Maullika Sharma who read Sepia Leaves a few years ago and Roll of Honour recently left the technology industry a few years back to work as a counselor with children in schools. She interviewed me recently for the prestigious journal to plot my journey from being a care giver, sufferer, to becoming a writer. In this interview in which I talk of writing as therapy I duly acknowledge the role Dr Ajit Bhide, Dr Alok Sarin Dr Shekhar Sheshadri and Dr Anirudh Kala played in my life. Thank you Maullika.
Q: What was your motivation to make your story public?
Ans. The motivation for Sepia Leaves was that through my growing up years the society called me a ‘mad woman’s son’ and hence unworthy of equality but worthy of a lot of sympathy and even some pity. I asked myself: is there no space in the world beyond our home where our family’s story can make sense? Is madness truly as dehumanizing as it is made out to be? Can’t we live in a world, or even inside a story?
Tags: 1984, Bluestar, counselling, Khalistan, Mrs. Gandhi, psychiatry, Punjab, riots, Roll of Honour, school