by B. R. GOWANI
In contrast to their Hindu neighbourhoods, an increasing number of Muslim ghettos are stories that portray grave neglect and discrimination. PHOTO/Rajvi Desai/The Hindu
state was Gujarat, the city was Ahmedabad
though the calm was there
air is always laden with tension
the communal tension
among the Muslims, throughout Gujarat
there is fear
fear of the known
people remembers 2002
while crossing a bridge over the rail tracks
I was approached by an auto-rickshaw guy
“KahAn jaoge SAhab?”
(Sir, where would you like to go?
“Juhapura” was my reply
(Juhapura is considered to be Asia’s largest Muslim ghetto)
“SAhab, kiyun mazAk karte ho”
(Sir, why you kidding)
I insisted that I really wanted to go there
he said, “aap kisi dost se milne ja rahe ho”
(you must be going to meet a friend)
I clarified: “nahiN, ham rishtedAroN se milne ja rahe hein”
(I’m going there to see my relatives)
I was wearing a shorts, T-shirt, and slippers
and people living in Juhapura, the guy must have thought,
would be abnormal creatures with horns on their heads
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com