Taking Stock

Zaidi says she was always on the look-out of little-known stories during her career. Incidentally,Punjab was one of the major states she covered. “What came as a complete shock was the fact that caste was such a major issue in Punjab ,especially when I covered the case of Bant Singh,the Dalit activitist. It was only then that I realised how poverty caused so much religious divide in the state,’’ she recalls.

Apart from reportage,the book deals with topics as varied as the humorous take on the role of a steaming cup of tea in the making of a journalist (Zaidi,a non-tea drinker initially,had to eventually convert during her quest for stories),to vignettes from her travels. “Travel opens up the world for you,and I have always refused to be put in a box,” she smiles.

The writer has explored five themes in her book,telling heart-rending stories of men and women plagued by hunger,or at a disadvantage because of the hierarchy prevalent in society. “While looking at others,you are forced to look at yourself. I have interlaced my narratives with stories of my family,my faith and identity and the book has made me look at life and people from a new perspective,’’ she says. Up next for the author is a fiction project with a friend. “But I am not talking about it just yet,” says Zaidi.