Train to Pakistan

Partition that has left many scars in the hearts of several Indians and those tragic  days
which still haunt the new India, the memories of that tragic period still makes people
shiver,  are brought alive through a great novel by Khushwant Singh. This story is set
across during the time when India was butchered into two nations of India and
Pakistan. This book was first published in 1956 when the horrendous memories of the
holocaust were still afresh in everybody’s minds. The present edition released on the
occasion of its 50th anniversary includes the heart-rending photographs contributed
by Margaret Bourke-White (who is?). The Images provided by her go very well go
with the inner sense of the story and show the intensity of the Partition and the exodus
of over a million immigrants, the largest in human history. It is well known that the
Partition was carried out upon instigation of the British and based on communal lines.
While  the politics behind this tragic incident is what is most talked about,  , this piece
of fiction by the author has attempted to bring forth the sufferings faced by
commoners.
The story primarily revolves around a fictional village located along the borders,
named by author as Mano Majra. The story begins with a vivid description of how the
village was like. It is followed by a dramatic incident that took place there one night.
Ram Lal, the village money lender is killed by a neighbouring village’s dacoit, Malli.
Now the story shifts to its main characters Juggut Singh, Iqbal and Hukum Chand.
Juggut Singh is arrested as murder suspect by the police. He is portrayed as local
badmaash of the village who loves only daughter of half blind mulla of the village
named as Nooran. On the other side, Iqbal, a social reformer, is a visiting commie in
disguise who wants to mobilize support for the socialist party of India. Then we come
across the character of Hukum Chand who is the village magistrate.
The descriptions of various characters in the story are presented in great detail that
may allow the reader to form picture of what all happened. The village is portrayed to
be a peaceful and harmonius place until the seeds of hatred and suspicion were sown .
The story can be viewed from different angles. If it was a love story between a Sikh
boy and Muslim girl, it was also a story that depicted the brutalities suffered by the
people generated as a result of partition. Not just this, it also tried to show how people
viewed famous personalities like Mahatma Gandhi in some way or the other. The
bravery of Juggat Singh is brought about in the story, when he attempted to save
several innocent lives and his lady-love, Nooran too. The crisis began when the
horrifying train with corpses entered the village. Moreover the brutally mutilated
bodies evoked the furies and drove the Hindus of Mano Majro to shoo away the
Muslims who were till then their good friends and kin-like. Various situations that
lead to one incident from another and the author weaves a heart-wrenching story in
the backdrop of Partition.
The story by Khushwant Singh even being a work of fiction is very close to reality in
terms of the scenes that are created. The story has a tone that is quite depressing and
touches the core of the heart. This book is a must read for all those who want to get a
glimpse of what had happened as consequence of one of the most saddened episodes
of not just of  the history of the subcontinent but also in human history.

PART II
“Literature is borne out of a social milieu. A reader cannot afford to overlook
the social bindings, customary factors and the historical antecedents of the
respective age which shapes literary work of art.” Justify the statement by
relating it to the stories assigned.
A literature is brone out of social milieu which means that literature reflects the
society in which one is living and writer accordingly modes the story to according to
present scenario, in the same manner the writer show castes the characters to show the
society.
In the story “Moterwali Kolyewali” the writer wants to show the real face of
society,the story starts with Verama who was in the city of “Bhahsu” , he was
studying Law not because he wasted to study rather because of his “Tau” wish.
Verkma was in the 3rd year of LL.B. course from a Government collage; Lala
Bhanamal had already selected him (Verma) for her daughter Roopa who was in the 9
standard studying in the girl’s school, Verma had already seen her, he use to remain
near her school and remain seated under a tree just to see her but after few days
Roopa’s father fixed the engagement with son of diwan who had recently came from
abroad due to this Verma was heart-broken and he went to Bhahsu were he use to sit
on the bridge, on a one fine day he saw a girl who was carrying cola on her back and
going towards market to sell her, Verma was very mesmerized by her beauty and each
day he use to go to bridge and buy coal from her.
On one day when there was heavy rainfall Phakhun (kolyewali) came to her house to
sell coal he got very upset looking at her condition he asked her to come inside and
offered her his “Pashmina shol” and asked to dress of it, after few days Phakhun
asked him a piece of last sign Verma offerd her his photo as memory but she refused
to take it and asked for golden chain aggrevied by this verma gave her 100 rupees and
pulled her out of his house and cried in loud voice “Hai Sona! Hai Rupya.”
The writer through this show that society is materialistic and generally one loves other
because in return he will get something and this nature prevails in society and
correctly supports the argument “Literature is borne out of a social milieu.”