Hard Work, Karma and Theodicy

‘Whatever you write, you should focus on the achievements, that what all have been the achievements of our community. If you write about suffering, then your [book] might not be cleared. That might rub someone the wrong way,’ Jaideep advised me. On that chilly February morning, Jaideep, Bhanwarilal and I had found ourselves serendipitously congregating in Bhanwarilal's bungalow in Mianwali Nagar, Delhi. Cups of tea and a plate of biscuits in hand, we had decided to sit on the terrace to bask in the weak wintry sunshine.

Bhanwarilal, one of my key informants, had just recovered from a severe bout of ill health. Jaideep and I had both happened to drop by at the same time, to check in on him. This was the first time I was meeting Jaideep. He was a neighbour and a distant relative of Bhanwarilal’s. At roughly 60 years of age, Jaideep, like my parents, was part of the second generation of Partition survivors. His parents had witnessed the Partition first-hand and had moved to Delhi from Mianwali in 1947.

Thus, Jaideep took a natural interest in my work. His advice to me, to focus on the ‘achievements’ of Partition survivors, came out of an interest in the narrative frame of my research. I tried to deflect his insistence by telling him simply ignoring suffering does not mean that it did not happen. ‘Not that…. Suffering, in reality, now no one wants to read about it. You focus on the achievements – that what all they have built after Partition,’ Jaideep replied, doubling down on his insistence.

Jaideep's presence was an interesting addition to my conversation with Bhanwarilal. Jaideep had begun our conversation about the Partition by asking me what I thought was the reason for the Partition. When I clarified that my project is ethnographic and not a historiographical analysis meant to apportion blame, Jaideep began to give us his own answer. Using the analogy of a family, Jaideep explained that the most common reason for the division of families are brothers (or sibling rivalries).