Literature of Partition: An Analysis with Special Reference to the Trauma in the Writings of Bapsi Sidhwa and

Dr. Mallika Tripathi Assoc. Professor & Head, Deptt. Of Humanities, Feroze Gandhi Institute of Engg. & Technology, Raebareli & Atraiya Mishra Essayist India

Abstract India, the ancient land known as the torchbearer of peace, spirituality and humanism became testimony to one of the ghastliest and flabbergasting acts ever committed in the history of mankind. Her own offspring who had lived as a single unit were suddenly bifurcated on communal lines due to political vendetta. Many authors have incorporated the trauma and sufferings during the partition. Khushwant Singh and Bapsi Sidhwa are distinguished signatures in the arena of English literature who have published novels based on the theme of partition. They have portrayed the traumatic picture of that time making us to feel the pain of humanity. Thus the present paper focuses upon the literature of partition with special reference to the trauma in the writings of Khushwant Singh and Bapsi Sidhwa.

Keywords: Humanity, Literature, Partition, Trauma

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India drank the sweet nectar of freedom from the foreign yoke of but with a heavy price. The ancient land whose civilisation had stood against the test of time was bifurcated into two parts- India and Pakistan. The biggest exodus of people ever in the history of humankind took place from one part to another. A state of religious frenzy and bigotry spread in the entire Indian subcontinent. People became worse than beasts ever ready to slaughter fellow beings in the name of religion. The single most affected victim was humanity which was torn into pieces by its own children. All hell broke loose when people in both nations were killed just due to their religious affiliations. A plethora of literature is produced on this subject particularly from the authors of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The trauma and agony experienced by people has found its voice in the literature of partition by many notable and distinguished authors. Poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz lamented, „This stain covered daybreak, this night bitten dawn. This dawn is not that dawn we craved for‘. Muslims migrated to Pakistan and Hindus to India leaving back their ancestral homes, tradition and culture to become refugees in a distant land just in the name of fanaticism. Bigotry spew its venom particularly on women who were assaulted, sexually abused and tortured if they were found to be of different religion. The tragedy of partition has given way to literature in almost all languages of the Indian sub- continent particularly , English, Urdu, Bengali and other vernacular languages. A common element in all these pieces of literature is pathos. It is different from historical account as it embodies the human suffering and pain due to partition. Authors such as Krishna Chander, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Amrita Pritam, Saddat Hasan Manto, K.S. Duggal, Nanak Singh and others have revolved their prose on the subject of partition. Khushwant Singh‟s ‗ Train to Pakistan „, Bapsi Sidhwa‟s ‗Ice Candy Man‘ and ‗Bride‘, Salman Rushdie‟s ‗Midnight‘s Children‘, K.A. Abbas‟ ‗Inquilab‘ in English, Bhishma Sahani‟s „Tamas‘ and Yashpal‟s „Jhoota Sach‘ in Hindi give a insight into the hardships that common people had to endure in this nasty battle of power and politics. An author while dealing with a formidable historical event such as the partition has to maintain isolation from historical facts and not adhere to any perspective. Instead the author provides an amalgam of human emotions, fantasies, tale of hope and sorrows with a message to the world. This common characteristic is evident in almost all the literary writings of the partition. Thus history loses its sense of time and facts and in its place hovers around the author‟s flight of fantasies.

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Almost every literary piece related to the partition depicts hooliganism, rape, murder, treachery, barbarism and a common thirst of blood amongst people. They were ready to slaughter their neighbours who had lived arm in arm for centuries just because they practised different religion. Few authors have depicted the restoration of human rationality and prudence after the holocaust. However, many disillusioned authors have given tragic account of the events without taking any sides. They accuse both the sides for their mud sledging and dog fight for power. The first novel which brought partition into limelight was Khushwant Singh‟s ‗Train to Pakistan‟ in 1956 (originally under the title of Mano Majra). Since then many have penned the horror of partition and unequivocally criticised barbarism and hooliganism so commonly practised by the multitude. A despairing and heart-renting tale is provided in “Open It” by Manto. A girl Sakina was abducted and molested so many times that when she was hospitalised and doctor asks her father to open the window, she involuntarily opens her trouser strings. Her father exults with joy,‖ She is alive.‖ This is ironical as well as a tight slap on the face of human race which boasts itself to be civilised and cultured. Women authors have also given their contribution to literature of partition. Bapsi Sidhwa, Attia Hosan, have given their narrative of the partition. Almost every literary work is full of fury, crime, murder, rape and it seems that the fabric of civil order has been torn into pieces and man has turned into savage. Suvir Kaul rightly says,” Partition issues need to be explored because they define not only our past in crucial ways but also our collective future.” It is very true as the county is still affected by draconian problem of communalism and futile fights in the name of religion. Hollow ideals and chauvinism lead a person to shun his prudence and follow barbarism. Both nations flex their muscles on the issue of Kashmir till date. The valley has been rightly described by noted historian Ram Chandra Guha as a valley ‗bloody and beautiful‘. Representation of violence is depicted in partition literature so as to invoke a sense of disgust to violence in the minds of the reader and the conscience of readers contemplate over the futility of such heinous deeds in the name of religion and identity politics. Train is a symbol, so vividly used by authors. Running trains with ‗sacks of breasts‘ in Bapsi Sidhwa‟s Ice Candy Man has a nauseating effect on readers. Khushwant Singh has also used train in his novel „Train to Pakistan‟ in which corpses of dead come to the village. The tragedy of partition was such that its scars remain even today and its aftermath has been a saga of pain and suffering. Exodus of people on such a large scale caused loss of culture, customs and often affected people felt meaninglessness and void in

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their life. The joy of freedom was marred by the sting of partition which was inflicted by imperialist British and supported by power hungry people. A common string which connects the literature of partition is that it deals with common people, their sufferings and trauma instead of traversing their literature into the arena of power politics. Contribution of Bapsi Sidhwa and Khushwant Singh to the World of Literature and the different facets of their Traumatic Writing Bapsi Sidhwa is a novelist of international repute from Pakistan. She witnessed the trauma of partition as an eight-year child and vividly describes sufferings from a child‟s perspective. Her novel „Ice Candy Man is a profound attempt by the author to unravel the trauma of partition through a girl Lenny growing up in . Bapsi Sidhwa is a Sitara-i-Imtiaz awardee (Pakistan‟s highest national honour in arts) and currently resident in the USA. She is considered an authoritative signature in the field of English literature worldwide. Literature is a potent tool in the hands of craftsperson who can bring about a sea change in the society. Bapsi Sidhwa uses her literature to give a voice to sufferings of women and restructuring social norms regarding them. She portrays a determined woman capable to bring about a positive change in society. Khushwant Singh was an Indian novelist and journalist who was best known for his secularism, humour, sarcasm and free thinking. He was decorated with Padma Vibhusan, India‟s second highest civilian award. His column ‗With Malice Towards One and all‘ was widely read. He is described as a „fearless intellectual‘ who opined without any hesitation. He brought the trauma of Partition before the nation with his book „Train to Pakistan‘ and made people to ponder over the hollowness of such mass fratricide. He was awarded “Grove Press India Fiction Prize” for the year 1956. A dark and tragic romance pervades in his novel which eventually brings out the futility of bloodshed. Singh‟s great artistic possession is his wit which he uses so often to condemn the Partition. It was a common practise during the partition to strip a man naked to check whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim. In Singh‟s „Train to Pakistan‘, one of the characters who was circumcised sarcastically remarks, ―Where on earth except in India would a man‘s life depend on whether or not his foreskin had been removed? I would be laughable if it were not tragic.” Thus a state of madness is depicted in which useless and trivial affiliations and practices determined whether a person was fit to live or not. Man can be insane and lunatic if he drinks the poison of communalism and hatred.

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Plot Construction in Ice Candy Man The story revolved around a young and lame Parsee girl Lenny who witnessed the horrors and stigma of partition. A maid Shanta worked in her house and was wooed by a string of lovers. Of these the Massuer and Dilnawaz(Ice Candy Man) had strong rivalry against each other to win her favours. The Ayah took care of her with innate love and affection. There was concord and harmony in the city of Lahore until the news of Partition breaks. This brought tension and turmoil in the city. The ice candy man killed the masseur out of sheer hatred and jealousy. Then , one day a train from India arrived at Lahore platform with dead bodies and sacks full of breasts. Dilnawaz‟s sister also was murdered in the incident. This caused disgust and hatred towards all Hindus in his mind. He joined the rioters and became a party to the frenzied mob. He also abducted the Ayah whom he loved so much but forced her into the brothels of Lahore just because she was a Hindu. Later, he married her but she was rescued from prostitution by the help of Lenny‟s relatives and shifted to refugee camps in Amritsar. Plot Construction in Train to Pakistan The hinge around which the entire story rotated is the fictional village of Mano Majra located on the banks of river Sutlej near the Indo-Pak border. Citizens of Sikh,Hindu and Muslim community lived with peace and harmony for years. The entire activities of the village was centred on trains. The morning trains signalled the Sikh priest and the Mullah for morning prayers. The midday train signalled them to eat and have a short afternoon sleep; the goods train at night signalled them to sleep. Thus, the entire humdrum of the village relied upon trains. Hence, the author has given title „Train to Pakistan‟ which was earlier titled as Mano Majra. The element of train in the novel gives a sense of movement and dynamism which is an epitome of movement of lakhs of people but which is gory and brutal. An insipid atmosphere is itself created which is contagious with germs of communalism and hatred. One day a train from Pakistan carried dead bodies of Hindus. This created distrust and suspicion amongst each other in the village. “People barricaded their doors and many stayed up all night talking in whispers. Everyone felt his neighbour‘s hand against him, and thought of finding friends and allies.” Juggat , a local goon was in prison at that time. He was in deep love with Nooran who was with Juggat‟s child prayed for his rescue as did not want to go to refugee camps in Pakistan as her son would not be accepted there due to his Sikh lineage. The village was peaceful and quiet until one day few youths came in the Gurdwara and gave fiery speeches to revenge the killings, loot, murder and rape. All hell broke loose with this and villagers hatched out a plan to stretch out a rope across the first span of the bridge through

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which the train carrying Muslim refugees would pass. Then they planned to kill passengers and set the train on fire. Hukum Singh got Jugga freed from the jail as his lover Haseena was also in the same train. Jugga cuts the rope despite being fired and thus saves his beloved Nooran. Thus, the eternal love between man and woman is kept alive in the story despite all odds. Jugga who was a self-proclaimed ruffian managed to save his beloved without caring for his life. Love wins in the end. Fratricide The most disturbing aspect of the partition is that people who lived with peace as brothers became enemies and even molested women of each other‟s communities. This is a blot on the face of civilised society which is depicted in both the novels. Lenny in ‗Ice Candy Man‘ laments, ―The whole world is burning. The air on my face is so hot. I think my flesh and clothes will catch fire. I start screaming: hysterically sobbing -- how long does Lahore burn? Weeks? Months? ―(p 139). Thus, the entire world seems to be burning to the little child. Bigotry gains currency in this frenzied state of affairs. Mob lynching and vandalism became a daily sight in the streets. All these has been painfully depicted in both the novels. Dilnawaz, the Ice Candy Man became insane after her sister was murdered and decides to take revenge on all Hindus. He says,‖ I want to kill someone for each of the breasts they cut off from the Muslim women. He becomes so thirsty of gore that he abducts the same girl Ayah whom he once wooed. Thus, fratricide is vividly depicted in the literature of partition and this also creates an eerie sensation in the minds of readers who are aghast by the horrid and painful descriptions of violence. Hukumchand in ‗Train to Pakistan‘ is unhappy over the state of affairs and blame the Indian Government for this massacre by takin a jibe at the word ‗tryst‘.” Where was the power? What were the people in Delhi doing? Making fine speeches in the assembly? Loud speakers magnifying their egos; lovely-looking foreign women in the visitor‘s galleries in breathless admiration. He is great man, this Mr. Nehru of yours. I do think he is the greatest man in the world today. And how handsome! Wasn‘t that a wonderful thing to say? Long ago we made a tryst with destiny and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure but very substantially. Yes, Mr. Prime Minister, you made your tryst. So did many on the 15th August Independence Day‖ (p. 176). The author brings out the hollowness of power corridor and makes it clear that it is the multitude that suffers the most in their petty game of power hunt. Lakhs were displaced, thousands of women raped, and countless number of people were murdered due to political vendetta. It is disheartening to learn in ‗Train to Pakistan‘ that one community hatches

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conspiracy against another with whom they had lived with mutual cooperation. The officer in ‗Ice Candy Man‘ shrieks that these British are throwing cities like pack of cards at random. It is highly ironical that freedom which meant a rebirth just as a Phoenix emerges from its own ashes gives a by-product as nasty as hooliganism, murder and vandalism. The reminiscence of partition is still today which emerges as cross border terrorism, hate speeches against each other time and again. “Liberty, Equality and fraternity‖ which has been the war cry of freedom fighters since the glorious French Revolution was lost somewhere when India achieved its Independences. Both the authors have invoked disgust and condemnation in the minds of readers against such ghastly acts committed during partition. Love Love is the most sublime human emotion which transcends all narrow boundaries of caste, creed, religion or ethnicity. It emerges from a pure heart and can be felt only by a pure heart. Different facets of love are depicted in the works of Sidhwa and Singh. The love of Jugga for Nooran is tender and sublime which sprouts from his deepest trenches of heart who otherwise is a self-proclaimed ruffian. Jugga doesn‟t care for his own life and decides to stand against all odds in order to save her beloved. Thus, Khushwant Singh brings out the notion of innate goodness in man. The Ice candy man‟s love towards Ayah turns into poison when he learns of molestation of his sister. Love turned sour results into deadly poison potentially able to rupture the faculty of reasoning. He in his insane thirst of revenge abducts Ayah whom he once wooed and cared so much. There are other profound facets of tender and deep love depicted in the story. The warm love between Lenny and the Godmother; Lenny and Ayah and between Lenny and mother. Thus one form of love is cruel, pitiless and despicable whereas the other form of love is sweet, tender and innocent. Atrocities against women The worst sufferers of partition were women. They had to endure all sorts of humiliation, torture and barbarism. The patriarchal society victimised women and this is depicted in both the novels which invoke disgust in the minds of readers. ‗Mutilated breasts‘ of women come in trains along with dead bodies. This causes a nauseating effect on the readers and sinews chill with despair and disgust when reading such accounts. Women and girls, if found to be of different community were brutally raped and molested. They could not even go back to their original relatives as she had apparently lost her purity. All these show the hollowness of societal norms and absurd customs. In Train to Pakistan, Kushwant Singh shows atrocity upon women through Sundari. She was going to Gujranwala with her husband on the fourth

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day of her marriage. Her arms still covered with red lacquer bangles and her palms bright with henna, she is happily day-dreaming on her way to her new home when the bus on which they are riding is attacked by Muslims. Her husband is stripped naked and she is sexually molested by the mob. “The mob made love to her. She did not have to take off any one of her bangles. They were all smashed as she lay in the road, being taken by one man and another and another. That should have brought her a lot of good luck.” (p. 147) This causes a sense of frustration and agony in readers which sets a morbid sensation. Voracious manly sexual appetite is a rough sauce to hooliganism and makes man to stand in the line of beasts and savages. Feminism Feminism is a movement which aims at deriving equal rights for women in social, political and economic fields. Bapsi Sidhwa in her ‗Ice Candy Man has given voice to feminism and pitches for just treatment of women and their rightful place in social hierarchal order. The protagonist is a female and many strong characters such as the mother and Ayah epitomise an assertive role. The novel has strong feminine characters who have a soul of their own. The author has depicted insight into the thought process of a woman‟s mind with great sensitivity. Each female character represents a way of life be it Lenny, mother or Ayah. The novel hits hard at patriarchy and oppression of women by depicting victimisation of women in a most horrid and dreadful manner. This invokes a sense of individuality in female minds and an urge to raise voice against oppression. Lenny is surprised by the patriarchal norm wherein purity of a woman vanishes if touched by a man. Lenny and her grandmother talk about the deteriorating situation of women in these lines: ―What a fallen woman?‖ I ask godmother… ―Hamida (the second Ayah) was kidnapped by the Sikhs‖, Says godmother seriously… When that happens sometimes, The husband – or his family won‘t take her back.‖ ―Why? It isn‘t her fault she was kidnapped.‖ ―Some folk feel that way—they can‘t stand their woman being touched by other men.” (Page, 215). Ayah epitomises womanhood who invokes love, affection and freedom in Lenny. However, she becomes prey to hounds who are madly driven into bigotry and fanaticism. Bapsi Sidhwa has produced a master piece novel „Ice Candy Man‘ with elements of female psyche so beautifully that only a person with such sheer brilliance can manifest.

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Use of violence to invoke Humanism Kushwant Singh and Bapsi Sidhwa have used barbarism and vandalism to such an extent that it invokes a sense of pity and remorse. ‗The sack full of breasts‘ is such a phrase which fills a human mind with disgust and one‟s soul also shivers with pain and horror. The literature of partition is filled with sagas of human oppression and madness without any reason. Lunacy can never be justified in the name of religion and this holds true for partition also. Extensive violence and human sufferings makes one to feel the pain. Readers are bound to bring out the futility of communalism and fanaticism which not only cause havoc in the society but also is a tight slap on the face of entire human civilisation which claim itself to be modern and sophisticated. Thus, the elements of violence in these masterpieces are actually a way to bring out the message of peace, love, fraternity and mutual cooperation in society. Child’s Psyche The trauma of partition was not only on adults but also inflicted upon children. Many were lost, murdered and lynched by the mob. Lenny, a sweet eight-year-old child is aghast and flabbergasted when she sees a man being killed in the streets. Her body is filled with pain and she tarts to rip off her doll so as to seek solace.‖ Lenny selects a large lifelike doll and begins to fiercely tear it apart until the cloth skin is ripped right up to the armpits spilling chunks of greyish cotton and coiled brown coir.” (p148). The introduction of a little child to the ghastly world of violence is disturbing and painful. Ayah is abducted and forced into prostitution before her eyes. She blames herself for the whole mishap. Thus, innocence in children is chopped into pieces by disdainful acts of violence. Film Adaptations The trauma of partition made many filmmakers to ponder upon the idea of making a film upon this subject. Earth 1947 (1999) and Train to Pakistan (1998) are the film adaptations of the Ice Candy Man and Train to Pakistan respectively. Both the films succeeded in winning accolades from critics and audience. Train to Pakistan was directed by Pamela Rooks and the movie was nominated in Cinequest San Jose Film Festival 1999 in the best feature film category. Earth 1947„was directed by Deepa Mehta and leading role of Ice Candy Man was played by leading actor Aamir Khan. Conclusion The into two dominions was an event of dramatic upheaval which resulted in the biggest exodus of people ever in the history of mankind. Compassion and fraternity were forgotten words in those days and man became thirsty of each other‟s blood. Ghastly

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acts of murder, rape and vandalism were committed which shames the entire human civilisation. It is despicable to learn the amount of hatred that was spread during those days. Partition has had its violent aftermath even today in the form of communal riots. Many literary figures in the Indian subcontinent have dealt with the topic with fair amount of sensitivity and pain. Khushwant Singh and Bapsi Sidhwa have painted the horrors of partition and its repercussions. Such mass killings would have been avoided if the situation was dealt with prudence at the macro (government) and the micro (citizenry) levels. It is fraternity and mutual love that separates humans from savage. The literature of partition has a common chord that connects all literary pieces produced on this theme. It is the theme of violence and human trauma. The partition is not just a historical event but also a saga of untold miseries and human sufferings which when penned down invokes a despise towards the political gamblers and fanatics who in order to fulfil their political vendetta made the general public as a sacrificial lamb. Khushwant Singh has made an attempt to unravel the bigotry in partition days through a fictional village Mano Majra. His novel ‗Train to Pakistan‘ also expounds the universal theme of eternal man-woman love which transcends all boundaries of religion, caste and creed. He has proved in the novel that man possesses innate goodness in his heart which though suppressed may find its utterance in course of time. Bapsi Sidhwa in her novel portrays the horrid images of partition through the eyes of a young girl Lenny. It is painful to read that an eight year child witnesses ghastly acts of abduction and molestation. Bapsi Sidhwa has made an attempt to unravel child‟s psyche which is tender and innocent. However, the images of murder and abduction have an effect over Lenny that she tears her own little lifeless doll so as to seek solace. It is heart renting as a child, who carries the seeds of human kindness and innocence has got its purpose misplaced. A lover like Ice Candy Man turns into a hound due to fanaticism. He abducts the Ayah and forces her into a brothel. Love turned sour results into venomous poison potentially able to turn rancid everybody. The city of Lahore is ablaze with fire of fanaticism and bigotry. Man should understand that he is just a part in the progress journey of human race with specific roles to play. Man is not born to fight with his brethren. Human sufferings and pain during the days of partition have a far reaching effect even to this date. The Indian Subcontinent witnesses terrorism, riots, plane hijacking all in the name of religion. No religion teaches bloodshed or violence. Different religions are like flowers of different colours which make the bouquet of life colourful and lively. The greatest wealth of this world is vividness. Homogeneity is dull and monotonous. People should respect

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conflicting ideas as they help to bring the bigger picture of truth. It is the benign face of humanity which allows conflicting ideas to grow as no one can be completely right. Tolerance is a virtue which is required for organic growth of any civilisation. The biggest exodus of people in the history of mankind proved to be a serious blot on the face of entire humanity as it showed that man reach to such a nadir that he can “mutilate breasts‖ and ―sacks full of breasts‖ has a sinew chilling effect upon reader. The reader is forced but to pray that such mishap never occur again. The partition mishap proves that people turn to fanaticism in no time throwing away all their sanity. There will be no difference between human and savage if people kill each other. People should have faith in justice and rule of law. “The arc of moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.” The world has to be made a better place to live in.

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Works Cited Singh, K. (1956) Train to Pakistan, New York: Grove Weidenfeld. Sidhwa, B. (1991) Cracking India, Minneapolis: Milkweed Publication Hassan, M. (1993) India‘s Partition: Process, Strategy, Mobilization. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Guha,R. (1999) India after Gandhi: Picador publication Butler, J.(1999) Gender Trouble Feminism and the Subversion of identity. London: Routlege, . . Government of India. Millions on the Move: The Aftermath of Partition. Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 1948. Print.

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