Tension between the Local and Global in Rushdie's Shalimar the Clown

Abstract

Shalimar the Clown is the story of personal hatred and enmity that crosses local boundaries and becomes global. It weaves the destiny of three characters; namely Shalimar, a humble Muslim of Kashmir; Boonyi–a Hindu girl and beloved of Shalimar, and Max Ophuls–the shrewd American Ambassador to India. Max lures the innocent Boonyi into his charismatic personality and impregnates her. On the other hand, Shalimar's life is doomed as the Indian Force kills his family, leading him to guerilla warfare in Afghanistan, and later to join a Philipino terror group. The story line stretches and covers as far as Europe, America and Asia. The theme of Shalimar the Clown moves from next door romance of a love birds turn into an episode of hatred and avenge breaking local boundaries to global perspectives, and in to a gripping tale of how terrorism and terrorists are born.