8. Discuss the unrest, betrayals, and eventual violence that separate Gyan and Sai

[Jen]

Discuss the unrest, betrayals, and eventual violence that separate Gyan and Sai. How are their troubles, and those of the cook, the judge, Father Booty, and Lola and Noni, related to problems of statehood and old hatreds that will not die?

[[deleted user]]

The problem of statehood is the problem between the characters because of the difference in how certain groups in society have been treated there is a constant feeling of resentment between those who have and those who have not.

Gyan betrays Sai by telling the Nepalis about the guns which leads to the robbery, which leads to the old man being tortured, which leads to the dog going missing and so on.

Lola and Noni lose their peaceful life and home when it is taken over by the boys. If the Gorkhas had been given a Gorkhaland this wouldn't have happened but then again whoevers land was taken would then have felt the resentment the Gorkhas feel and the same problem would occur.

[Pip]

The way that those who had felt comfortable living amongst the Nepalese, even though they didn't trust them, like Lola and Noni, became ostracised when the Nepalese grabbed power, is indicative of all societies where the perceived haves ignore the have-nots. Father Booty had done a lot of good, but his status was illegal so he was forced to leave, as was Biju, because his illegal status in America meant that he could never achieve security no matter how hard he worked. Resentments linger long after injustices are done and can easily be rekindled by demagogues, Desai says. How true!

[John]

Pip wrote: "The way that those who had felt comfortable living amongst the Nepalese, even though they didn't trust them, like Lola and Noni, became ostracised when the Nepalese grabbed power, is indicative of ..."

But Biju didn't leave America because of economic insecurity; he left because of violence at home and having lost touch with his father.

I also think that if their property had been included in a Gorkhaland, they still would have likely lost out. Ethnic-based revolutionary/independence movements tend to have bad outcomes for those who are not part of the newly-favored ethnicity.

What was interesting to me was the view of non-Nepalese of the local Nepalese as immigrant interlopers and the Nepalese as demanding a state of their own.