Where India ends and Bangladesh begins is a question confused by history, family and the border pillars themselves. Panitar has a one-foot-high concrete block on the side of the mighty Ichamati river marked Border Pillar No.1. Photograph of Suchitra Vijayan courtesy of Suchitra Vijayan. A British lawyer, Cyril Radcliffe set foot in India for the first time in July, 1947 to draw the borders and completed the task within seven weeks, engendering communal riots, a heavily militarized border, four wars and seven decades of violence and hatred between the two countries. ( I hate this word, voiceless, by the way). While Nehru was still declaring this victory, the slaughter began. Second, there is a clear distinction between speaking against the powerful and claiming to speak on behalf of the "voiceless". J.G.P. Whose Stories Are Told In Indian History? Ten years later, you were in Kashmir, where you 'hoped to find answers' by talking to a family that had lost a son. How did you respond to that environment being in an extremely challenging position yourself? Suchitra Vijayanis a barrister-at-law, writer and researcher. Itembodied young Indias grand ambitions and aspired to a nation made of men and women equally protected by the law. Again, in the India-China border, she finds a young army officer closely referring to a book that contradicts the official version of the Indo-China war of 1962, and concludes that perhaps, he recognizes that most of soldiering involved cynical subordination to ideas that no longer made sense.. This is a profoundly alienating place for anyone without the networks of privilege and resources. In Midnight's Borders, Suchitra Vijayan meditates on belongingness, freedom and political implications of territorial demarcations 'The border making project is central to the capitalist and neoliberal logic,' Vijayan says. The acts of writing, documenting, photographing, and archiving carry privileges of caste and class. 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Second, border policies are about "performance and articulations of citizenship". Good, honest and non-polemical writing has always forced us to confront the lies we tell ourselves. We live in a profoundly unequal society, where every day brings news of new devastation. This Life Draws Attention to Life Behind Bars and the Transcendent Power of Rap, Wrestling with Reality in The Big Door Prize. I wrote the book, but those who have lived through this hell continue to live and navigate this hell. A:I dont think an ethical or moral compass exists nowI dont know if it ever existed. Subscribe to the Rumpus Book Clubs (poetry, prose, or both) and Letters in the Mail from authors (for adults and kids). The writing grew around the images and the visual memory of the encounters. That was my starting point. As she travelled 9000 miles over seven years across Indias borders, some drawn so hastily that they cut across fields, homes and courtyards, she met men, women and children, finishing with endless notebooks, over a thousand images and more than 300 hours of recorded conversations. Her quest took her to the farthest ends of the India-Bangladesh/ China/ Myanmar/ Pakistan borders. The emotional cost is something else altogether. In Afghanistan, Kashmir, and India, from one dangerous conflict zone to another, she spoke with people, ate with them, and listened to their stories. Also, a book is an act of community; it has many midwives. A place to read, on the Internet. The Family Man has found tremendous success as a slick and funny espionage drama, particularly for its treatment of the protagonist, and even for humanising terrorists. She was part of a music band at PSG. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle. We have already chosen silence and obfuscation even before the pushback has arrived. It took me 8 years to write the book. She has sung in multiple languages including Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. Not mine. Second, as the media continued to promote government positions on the crisis, other critical political issues dropped out of public scrutiny. I have never lived under military occupation, curfew, or a looming threat of violence. He writes TPS reports for an overbearing boss who calls him the minimum guy. He has replaced eating vada pav at ungodly hours on the streets with overpriced salads. In the middle of significant change, this fraught system cannot exist as it is. Nine years ago, she began documenting stories from her travels along the borders of India. A: I lost friends, saw my father go through a transplant, and I gave birth. If it does, I have failed. Updated Date: But who gets to speak for so many of us? Vijayans lens not only captures the people but also the past through objects, such as the picture of Kotwali Gate, the remains of a medieval fort that serves as a border checkpoint rife with weeds and trees growing on it, symbolic of a state bent on rewriting history rather than preserving it. An unprecedented militarisation of these spaces accompanied this. It is here that even the most civilised amongst us begin to make excuses for repression, brutality, and violence. A: I dont agree with this kind of framing, because its not that underrepresented people dont have voices. I can see small cracks beginning to appear. [4] She also worked as a dubbing artist for popular heroines like Shriya Saran and Lakshmi Rai.[5]. There are instances when you and some voices in the narrative question their documentation practice. Suchitra Vijayan: The Indian state has always used excessive and extrajudicial violence on communities that resist, whether its the borderlands, peripheries, or mainland Now the international viewfor instance while the Gujarat riots of 2002 brought critical international media attention and criticism, and [current Prime Minister] Modi was banned from entering the US, India was able to effectively manage global public opinion. A Barrister by training, she previously worked for the United Nations war crimes tribunals in Yugoslavia and Rwanda before co-founding the Resettlement Legal Aid Project in Cairo, which gives legal aid to . So now, how do we respond to this? Now, border security policies are linked to domestic politics. Rumpus: I believe your book contributes to an important conversation about India we must have right now in the United States, for its own sake. Suchitra Vijayan undertook a 9000 mile journey over seven years to India's borderlands to write Midnight's Borders: A People's History of Modern India. So we might never know the true extent of this loss. To them he is a man who has settled into a job that has no future. Is secularism a good thing? This is such an insidious conversation to have; this was even before Adani bought it. We still argue if something should be a massacre, a pogrom, or a riot. IWE is a body of work where the voices of Indias marginalized are still kept on the fringes; Midnights Borders is anarrative nonfiction book depicting a world that novels from mainland India have failed to depict. [1], Suchitra joined Sify for a year, after graduating. The images, however, are not all bereft of hope, as children from both India and Bangladesh use a border pillar as a cricket stump, while men on opposing sides of the war on terror in Afghanistan gather around in a cold evening, smoking and sharing stories. Apart from his long-suffering wife, no one else in the family knows that he is a spy. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. 'Suchitra's account of her journeys across the undefinable and ever-shifting borders between India and its neighbours is gripping, frightening, faithful and beautiful. In this podcast, Vijayan discusses with host Alex Woodson her 9,000-mile journey through India's borderlands, which formed the basis of the book, and she discusses the violent and continuing history of the 1947 partition, the stark differences and similarities along South Asia's various borders, and what "citizenship" mean in India in 2021 and We lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers readers already know and love. Fearful of the future he asked quietly, Where did all this hate come from, where is it going to take us? echoing what many residents had told her. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. At Fazilka near the Pakistan border, she ran into Sari Begum, who had a bunker on her land but had a darker story of pain and violence from the days of Partition. What do you think the future holds? More Buying Choices 1,732.00 (16 Used & New offers) Audible Audiobook 0.00 Free with Audible trial 586.00 ( 9 ) She perfectly captured the happiness and the intimacy of the occasion, the warmth of all the people present, and the splendor of the venue. Even those who now write about Modis India, will never write about Brahmanism or be critical of how caste works in the diaspora. The events of 9/11 had profound effects on how border security projects and politics played out. What is the function of seeing and documenting? It offers brief historical notes on how the nations current borders came into force alongside accounts of increasing militarisation, disputes, little massacres and forgotten pogroms, no-mans-lands, and the people through whom the border runs like barbed wire. Christopher Clary: India and Pakistan resort to the diplomacy of violence and flirt with catastrophe, Hafsa Kanjwal: As India beats its war drums over Pulwama, its occupation of Kashmir is being ignored. It was just a sad moment, and I couldnt celebrate a book when there was so much human tragedy playing out. Check posts or bunkers were not part of the landscapes of my home. Over the span of seven years, Suchitra Vijayan interviewed scores of individuals, jotted countless notes, snapped hundreds of photographs, and altogether made herself witness to the manifold absurdities (and atrocities) of who gets to say where one nation ends and another begins. We see that during the journey, in a number of places, people stood in lines to speak with you, to show their paperwork to youhow did you negotiate the weight ofthose expectations, which might not have been explicit, but were still very much present? MacAdam reviews Suchitra Vijayan's book Midnight's Borders: A People's History of Modern India Read More. Firstly, when we talk about violence, we often talk about it only as communal violence, as if both communities have equal strength and power. And our language helps us imagine a vision that is truly just, beautiful and ethical. O. What are those ethical, moral, and political lines? But eventually we need all kinds of stories and arguments to emerge from what is now considered Indian American writing. As a spy working for TASC, Tiwari has to juggle being an underpaid government employee as well as an absent husband and a perpetually late and distracted father. Suchitra Vijayan is the executive director of the Polis Project. At worst, its navel gazing peppered with white guilt, but always politically vacuous. But its also important to constantly take account of who is writing about this India to an Indian and global audience. If you think about communities in resistance to immense violations, theyre all interconnected to climate justice. How did writing this book affect you? Husain Haqqani: Pakistan released the Indian pilot. The post-Cold War and 90s rhetoric of a borderless world that accompanied globalisation also kick-started massive border fencing projects in India. I think freedom and dignity enables us to really go beyond in our political imaginationbeyond just electoral politics. She responded to an ad for the post of an RJ in Radio Mirchi. We know that the purpose of borders has kept changing for nations. The latter is an act of violence against people whose voice you are appropriating. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. These are no longer contradictory; instead, even criticism can be converted to views. I havent spoken or celebrated with my friends in Kashmir or Assam. This contributed to the long-running, brutal silencing of Kashmiris and their struggle for self-determination. Suchitra Vijayan is a barrister-at-law, writer and researcher. It took a long time to get the voice right. The stories were a way to understand how people struggled and survived. These are edited excerpts from the interview: 'Midnight' seems to be a metaphor for multiple things both freeing and frightening. Instead, she shows the absurdity of the army apparatus that strives to comply with the narrative of patriotism. They are arriving from various cities and people I have never met. You can claim to be patriotic but not political, you can claim to support the troops but ignore the ongoing civilian casualty. History and memory is localwhich means its almost impossible to write about India. Its been a little over a week since the book came out, and every day this week, I have woken up to emails, messages, and DMs from readers. Vijayan: I would say I am hopeful. This is where I believe literary nonfiction becomes a powerful tool. I'mdyslexic, but have visual and episodic memory, which means I dream and relive moments. The travel, the people they encounter, and the political events they record quickly become cameos. Get your Rumpus merch in our online store. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I fear we are losing that cosmopolitanism of small places. Suchitra Vijayan. Rumpus: Toni Morrison said that she writes from a place of delight, not disappointment. The controversy surrounding the Rafale deal and allegations of corruption against the government were suddenly sidelined, as was the order for the eviction of more than a million forest dwellers (that was later stayed) and a hearing on the repeal of an important constitutional clause before the Supreme Court. A poll asked if its OK to be white. Heres why the phrase is loaded. These may not be perfect worlds or even equal worlds, but they strive to be. She still does a radio show called Flight983 on Radio Mirchi, on Sunday evenings (79 pm). When I left him (the first time), I had a one-year-old daughter. Some people later chose not to be included because they feared repercussions, especially as the NRC process started playing out. Thoughbordersare conventionally recognised as real or artificial lines of spatial and political demarcation, there may also be an arbitrariness to them. You've mentioned in the text that you've spent your entire adult life thinking about state violence and justice because of a troubling incident in 1994 when your father was attacked. She is the founder and executive director of The Polis Project, and the author of. Co-founded the Resettlement Legal Aid Project in Cairo, Suchitra is also the founder of the Polis Project, a research and journalism organisation. As the author notes, here, beauty and violence coexist, but never as a binary. A. Midnights Borders is fascinating, eloquent in its insights, and unflinching in its depiction of the dark side of nation-building. I feel very uncomfortable talking about this, or rather I dont know how to discuss this without centering myself. We thank her for her time, patience, and illuminating insights into her work. Once we eliminated the spectacle, we realized that the Indian public got very little information about the Pulwama attack and its aftermath. Last edited on 23 February 2023, at 09:35, Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer Telugu, 2nd South Indian International Movie Awards, "Suchitra going through certain emotional condition: Husband Karthik on her tweets", "Will Trisha sound like Trisha in Mankatha? No one is a stakeholder herethese are people, humans, citizens, who have been deprived of what the Ambedkarite constitution promised them. How do you think the media ought to responsibly report on peoples lives and experiences? Includes previously unreleased investigation under #JackStraw. Her work looks at theories of violence, war, and human nature. I test my practice of writing or being a photographer against this rule. How does one think of violence, how does one make sense of all this, how does one retain a sense ofnot exactly humanity, but ratherempathy for the other? Second, there were times when I ran out of money, when some said that such a book would not be published, when some declared that such a book could not be written. " India's intellectual, journalistic, and literary landscape is profoundly problematic and alienating. Midnight's Borders by Suchitra Vijayan. Are you expecting any pushback at all? Perhaps thats their victory. Co-founded the Resettlement Legal Aid Project in Cairo, Suchitra is also the founder of the Polis Project, a research and journalism organisation. Its when we lose hope that we believe that we have lost everything. Modi met with senior police officers and ordered them not to intervene as violence raged. What we can do is attempt micro-histories of events, timelines, or local communities. Contributions for the charitable purposes ofThe Rumpus must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. At a time when right-wing nationalism is crescendoing in India and across the world, Suchitra Vijayans Midnights Borders raises pertinent questions about the very foundations of Indias nationalism the cartography of South Asian nation-states defined by arbitrary lines drawn hastily by the British colonial administration. There are enough stories of people parachuting into communities to do human interest stories. And were there any apprehensions since you began working on this book? Vijayan researches meticulously into official documents and conducts a series of interviews in an effort to uncover the murky truths behind the death of Hilal Ahmed Mir, a supposed militant killed by the military in an encounter in the disputed territory of Kashmir, or Felani Khatun, a 15-year-old girl who was shot when trying to cross the barbed wire at the porous India-Bangladesh border. Her writing and award-winning photography culminated in Midnights Borders: A Peoples History of Modern India, which was recently shortlisted for the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF book prize. You dont need a Leni Riefenstahl today. Suchitra is a BSc graduate from Mar Ivanios College (Trivandrum). Many TV newsrooms were transformed into caricatures of military command centers, with anchors assessing military technology and strategy (sometimes incorrectly). I now think twice about calling friends, worried if this might put them at risk. The failure to forget affects how I use images, and texts; my photographic practice and also how I put everything together. Suchitras account of her journeys across the undefinable and ever-shifting borders between India and its neighbours is gripping, frightening, faithful and beautiful. Rumpus: What do you think is the value of well-crafted literary nonfiction in sustaining conversations about equality and justice? Its easy for Indian Americans and diaspora Desis to become tokens who speak of diversity but not equity or representation, talk of caste as culture and whitewash Hindutva. How do you protect this child? British India was partitioned into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan on the eve of independence in August, 1947. This is a challenging task for the writer. Her career as a playback singer now spans Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films and she has several hits in all these languages to her credit. The pair experience similar situations in their lives: abuse, the death or absence of a husband, and the longing for a better future. The people in the text fear statelessness, unknown violence, and being forgotten. We need more writers from Indias Northeast, Kashmir, Indigenous, Dalit, and Muslim communities to tell stories that help complete the canvas of narratives about India. How did you arrive at this stylistic juncture where you manage to tell the stories of these people who are radically less privileged than you without appropriating them? Rumpus: Can we please talk about Priyanka Chopra, and how her rise is seen as a marker of brown achievement? They cannot be abusive or personal. Excerpts from the #BBC documentary telecast about PM . Categories. There are some notable exceptions, but they are an exception. Vijayan shows a keen eye for detail as she presents these diverse lives. The border runs through him, his friend Jamshed had told Vijayan, He is almost gone, but I dont want his story to be gone too.. Such writings have long been implicated in the history of colonial ethnographic practices, where native informants are poised to become the voices of the empire. These new worlds are already herethey are maps of survival, maps of resistance. Its a dangerous moment where the figure of the rights-bearing citizen is being reduced to a consuming subject. What I was most concerned about and still am are the people in the book and their safety. I particularly loved the fact that all our couple shots were very natural and came out truly . Could you comment on how much our present border security policies have changed in the last few years? Midnight's Borders by Suchitra Vijayan falls in both categories. Thats part of the political imagination that I believe we need for political movements or any sustained acts of resistance. Its feudal, entitled, and cannibalistic. Like you train for a marathon, you train to be hopeful everyday. Vijayan began her journey in Kolkata. A memorable, humane museum of forgotten stories that we must all read and remember. M, What experiences and lives unfold in these pages. You can speak of confidence and body positivity and defend selling skin-lightening creams. What is the emotional and artistic cost that one pays as a writer while crafting these narratives? This means that, for the longest time, the depiction of violence and marginalised communities has been problematic. The world we know is already being remade in ways we cant fathom. Some even dressed for the occasion in combat gear. Ananya is a chaotic humanities student with a deep interest in the relationship between art and society, a writing obsession, and way too many bizarre ideas involving their camera. That, perhaps, is the only way to avoid further destruction in the region. Vijayans book begins a much-needed conversation on thinking about freedom beyond the idea of nation and its illusory lines. She is the executive director of the Polis Project . Vijayan undertakes a seven-year long, 9,000-mile journey along the borders of India, and interviews people living in these liminal spaces. Legislations such as National Register of Citizens and Citizenship Amendment Act threaten to render millions of people, especially Muslims, stateless. Although Vijayan critiques the state and its complicity in violence and erasure of lives, she refrains from villainizing the men who serve the state. Its feudal, entitled, and cannibalistic. That changes how you write and photograph a place. These are stories of massive human rights violations committed by the Indian state in the countrys margins. This is a tightrope that you walk so well. Early on, I was very careful to acknowledge this. We play an ever more important role in these times when there is a fascist authoritarian regime in India and a deeply racist police state in the US. Midnights Borders: A Peoples History of Modern India ; Suchitra Vijayan, Context/ Westland Books, 699. They dont. I wanted to make sure that I was writing in a way that was honest and true to my initial reactions, and capture that without centering myself. Through these real histories of the people, she gives readers another perspective on old wounds like Partition and new divisionary tactics like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Its impossible for a writer not to be affected by their personal life. The former is an essential act of dissent, even resistance, especially in these dark times. Suchitra Vijayan's debut book, Midnight's Borders, is a genre-bending book of nonfictionmade of stories, encounters, vignettes, and photographsabout home, belonging, and displacement.The book recounts the author's recent journey across India's land borders covering 9000 miles over a span of seven years. The book is a prelude to what was coming, and is also a impassioned plea to my readers to ask some fundamental questions of what it means to live in a country like Indiawhat is the function of a state when its primary preoccupation is no longer the citizen but a performance of an ideology? As a trained barrister, I used to believe in the concept of justicebut now I simply call this freedom and dignity. During the initial search, the BSF troops recovered a black coloured drone - DJI Matrice (made in China), in partially damaged condition, lying near Dhussi Bundh near Shahjada village. I have two tests. In politics we will have equality, and in social and economic life, we will have inequality. Like most women, I learnt to navigate this toxic misogyny, the threat of sexual violence, and patriarchy by merely existing as a dark-skinned woman in this country. Sometimes lost. In an interview with Firstpost,Vijayan talks about her book, the militarisation of borders, ethno-nationalism, and the politics of documentation. The people in this book are eloquent advocates of their history and their struggles. Suchitra is a sought-after performer at corporate and other such stage shows.
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