Literary analysis reveals how anti-Sikh violence transformed cultural markers into targets of persecution, highlighting the intersection of ethnic politics and symbolic harm.
Situating Vikram Kapur's The Assassinations: A Novel of 1984 (Citation2017) within the political developments in Punjab preceding Operation Blue Star, the article examines the ethnicization of politics and how the anti-Sikh riots contributed to the politicization of Sikh identity. Drawing on ethno-symbolism, it explores how ethno-religious symbols became markers of identification and persecution, often necessitating their concealment, particularly where Sikhs lived as ethnic minorities. The article further examines the meaning of violence, arguing that the novel represents violence against Sikh bodies, symbols, and sacred spaces not only through physical acts but also through symbolic forms of expression.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Anik Das (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: