In the 37 years she has lived in Australia, Bindu Narula realised she had neglected to share much about her life and ancestry with her two adult daughters.
When she revealed one day that their grandfather had been married four times, they were shocked and said, “We need to know this.”
To leave a legacy for her children, grandchildren, and future generations, Narula decided to write a book—not a memoir, but a “true story.”
“My children haven’t learned much about my childhood, and that’s how my writing journey began,” explains Narula, who was born in Bangalore.
She understands what it’s like to grow up as the “other” in a Western culture. So when it came to her children, she aimed to integrate more of the mainstream culture into their lives. “I think I did a good job of that, but I neglected to share much more about my life and what it was like as a child in India.”
But the journey has been far from easy. “It’s been going on for 10 years,” she says, noting that she attended writing classes led by Australian author Patti Miller to help her along the way.
Having suffered childhood sexual abuse, Narula initially saw writing as a healing process. It was during Miller’s classes that she first shared this trauma.
At the same time, she wanted to capture the beauty of her memories, like the “dancing mustard seeds” in her grandfather’s kitchen. This pursuit led her to explore and investigate stories about her ancestry, including trips to India.
“That’s why it became a multi-layered process,” Narula explains. “My grandparents originally lived in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, but about 100 years ago, they moved to Mangalore and then to Bangalore. When they relocated, my grandfather forbade family members from disclosing their origins. It wasn’t until 2008 that I discovered our ancestral village, where my ancestors had been living peacefully for 300 years. I now have research showing how India looked and how my ancestors lived 6,000 years ago.”
She reflects on how patriarchy and colonisation affected the narrative of her ancestors, noting that women were often erased from family histories upon marriage.
“I had to find out who I am and who my ancestors were. This journey has given me a solid understanding of my identity; it has been quite transformational.”
Through Miller’s classes, Narula was able to weave all her experiences together, lightening the emotional weight of her story.
She shares the importance of leaving a legacy in the SBS Insight episode “Leaving a Legacy,” hoping her written story will inspire future generations.
“One has to know one’s ancestry to truly understand oneself. Until you do, you never completely know who you are.”
Narula feels blessed to belong to two cultures—one that she was born into and the other in which she now lives in Australia.
“Having lived in this country, I hope others will reflect on what they are leaving behind for their families and for the future. Yes, we are all Australian, yet we are so unique in what we have to offer. If we blend and merge the two together, how beautiful is that,right? it makes us complete.”
Narula hopes to publish her book soon, tentatively titled She Left Footprints aiming for it to resonate with the diaspora and encourage reflection on what they are leaving behind.
(Bindu Narula appears on Insight episode ‘Leaving A Legacy’, airing on SBS Tuesday, September 17 at 8:30pm or stream on SBS On Demand)
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