My life with Literary Indo-Brit 'Legends' like Salman Rushdie, Kureishi & Tariq Ali

“O Bachchoo, why do poets always say 'They' when they should be really saying 'we'? Don't they know destiny has just one way To dispose of all who happen to be? One said: 'We must love each other or die' He realised that he'd made a mistake He knew then that the word 'or' was a lie The word 'and' should replace it for truth's sake!” From One Tree Mantri, by Bachchoo

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Three “Indo-British” writers are probably the most prolific, talented, decorated and courageous individuals on the British literary scene of the past half century. All three are, though labelled “Indo-Brit”, really Pakistani by descent.

I mean Salman Rushdie, Hanif Kureishi and Tariq Ali. I know them all as friends, of varying degrees and intimacy, and as contemporary fellow Indo-Brit writers. I've just finished reading Tariq's second autobiography, entitled You Can't Please All. And I have been re-reading the latest literary, extremely courageous output of both Salman -- his book Knife -- and Hanif's Shattered. I acquired, not bought, all three books together, cashing in a voucher which the book-shop chain Daunt gave me for chairing the launch of my friend John Williams' biography of Trinidadian philosopher C.L.R. James. Daunt had an audience of fifty or so and our host introduced John and proceeded to say, “and we have with us today the legend...” I was seated in front of the audience, and I turned my head inquisitively saying “Gosh! Is Ulysses here?” The audience got it (Sorry, gentle readers), but today I would have said: “Who is it? Salman, Hanif or Tariq?” Deservedly, the “legends”.