Family Bread

One Day: Two Views

These past two months have been difficult for my family here in the State Province of Gujurat. Every night before we go to bed daddy always looks out the window and locks the door. Ten minutes later he’s at the door again, checking to make sure it is still locked. He does this four times until he finally goes to bed. It’s been like this for the past two months, ever since the terrible train attacks in February. I won’t ever forget that awful day.

It was still early when the news reached my mother and I at the bakery. “Close the shop” dad ordered, “you’ll never know if they’ll come in here and want revenge.” The ‘them’ dad was talking about were the Hindus. As I overheard the bits of conversation between father and mother the story came together slowly for me. A train, Hindus, the Babri, a fire, 60 dead, Muslims responsible, unrest, Hindutva. The pieces started to fall together for me and formed a terrible picture. The extreme Hindu activists had been attacked by my people, the Muslims.

What followed next were riots all over our streets. The Hindu extremists wanted revenge. Girls in my neighborhood disappeared overnight. Businesses burned at night. Families were robbed. My best friend Elda went to fetch some water and never came back. Women especially were being targeted. The philosophy of Hindutva, that India should only be a Hindu state was re-ignited. Over the past two months, sources say 2,000 had been killed with the majority being Muslim women. It was no wonder my father checked the door four times every night before bed.

Then it happened, my family was targeted. On March 1st my family’s bakery was targeted by a mob of Hindus. I watched as it burnt to the ground. 4 generations of family bread making- burned in front of my eyes. “Run!” screamed by father. “Go to the police and tell them what they’ve done to our family”. I did as my father instructed, I went to the police. I found out 14 people had been killed that night. I survived but our bakery did not. I told the police, the officials, and anyone that would listen what had happened. “They” (the Hindus) were to be tried in court, but were found acquitted. My family dropped the charges after we received threats. I’d rather let our bakery burn than watch my father check the door more than 4 times before bed. This was our life in Gujarat after the train burning. We were Muslims in a “Hindu Country.”