‘Don’t you know anything? He is the home minister. Now don’t ask who or what a home minister is,’ C Hoi snapped.

‘What or who is a home minister?’

Everyone present there laughed. But the laughter was not hearty like before. It was subdued now.

‘Home means house. That particular minister is in charge of the home, meaning India. He looks after the internal affairs of his home,’ Mok Min explained patiently.

‘There must be a minister, then, to look after the outside affairs?’

‘Yes, there are all kinds of ministers. Tell me, who is the chief minister of Assam?’

‘Everybody knows? Bimala Prasad Chaliha.’

‘How did you know that?’

‘I’ve heard that on the radio in the last few days. These days I feel very scared. People say all sorts of awful things in the marketplace.’

‘Don’t listen, and don’t comment.’

Yiu Yi’s father picked up the paper again.

‘Home Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri today informed the Lok Sabha that if any Chinese living in India creates any threat to the security of India, stern action will be taken against them. Speaking to H. V. Kamath, Shashtri said that sound security measures have been taken. Kamath, on the other hand, pointed out that the loyalty expressed by the Chinese living in India may actually be a ploy to cover up their intentions.’

‘What was that? I don’t understand,’ said Ho Wang.

‘Remember, the Chinese in India expressed their loyalty to India?’

‘Yes, I remember. Then what?’

‘One important person has said that we, the Chinese living in India, are manipulative people. We don’t support India from our heart. We only pretend that we are with India. They don’t believe us.’

‘The big people think like that? Aiyah!’

The listeners looked sad. Yiu Yi’s father looked at their faces and started again.

‘The home minister informed the House that the government has ordered to impose restrictions on the Chinese living in India.’

‘He talked about the restriction of movement that has been imposed on us. We cannot leave our places till the war is over.’

The listeners became gloomier.

‘Even God does not know when the war will be over,’ Chi Fu Hai commented with a sigh.

‘The home minister has informed the House that strict vigilance will be kept on people who seem potentially anti-Indian.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means that the government has put CID agents after those who can harm India and who are not good people.’

‘It says here how many Chinese have been chased away so far.’

‘Really? Read it out. Let us hear.’

‘B. N. Datar had informed Jashpal Singh that, between the 30th of June and now, twenty-four Chinese citizens have been given notice to leave India. Of these, five left immediately. Special steps will now be taken about the remaining nineteen, as well as those Chinese living in India who are considered undesirable.’