The man was arrested because he laughed.
He laughed at a time when laughing had been strictly prohibited. It was an unusual time, when people were not supposed to laugh, or even open their mouths. They were only meant to listen; it was only a select few who would do all the talking while everyone else simply listened – that was the rule in those days.
Author: Sandip Bandyopadhyay
Sandip Bandyopadhyay lives in Kolkata. He is a writer, researcher and barefoot historian.