Scattered Fates - a novel on the second partition of India

  #

  Damodaran proved to be of great assistance to the movement. Two days after his arrival and a flurry of phone calls to foreign embassies, the tide was turning in their favor.

  The exodus of South Indians from the northern part of the country was still continuing at a brisk pace, as the attacks on them intensified.They brought back horror stories that had the ability to churn the stomachs of even the most ferocious lions.

  North Indians in the southern States were relatively unharmed, as Anna had issued strict warnings to his cadre that it was necessary to gain sympathy from the west. Despite this, many North Indians preferred to be safe and started returning back to their hometowns.

  Just as the northern regiments of the Indian army reached the borders of Mysore, and the Indian Air Force was on standby to launch ariel attacks on the southern states, United States announced the withdrawal of troops from South Vietnam.

  Getting a toehold on the Indian subcontinent seemed to be a more important agenda, now that its ties were strained with Pakistan, which in turn wanted to avail of this opportunity and liberate Kashmir.

  Realizing that the situation could get out of hand soon, Subbaiah purchased a one-way ticket to Pyongyang and put Moon on the first flight out. He could now concentrate on the more important task of liberating South India from Indira's grip.

  Although he no longer had a first hand account of the volatile situation, Moon kept regular tabs from Corea. It would be nearly two months after his departure that South India would finally gain independence. The United Nations could not intervene because of opposition from Soviet Union and China, so the United States decided to go it alone.

  The final straw on the back was when Pakistan launched an attack over Kashmir, after a number of infiltrations to precipitate an insurgency in the region.

  Facing a war on two fronts, Indira announced a ceasefire with the southern states and concentrated all efforts at pushing back Pakistan. The civil war that divided India was one of the shortest in history, but left a deep mark that would haunt the subcontinent for decades to come.

  Chapter 15: THE CLOUDS