It is important to know that the events in this chapter are based on a real occurrence. In 1983 thirty-eight fanatical Shi'ites walked into Hawkes Bay in Karachi (the site of the Rushdie family home in Pakistan). Their leader had persuaded them that a path through the sea would miraculously open, enabling them to walk to the holy city of Kerbala in Iraq (Ruthven 44-45).
The story of the mystical Ayesha from the end of Chapter IV resumes. One disaster after another assails the pilgrims following Ayesha in her march to the sea; but she insists on continuing, as does Mishal, Mirza Saeed's wife, despite his repeated attempts to dissuade her. He tries to persuade Ayesha to accept airplane tickets to complete the pilgrimage to Mecca (which is in fact the most common way for pilgrims to make the hajj today); but she refuses. Her fanaticism makes her more and more ruthless, unmoved even by the deaths of fifteen thousand miners nearby. She behaves like the evil Ayesha of the Desh plot when an Imam announces that an abandoned baby is a "Devil's Child," and allows the congregation of the mosque to stone it to death. Finally, the horrified Mirza Saeed watches as his wife and others walk into the sea and are drowned; though all other witnesses claim that the sea did miraculously open as Ayesha had expected and the group crossed safely. Mirza Saeed returns home and starves himself to death, in his dying moments joining his wife and Ayesha in their pilgrimage to Mecca, though probably only in his mind.
[484]
The Parting of the Arabian Sea
See above, pp. 236 [243], 468 [483].
[487]
sanyasi
A devout Hindu who has sworn to relinquish the
things of this world and wander the world in poverty, living off
what he can beg (Sanskrit, Hindi).
[488]
looking like a mango-stone had got stuck in his throat
Most uncomfortable since mangoes have very large, sharp-edged
seeds.
potato burtha
Spicy mashed potatoes (Hindi).
parathas
Flat bread fried in ghee, often stuffed with
spiced peas or potatoes. Recipe.
[489]
arré deo
Hey, you! (Hindi)
Family Planning dolls
Explained on p. 224-225 [231].
mausi
A respectful term for one's mother's sister (Hindi).
RSS
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ("National Self-Service"
Organization); a fanatically Hindu political organization with
close ties to the Bhartiya Janata Party. The assassin of Mahatma Gandhi
was a member. The RSS home page.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad
Vishwa Hindu Parishad ("World
Hindu Council"), another Hindu fundamentalist organization
which often works closely with the RSS.
[490]
communal
In Indian usage, this term refers to sectarianism,
and is often used in phrases such as "communal violence,"
refering to violence between Hindus and Muslims.
Hindu-Muslim bhai-bhai
Hindus and Muslims are brothers. A slogan made famous by Jawaharlal Nehru (Jussawalla, "Dastan" 57)
shakti
The divine power or energy often personified as
female, for example Kali, Durga, Lakshmi (Sanskrit). Mirza Saeed is arguing that that they are merely metaphors for a purely spiritual reality.
[491]
Sarpanch
See above, note on p. 225 [232].
[492]
windscreen
British for windshield.
[493]
pugri
Turban (Hindi, Urdu).
biri
An Indian cigarillo, contains tobacco wrapped in
a leaf of another plant (Hindi).
[496]
her silver hair was streaked with gold
The reverse of
the usual process.
Bibiji
See above, p. 217 [223].
[497]
butterfly clouds still trailed off her like glory
Alluding
to William Wordsworth's poem: "
Intimations of Immortality
from Recollections of Early Childhood:
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy.
(stanza 5, lines 7-9)
[498]
lemmings
According to (inaccurate) legend, lemmings periodically
stampede suicidally into the sea.
Circe
See above, p. 24.
pipe-player
The Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Devil's verses
More Satanic verses.
a choice . . . between the devil and the deep blue sea
Formerly a common expression for a situation with no good choices,
here made literal. Mirza Saeed is probably quoting the refrain of of Harold Arlen's popular song, "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" (lyrics by Ted Koehler).
[499]
refused to sleep beside him
This may not be merely a personal reaction, since when a Moslem man
disavows Islam or becomes a heretic, it is incumbent upon his wife to refrain from sexual intercourse with him (Massud Alemi).
[500]
banghis
Literally "sweepers," but more generally, untouchables, low-caste people (Hindi).
[501]
The entire discussion about love at the bottom of this page is conducted in clichés.
all for love
Title of John Dryden's (1677) play based on Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.
Love . . . is a many-splendoured thing."
A popular
song from the 1955 movie of the same name.
The next two commonplaces are immigrants, translations from foreign languages:
Makes the world go round
Originally a line from an old French folk song.
Love conquers all
Translation of Vergil's Eclogue no. 2, line 68: "Omnia vincit amor."
[502]
isn't it?
Isn't that so? See above, p. 310 [320].
What is the point of the pamphlets being handed out by extremist Hindus?
yatris
Travelers, pilgrims (Sanskrit, Hindi).
hoardings
Billboards.
[506]
Venetian scene of devastation
Although the streets and
squares of Venice are often flooded in modern times during high
tides, this more likely refers to the fact that the city is threaded
with numerous canals: any city whose streets are filled with water
could be called a Venice.
The water had an odd, reddish tint that made the sodden populace
imagine that the street was flowing with blood.
Another version of Enoch Powell's
vision come true; see note on p. 186 [192].
mining disaster
Mining is a dangerous occupation, but the fantastic scale of this disaster makes clear that it is miraculous punishment for the miners' opposition to the march (see above, pp. 489 [503], 492 [505]).
kauri
Hindi for cowrie shells, which were used as currency
throughout much of Asia and Africa in ancient times. There is
a common phrase, "kana kauri," which refers to
a coin of such a small denomination as to be virtually valueless (Hussain).
dam
"Value," used in both the monetary and
philosophical senses (Hindi). But also punning on the English
expression "Not worth a damn," which may in fact have been derived from the Indian word (Windsor).
[510]
The Imam
The recurrence of the title here reminds us of the ruthless Imam of the Desh plot, and shows us how Ayesha's idealism has turned to evil. It is as if the cruelty of the earlier Ayesha and the fanaticism of the earlier Imam have now joined forces. Yet another Imam, in Delhi, is depicted on p. 519 [533].
[511]
stoned the baby to death
According to Srinivas Aravamudan, this scene recalls "the bloody and unsuccessful campaign conducted after Muhammad's death by his favourite wife, Ayesha, against the fourth Khalifa, . . . Ali--a historical reference often cited by fundamentalists . . . as a proof that women should not enter public life" (13).
[512]
filmi ganas
Popular film tunes: the staple of popular
music in India (Hindi). A history of filmi music.
nautch-girl
Indian secular dancer in a tradition going
back to the Mughal courts (from Sanskrit-Hindi naach: dance).
A Brief History of Classical Dance from South India.
'Ho ji!'
A vaguely celebratory exclamation meaning something
like "Hurray!" (Hindi). A common refrain in popular songs.
[513]
In this plot, Mirza Saeed plays the role of the doubting tempter which was played by Salman in the Jahilia plot. Compare the two in terms of how sympathetically they are portrayed: their motives, attitudes, and deeds.
[515]
Shangri-La
See note on p. 295 [305].
thela
A four-wheeled cart used by street vendors (Hindi).
Partition was quite a disaster here on land.
The 1947
partition of the former British colony into India and Pakistan
was marked by violent riots, looting, and enormous bloodshed.
[517]
dancing on a fire
Walking on hot coals is a traditional
practice of certain Hindu mystics called "firewalkers."
kiss of life
Mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration.
[518]
CID man
Plainclothes detective from the Criminal Investigation Department. The acronym is often jokingly said to stand for "cop in disguise."
[519]
punkahs
See above, p. 231 [237].
What evidence is there that the seas really parted and spared the pilgrims? What evidence is there that they simply drowned? What is Rushdie trying to convey by presenting this conflict evidence?
What is the significance of the destruction of the tree in the garden?