Sir Vidia at Chandigarh Press Club

Sir Vidia, as the late VS Naipaul the colossal yet controversial British writer born in Trinidad was called, had an evening in the Chandigarh Press Club with a group of journalists way back in the winter of 1988-89. Naipaul was a big guy who later went on to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 2001.

So his visit to the city was a big event and reported in advance in local newspapers on where he would stay and the name of the lady who would be accompanying him. His mission was to do research for his 1990 book, A Million Mutinies Now. The unhappy picture of India that he was chasing included a chapter on the Punjab crisis with separatist Sikhs demanding a separate state of Khalistan.

Naipaul never lost the chance to downgrade India or Indians though he was of Indian origin and the titles of his books such as, An Area of Darkness and A Wounded Civilisation, spoke out loud and clear of the resentment he felt for the country from where his forefathers went as labourers to Trinidad in colonial times. Later of course, he was in the news for his abusive relationships with women as he flitted from one to the other.

A hefty European woman, who did not have a very good taste in fashion, was his companion to the club. The evening had been arranged in absentia by Rahul Singh and the who’s who of journalism writing on Punjab were there to help the pompous man understand the Punjab crisis. Among others, I recall the old stalwarts, the late Shaukin Singh of Patriot, Akhil Gautam and Surinder Khullar. These names come back easily for the three were the most vocal in giving Sir Vidia a hard time, treating his visit as a trespass on their territory.

Liquor was flowing freely and if Sir Vidia thought that it was going to be a cakewalk gathering material for another quickie bashing the land of his origin, he was sadly mistaken. There was no admirer like Tarun Tejpal or acquaintance like Rahul Singh to help him out there.

The mood of the evening was set by Gautam saying, “For the past few days, local newspapers have been reporting your itinerary, your place of stay, details of your companion, what you would eat... but tell us what have you come here for!” On the defensive, Naipaul explained the book he was writing. At this, Khullar turned and said, “This is not how books are written. One has to live and experience them.”

Comrade Shaukin wanted to know how long Sir Vidia would be in Punjab and the answer was three to four days. This was the last straw and Shaukin said, “So in this time, you think you will reach the root of the problem that we are still grappling with after spending a lifetime here!” In short, it was no parting information to Sir with love and the celebrated writer was suitably ragged. The lady friend, in a red velvety dress, just passed the evening with a bored look, sipping a drink.

When the book finally came out, a long interview with a journalist, who had reported from Amritsar during Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s siege to the Golden Temple and was not present at the club that evening, was the crux of the Punjab imbroglio. Of course, the name of the reporter was changed on request.

The book came out in 1990 and went on to become an international success and Sir Vidia proved a point that nothing succeeds like success.

THE THREE JOURNALISTS WERE THE MOST VOCAL IN GIVING SIR VIDIA A HARD TIME, TREATING HIS VISIT AS A TRESPASS ON THEIR TERRITORY