Psychological impact of militancy

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 20

The entire generation suffered deep psychological scars during the 80s when Punjab dealt with militancy in the bloody aftermath of Operation Bluestar.

While political and its social impact has been documented and discussed, writer and noted psychologist, Anirudh Kala, has come up with a book, ‘Two and a half rivers’, which draws attention to the psychological impact of the events.

Kala informed about his book in conversation with author Amandeep Sandhu in a session of the month-long literary celebrations under ‘Sarhard Anhad Naad’ festival of Sanjha Punjab initiative by Majha House.

Sandhu, who has delved into the subject of emotional and psychological trauma through his book, ‘Journeys through the faultlines’, said among other problems during the time of distress, Punjab has also dealt with the trauma of caste system.

And Kala’s book also has a Dalit character. Kala said being a psychiatrist and Punjabi himself, he understands the anguish faced by the Sikhs during this time. “The protagonist of the novel is a doctor, who has links with terrorists and ends up being a victim of both the terrorists and the police. Since, I have lived through that phase and I wanted to write about it. Apart from this, there haven’t been many books written about this period, which I as a Punjabi find baffling,” said Kala.

Talking about the tile of the book, Kala said ‘Two and a half rivers’ was not the original title. “The book has Shamsi, a Dalit girl, who is one of the main characters in the novel. The title I had in mind originally was ‘The dancing girls of ucha pind’, which represented this girl. But it wasn’t considered an appropriate title. We thought of some others titles and then ended up finalising this one,” said Kala.

Sandhu also remarked upon the fact that the book also deals with issues of the Dalits. “Through Shamsi, Kala represents her entire caste and what she goes through is not her individual humiliation or pain, it is that of her entire caste,” said Sandhu.

“I have explored this theme in detail as I feel that this caste system is wreaking havoc with psychological state of many. I am sad and ashamed to say that even in the 21st century, we have a caste system where some are treated as untouchables and are not allowed to enter temples and gurdwaras. My aim is always to educate people about mental health, focusing on eradicating stigmas, labels and prejudice,” said Kala. He said, “This novel is a vehicle of my thoughts. The caste system is still prevalent and it should be removed from our society.