PINJAR BY AMRITA PRITAM M .A. SEMESTER-IV EC-2(PARTITION NARRATIVES) DR. PRITI KANODIA ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH C. M. COLLEGE, DARBHANGA INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Pinjar is a novel written by Amrita Pritam and translated by Khushwant Singh. The novel was adapted in 2003 Hindi film with the same title and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration . Literal meaning of Pinjar in English is skeleton .The writer through the story brings light upon the problem faced by women during partition of India. There were riots ,rape cases and abduction of women. Amrita Pritam was herself one of the eye-witness of the partition and its consequences. She understood the sensitivity of the subject matter and handled it with utmost care. The story dramatically captured the troubles and despair of Puro as victim of situations while the story moves on an emotional ride with twists and turns which leaves the reader wonder struck as what will happen next. The novel tells the story of Puro, a young woman of Hindu background ,living happily with her family. All is well for Puro ,who is betrothed to a wealthy man, Ramchand. Puro’s bliss is shattered one day as a trip in the fields beyond her home with Rajjo turns traumatic as she is kidnapped by a mysterious man, who turns out to be Rashid. Rashid is attracted towards Puro and would do anything for her. Puro’s name has been changed, religion has been converted and married to Rashid. She is only reduced to skeleton with no soul inside her .Still she strives for the happiness of others. No other woman facing similar pain and suffering could have fought against odds with such perseverance. The novel brings in light the dark and horrifying side of the partition of India. Hindus and Muslim’s fought as they flee to the other sides. The novel also brings out the Hindu-Muslim unity by an instance, where Rashid helps Puro in finding Lajjo. THEMES PARTITION ABDUCTION MIGRATION MARRIAGE LOSS OF DREAMS TRAUMATIC LIFE EXPLOITATION MARGINALIZATION GENDER ISSUES THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN PINJAR Women have always been an object of violence in all ages. Pinjar is a shattering blow to the hegemonic patriarchal set up where a woman’s body is considered as a sight of contest. Violence against women can be of physical, mental at individual or collective levels. Pinjar narrates the gendered experience of the trauma and sufferings of partition of India in 1947. It also portrays the violence in the name of culture, religion and social norms. Amrita Pritam’s novel is a tale of the complexities of human mind. Through Puro’s story, the novel discusses different dimensions of violence. It portrays the devaluing of women and reducing them to mere objects. It observes the strength and resilience with which the women cope with gendered violence, loss of identity and alienation. It is commendable that the women in the novel support each other in a spirit of solidarity that cuts across the religious divide. CONCLUSION Pinjar as a partition narrative is an important work because it captures the real status of women during partition.. Amrita Pritam sets out to construct the narrative from women’s point of view. Puro becomes the symbol of what women had to endure during partition. In a very powerful way the writer argues that the status of women symbolize that partition was used as a means to manipulate and consolidate political power. The women had no say in this. Pinjar is “the women’s cry in prose against her existential fate and social abuse”. It pleads for a swift change for the status of women. .