‘How would I know? I don’t know how to read and write. I don’t even know where exactly China is. I sell pork in Makum market. Ask me about the price of pork.’

They laughed, but not very loudly; the teacher from Calcutta was looking at them with irritation.

‘Everything’s a joke to you! Listen to what he is saying,’ Mei Lin’s uncle said, barely able to suppress his own laughter. For a while there was silence. Liang Ching Wan spoke about the same things each time he visited Makum. After some time the people felt bored and started to murmur again.

‘The teacher is wrong. The Chinese in India were living in peace in Chiang Kai Shek’s time. There were no harassments from the government’s side. All this trouble started only after Mao Tse-tung came to power.’

‘Is that so?’

‘Yes, of course. Don’t you remember how China was in turmoil when Mao Tse-tung fought against the Kuomintang? Lots of Chinese came to India at that time.’

‘Yes, I remember. Lots of suffering. Violence and bloodshed. The supporters of Kuomintang were in serious trouble. Considering that there was friendship between Nehru and Chiang Kai Shek, lots of people left China and came over to India. They thought they could live in peace here. But then trouble started here as well. Nehru extended his friendship to Chow En Lai. The supporters of Kuomintang who were in India suddenly found themselves in hot water.’

‘Friendship with Chow En Lai meant enemity with Chiang Kai Shek!’

‘Chiang Kai Shek moved to Taipei and tried hard to oust the Communist government. Many Chinese in India helped him with money. They sent applications to the Indian government stating that they wanted to stay in India and become Indian citizens. But what happened then? The Indian government ultimately supported Red China. And none of us got citizenship.’

‘Chandu Apak and his family were in Calcutta. They faced a lot of issues. The CID were constantly keeping tabs on their whereabouts. If the CID knew that someone supported Kuomintang they were harassed in all sorts of ways. Chandu Apak told us some were even deported to China.’

‘Who is Chandu Apak?’

‘That old man, Chi Fu Hai Apak, who else?’

‘You call him Chandu Apak because he is an opium addict?’ C Hoi laughed.

‘Listen to what the teacher is saying, will you?’ Yiu Yi’s grandfather said sternly.