Train to Pakistan
Plot Summary
Khushwant Singh’s historical novel Train to Pakistan was published in 1956. It is set during the 1947 Partition of India, which resulted in the creation of the nations of Pakistan and India, and focuses on how the Partition affected people on the ground. Train to Pakistan, which focuses on the lives of regular residents as they are forcibly removed from their homes, adds a human dimension to one of the deadliest moments in both countries’ histories.
Prior to 1947, Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs coexisted peacefully, notwithstanding occasional tensions and violence. Partition cemented such religious and cultural divisions, and families were forced to leave their homes and relocate to locations deemed safe for their respective faith.
Unfortunately, the resettlement process was fraught with peril as extremist elements attempted to exploit the instability. These impromptu evacuations occurred on foot, by vehicle, and in overcrowded trains. As these refugees fled the carnage, they became entangled in the ongoing civil conflict between Hindus and Muslims.
Although many refugees sought refuge in rural locations far from the violence’s epicenter, rural areas were similarly dangerous, as tribal groups targeted refugees. It is believed that ten million people were displaced as a result of the violence. More than a million of them were killed in violence that erupted during the resettlement process.
In the midst of it all, the trains kept running, transporting evacuees down a perilous route. Both sides in the civil war regarded the trains as an effective tool to kill huge numbers of refugees, therefore they became targets themselves.
Numerous settlements, including Mano Majra, the setting for the majority of the story, relied on supply trains, and the arrival and departure of trains shaped daily life in the villages. As the war progressed, the trains grew increasingly unpredictable, carrying more refugees than tiny villages. Fear gripped the villages as the upheaval in the country’s core extended to them, affecting every aspect of their existence.
Life in Mano Majra was still relatively tranquil, and the village was religiously varied, with Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians living there. Over hundreds of years, the hamlet thrived on collaboration, with individuals relying on one another for existence. When the first ghost train arrived, religious conflict in cities looked a million miles distant.
The train is carrying several dead bodies, and the peasants flee in fear. Soon after, a second train arrives, bringing with it additional changes for the village. He is shortly ordered by the military to assist in burying the dead before the rainy season begins.
The village’s fragile peace between religions is soon destroyed when Muslim residents are ordered to depart. As though families who have lived in Majra for decades have been stripped of their goods and exiled with only what they can carry. Although Muslims bear the brunt of the soldiers’ authority, measures for the Sikh and Hindu minorities are also in the works.
Characters in Train to Pakistan
Singh, Iqbal
He is a political agitator who advocates for greater political and economic rights for peasants. He refers to himself as a “comrade,” implying that he is a member of the Communist Party. Given his surname and the band he wears, Iqbal is a Sikh, although he no longer practices the religion. In the narrative, he is portrayed as a Muslim. “his countrymen’s code of values had always confused him, with his anglicized way of seeing at things,” Iqbal says of English clothes and rituals. The Punjabi language code was much more perplexing. For them, honesty, honor, and financial integrity were “fine.”
Singh, Juggut (Jugga)
Others label Jugga as a budmash or wicked man, yet he eventually becomes a hero. Jugga, one of the story’s primary protagonists and, in many respects, a counterpart to Iqbal, strives to redeem himself throughout the novel. He’s been falsely accused of dacoity, used as a scapegoat by the police, and abused by many in Mano Majra. Jugga, on the other hand, is an honest man who tends to change his ways once he falls in love with Nooran. “I was out of the village… but I wasn’t murdering anyone,” he says. I was being assassinated”. (In this case, “being murdered” refers to his sexual relationship with Nooran.) He has a huge build (6 feet 4 inches tall) and is prone to violence.
Chand, Hukum
Hukum Chand is the deputy commissioner of Mano Majra, where he supervises the sub-inspector and the head constable. His daughter, as well as other members of his family, have died, but it is unknown how. Her death has a profound impact on him and inspires his distant, utilitarian policing style; he is obsessed with preserving as many lives as possible at whatever cost. This includes curtailing people’s freedom in order to keep them secure (i.e., imprisoning Jugga and Iqbal despite knowing that they are innocent).
He is characterized as melancholy, and the violence of the Partition has left an indelible impression on him. For example, when Chand thinks about the train atrocity, he concentrates on his recollections of the bodies, which haunt him despite his efforts to forget them. Furthermore, he is concerned with death, considering it as “the one absolute reality”; he is worried that when someone dies, their existence ceases to exist. When he recalls the train, he can only picture the passengers’ dread, which emerges as a concept that life must be made as pleasurable as possible through hedonistic practices.
Themes of Train to Pakistan
Khushwant Singh’s novel “Train to Pakistan” is about the partition of India in 1947 and the horrible bloodshed that erupted during the huge exodus of people over the newly formed borders. Some of the novel’s primary themes are as follows:
Partition and Its Aftermath: The story delves into the effects of division on the people of Punjab, as well as the violence that occurred as a result of the mass exodus of Hindus and Muslims over newly formed lines. It depicts people’s trauma, displacement, and suffering during the partition.
Religion: During the partition, the story emphasizes the importance of religion in dividing people and inciting bloodshed. It also demonstrates how religion can be used to manipulate politics.
Identity: The novel delves into the complexity of identity and how religion, culture, and history shape it. It demonstrates how people might be compelled to choose between competing identities, as well as the implications of those decisions.
The story also depicts the intricacies of love and relationships during times of political and social turmoil. It demonstrates how relationships may be tested during times of strife and how love can transcend religious and cultural borders.
Power and Politics: The novel depicts how power and politics may exacerbate conflict and violence. It emphasizes the role of politicians, bureaucrats, and police in sustaining violence and keeping the status quo in place.
Justice and Injustice: The novel delves into the themes of justice and injustice, as well as how the law is frequently used to perpetuate injustice rather than deliver justice. It demonstrates how political and social influences can undermine the justice system.
Ultimately, “Train to Pakistan” is a stunning story that depicts the anguish and bloodshed of partition and its aftermath in vivid and disturbing detail.