid to me and I decided to write a novel that could deal with the 'Sikh militancy' much in the manner that Khushwant Singh's 'Train to Pakistan ' did with Partition.
I started with the courage of a novitiate for the task was ambitious, to say the least, especially for a first-time writer! However, as I researched the era I realized that my quest was taking me back in time to better understand the genesis of Sikh militancy and the Khalistan movement. And I realized that for me to be able to tell the story well, the narrative arc would need to start from pre-partition to present and in that ~ 100 year span, as I traced Punjab's tumultous 20th-century history, through Partition, the linguistic division of Punjab, Green revolution, rise of fundamentalism, Operation Bluestar, I would be able to chart the 'why' and 'how' of Sikh militancy. In my novel, The Long Walk Home, I have attempted to illuminate this history by refracting it through the life of one ordinary Punjabi.
Baksh, was there an inspiration from real life for the protagonist?
Baksh is an embodiment of Punjabi culture that is increasingly fraying: a secular culture of live and let live, of not wearing faith on one’s sleeve. To create the personality of Baksh, I borrowed some of the mannerisms of my father, a secular Punjabi, and the book is a tribute to his memory. For more, please refer to the Acknowledgements page.
The book travels in time from pre-partition; what was the reason for the nostalgia?
Covered in Q3; not nostalgia so much as a desire to talk about things that had been quietly buried
What kind of redemption is the protagonist seeking? Is there a deeper message here?
The protagonist is a criminal lawyer whose work in the eighties puts him right in the middle of the conflict between young Sikh militants and Punjab Police. He makes an error of judgement and as he walks his last walk he is wondering whether he will get a chance to redeem himself. Baksh, who through his life has been a witness to Punjab’s tumultuous history, gets a chance in his last moments to create history. Yes, there is a message here: an individual and his/her decision can make an impact. History is not just a timeline, it is also his-story, a story of individuals told against the canvas of time.
Gulzar’s opening lines, how does that work for the novel? Are there any other references to Gulzar?
The book was sent by my publisher HarperCollins to Gulzar saab for a possible blurb. I am fortunate that he liked the book enough to write a shayr in its praise – the same is carried on the back cover of the book, both in Urdu in the legend’s hand, as well as in English transliteration. It sums up wonderfully the theme of the novel.
What do you want your readers to feel and experience on reading the book
My attempt is to make history accessible. Also, to get a dialogue started on painful events that have been buried. Instead, they need to be addressed to allow a process of healing to start. Witness the 1984 riots and how the issue still simmers for lack of accountability.
Tell us a little about yourself… Where you grew up, where you now live…etc
I grew up in Ferozepur, a border town that spils over with history. At the time of India’s partition it was Muslim dominant and should have gone to Pakistan as per the laws of partition. However, Ferozepur was a large military arsenal and Nehru did not want it to go to Pakistan. So, what Nehru delineated, Radcliffe demarcated, and ruled Ferozepur as India’s border town with Pakistan. However, the long shadow of Lahore never left the city which has lived through 3 wars and a decade of sponsored militancy.
I am a full-time writer & a full-time mother though previously I would never have envisioned that product descriptor for myself. Writing was for the romantics (didn’t I know Mirza Ghalib’s life story well enough to shudder at the thought of posthumous fame and riches?) Besides, I was a corporate executive and motherhood, while on the agenda, was meant to add, not subsume. But Life is a tough tango partner and it taught me that a pause can be as significant as a step. Writer-mother – the two are inseparable in their omnipresence: at my writing desk, a part of me is wondering if my daughter will remember not to jump from the school steps and graze her knee; while playing with her, my fictional characters plot their next moves!
When did you start writing?
I have been writing since 2001 and am happy to report that every morning the steady blinking of the cursor unnerves me – it also spurs me on. Kafka said of writing that it must “… serve as an axe for the frozen sea within us” – it is advice I try to remember as I engage with the world through themes that are important to me.
A book you are looking forward to reading?
‘How we decide’ by Jonah Lehrer
Bangalore/ India/ World?
All!
Film scripting? Will the feature in the future?
Inshallah!
Next?
I have finished work on my third book, a literary thriller. Also, I have assisted as a consultant on the film script of my first novel Earning the Laundry Stripes, which is being made into a film by Bollywood.
A parting shot…
The response to the book has been very encouraging. Khushwant Singh in his column ‘This Above All’ of May 9, 2009 says “Manreet Someshwar is a gifted writer of great promise… I have a gut feeling we have a new star rising in Punjab’s literary horizon.”
Urvashi Butalia, reviewing the book in Tehelka of June 6, 2009 has hailed it as “A father’s remarkable journey towards a memory that eludes him” and goes on to say “It’s rare to come across a novel that is quiet and unassuming.”
India Today says: “A must-read for those of us who have been waiting for a promising book to come along. With this book out, Sodhi has solidified her credentials as a young and promising writer who has much to offer to the literary world.”
Besides the critical acclaim, the book has hit bestseller lists of Hindustan Times and The Hindu.
The Long walk Home
The book was launched at the London Book Fair on April 21, 2009. Is the first and only fictional examination of the tumultuous 20th-century history of Punjab. The narrative arc starts with pre-partition Punjab, through partition, the linguistic division of Punjab, the Indo-Pak wars, Green revolution, the Khalistan movement, to the present.
Tell us about how you decided to tell the story of Punjab?
Though I am an avid reader, I read Khushwant Singh's 'Train to Pakistan ' a little late in life, in my twenties. The book taught me more about the partition of Punjab than my accumulated history lessons. I grew up in the border town of Ferozepur where a picnic was an outing to the banks of Sutlej - across the river was Pakistan, and entertaining guests meant a drive to the border to witness 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony at twilight. Weaned on an unintentioned diet of Pakistan TV (whose reception was better than that of DD Amritsar) and stories from undivided Punjab , I lived through the era of 'Sikh militancy'. When I first started to write, in early 2001, India was on an economic ascendancy, the country's mood was buoyant, and the era of Punjab 's engagement with religious fundamentalism had been buried. The subject had not even been dealt with in fiction. Perhaps because I had grown up during that particular phase, it was still very vivid to me and I decided to write a novel that could deal with the 'Sikh militancy' much in the manner that Khushwant Singh's 'Train to Pakistan ' did with Partition.
I started with the courage of a novitiate for the task was ambitious, to say the least, especially for a first-time writer! However, as I researched the era I realized that my quest was taking me back in time to better understand the genesis of Sikh militancy and the Khalistan movement. And I realized that for me to be able to tell the story well, the narrative arc would need to start from pre-partition to present and in that ~ 100 year span, as I traced Punjab's tumultous 20th-century history, through Partition, the linguistic division of Punjab, Green revolution, rise of fundamentalism, Operation Bluestar, I would be able to chart the 'why' and 'how' of Sikh militancy. In my novel, The Long Walk Home, I have attempted to illuminate this history by refracting it through the life of one ordinary Punjabi.
Baksh, was there an inspiration from real life for the protagonist?
Baksh is an embodiment of Punjabi culture that is increasingly fraying: a secular culture of live and let live, of not wearing faith on one’s sleeve. To create the personality of Baksh, I borrowed some of the mannerisms of my father, a secular Punjabi, and the book is a tribute to his memory. For more, please refer to the Acknowledgements page.
The book travels in time from pre-partition; what was the reason for the nostalgia?
Covered in Q3; not nostalgia so much as a desire to talk about things that had been quietly buried
What kind of redemption is the protagonist seeking? Is there a deeper message here?
The protagonist is a criminal lawyer whose work in the eighties puts him right in the middle of the conflict between young Sikh militants and Punjab Police. He makes an error of judgement and as he walks his last walk he is wondering whether he will get a chance to redeem himself. Baksh, who through his life has been a witness to Punjab’s tumultuous history, gets a chance in his last moments to create history. Yes, there is a message here: an individual and his/her decision can make an impact. History is not just a timeline, it is also his-story, a story of individuals told against the canvas of time.
Gulzar’s opening lines, how does that work for the novel? Are there any other references to Gulzar?
The book was sent by my publisher HarperCollins to Gulzar saab for a possible blurb. I am fortunate that he liked the book enough to write a shayr in its praise – the same is carried on the back cover of the book, both in Urdu in the legend’s hand, as well as in English transliteration. It sums up wonderfully the theme of the novel.
What do you want your readers to feel and experience on reading the book
My attempt is to make history accessible. Also, to get a dialogue started on painful events that have been buried. Instead, they need to be addressed to allow a process of healing to start. Witness the 1984 riots and how the issue still simmers for lack of accountability.
Tell us a little about yourself… Where you grew up, where you now live…etc
I grew up in Ferozepur, a border town that spils over with history. At the time of India’s partition it was Muslim dominant and should have gone to Pakistan as per the laws of partition. However, Ferozepur was a large military arsenal and Nehru did not want it to go to Pakistan. So, what Nehru delineated, Radcliffe demarcated, and ruled Ferozepur as India’s border town with Pakistan. However, the long shadow of Lahore never left the city which has lived through 3 wars and a decade of sponsored militancy.
I am a full-time writer & a full-time mother though previously I would never have envisioned that product descriptor for myself. Writing was for the romantics (didn’t I know Mirza Ghalib’s life story well enough to shudder at the thought of posthumous fame and riches?) Besides, I was a corporate executive and motherhood, while on the agenda, was meant to add, not subsume. But Life is a tough tango partner and it taught me that a pause can be as significant as a step. Writer-mother – the two are inseparable in their omnipresence: at my writing desk, a part of me is wondering if my daughter will remember not to jump from the school steps and graze her knee; while playing with her, my fictional characters plot their next moves!
When did you start writing?
I have been writing since 2001 and am happy to report that every morning the steady blinking of the cursor unnerves me – it also spurs me on. Kafka said of writing that it must “… serve as an axe for the frozen sea within us” – it is advice I try to remember as I engage with the world through themes that are important to me.
A book you are looking forward to reading?
‘How we decide’ by Jonah Lehrer
Bangalore/ India/ World?
All!
Film scripting? Will the feature in the future?
Inshallah!
Next?
I have finished work on my third book, a literary thriller. Also, I have assisted as a consultant on the film script of my first novel Earning the Laundry Stripes, which is being made into a film by Bollywood.
A parting shot…
The response to the book has been very encouraging. Khushwant Singh in his column ‘This Above All’ of May 9, 2009 says “Manreet Someshwar is a gifted writer of great promise… I have a gut feeling we have a new star rising in Punjab’s literary horizon.”
Urvashi Butalia, reviewing the book in Tehelka of June 6, 2009 has hailed it as “A father’s remarkable journey towards a memory that eludes him” and goes on to say “It’s rare to come across a novel that is quiet and unassuming.”
India Today says: “A must-read for those of us who have been waiting for a promising book to come along. With this book out, Sodhi has solidified her credentials as a young and promising writer who has much to offer to the literary world.”
Besides the critical acclaim, the book has hit bestseller lists of Hindustan Times and The Hindu.
