Immigration
As an American-Indian, whose family moved to the USA in 1968, Sujata Bhatt knows a thing or two about the struggles of being an immigrant in a foreign land. She shares the difficulties and challenges she faced in the poem, “Search for My Tongue”, in which she discusses a desire to whitewash her heritage and let it “rot and die” but ultimately is unable to do “forget [her] mother tongue.”
Colonialism
This is a theme that stems from Bhatt’s own experience, as well as her ancestors, in living under British India 's rule. In the poem, “A Different History”, Bhatt states that despite the desire for subordination, the true indigenous state of India remains. She states that "Gods roam freely", despite the British attempt at stamping it out - a clear reference to the religious beliefs of Indian Hindus during the colonial period.
Patriotism
Patriotism is most evidently seen in the poem, “Partition”, which sees a young girl admiring her aunt as she travels to provide relief and aid for those affected by the partition of India into Pakistan. Th young girl is scared to be as courageous as her aunt but she still believes in her country and considers herself to be a patriot by the end of the poem - the young girl being a reference to Bhatt herself when she was younger.
