Read Scattered Fates - a novel on the second partition of India Page 33
#
When Moon woke up the next morning, all the three had disappeared. First things first, he had to make some coffee. He had observed Subbaiah making filter coffee, and memorized the Indian technique. He limped towards the backdoor which was unlatched. A few minutes later, cup of coffee in hand he opened the front door, allowing the fresh morning air to rush indoors and drive the stale smell away. No newspaper today either.
He went back indoors, with the door still open and switched on the radio, just in time for the morning news.
American President Lyndon Johnson has kicked off a broad-based review of the country's involvement in the Vietnam conflict...
With 75,000 American troops already stationed in South Vietnam, the President is weighing the options of either increasing combat strength or pulling out completely...
There are reports that USSR and Communist China have sent troops to help defend the northern reaches of North Vietnam...
In another interesting development, there is more trouble in the Asian region.
In the southern cities across India, the agitation against imposition of Hindi has intensified...
Following the lead of the police force, a section of the Indian Army appears to be sympathetic to their cause...
At midnight yesterday, a 200-strong crowd went on a rampage completely destroying a residential colony of North Indians in Sowcarpet. According to our correspondent, army soldiers present at the site refused to intervene and let the attacking crowd go. At least 12 North Indians have been burnt alive...
The top leadership of Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, Swatantara Party and the Communist Party of India, the main organizational force behind this agitation has gone underground...Additional army troops have been sanctioned, and will be reaching the affected cities by tomorrow afternoon...
The agitation was getting messier.
A sudden roaring noise alerted Moon, it sounded like a vehicle. He went out to the verandah, cup of coffee in hand. He was right, it was a police jeep.
The vehicle went right up to Ganapathy's house and the same inspector who had woken him the previous day stepped down, walked up to the house, glanced sideways at Moon and knocked on the door in front.
Ganapathy emerged smiling, they shook hands and went inside, carefully closing the door behind them as two constables came out of the jeep and stood watch.
Moon wanted to wait, but the coffee starting working on him and he had to rush back inside, clutching tightly at his lungi.
By the time he came out ten minutes later, relief showing on his face, the jeep had disappeared.
He decided to dig deeper during breakfast, but unfortunately, could not elicit any more details. Ganapathy avoided the subject and instead discussed the Vietnam War and its fall out in the Southeast Asian region.
‘So Moon, what is your reading of the situation? Do you think America will send more forces and defeat the North?’ Ganapathy asked, munching on a mouthful of upama.
‘I have not been following the Vietnam War sir, I am more worried about the situation here,’ Moon replied.
‘Young man, keep an open mind, you have to be aware of world developments. Listen to the radio and suck up information, it will help you sooner than later.’
‘I will try, but right now I just want the agitation here to end, so that I can go back to my own country.’
‘By the way, I just got a phone call from Subbaiah. You were right; he is in Hyderabad to organize the demonstrations there. He was inquiring about you.’