WORDS OF WISDOM

The Statesman (India)
March 8, 2006 Wednesday

Mathures Paul “There is something about Kolkata and India that
gets into your blood! J Chloe Braun has been writing articles and
short stories most of her life. Having spent 12 years working with
underprivileged women and children, her journals and memories gave
birth to Hurdy Gurdy, a fictional account of one brave womans escape
from spousal abuse.

Raised in the small Armenian community, one of her aunts by marriage
was an Anglo Indian. Along with my parents she had a tremendous
influence on me encouraging me to read by buying me books, to be
always willing to read my work, to study music and to think! Kolkata
was a great place to grow up in with its rich culture and hospitable
people. Most of my teachers were Anglo Indians my English teacher
was tremendous. She not only taught us to speak proper English but
to love the language as well. The seeds for Hurdy Gurdy was sowed
at a writing competition. The topic (of the competition) was Unusual
customs or practices, or something like that. And I decided to write
about bride burning because I thought it would be a very unusual
entry. A woman in India confided in me that her in-laws had tried to
burn her because the amount of her dowry was not enough. There were
also articles in newspapers and journals about such cruelty. As I
continued my research and began recalling some of the experiences I
had heard from women I had worked with, the story took a different
path. The contest deadline came and went but I was so engrossed in
continuing, it seemed the novel wrote itself. I had not meant it to
be so poignant and dark. I developed one main character and used
her to tell the many stories I had heard from women in situations
of domestic violence. Since the story unfolds in the first person,
many consider Hurdy Gurdy to be autobiographical. But this is not true.

Besides Hurdy Gurdy, she has written another mystery novel set
in Kolkata and the Himalayas. Its about a group of bumbling jewel
thieves who go after some famous emeralds. I co-authored it with
Lynne Rebeiro, who is involved with the Anglo Indian community in
Canada. Lynne helped me to answer some of these questions since she
is more knowledgeable than I am. Our book is called Blind Spot and is
being published by Amazon.com later this year. All profits will go to
help the Tiljallah Project (CTR Calcutta Tiljallah Relief fund) with
which Lynne is very much involved. The Anglo Indian community in the
United States is steadily growing. But there is no active association
or organisation to bring the community together. Canada, however,
has a thriving Anglo Indian community. The Anglo Indian Association
of Canada is the 2007 host city for the World Anglo Indian Reunion.

Living in the Midwest with her husband and two children, Braun works
with the chancellors office at the local University. Of the shrinking
Anglo Indian community in India, especially Kolkata, she says,
After Partition, as the Anglo Indian diaspora immigrated to various
western venues, the remaining members endeavoured to maintain their
unique culture and at the same time embrace their Indian heritage
in a whole-hearted manner. In so doing, they adopted the language,
the Indian dress and most importantly, married outside the community.

Away from her former home, Braun is always ready to return. I would
love to just pack up my bags and take a long sentimental journey back
to India, especially Kolkata where my dearest friend resides. I would
love to take a year off and trek all over that wonderful land. It would
be wonderful to tour the Nilgiris with our daughter who was born there.