Train To Pakistan By Khushwant Singh

 

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Book  TRAIN TO PAKISTAN

BY: KHUSHWANT SINGH (02.02.1915 - 20.03.2014)

Published By : Chatto & Windus (British Publisher)

First Edition :1956  

Price : 203

 

                       “KHUSHWANT SINGH”, The great Author, renowned editor and reputed columnist, and very famous Novelist, needs no further introduction.

                      Though, we have seen many films, web series and TV serials on this painful incident of partition for independence, but experience of reading this book is entirely different, every page of this book you turn, it will force you to think about that greed of few leaders. Whether they really didn’t aware of the consequences, or, all these so called leaders deliberately pre planned everything and afterwords turned a blind eye to it when the country was under flames .

                       Train to Pakistan is significant work of modern Indian literature focusing on Indian partition turmoil of 1947, almost like a running commentary of what was happening in villages nearby Indo- Pak border just after the independence and in the beginning of partition process.

                       The story is mainly of a village named Mannomajra, which is the first Railway station in India’s border. Author has very beautifully described the than social conditions, cast division, economic conditions, villager’s reaction over the freedom and above all the unity in village irrespective of any party or cast. He has also described actions and reactions of all responsible authorities which specially highlights functioning of the Police and other government bodies at that time.

The story can be be seen from different angles like it was a love story between a Sikh boy and Muslim girl, it was also a story of the the brutalities suffered by the people generated as a result of partition. Not only this, author has also tried to show how people viewed famous personalities like Mahatma Gandhi in some way or the other.

Train to Pakistan is one of those an  effort  to save the small amount of  love and affection left between people of India and Pakistan after 1947 . It was not written only to show the slaughter of innocents that took place after the partition ,  but in my opinion  the main thought behind writing this book was to save that little love across the border if we can .

 

Author has well described the situation at that time. like during such a crucial period, friendly relationship, mutual love and affection of the villagers and the dirty tricks of bureaucracy all the way. The shameless actions of the local police just for the vested interests, keeping the law aside has been described in detail.

As it was the outcome of the unexpected cast-based partition under the black shadow of dirty politics and for the vested interests and greed for power of few politicians, which never had the willingness or consent of the common man.

It is really shocking and quite painful too,  that how the conditions and mind set of the villagers change when one train full of dead bodies arrives from Pakistan and how the local innocent villagers are misguided and used for interest of few. The cast-based discrimination had been spread out in the village overnight and this is done by outsiders.  

Author has very emotionally described the mutual harmony among the villagers after the order to send Muslims to Pakistan forcibly. Iqbal once appears to be a very important character in the story but in my opinion, justice has not been done with his character.

Finally, after a tragic incident the train has been departed safely from Manomajra station.

Author has very nicely described the situation of India at the time of partition and Manomajra is the sample village only. In my opinion it’s a must-read book, as the plot, the authors way of describing and pointing even smaller things, the story framed around the topic, impressive presence of various characters, and the sentence framing etc. are really in a class of its own.

Atulya