‘Hua qiao! Or refugee? This is not Hua qiao Nongchang now. Now we are also part of it. Don’t talk big. We won’t tolerate refugees talking big. You grabbed our land, snatched our food and now you are talking big to us!’

At that moment Liang, Hong and Akong came towards them. Seeing them, a few of the local boys also came forward. Sensing that a fight was brewing, Liang Ching Wan came between the two groups. This prompted the local boys to move away in irritation. He was a politically powerful man. They couldn’t antagonise him.

Liang Ching Wan pacified the boys. With red faces, Lee Chang and the others took their stuff from the canteen and went back. There was nothing they could do.

The Cultural Revolution was on. Schools and colleges had closed down. The students in their thousands had become members of the Red Guards and took part in the process of change. It was the time of youth revolution in China. Chairman Mao had entrusted the youth with the responsibility of modernising the country.

It had been over four years now since Mei Lin and the others had come to China. Although this was a remote area, the wave of the Cultural Revolution had touched this place as well. No one could speak openly anymore. People were punished over little things.

The situation had changed a lot in the farms too.

The government had adopted a new policy in order to lessen the growing tension between the locals and the refugees. As the farm population had more than doubled, the facilities decreased. The adults of the villages from which the land had been taken to create the farms were recognised as co-opted members of the same. Now they also had access to all the facilities that were given to the refugees. Although this step had helped ease the tension between the locals and the refugees, no friendship had developed between them yet.

The refugees began to dislike the locals as they had become partners in their farms and shared their facilities. Both the parties hated each other. There was no possibility of mingling between the two groups in the near future.

What would they do in this country? Would this handful of people be able to live in isolation?

The thought of returning was slowly taking root in their minds. After the Cultural Revolution started, this thought became more intense. However, no one had thought of returning to India. They knew that it was not possible. At the same time the will to live in this country was also becoming weak. But such a thought did not arise in the minds of the children who had grown up after arriving in China. They were immersed in the euphoria of the Cultural Revolution.