On the thirtieth anniversary of Operation Blue Star my piece in IBNLive.in.com.

‘Democracies are based on a system of ‘social contract’ between citizens and a state. This social contract implies the citizens elect their government and expect the government to take care of their safety and well being. When a nation state attacks the sanctum sanctorum of its community, it hits the community’s centre of faith. Whatever is the intent, the message that goes out is: the state is against the religion. When Blue Star is backed by another Operation Woodrose in which hundreds of Gurdwaras in the state are raided and innocents captured and killed, the message becomes even louder. These events and the November pogrom brought about a change in the way the majority Sikhs, the moderates, now viewed the idea of Khalistan.’

Read full article here.

At The Hindu Lit Fest, Chennai I met senior journalist Ziya Us Salam who hosted the panel of nominees. He said some very nice things to me personally and publicly. At the Delhi edition of The Hindu Lit Fest I was taken aback when he asked me to catch up with him. A few days later I got a text message on my mobile phone: Cafe UNO, Shanglri-la, Janpath, 2.00 pm.

I am the kind who is happy just anywhere talking about things that matter – like Ziya’s family migrating to Delhi from Lahore during Partition and he growing up as part of the only minority community family in a pre-dominantly refugee neighbourhood in Delhi. These are the kind of stories that challenge the divisive, parochial configurations of our society. Respect! I wanted to know more about him. My listening, empathizing appetite was on a surge so I did not realize I needed to order food. That evening, a friend told me I was supposed to order food, this is a food-cum-writer talk column. I wondered how budhoo I am and how I had spoilt the hotel’s chance of getting featured.

Yet, to my surprise, the article has come and the senior journalist shows us how he can turn a no frills intense interview into a worthy piece. Here is the article on how a book is received, lost, nominated, read, talked about, and more. Please read.

The Author TV folks have been kind. They have interviewed me and put up my video on their site. Thank you.

Please click.

The Hindu Lit for Life was from January 11 to 13. My book Roll of Honour was nominated and my presentation, with other writers’ is in this link. Please see from Minutes 9.45 to 19.45 for my section. Click here …

Friends, since I review books I was wondering how to talk about each of the book nominated for The Hindu Prize 2013. I just finished reading all of them. I am saved the effort because Swati Daftuar did a fine job summing them up.

Here is the article.

Nandini has this way of spending so much time with the interviewee that one ends up spilling some beans and having so much fun. Two of my most exhausting and satisfying interviews have been with Nandini. Here is the second one, please read …

Time after time, The Hindu really gets me right. This time it was Swati Daftuar an alumni of Asian College of Journalism and Welham Girls, both my alma maters. Thank you Swati!

‘I feel our literature lacks that seer point of view — one that shows a path or even adequately problematises our crises. That engagement, and not entertainment alone, remains the main function of literature. We are not there yet.’

Please read here …

This is what happens when you have been roaming the Dargahs and tombs of Sirhind and get late keeping your appointment with dear friend and contemporary intellectual from Punjab Daljit Ami. By way of penalty, he calls you to the studio and forces a brief interview on you. My first in Punjabi. Interview by Jaideep.

Please see here …

With regard to the nomination, my author profile in The Hindu for the 2013 Prize short list. Links to an earlier interview too, please read here …