Punjab in 1984. Separatists fight for a free Khalistan, clashing violently with the police. Eight-year-old Himmat is visiting his grandparents in Amritsar when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated. As riots against Sikhs engulf the nation, devastating Himmat’s family in their wake, an unforgivable act of cowardice leaves the boy permanently estranged from his grandfather. Thirty years later, Himmat is still grappling with the memory of the events he witnessed in Amritsar as a boy. Unable to sustain any lasting relationships, he drowns his regrets in alcoholism. When his grandfather’s illness forces Himmat to return to India from London, he finally begins a journey towards redemption. Based on real events, The Anatomy of Loss is a deeply personal narrative chronicling the impact of Operation Blue Star and the assassination of Indira Gandhi on contemporary Punjab and the Sikh diaspora.
Arjun Raj Gaind is the author of A Very Pukka Murder, Death at the Durbar and The Missing Memsahib, which are the first three instalments in the critically acclaimed, bestselling ‘Maharaja Mystery Series’. He is also the creator and writer of several graphic novels.