Sikh Riots 1984: Once there was me by Bobby Sachdeva

A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, and must empty ourselves.

One such book that I read a few days back which has elements of fiction but is inspired from some harsh realities that the author has to go through in his lifetime and they helped him shape his alignments in life.

WHAT IS THE BOOK ALL ABOUT –

Part fiction, part autobiography. The book begins with recounting the scene of anti-Sikh riots that took place in Delhi in 1984 and the author and his father trapped inside the house pushing to the limit to save their lives anyhow. The bloodthirsty mob enters the house while they are hiding in a water tank on the roof. A raging fire burns their house.

As the anecdote goes on, the author has spoken how his family had to leave their home and shift to Amritsar and how they survived financial crises due to anti-Sikh sentiments in the nation.

The novel moves ahead and he eases in his life and moves to America, but some events turn him from a believer to an atheist. His encounter with an unethical doctor deeply disturbs him.

The full journey of the author told inside the book is full of self-enlightenment on several questions around him.

⚜️ What I really liked about the book is the way it has enclosed religion and ethics with the real happenings that took place in our country during 1984 and made a revival in 2002.

⚜️ It covered the entire incident from the perspective of a citizen who had to face the pains a person can never imagine.

⚜️ I personally like such books that talk about reality from a common man’s outlook. Though the book is a thick one with about 400+ pages and also some of the stories felt excessive to me but it still can have an effect on the reader.

⚜️ Specifically, if you like reading about past political stories, the religion-based or heart-touching real tales & also if you’re a new reader who wants to start with easy to read English books, go for this one.

Lines from the book that had an impact on me —