21 MARCH 1992, Page 32

The Second Skin

This one is not The Sita of Ramayana Nor from Ayodhya She is Sita from Chapel Street Hounslow Middlesex sick with Chronic heart disease When the nurse asked her to change Into something more comfortable Sita replied This is the most comfortable thing Next to my skin I have The sari is my second skin I would like to die wearing it It is my pahchan my identity Her husband standing nearby Smiled happily and told the nurse My dear Not very long ago But certainly long before you were born Some strange Englishmen went to India They wanted to turn Indians into Dark coloured Brits But they miserably failed You know why Because the Sitas of India Like this one Never discarded Their second skin.

Satyendra Srivastava