Malwa versus Doaba, the Chandigarh chronicles and more: A bureaucrat writes

Her clip successful the IRS offered her plentifulness of opportunities to hone her skills with words. She believes the relation demands not conscionable a crisp bid of numbers but besides a mastery of language. “In the taxation department, your orders indispensable talk for themselves, whether it’s a search, survey, oregon assessment,” she explains. “If your bid isn’t judicial and doesn’t travel the principles of earthy justice, it falls apart. You person to beryllium a wordsmith.”

This accent connected precision and clarity successful connection is reflected successful her articles, wherever she tackles subjects with wit and insight.

Veteran exertion Rahul Singh, who wrote the foreword for Chuckles and Cherished Moments, highlights Sidhu’s unsocial instrumentality connected Punjab and its people. Though Punjab whitethorn beryllium tiny successful size, Singh notes, it has an outsized beingness successful the Indian imagination, with Punjabis known for their grit and enterprise. Sidhu’s penning challenges the stereotype that Punjabis lone recognize agriculture. She explores the nuanced differences betwixt Punjab’s regions, the vibrant beingness astir Chandigarh’s Sukhna Lake, and the peculiarities of the Indian bureaucracy. Singh praises her for balancing humour with depth, concluding that Sidhu’s existent calling mightiness person been penning oregon journalism alternatively than authorities service.

One of the highlights of the publication is Sidhu’s satirical instrumentality connected bureaucratic life. She sketches a country acquainted to anyone who’s tried to scope a nationalist servant during bureau hours: the elusive serviceman perpetually “in a meeting.” While deals are brokered connected Shatabadi trains betwixt Delhi and authorities capitals—over croissants and concern discussions successful the Executive Class—the day-to-day workings of governance look to stay successful limbo. Through humour, Sidhu captures the irony of the bureaucracy’s inefficiency, wherever much clip is spent successful meetings than making existent decisions that interaction people’s lives.

Her Chandigarh Chronicles conception brings the metropolis to beingness done vivid quality sketches and societal observations. Sidhu dissects the snobbery of the city’s sectors, from aged wealth and nouveau riche circles to the changing dynamics of Chandigarh’s elite. She besides paints a charming representation of the city’s “gentlemen farmers,” who straddle the urban-rural divide, maintaining some sprawling farmlands and polished drafting rooms successful the city. For Sidhu, these farmers correspond a span betwixt modern Chandigarh and its agrarian roots.

Another amusing chapter, Malwa Versus Majha, dives into the taste and linguistic disagreement betwixt 2 regions of Punjab. After her wedding, Sidhu recalls her father’s remark that “We Majhails bash not wed our daughters to Malwais,” a sentiment she lone came to recognize aft years of matrimony to a Malwai. The linguistic quirks of Malwa were peculiarly striking: a “window” became a “taqi” successful her caller home, portion successful Majha, it was inactive a “khirki.” Over time, she learned to admit the deeper differences betwixt the regions—Malwais, known for their practicality and strategical thinking, contrasted with the impulsive and idealistic Majhails.

Sidhu’s emotion for storytelling doesn’t extremity with her articles. “I’m moving connected a romanticist fabrication trilogy,” she reveals, a task that feels similar a earthy progression for idiosyncratic who grew up with a postulation of Mills and Boon novels. Writing, it seems, runs successful her family. Her grandfather, fluent successful Urdu, English, and French, near down a affluent literate legacy, including a room she inherited. Her father, an service officer, ever encouraged her to work and write.

Now dividing her clip betwixt Chandigarh, wherever she enjoys being a grandmother, and the United States, wherever her elder lad resides.