If the death occurred in a gunj during the British Raj (approx. 1858–1947), it would likely be recorded in one of the following official indices.
English and vernacular newspapers (e.g., The Pioneer, The Bengal Hurkaru, The Civil and Military Gazette) often published "Deaths" columns. These were indexed annually. A typical entry: "May 12 – at the Gunj, Agra, of fever, John Henderson, aged 34, contractor on railway work." The phrase "the Gunj work" might thus refer to a specific public works project. index of a death in the gunj work
Deshpande, Shashi. “Index of a Death in the Gunj.” The Intrusion and Other Stories, Penguin India, 1993, pp. 45–59. If the death occurred in a gunj during
If you need a longer paper (e.g., 10–15 pages), I can expand the sections with more textual evidence, secondary critical sources, or a comparative analysis with another Deshpande story (e.g., “The Intrusion”). Just let me know. Deshpande, Shashi
It is important to clarify at the outset that "index of a death in the gunj work" is not a standard phrase in mainstream historical, genealogical, or literary databases. However, based on structural patterns in archival research, colonial-era records, and literary analysis, the phrase likely points toward three possible interpretations:
This article will treat the phrase seriously, unpacking each possibility, exploring historical death indexing systems, and providing researchers with a methodological guide to locating such an elusive record.