The Refugee

K.A. Abbas

Introduction:

K. A. Abbas is one of the stalwarts of Indian writing in English. He also has directed
many movies. His writings focus mostly on the pathos of oppressed people. His short story
“The Refugee” opens the eyes of readers to the injustice done to an old Sikh lady by the partition
between India and Pakistan.

Maanji’s life before the Partition at Rawalpindi:

Maanji was Sardarji’s wife. She lived in peace at Rawalpindi before partition. Their
house was very spacious. She had a small piece of land and a buffalo. The buffalo yielded her ten
seers of milk every day. She shared the butter milk with her Muslim neighbours. The rent from
the tenants and the cultivation made her to live a peaceful life. Her son worked in Bombay. She
felt sorry for the son at there who could earn lot of money but not able to get pure milk or ghee
and various types of fruits.

Maanji’s life after the partition at Bombay:

At Rawalpindi, while communal riots between the Hindu and Muslims; a Hindu
tongawallah and his innocent horse were killed in front of Maanji’s house. This heinous crime
drove Maanji from Rawalpindi to Bombay.

In Bombay, Maanji and her husband lived in a small rented house with their son. The
house was very small with a single room. That room served them main hall, kitchen room,
bathroom and also as store room. At Rawalpindi she had few servants to do her house hold
works. But now she does all sorts of her work in the house at Bombay. She kept her house very
neatly. Occasionally, she sent letters to her Muslim neighbours at Rawalpindi. They also sent
letters to Maanji. On reading them, she was moved to tears. She never hated any of her Muslim
neighbours even there was communal hostility between Hindus and Muslims. The Old memories
were very sweet to her and she wept on the past happy incidents with them.

Conclusion:

K.A. Abbas has portrayed the scenario of communal riots and an old woman affected by
it. Maanji is an epitome of motherhood and good natured woman. Her Muslim neighbours are
also good in nature. But the dirty politics and inefficient governments has made an irreparable
gap between the lives of them.
Choose the best answer:

1) Maanji means ___

a) mother b) sister c) aunty d) daughter – in- Law

2) Maanji shared _____ with her neighbours

a) curd b) butter Milk c) cheese d) ghee

3) Maanji lived in a ______ in Bombay

a) big house b) rented house c) store room d) kitchen Room

4) Maanji was fond of ______

a) Beggoogoshas b) Ghulopjamun c) Jilabies

5) Maanji was a ______ women

a) Muslim b) Sikh c) Brahmin

6) Abbas called his mother as ______

a) Amman b) Maanji c) Chachi

7) Maanji was guarded at night by _____

a) a Sikh soldier b) a Fierce dog c) a Muslim Tailor

8) Maanji’s _____ lived in Bombay

a) son b) husband c) daughter

9) Maanji first lived at _______

a) Peshawar b) Rawalpindi c) Islamabad

10) Maanji often sends ______ to her Muslim neighbours

a) sweets b) letters c) postcards