I was born in India in 1935. The British had occupied the country for 200 years. From all outward appearances, British rule in India—the “crown jewel of the British Empire”—was at its zenith.
However, several issues came to a head at that time, some that were totally new and others that had lain dormant for centuries during the British occupation. The movement for Indian independence was gaining momentum under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership, creating internal pressure. Before I celebrated my fourth birthday, the Second World War began, bringing external pressure.
These combined pressures opened a Pandora’s box of complex forces which converged to overwhelm the mighty British Empire. As a result, the last contingent of British soldiers paraded off Indian soil and boarded a fleet of ships in 1947, just before my twelfth birthday.
Thus, my formative years were fraught with political, economic, social, religious, and military upheavals. That time period was like a stormy night with the sky constantly pierced by bolts of lightning. Lightning strikes in the distance seem gentle, while those nearby are accompanied by crashes of thunder that shake the earth. Even though more thunderbolts are expected, still each one is startling.
During such a storm, an infant might not realize what is happening even as they lie awake and alert. Similarly, although I was not fully aware of what exactly was taking place, I could not help but be affected by what was happening around me. Even today, when I read or see a film clip about events from that time, I find that I have memories about what happened. No doubt those powerful events that were reshaping the world were also shaping my psyche.
Looking back, I can also see that in my early childhood there were two times when I experienced significant psychological transformations. The first one occurred at the age of four. That is when I became distinctly aware of my surroundings. It was almost as if I had been living in a black-and-white movie and all of a sudden it became Technicolor. The world around me came to vibrant life.
At the age of six and a half, another transformation seems to have taken place. At that time I became aware of myself. I was no longer a child; I was a boy who had become aware of his body, of his own being. I was.
I also became more aware of my relationship with my surroundings. It was at that time that I became aware that the British were occupiers of my country, and I did not like it. In fact, I was horrified at the thought. I could not understand why a foreign power could occupy our land. In an embryonic way, it was the start of my political awareness.
I share this cultural, historical, and personal background because it has bearings on the stories I am about to relate.
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