My Sindh: A Journey to the Beloved Homeland

The book is a superbly crafted journey in time for a land & language of a lost homeland. The factual approach of a historian, the detail orientation of a researcher & the rigour of an academician makes the book stand out.It’s a labour of love that’s worth reading for anyone who yearns for a “lost motherland”. The authors fluent diction and subtle sense of humour is great to read.Perhaps unintended, but the author inadvertently captures her yearning for her departed partner, fondly referred to as IRB in the book !

In a mere 231 pages, it is amazing how much Dr Shakuntala Bharvani has managed to pack in—a brief history of erstwhile Sindh, the customs and the traditions of the Sindhis, several important members of the community—but above all, the family’s journey to India to find a new home.The historical facts are spread out over the book with a personal touch and introduced gently to ensure that the reader gets all the important and relevant facts and, at the same time, does not have to suffer an overdose of history. We learn some amazing and little known facts about the Rann of Kachchh- one of the largest salt deserts in the world and which lies just across Sindh. Despite the abundance of salt – millions of tons of salt - available in the Rann and across British India, the colonial rulers imposed a heavy tax on salt. And not just this: an enormous impenetrable hedge manned by innumerable sepoys was constructed across the country to control the stealth of salt ! The author skilfully links the importance of salt to one of the customs and the traditions of the Sindhis: during the Loon Mouan ceremony, which takes place after a marriage ceremony, the bride exchanges handfuls of salt with her husband and close relatives to ensure a cordial relationship.Whereas many know that the British term to describe the Sindhis was “Lohana,” not many of us know that the term could possibly either refer to the descendants of Luv or the iron fortress, Lohghar, constructed to safeguard their land from the enemies. Dr Bharvani gives an exhaustive account of the various Sindhi communities and stresses that there is no caste system. We learn about several Sindhis and the stellar work they did in education (Kundnani), law (D. M. Harish), medicine (Dr Keswani) and Philanthropy (the Hindujas).However, the greatest strength of the book lies in the personal story of the author and her family—how her father had to sell his warehouses and other assets and flee with a belt around his waist stuffed with gold guineas and cash. The trauma caused her father to have a secret pocket stitched to his underwear to carry money and valuables whenever he travelled. He even managed to instil this fear in the mind of his daughter who always wears a garment with a secret pocket whenever she is travelling.Though Dr Bharvani creates several interesting and vivid portraits of Sindhis, the most captivating one is of Nani, her husband, Indru’s grandmother and her genuine and moving affection for her grandson. The author endearingly describes Nani’s reluctance for exercise and her statement that she hardly eats anything. When her grandson questions her further, she seems to be eating all the wrong and heavy food items difficult to digest.Though the book has been dedicated to her children, it should be read by all Sindhis who should be proud of their trajectory from Sindh to India and also the general reader who will find many gems in this well written and unforgettable book.

Great narration, excellent recall of stories from pre-partition to modern day India going through various times.