Nirmala Raghavan

A Journey through Schools Nirmala Raghavan

The Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore were brought under British hegemony or control between the 18th and the 20th centuries. . Malaya, the world's largest producer of tin and rubber, was redefined by British colonisation. In the 1990's, the country was a scrappy multi-ethnic society created largely through forced immigration from India and China. (To ensure dominance, the British had enforced the immigration of groups with different languages and religions). Of those, about 40 % were Chinese, who largely controlled the economy. And about 11% were South Indians, most of whom were Tamils, living in rubber estates. 49% were ethnic Malays, who were also Muslims by law. After gaining independence in 1957, the country was wealthy but struggled to find its identity. With no central language or continuous historical identity, racialised behaviour--emphasised as a tool of control by the colonisers-- dominated daily life. The novel follows a young woman, whose father migrated from India to the then Malaya. How she confronts the harsh realities of this socio-political climate is reflected in her microcosmic world of teaching during the late last century. Her professional life was turbulent. The protagonist discovers the rampant racism and sexism that teachers and administration rely on, to maintain their egos. This is the story of her war. This novel is semi-autobiographical.