Navtej Sarna’s Crimson Spring, that centres around the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre, is a masterclass in writing

Crimson Spring is a masterclass in writing that intertwines history and fiction to describe this critical period in Indian history and the changes happening in the world around that time. World War I had just ended, Mahatma Gandhi had started Satyagraha, and the Rowlatt’s Act had been passed. Known as the Black Act, it included measures such as allowing the government to search homes without warrants, arrest people without trials, stop public debates and shut down newspapers. While England had emerged victorious in the Great War, its troops — that included soldiers from the colonies — were returning home resentful about the lack of appreciation of their efforts and unsure about their future. In India, the Ghadar revolution had been suppressed, with most revolutionaries arrested, dead, or on the run. The festival of Baisakhi took off on a low-key note in Punjab where trouble had already struck the city of Amritsar. The authorities and crowds were locked in conflict; water and electricity shut off and protestors arrested.

All these events are brought out skillfully through the backstories of the nine characters whose lives intersect on this day. There is Maya Dei who has come to Harmandir Sahib to pray at the Golden Temple on Baisakhi. The trio of Ralla Singh, his brother-in-law, Mehtab Singh, and nephew, Kirpal, also plan to meet at the Golden Temple. Kirpal is one of the soldiers who survived the Great War, and the three have not met for years. While the military under General Dyer takes over Amritsar, and a column marches towards the Hall Gate, we meet Sucha, a young man, who was a part of the Ghadar movement and is now an assistant to the retired doctor, Hardit Singh. Sucha still keeps an eye on the political pulse of the city. There is also the ailing Gurnam Singh Gambhir, who had worked with the British officials and tried to diffuse the confrontation in Amritsar three days earlier, but realises that he can no longer sit on the fence and has to pick a side. Last but not the least, is Udham Singh, who had been in the Great War, interacted with Sucha for the Ghadar movement, and is now waiting for something to turn up so that he can fight for the country and follow on the path of his idol, Bhagat Singh.

The perspective of the Other is also given through the British soldier, Sergeant Nicholas Williams, the bodyguard and ADC for Dyer, as well as Hugh J. Porter, Esq., the chief secretary, who is based in Lahore and uneasy about the turbulence in India and especially, Punjab.

Sarna gives us glimpses into the minds of each character through a steady filter of both the personal and the political. He shows the readers how that one day affected their lives for years afterwards. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was also a watershed movement in the struggle against the British, which transformed from talks of “gradual political reforms” to a demand for purna swaraj.

The detailed Author’s Note in the beginning tells us about Sarna’s extensive research and use of diaries, letters, and archival narratives, including that of the Hunter Committee and the Udham Singh trial transcripts. This makes the book a compelling read, and the depiction of Punjab, especially the story of Maya Dei, reminds one of Namita Gokhale’s Things to Leave Behind (2016), a sweeping saga about Kumaon’s history, beginning from 1856.

While historical fiction is a popular genre in the literary world, there remain swathes of Indian history that have not been covered by writers, leading to the absence of India-centric narratives. This is because as a character says in Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending (2011): “History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation.” Crimson Spring is, therefore, an important addition to the recording and storytelling about this vital and complex part of India’s history.

Jonaki Ray is a poet, writer, and editor based in New Delhi. Her poetry collection, Firefly Memories, is forthcoming from Copper Coin