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A Zebra’s life

Deepti Naval At the launch

“Time never was when Man was not a migrant… Let’s therefore raise a toast to Man the Migrant — forevermore the builder of braver, newer worlds.”

These lines from “Striped Zebra — The Immigrant Psyche” sum up the essence of the book. Released recently, the book is co-authored by Uday C. Naval, former president of the Society of Indian Academics in America and professor of English and Linguistics at Lehman College, and Soofia Hussain, professor of sociology at the State University of New York. The book is based on research done by the authors on the immigrant experience. Uday Naval’s daughter and noted film actor Deepti Naval spoke for her father who was not present. She said “Having been a product of Partition and again being uprooted and spending life in an alien land…he understood the pangs of being an immigrant. The book contains the tribulations he went through, as well as heart-warming stories of people refusing to give up. It is a significant book for the youth who want to move abroad for studies or work,” she said.

Also present was Kiran Bedi, Deepti’s school friend. Bedi said migration could also be forced, as in the case of Hindus leaving Punjab in the 1980s.

Deepti will direct her first film shortly. The movie revolves around the relationship between a prostitute, a gay song writer and a disabled child, andstars Manisha Koirala and Rajat Kapoor. It is titled Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Char Aane Ki Baarish.

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