Rachna Singh, Editor The Wise Owl talks to Ranjit Powar about her book Dusk Over the Mustard Fields

Rachna Singh, Editor The Wise Owl talks to Ranjit Powar, author of Dusk over the Mustard Fields and Living a Good Life. She writes freelance and reviews books for newspapers, most often with her dog Teddy sprawled next to her desk. After serving in the Punjab Civil services, she presently runs a non-profit organization, Nishan Educational Trust, training school teachers in psychological orientation in pedagogy. Deeply involved with humanitarian issues and cross-border peace efforts, she also loves to travel and gain insight into different cultures.

 

Hi Ranjit. Thanks for talking to The Wise Owl about your book Dusk Over the Mustard fields

 

RS: Please tell us a little about the genesis of and the inspiration behind Dusk over the Mustard Fields.

 

RP: A lot has changed in Punjab since the early twentieth century, not only due to urbanisation but also its terrible vivification in 1947. The way of life, traditions, food, clothing, gender roles and sensibilities have all changed tremendously since then. Most Punjabis of the present generation are unaware of how our grandparents lived; of how the partition impacted them. Many Punjabi words for commonly used utensils, garments and adornments are no longer comprehensible to them. Being a Punjabi, I felt that I owed it to my culture and ethos to document a fast-vanishing way of life for the posterity. So, I turned to my parents, other elders and early Punjabi literature for research. I also borrowed from my long conversations with my grandmother, and my experiences from my vacations in her village. Episodes in the book borrow heavily from real happenings.

 

RS: The title of your book ‘Dusk Over the Mustard Fields’ is intriguing. Our readers would love to know the significance of the title and the story behind the choice of such a title.

 

RP: Freedom came to Punjab at a terrible cost. There were irreconcilable geo-demographic changes through mass immigrations on a scale the world had never seen. People lost families, homes and their identities and roots. Punjab lost a whole syncretic culture. When the country celebrated independence, Punjab was trying to cope with it’s devastating ‘Tryst with Destiny’. It was mourning for it’s dead and searching for the missing. Hungry, bereaved, homeless and traumatised refugees sought shelter under trees. A land of brave, hard-working and proud people who had staved off raiders for centuries were made to turn on each other. The sun had set on the golden mustard fields, tainting them with blood-soaked darkness. Therein the title of my book.

 

RS: Your book has been written against the backdrop of partition. Our readers would be curious to know (as I am) how closely the book is related to history or actual incidents in history.

 

RP: The partition affected Punjab more than any other state in India, ripping it into two parts. People were slaughtered, driven from their homes and properties, women were abducted and raped, and life would never be the same for any Punjabi, this or that side of the border. Seventy-five years later, people who were directly and indirectly affected, those who grew up hearing stories of violence or heroic camaraderie, still talk about it. I heard first-hand accounts of happenings around that time, and wanted to record them. All facts, descriptions and narratives in this book are true to history.

 

RS: Nimmo and Hukam Singh are the central characters of the book. Nimmo is abandoned by her debonair husband for the elegant and educated Hansa. Is the book and the characters in the book reflective of the Punjab ethos of that time?

 

RP: The story line in the book is reflective of the Punjabi ethos of the mid twentieth century. I would not claim that polygamy was the norm, but it was certainly acceptable and indulged in at will. My father narrated tales of Indian soldiers who often remarried after getting commissioned to an officer rank, because their uneducated wives no longer measured up. Gender subjugation and control was the norm and largely continues. Major Hukum Singh married again as a given right and Nimmo was a victim of the system for no fault of hers. Women were sexually exploited at many levels, caste being one denominator. Incest could not be ruled out in joint families and was often swept under the carpet.

 

RS: A lot of books have been written against the backdrop of partition, Kushwant Singh’s ‘Train from Pakistan’ being one of them. Does your book encompass a similar landscape or is it a different handling of the subject?

 

RP: I acclaim Kushwant Singh’s book as one of the memorable book, narrating a touching love story between a Sikh boy and a Muslim girl. My book is not primarily about a love story; it is not primarily about the partition either, though the partition turmoil continues to run parallel to the story line. It has a larger canvas which focuses on the Punjabi ethos of the time, the gender roles, the Indian Army set up and complex human relationships. Love is incidental.

 

RS: Your book is not just a story about the upheavals of partition, it also is the story of women carving out an identity in a patriarchal society. Tell us a little about the journey of the central character Nimmo and the message the book sends out to both male and female readers.

 

RP: Nimmo is a common village girl from an upper caste landlord family. She comes of age and goes through the normal longings and heartbreaks of youth. She is ill prepared for the challenges of her married life and her husband’s rejection. I have not painted her as an angel. In her fight for survival, Nimmo uses whatever tools she is familiar with. She almost loses the battle, but shows exemplary courage in taking a bold step to find a new identity.

 

My message – on a lighter note, choose your partners carefully and try to stick with your choice! Seriously, exploitation of women in any form must stop if a society is to progress. Women must be the flag bearers for this change.

 

RS: Are you working on another book as we speak? We would love to know about it, if you are comfortable sharing details.

 

RP: One, ‘The Veil and the Sword- Women in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Life,’ is in the process of being published. I have just concluded a collection of legends, myths and tales of the Punjab titled ‘Folktales of Punjab’. I hope it will soon be in print too.

 

Thank you so much for taking time out to speak with The Wise Owl about your book. We wish you the best in all your future creative endeavours.