Rayat Shikshan Sanstha’s

Sadguru Gadage Maharaj College Karad

A Handy Notebook on Partition
Literature

SEM-IV, B.A-II Optional English

By
Mr.Abhijeet N.Pawar
 Index
• Module I
Impact of Partition on Women
• Module II
Home and Exile
• Module III
Short Stories :
1) Toba Tek Singh – Sadat Hasan Manto
2) The Final Solutions – Manik Bandopadhya
• Module IV
Short Stories :
1) The Assignment- Sadat Hasan Manto
2) Leaf in the Storm- Lalithambika Antharjanam
 Module I
Impact of Partition on Women
 Module I
Impact of Partition on Women
• Partition- means division
• British Policy – Divide and Rule- Basis of religion
• Two Nation Theory (1930) – Barr. Jinnah – Muslim
League
• Idea of separate Muslim nation consolidated in the
Lahore Resolution 1940.
• 1947- Dream of Tagore’s dream land came in reality-We
Free
• Happiness turn into inhuman activities- ten millions
were killed – twenty millions were exchanged- midnight
of 14th August 1947- unusual mixture of hope and
despair
 Place of women in Indian society
• Secondary position in human history
• Violence against her mental- economical and
physical stage
• Male centric world Patriarchal Dominance
 Women participated in the Independence
movement
• Kasturbha Gandhi
• Sarojini Naidu
• Aruna Asafali
• Sarlaben
 How were the women affected by the
Partition?

• Humiliation by the enemy

• Abductions
• Atrocities
• Conversions
• killings
• Insane hypocritical and pervert patriarchy
• Hindus, Muslim and Sikhs did heinous crime
• Commodity
 Woman Characters in Partition
Literature
• Train to Pakistan by Kushwant Singh –
Nooran
• Ice Candy Man by Bapsi Sidhwa- Lenny
• Lajawanti Short Story by Rajender Singh-
Lajwanti- raped women
• Exile by Jamila Hasima- Gurupal’s wife
abducted women
• Leaf in the Storm –Lalitha Antharanjan- Jyoti
 Module II
Home and Exile
 Home and Exile
• Home and Exile- mutually contradictory
terms- surcharged with intense emotions
Home-
• Where one belongs and one’s root exists
• Where one’s culturally, legitimately and
emotionally belongs
• Where one’s religious, linguistic and
geographical moorings established
 Exile
• Exile-(Banishment, Expulsion, Uprooting)
• Is a state of getting rejected
• Being banished from one’s own home,
people, land, culture, and such root
• A rejected state- all are lost and deprived
• Lose home and settle at another
• For Example- Jews from Germany, Parsis from
Iran, Kashmiri Pundit from Kashmir
 Terms to Such Migration (Exile)
• Diaspora
• Expatriates
• Immigrants
• Ethnic minorities
• Refugees- (Karachi Sweet stores)
 Questions on Fractured identity
• Where do I really belongs?
• Does the new place own me?
• Have I snapped my root?
• Do I really own the new place?
 Home and Exile
Homecoming-
• an ecstasy of reunion, stability and security
• Gives deep sense of comfort
• Look like regaining paradise
Exile-
• Causing displacement pain
• Does not have sense of stability and security
• Uneasy, fearful
 State of Home and Exile in Literature
• How many Pakistans? Story by Kamleshswar
( Story of Mangal and Salima Bano)
• Homecoming Story by Rabindranath Tagore
( Story of Phatik Chakravoti)
• Toba Tek Singh – Sadat Hasan Manto
• The Final Solutions – Manik Bandopadhya
• The Assignment- Sadat Hasan Manto
• Leaf in the Storm- Lalithambika Antharjanam
 Module III
1)Toba Tek Singh – Sadat Hassan
Manto
 Sadat Hassan Manto (1912-1955)
• Born in Ludhiana in Punjab
• Migrated to Pakistan in 1947
• Writer of several short stories
• Stories provoke controversies
• Realism and humanism- thematic perspective
 Background of Story
• Story takes place two or three years after
partition
• Location is close to the border of newly formed
Hindustan
• Exchange of lunatics from respective asylums
of respective countries- central activity
• Story named on landlord of Toba Tek Singh,
Bishen Singh
• Quest for humanity, fear of exile, mindlessness-
 Characters
• Toba Tek Singh, Bishen Singh
• Mohammad Ali- Muslim lunatic
• Fazal Deen- Muslim friend of Toba Tek Singh
• Hindu Lawyer from Lahore
 Outline of the Story
• A couple years after the partition the government of
two separated countries decide to exchange lunatic
asylum
• Neither any of lunatics knew where they are located.
• They have no idea of partition. No idea about
Pakistan and Hindustan.
• Policeman on guard also ignorant about land only
they knew Muslim Leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah
created new land for Muslim
• all did not know the actual location and boundaries
• Sudden changes manifested in lunatics by the news of
exchange from Hindustan to Pakistan
• All become more insane
• One of them from Muslim delivered two hours
speech on Hindustan- Pakistan issues- climb on
tree
• Muslim radio engineer took off clothes- to race
around
• Muslim Mohammad Ali -Lunatic from Chiniot-
member of Muslim league- declare himself
Mohammad Ali Jinnah- give up the habit of
bathing 15 time in day
• Young Hindu Lawyer from Lahore abuses to
Hindu and Muslim leader for partition- lose
heart
• Anglo- Indian lunatics- in European Ward
shocked by learning English had left by
granting freedom- worried about change in
status
• Toba Tek Singh, a Sikh Bishen Singh in the
asylum since 15 years-neither slept at night,
nor during day, did not care lie down- lean
against wall- tek now and then
• His feet are swollen-from standing-even
though he does not lie. Discussion on lunatic
exchange make him serious
• He Frequently ask about his native place Toba
Tek Singh whether in Pakistan or Hindustan.
• Toba Tek Singh is situated in Lahore, Pakistan
• Older staff of asylums knew he was landlord of
Toba tek Singh, which early been Hindustan
• He had no notion of time, date and month. But
he order guard to clean him when someone
wanted to meet him
• Had a daughter- she used to cry seeing her
father
• During the time of Hindu Pakistan controversy
no body’s visit sadden him
• He longed for his people- who used to give
him fruit, food and sweets gives answer to
his question where the toba tek singh
• Lunatic Khuda’s answer to pass order to
decide the place whether in Pakistan or India
made Singh to pray to God to Pass order
• Meeting with Fazel Deen gives relief and
knowing about family to Singh. But asking a
question whereabouts the Toba Tek Singh To
Fazal Deen- learnt it is in Pakistan
• Day of Exchange- lorries packed with lunatics
proceeded towards the Wagha Border
• Two sides superintendents met and exchange
begans
• Hard job to officials to get down- some refuses,
some ran off directions, tore clothes, made
noises
• Majority were against the exchange- and uproot
fro their homes- raised slogan
• Bishen at exchange counter ask the questions to
officials about Toba Tek Singh. In Pakistan or
Hindustan
• Officials answer in Pakistan ran him back to his
friend
• Official tried to move him forcibly to other
side –persuade him-
• Stood on swollen legs spot in a middle- in a
posture- no power could remove him
• Stand still and unmoving at border- officials
spot the man day and night- since the 15
years-
• In Between, on a bit of land that had no
name Toba Tek Singh
2)The Final Solution – Manik
Bandopadhyay
Manik Bandopadhyay (1908-1956)
• Prolific Bengali Writer
• born on 19 May 1908 in Dumka, a small
town in Santal Parganas district in the state
of Bihar in British India
• Novelist, poet and short story writer
 Background of story The Final
Solution
• One of the acclaimed works
• Story is moving around poor family who
migrated to West Bengal after partition
• Story of partition
• Story of Mallika and her husband Bhushan and
son Khokon, and widow Asha
• Story of suffering, decaying morality and
humanity,
• Translated in English by Rani Ray
 Characters
• Mallika- Protagonist
• Bhushan- her sick husband
• Asha - widow Sister of Bhushan
• Khokon – Sick son of Mallika
• Pramatha- antagonist- secret business
running of prostitution- running Help and
Welfare Society
• Romalochan –an assistant of Pramatha
 Outline of Story
• The story opens at railway station during the
time of partition.
• Refugee family of unsettled wandering for
shelter- having no other shelter put up on the
platform
• Family consist of Mallika her sick husband
Bhushan, her sick son Khokon, and widow sister
of Bhushan- Asha
• The whole family has gone hungry for days
together- no options for them rather day to rise
 Outline of the Story
• Jobs and menial work is not available.
• A man called Pramatha, and his assistant Ramlochan
look out for search refugee- to avail work for them in
Help and Welfare Society.- a Set up of by the
government to help refugees.
• Mallika and her family faith on these men though they
were not faithful on government.
• Pramatha frequently visits them at station Mallika
expect help from him rather visit.
• Pramatha’s responded –flood of people is in city like
you, how many we can help?
• Mallika demands Pramatha any job for husband- he
refused by saying- no job to men- but job available to
women
 Outline of the Story
• Pramatha offers jobs to women Mallika and
Asha-joyous moment for them
• Besides he offers price of milk and a room to
them
• For Mallika at that moment Pramatha was God
• Pramatha gives basic things such as rice, dal,
fish, vegetable and clothes
• Pramatha called Mallika to house to work for
him.
• He tempts her to satisfy his sexual hunger.
• In fact, his secret trade was to force needy
women in prostitution
 Outline of the Story
• Mallika an alert woman of spirit understands
the evil intentions
• She kills him
• Killing incident does not frightened her – gives
confidence in the world of wolves-
• Her confidence reflects in her words:
What did he take for me? Am I weak just because I
am a woman?
We will never be hungry again..
 Module IV
1)The Assignment- Sadat Hasan
Manto
 The Assignment- Sadat Hasan Manto

• Born in Ludhiana in Punjab

• Migrated to Pakistan in 1947
• Writer of several short stories
• Stories provoke controversies
• Realism and humanism- thematic perspective
 Background of Story
• Theme of loyalty , fear, conflict, trust, hatred
• Taken from his Kingdom’s End and other Stories
collection
• Unnamed narrator in third person
• story of betrayal, of evil returned for
generations of good, of senseless violence and
meaningless cruelty and deaths of the innocent,
deaths with no reward but the temporary
satiation of blood lust and religious hatred.
• Cross- religious bounding
 Characters
• Mian- Central character who have faced
cruelty
• Sughra-Muslim girl daughter of Mian
• Akbar- family member of Mian
• Santokh- Hindu neighbor
• Bashrat – Brother of Sughra
 Outline of the Story
• Story opens with the conflict on the name of
religion after partition between Hindu and
Muslim
• Mian the central character is unaware and
relaxed about this but Sughra knows the
seriousness of events
• Mian’s family is at risk because they were
Muslims.
• Akbar family member decides to abandon house
save life- lack of honesty to Mian
 Outline of the Story
• Santokh is hindu -an interesting character- he his
following the last wishes of his father to continue
good relationship with Mian
• But in reality and due to the partition- he is not
following the lat wishes of his father
• He has helped rioters to pinpoint Mian’s house in
order that may destroy Mian’s house and in all
likelihood is to kill Mian too.
• He has made use of his father’s goodwill to ensure
the removal of Mian and his family.
• Sughra trust on Santokh has caused lose her life.
• Too much of religious hatred of Sankoth misjudged
by the Mian- caused danger to the family
 Outline of the Story
• Mian is unable to understand accurate temperature
of city- believes nothing can happen with his family
• Mian and his family trapped in their home-city
becomes more violent- there no escape for them-
• Sughra and Basharat like innocent children affected
by this partition turmoil- Mian all his men wishes
their children live their lives
• What is happening in the city worsening the condition
of Mian- 17 years old Sughra is forced to take
responsibility for the family-
• If any thing that Sughra understood is the animousty
between two religious groups- she took care of her
father Mian and Basharat
 Outline of the Story
• Story highlights- the cross religious bondage
before partition ended with religious division
• Neighbors kills Neighbors- friendship forget – it
clear through the action of Santokh- he
betrayed Mian and family and his father’s trust
due to religious and political aspects
• The end is noticeable- Santokh ended his
assignment- forgetting the help of Mian’s father-
gives permission to kill Mian and his family
• He is no longer waiting at end to burn the home
of Mian- he burnt- Mian’ s family ended because
they were Muslim
 2)A Leaf in the Storm
by Lalithambika Antharajan
 Lalithambika Antharajan(1909)
• Kerala born writer wrote in Malayalam
• Her novel Agnisakshi won the Sahitya
Akademi Award
• Her stories are translated in English by
Narayan Chandran
 Background of the Story
• Setting of the story- refugee camp in Punjab
• Story of girl named as Jyotirmoy Devpal
• Scene of the partition riot-
• Jyoti raped -become pregnant – ready to kill
newly born baby-
• emotional storm in the mind of Jyoti- stops her
and accept baby
• Leaf means – newly born baby- storm means –
emotional storm in the mind of Jyoti to give
birth
 Charcters
• Jyotirmoy Devpal- Protagonist
• Doctor in refugee camp
• Ayesha friend of Jyoti
• Qasim- father of Ayesha and neighbor of Jyoti
 Outline of the Story
• Story opens in Refugee camp in Punjab where Jyoti- a
raped girl from western village of Punjab observing
the scene of women exchanged after partition
• Police and military personal have carried these
women to camp
• Some women asking about kinsfolk(relatives), some
sat quietly- some have gone mad, many of them
where crying
• the old women mother of 9 children was there
counting the last days- children's were killed in
partition
 Outline of the Story
• Another woman with tear cloth- wife of big officer from
sindh was there- violated in front of husband- felt death in
alive
• Sikh girl Jyoti on the other side of hall trying to console
hindu child – who is separated from parents
• Among this camp there were several people who ran for
life for several mile.- broken limbs
• Jyoti observes everything with dim eyes reflects pity and
despair- eyes reflects hate and cynicism
• she is good looking and noble- her belly is big even hadn’t
food for four day-
• The report of condition reached to camp doctor- coaxed
her drink milk-noticing her the importance of life she is
carrying in her belly
 Outline of the Story
• She cried –questioning him Why one life? How
many life have we lost now?
• Doctor tried to persuade her –rather than
destroy he appeals to preserve baby
• Jyoti talks on consequences of inhuman activity
such as rape and ignorance
• Raised questions her demand was loud and
clear her belly
• Doctor refused her convinces her by presenting
her duty to save life rather than take life
 Outline of the Story
• The doctor in the refugee camp gently makes her drink milk
as she might succumb to her weakness.
• She knows she is pregnant due to rape
• She has seen some other women in the camp doing so in
the same situation
• However, human kindness and compassion prevail and she is
ready to give birth child- waits for natural birth
• When it is actually born she is again in temporary mood to
kill it –
• But newly awakened love and compassion win over her and
she lifts the new born baby to breast –a gesture of
acceptance
• Memory of terrible past arisen- mixture of past and present
and happy and unhappy life
 Reference

• Chindhade, Shirish. Partition Literature.

Ed.Mehta Book Sellers, Kolhapur, 2019
• Naik,M.K. History of English
Literature,Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi,2010